08-25-1994 Public Hearing and Regular Meeting ZBOA

Browse Search

Page 30f 5 Zoning Board of Adjustment Staff Report of 10/27/94 #V94-008 The 25 foot maximum driveway width established by the Zoning Ordinance is intended to provide adequate width for a two car driveway. It is also intended to limit vehicle access to a fairly confined area thereby forcing drivers to enter and exit driveways in a cautious and controlled manner. This is especially important with residential drives that require vehicles to back into traffic. It is important to note that the ordinance does not limit properties to a single driveway. It does mandate a minimum 10 foot separation between drives. This helps to insure that an adequate line of sight is maintained for drivers backing out of the driveway. The separation also allows separation between runs of culvert. Also to be noted, the 25 foot maximum width and 10 foot requirements are applied at the ditch and in-turn. Once inside the ditchline, a driveway can be widened, turned or joined with another drive to form a circular drive, additional parking, or surfaced walkway. In addition to traffic, another reason for limiting driveway width is drainage. Culvert must be set in order to run a driveway across an open ditch. Ditches in residential neighborhoods tend to be shallow. Typical diameters for culverts in residential areas normally range from 12" to 18". Historically, La Porte has experienced drainage problems resulting from long runs of small culverts. For this reason, in 1982 the City instituted a moratorium (formally ratified by City Council) prohibiting installation of culverting across an entire property frontage. Subsequently, as directed by Council, policies were developed and implemented limiting lengths of culvert runs and establishing criteria for culvert sizing and placement. City policy currently in effect establishes maximum length of culvert run at 25 feet plus four times the depth of the ditch (see Exhibit C). It will be impossible to construct a driveway significantly wider than 25 feet without also directly contravening City drainage policies. In summation, City Zoning Ordinance requirements and drainage policies have been established to serve and protect the best overall public interest. Granting this variance would be contrary to this interest. The second charge to be considered by the Board is that of unnecessary hardship. As defined by the Zoning Ordinance, hardship must be related to the property itself. Specifically, is there some feature or condition of a