i:\devl_svc\administration\departmental forms\driveway handout\driveway
TRANSCRIPT
Citizen’s Guide toDriveways for
Residential Properties
City of St. PetersburgDevelopment Services
January 2004
Pursuant to Section 29-909 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, all passenger motor vehicles and motorcycleslocated in the required front and street side yards of a lot must be placed, stored, parked, stopped orlocated on a legally recognized parking area, more commonly referred to as a driveway. This informationbrochure has been prepared to assist you in understanding driveway regulations for residential propertyin the City of St. Petersburg. To determine what you can do on your property, ask the following questions:
1. DO I NEED A PERMIT TO INSTALL ARESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY?Driveway permits are required where the drivewayinstallation, replacement or addition encroachesinto the public right-of-way, beyond the boundaryof the homeowner’s private property. In mostcircumstances, where a driveway connects to apublic roadway as shown in the following diagram,a driveway permit is required. If the drivewayconnects to an alley, a permit is usually not requiredas the installation, replacement or addition is notlocated within a public right-of-way. All drivewayconstruction, regardless of whether a permit isrequired, should meet the design standardsdescribed hereafter. (see figure 1)
2. ARE THERE SIDE YARD SETBACKS FOR MYDRIVEWAY?Yes. Driveways are required to meet aminimum side yard setback of three feet withinthe public right-of-way. The driveway may besituated closer than three feet to the propertyline, but only within the boundary of thehomeowner’s private property. (see figure 2)
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Figure 1
3. WHAT ARE THE WIDTH REQUIREMENTS FOR MY DRIVEWAY?The required minimum width for a driveway is 10 feet and the maximum width is 20 feet. Therequired minimum width for a circular driveway is 10 feet and the maximum width is 14 feet. Aparking pad no wider than 10 feet may be installed contiguous to an approved driveway providedthat the driveway, as it crosses the property line, is no wider than 20 feet. For your information, astandard parking space is 9 feet wide, thus 18 feet is the minimum necessary to comfortably parktwo cars side by side. (see figures 3 & 4)
4. WHAT ARE THE LENGTH REQUIREMENTS FOR MYDRIVEWAY?The required minimum length for a driveway is 19 feetwithin the boundary of the homeowner’s private property.This is necessary to prevent vehicles from overhanginginto the public right-of-way. (see figure 5)
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5. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE RATIO AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT THESIZE OF MY PROPOSED DRIVEWAY?By definition, impervious surface is any material that prevents the infiltration of stormwater into theground. The impervious surface definition includes, but is not limited to, concrete, asphalt, brick,decorative pavers, crushed rock, river rock, gravel, geoweb and turfblock. Impervious surfacecoverage is measured in square feet and as a percentage of lot area. The maximum impervioussurface ratio allowed within the required front yard setback on standard lots is 45 percent. Themaximum impervious surface ratio allowed within the required front and street side yard setback oncorner lots is 25 percent. When calculating the total impervious surface total, it is important toinclude any walkways or patios that may not be part of the proposed or revised driveway. (seefigures 6 & 7)
6. AM I REQUIRED TO HAVE A TRIANGULAR FLARE ATTHE END OF MY DRIVEWAY?Yes. Each driveway, when located within the public right-of-way, is required to contain driveway flares at the intersectionof the driveway with the public roadway. Driveway flaresshould measure 3 feet by 7 feet. (see figure 8)
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7. I OWN A CORNER LOT. WHAT IS THE VISIBILITYTRIANGLE AND MAY MY DRIVEWAY BECONSTRUCTED WITHIN IT?The visibility triangle is an area which has certainrestrictions to allow for safe visibility when operatinga motor vehicle or bicycle, or for pedestrianmovement. Driveways may encroach into thevisibility triangle within the public right-of-way;however, driveways cannot be permitted within thevisibility triangle inside the boundary of thehomeowner’s private property. (see figure 9)
8. WHAT MATERIALS MAY I USE TO CONSTRUCT MY DRIVEWAY?The portion of the driveway located within the public right-of-way must be constructed of concrete,asphalt, brick or decorative pavers. The portion of the driveway located within the boundary of thehomeowner’s private property may be constructed of concrete, asphalt, brick, decorative pavers,crushed rock, river rock, gravel, geoweb or turfblock. Mulch and shell is not permitted as the maindriveway, mulch may only be allowed as an accessory parking pad adjacent to the main driveway.Mulch parking pads must meet the minimum technical design standards shown in the followingdiagram. (see figure 10)
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9. THERE IS AN EXISTING WATER METER THAT WILL AFFECT MY ABILITY TO FOLLOW THEDRIVEWAY DESIGN STANDARDS. WHAT SHOULD I DO?Occasionally, the design of a driveway will be impacted by the location of an existing water meter.If this is the case, the homeowner is required to contact Ray Bordner of Public Utilities at 892-5660 for advice and consent prior to issuance of a driveway permit.
10. HOW DO I OBTAIN A DRIVEWAY PERMIT?The City of St. Petersburg can only issue permits for driveways located on city roads. Drivewayslocated on county roads should be permitted through Pinellas County and those on state roadsshould be permitted through the Florida Department of Transportation. A copy of the permitapplication is available on the DevelopmentServices Department website under the heading,“Applications, Forms and Regulations.” The permit application is required to be completed andsubmitted with three copies of a scaled site plan showing the location of the driveway on theproperty and its relationship to the house, boundary lines and curb of the street. Dimensions forthe driveway, the impervious surface calculation, and setbacks to the side property lines should beincluded. If the application and diagram is complete, the permit may be issued immediatelywhen presented in person. The fee for a driveway permit is $65.00. Cash, credit card or checkare acceptable forms of payment. Checks should be made payable to the City of St. Petersburg.
11. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I RECEIVE MY PERMIT?The driveway forms should be set in place and an inspection should be scheduled prior to theinstallation of the paving material. A telephone number will be included on the driveway permitto schedule the inspection. Within 24 hours of scheduling the inspection, city staff will visit the siteto review and approve the layout of the driveway forms. Following approval, the paving materialsmay be installed to complete the project.
If you have specific questions or want to confirm your plans, our staff is available to assist inperson, by telephone, or by e-mail.
City of St. PetersburgDivision of Development Review ServicesMunicipal Service CenterOne 4th Street NorthSt. Petersburg, Florida 33701Telephone: (727) 893-7471Facsimile: (727) 892-5557E-Mail: [email protected]
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