Burlingame Municipal Code Ch. 12.04 Construction and Repair of Sidewalks, Curbs and Driveways

No person, firm or corporation shall construct, reconstruct, repair, alter or grade any sidewalk, curb, curb-cut, driveway or street on the public streets without first obtaining a permit for such work from the city engineer.

(1941 Code § 1380, Ord. 641, (1957))

An application for a permit for such work shall be filed with the city engineer showing:

(a) Name and address of the owner or managing agent of the property abutting the proposed work area;

(b) Name and address of the person or firm doing the work;

(c) Location of the work area, including lot, block and subdivision;

(d) Attached plans or drawings showing details of the proposed alteration;

(e) Such other information as the city engineer shall find reasonably necessary to the determination of whether a permit shall issue.

(1941 Code § 1380.1, Ord. 641, (1957))

Fees for sidewalk, driveway and curb installation and abandonment shall be those provided from time to time by resolution of the city council. The city council shall also establish by resolution such other fees, charges and procedures as may be necessary for maintenance and installation of sidewalks, driveways and curbs.

(1941 Code § 1380.2, Ord. 641, (1957); Ord. 890 § 1, (1968); Ord. 1127 § 1, (1978))

Fees as outlined above in this chapter will not be charged when sidewalks, curbs and driveways are a part of public improvements constructed under any special assessment district proceeding or are a part of a land subdivision where such work is required under a subdivision agreement to which the city of Burlingame is a party.

No permit or fee shall be required of any person holding a franchise to use the city streets granted by the city council of the city of Burlingame pursuant to the provisions of the Franchise Act of 1937.

(1941 Code § 1380.3, Ord. 641, (1957))

The city engineer shall prepare and keep on file in his or her office standard specifications for materials and quantities of materials and shall also prepare and keep on file in his or her office details of required designs for curbs, gutters, sidewalks and streets and all curb-cuts, driveways and sidewalks shall meet these specifications and designs.

(1941 Code § 1381, Ord. 641, (1957))

(a) Distance from Other Driveway or from Curb Return. No driveway shall be constructed or reconstructed which is less than 22 feet from another driveway, except that this requirement may be waived by the city engineer in the event that an existing driveway is so located that this requirement would create a hardship or where a single curb-cut is made to provide driveways for contiguous lots or parcels of land.

No driveway shall be constructed or reconstructed which is less than five feet from any point on a curb return. "Curb return" is defined as the curved section of curb used at street intersections in joining the curbs of the intersecting streets.

(b) Limitation of Width of Driveways. The total width of any or all driveways in districts classified by this code as residential, commercial or industrial shall not exceed 25% of the width of the lot, except that when driveways are constructed on a lot with street frontage on more than one city street, the total width of the driveways shall not exceed 20% of the total street frontage of the lot.

(c) Permits. The city engineer, if the health safety and general welfare of the public will not be unreasonably impaired, may grant a permit for the construction of driveways, having widths in excess of these hereinabove provided for in this section as follows:

(1) In districts classified for multiple-dwellings he or she may grant a special permit for a driveway or driveways exceeding 25% of the street frontage where such excess can be shown to be essential and necessary but such driveway or driveways may not exceed 70% of the street frontage.

(2) In commercial districts he or she may grant a special permit for a driveway not exceeding 70% of the street frontage including the frontage on each street in the case of a corner lot or in the case of lots fronting on two streets, in order to give access to areas used for the off-street parking of vehicles, for off-street loading zones or for gasoline service stations.

(3) In industrial districts he or she may grant a special permit for a driveway or driveways not exceeding 70% of the entire street frontage where off-street parking facilities or loading ramps are installed between the property line and the building.

(4) In districts classified for single family or two family dwellings, he or she may grant a special permit for:

(A) A driveway width of up to 16 feet for two covered parking stalls where lot frontage is less than 64 feet;

(B) A driveway width of up to 12 feet for one covered parking stall where lot frontage is less than 48 feet.

(1941 Code § 1382, Ord. 641, (1957); Ord. 644, (1957); Ord. 890 § 2, (1968); Ord. 1047 § 1, (1975); Ord. 1603 § 10, (1998))

No driveway curb-cuts shall be allowed to remain once the driveway use is abandoned. The city engineer shall require the adjacent property owner to restore the full height curb and gutter across the driveway opening and restore the sidewalk to its normal grade. The city engineer shall use the provisions of Chapter 12.12 of this title, when necessary, to insure compliance with this provision.

(Ord. 1074 § 1, (1976))

When a variance, conditional use permit or special permit is granted by the planning commission and additional driveways or parking areas are required by the commission, then the commission may increase the allowable driveway percentage as a condition for the permitted use.

(1941 Code § 1383, Ord. 641, (1957); Ord. 1603 § 11, (1998))

No person, firm or corporation shall construct, reconstruct, repair, alter or grade any sidewalk, curb, curb-cut, driveway or surface of any state highway as the phrase "state highway" is defined in the Streets and Highways Code of the state of California without first obtaining a permit for such work from the state highway engineer in addition to the permit required by this chapter.

(1941 Code § 1384, Ord. 641, (1957))