HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2006, 10/10) - L-2 - AmendedL-2
DRIVEWAY APPROACHES
GENERAL
A permit will be required prior to any driveway construction within the street
right-of-way. All construction shall conform with the Standard Plans and
Specifications of the City of Newport Beach. Brick, textured concrete or fiat stone
surfacing may be used subject to Public Works Department approval. Such
brick, textured concrete or fiat stone surfacing may not be used on Bayside Drive.
Bo The number of driveway openings shall be kept to a minimum so as to preserve
on-street parking and to reduce the points of traffic conflict.
The term "Curb Opening" shall mean the total width of the approach including
the slope distances on the curb. The term "Approach Bottom" shall mean the
total width of the approach less the slope distances on the curbs.
D4 Curb openings shall not be constructed closer than 5 feet to the beginning of the
curvature of a curb return, fire hydrant, traffic signal/pedestrian street light,
utility pole/anchor/pedestal, trees or vent pipe, unless approved by the Public
Works Department.
The entire curb opening shall be within the prolongation of the property lines
except when cross easements provide for a common driveway along the mutual
property line.
No permit shall be issued for driveways on Clubhouse Drive, Glen Drive, Balboa
Island or on the ocean side of Ocean Boulevard without City Council approval.
No curb openings will be permitted on Ocean Boulevard when access is available
from an existing alley, street or improved private roadway.
No permit shall be issued if the driveway construction requires the removal of a
street tree until such removal has been approved by the General Services
Director.
No permit shall be issued if the driveway encroaches on a crosswalk area.
No permit shall be issued if the driveway construction requires the relocation of
any public facility such as fire hydrants utility pole/anchor/pedestal, tree, vault,
vent pipes, or street lights until approved by the Public Works Department and a
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deposit has been made to cover the cost of relocation. Property owner shall pay
all costs for the relocation of any public facilities.
No permit shall be issued unless the applicant agrees that at no cost to the City
he will remove any driveway opening that is or will be abandoned, and
reconstruct curb, gutter and sidewalk (if applicable) to City Standards.
Where practical, difficulties or hardships may result from the strict application of
this policy, minor dimensional variances may be granted with written approval
of the Public Works Director.
Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing any person from appealing to
the City Council for relief from the applications of this policy.
No building permit shall be issued on a parcel whose access requires City
Council review for an encroachment permit on public property, until said
encroachment permit has been issued.
RESIDENTIAL ZONES AND RESIDENTIAL USES - SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
The width of the driveway approach bottom shall not exceed 20 feet except when
the driveway is to serve an enclosed three or four car garage, in which case the
driveway approach bottom may be increased to 25 feet or 32 feet, respectively.
One additional curb opening will be permitted to a single parcel subject to the
following conditions:
The total width for all openings shall not exceed 50% of the total frontage
of the parcel.
The openings shall be separated by at least 20 feet to retain maximum
street parking.
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Street curb openings shall not be permitted to residential property which abuts
an alley.
An exception may be made in the case of comer lots where the street on which
the curb cut is proposed is not an arterial street and street frontage is available
for the full depth of the lot, subject to the following conditions:
Access from the street will be permitted where existing structures prevent
full alley access, or additional covered off-street parking is being
provided.
2.The width of the curb opening shall be limited to one-half of the lot depth.
In the case of duplexes, condominiums and condominium conversions, an
additional driveway curb cut shall be permitted if the units are separated
by a continuous vertical plane, from the ground to the rooftop, with one
common wall and/or physically separated by open space. The resultant
building product shall have the appearance of two distinct and separate
units with a rear unit that has vehicle access from the alley and the front
unit with vehicle access from the side street. No overlapping of between
the front unit and rear unit floorplans shall be permitted.
Driveway grades must not exceed the listed applicable maximum slope
depending on application. Driveways to lowered or subterranean parking must
rise above the flood level or a minimum of six inches above the flow line of the
street or alley, whichever is greater, before transitioning to a downward slope.
Slope transitions shall be a minimum of five feet in length and the change of
slope cannot exceed eleven percent.
Driveways providing only parking access - Fifteen- percent maximum slope.
Must have access directly from garage into residence.
Driveways providing vehicle and pedestrian access - Eight- percent maximum
slope.
Driveways providing required parking spaces on the driveway itself - Five-
percent maximum slope.
Minor variations from the listed maximum slopes and slope changes may be
granted by the Traffic Engineer when unusual site conditions are encountered.
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PRIVATE STREETS - SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
A grading permit will be required prior to the construction of any driveway
apron, sidewalk, curb, gutter or wall within the private street rights-of-way. The
design parameters shall be in accordance with the City of Newport Beach Design
Criteria and Standards for Public Works Construction.
Also, the Public Works Department shall perform a brief review of plans prior to
permit issuance.
A Public Works encroachment permit will be required if improvements are to be
constructed within 5 feet of a fire hydrant, street light or other public utility
system appurtenance (i.e., valve boxes or manholes).
Co A Public Works encroachment permit will be required when connecting to or
relocating public utilities.
COMMERCIAL USES
A.The width of the driveway approach bottom shall not exceed 35 feet.
The total width of all driveways shall not exceed 50% of the frontage of the
parcel.
C°Commercial driveway approaches may use a curb return design with a
maximum curb radius of 25 feet and a driveway approach bottom of greater than
35 feet if the following conditions are satisfied:
The driveway serves as an entrance to a parking area or structure for 200
or more vehicles.
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2.The number of driveways serving the parcel are at a minimum.
The curb return commercial driveway approach may incorporate a divided exit
and entrance if the separation structure (median island) is continued on-site in
such a manner as to provide proper traffic design.
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CLOSURE OF ABANDONED DRIVEWAY APPROACHES BY CITY
The City may close abandoned driveway approaches at high priority locations where
two or more of the following criteria may exist:
Ao The abandoned driveway approach is adjacent to a parcel of property where
redevelopment and possible subsequent closure of the approach is not believed
imminent;
go The driveway approach is at a location where there is a shortage of available
on-street parking;
The removal of the driveway approach is needed for safe pedestrian and/or
bicycle passage;
The closure of the abandoned driveway approach benefits not so much to the
property owner as pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area.
When in the opinion of the General Services Departraent and/or the Public Works
Department, a curb cut or abandoned driveway approach should be closed, and the
adjoining property owner protests the closing, the protester shall be notified that he will
have two weeks to appeal the staff decision to the City Council. That appeal must be in
writing and may be filed through the mail. If an appeal is not made, the City shall
proceed with the dosure. If an appeal is made, a hearing shall be held by the City
Council, and the decision of the Council shall be final.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as relieving adjoining property owners from
the responsibility for closure of abandoned curb cuts as a condition of permit approval
for new construction or for obtaining a curb cut permit for an alternative driveway
location on the same parcel.
Adopted - January 24,1966
Amended - February 26, 1968
Amended - July 24,1972
Amended - November 14, 1977
Amended - October 25,1982
Amended - July 13,1987
Amended - November 27,1989
Amended - December 14,1992
Reaffirmed - January 24,1994
Amended - February 26,1996
Amended - May 8, 2001
Amended - October 10, 2006
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