P&Z Tightens Rules

On Driveway Construction

By Andrew Gorosko

In its desire to tighten town land use rules in the face of continuing rapid residential growth, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has revised its driveway construction regulations, creating a stricter, more elaborate set of rules designed to have driveways more closely conform with the lay of the land.

P&Z members unanimously approved the stricter driveway rules May 18. The P&Z developed the revisions during the past two years in conjunction with the Planning and Zoning Task Force, an ad hoc group which advises the P&Z on how to change town land use rules for the stricter regulation of development.

The task force also helped develop P&Z’s controversial “upzoning” proposal, which is intended to reduce the potential development density of extensive residential sections of town to protect groundwater quality. The P&Z is expected to act on upzoning in the coming weeks.

The upzoning concept and revised driveway regulations were among the key land use rule changes espoused by members of Newtown Neighborhoods Coalition, an ad hoc citizens group which lobbied the P&Z several years ago to take regulatory steps to stem the rapid pace of local residential growth.

The revised driveway regulations are an aspect of P&Z’s stated desire to prevent developers from making radical changes to the landscape in creating sites for home construction. It was that desire that led the P&Z in 1997 to place a 200-cubic-yard limit on the amount of earthen fill that can be removed from a given building lot or deposited on it when subdivisions are developed. The P&Z made that regulation on cutting and filling stricter last month. 

 

Driveway Changes

P&Z members May 18 placed some finishing touches on the revised driveway rules in incorporating them into both the town’s subdivision regulations and the zoning regulations.

P&Z Chairman Daniel Fogliano said the new regulations are more restrictive than the previous rules. The new rules are intended to have the geometry of driveways better conform to a given area’s topography by placing certain restrictions on the earthen cutting and filling needed to create driveways, he said. The driveway regulations are much more detailed than the rules they replace.

Like the previous regulations, the revised rules set a maximum steepness for a driveway at a 15 percent grade. The new regulations require that driveways be built of an at least six inch bed of gravel, or be paved. The new rules require paving on driveway sections with a 12 percent grade or steeper.

The new regulations address wetland crossings, design standards, driveway composition, travel width, the weight limits for driveway culverts and bridges, grading, driveway aprons, turning radiuses, and pull-off areas. The design standards call for a minimum disturbance or alteration of the natural terrain and the indigenous character of the land.

Voting in favor of the new driveway regulations were Mr Fogliano and P&Z members Heidi Winslow, James Boylan, Lilla Dean and Robert Taylor.

At the May 18 session, Ms Dean offered a revision to the driveway rules concerning wetlands, which was incorporated into the regulations by P&Z.

The new driveway regulations may result in higher land development costs stemming from the need for additional surveying to meet the tighter construction standards. 

Elizabeth Stocker, the P&Z’s planner, said this week she is waiting to see the practical effect the new driveway regulations will have on the geometry of driveways included in new subdivision applications. The new rules take effect May 30.

Town Engineer Ronald Bolmer said the revised driveway regulations contain some flaws that can be corrected through revisions for clarity and technical content. Such changes would make the rules more enforceable, he said. Mr Bolmer said he plans to write a memorandum to P&Z explaining his concerns.

Town staff members have advised P&Z that regardless of the regulatory changes that the P&Z makes to its land use rules, developers will seek ways to get around such restrictions to maximize the development potential of their properties.