Witches Woods Tax District - Driveway Apron Ordinance

Section 1. Definitions:

Applicant: The term "Applicant" refers to the person proposing a driveway apron.

Board: The Board of Directors of the Witches Woods Tax District.

Driveway Apron: The access onto or an egress from a District Road.

New Driveway Apron: An access onto or an egress from a road that was not in existence on or before the adoption date of this ordinance, or an existing access or an existing egress from a road where the use of that driveway apron has changed.

Person: Includes Corporations, Partnerships, Firms, Associations and or any other entity.

Street/Road: Any District maintained way constructed for and dedicated to movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The word shall not include private driveways and rights-of-way (R.O.W.).

District: The Witches Woods Tax District

Section 2. Purpose:

It is the declared purpose of this ordinance to regulate driveways for the purpose of providing safe and structurally adequate access on roads.

Section 3. Procedure:

1.   No person shall construct a new driveway, new driveway apron or modifying an existing driveway leading into a District Road without first obtaining a written permit from the Board, or its agent.

2.   No Building Permit(s) will be issued until the applicant has applied for and received a Driveway Apron Construction Permit.

3.  A plot plan shall be submitted on behalf of the property owner showing the proposed layout.

4.      Construction of the driveway apron may start only after issuance of the Driveway Apron Construction Permit. Road areas must be kept clean of mud, dirt, stone etc. by installing a tracking pad, to reduce the amount of onsite soils to be tracked on to the adjacent road.

5.      Final approval of the driveway apron will be issued by the Board or its designee when all work is completed in accordance with the standards as verified by a post construction inspection. The Town of Woodstock Building Official will be notified when this approval is given.

6.   All driveway aprons must and will abut exiting surface of the District Road. No overlayment will be allowed onto the District Road surface.

7.      Should the layout require a culvert the property owner shall be solely responsible for the installation and maintenance thereof including the cleaning and any future replacement required for any reason.

Section 4. Standards:

The following standards shall apply to all new driveway apron construction:

1.      Driveway aprons shall intersect roadways at an angle of approximately ninety (90) degrees.

2.      Driveways shall be designed to prevent storm water flows from entering a District road. Privately owned and maintained drainage diversion swales, detention areas, and/or dry wells shall be utilized to the greatest extent possible. Culverts, with a minimum diameter of fifteen (15) inches, shall be used when crossing District drainage ways. Whenever private swale or private detention area is utilized in diverting driveway water from the District right-of-way, the owner of the subject lot(s) shall be responsible for maintaining the swale or detention area and any culverts in accordance with the approved design.

3.  Driveway aprons shall be located as far as possible from roadway intersections.

4.   The Board may waiver specific "Standards" within this ordinance, if the standards waived, do not decrease the safety of, and/or the structural adequacy of, any "New Driveway Apron".

Section 5. Effective Date:

The ordinance was adopted by the voters of theWitches Woods Tax District in accordance with the provisions and authority granted by Connecticut State Statute and the covenants of record related to the Witches Woods Tax District.

Dated this 9th day of May, 2003.