Driveway Permits

CONNECTING TO A TOWNSHIP ROAD:

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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP DRIVEWAY PERMIT/MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

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All driveways in Oakland Township are subject to Ordinance No. 2011-01.   

 

Step-by-Step Procedure:

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(1). Complete an Application for Driveway Permit.

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(2). Create a sketch of the proposed or existing driveway.

 

Indicate where and the type of work to be done.

 

(3). For new construction, stake out the driveway.

 

(4). Determine whether or not this work requires Stormwater Management Planning.

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Review Stormwater Management Ordinance.  If your driveway or land development is more than 5,000 square feet, a Stormwater Management Plan is required. You will need to contract the services of an engineer to develop your plan and submit the required forms to the municipality.

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Instances of Earth disturbance that may affect storm water runoff are subject to the regulation of this Ordinance. These “regulated activities” include (but are not limited to) land development, subdivision, construction of new buildings and diversion of piping or any natural or man-made stream channel.

 

(5). Send the Application, along with the applicable fee to the Township.

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The Township address is: Oakland Township, 565 Chicora Road, Butler, PA 16001.

 

When the Municipality receives your application and fee, the Secretary/Treasurer will process and give to Roadmaster.  Roadmaster will then contact you directly to arrange a convenient time to meet at the site to review the sight distance and proposed plans.  When all is satisfactory, a Driveway Permit will be issued and construction may begin.

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The Township requires a final inspection after the work is completed. You can contact Oakland Township at 724-287-8067 to make arrangements for a final inspection.
 

PLEASE NOTE:

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If the driveway is more than 5,000 square feet, a stormwater management plan is required. 

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Any costs that the Township may incur with regards to Engineer review and Stormwater Management Planning will be the responsibility of the resident requesting development.

 

Oakland Township’s Engineer is: Gannett Fleming Engineer - Thomas Thompson - 724-662-2402

 

Copy of the Pennsylvania Code for Driveways can be obtained here:

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§ 441.8. Driveway design requirements

 

 

CONNECTING TO A STATE ROAD:

 

Driveway Projects Connected to State Highways Require a Permit
 

Indiana, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reminding property owners that if planned property improvements include constructing or altering a driveway that connects to a state highway, a Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) must first be obtained from PennDOT.

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HOPs for driveways are required by Section 420 of Title 36, also known as the State Highway Law. Property owners without these permits should obtain one from PennDOT as the permit legitimizes the driveway and is evidence of compliance with the law.

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Permit applications may be submitted online or by using paper applications. To apply online visit https://www.pa.gov/agencies/penndot/regional-offices/district-10. Select Permits under Public Resources, then click Apply for PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.  On that page applicants may access PennDOT’s Electronic Permitting System (ePermitting) to complete an online application.  To complete a paper application for a Minimum Use Driveway (no more than 25 vehicles per day) complete PennDOT Form M-950A (https://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/PubsForms/Forms/M-950A.PDF) or for a higher traffic volume driveway complete PennDOT Form M-945A (https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/penndot/documents/public/pubsforms/forms/m-945a.pdf)

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Permit applications can be obtained from PennDOT district office by calling 724-357-2800 to schedule an appointment. Completed applications should then be submitted to the district office for review, at which time PennDOT will review the driveway location for compliance with applicable laws and regulations such as sight distance, drainage and proposed driveway design features, in order to eliminate costly problems that the property owner might otherwise face, such as relocating the driveway.

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Property owners need to apply for a permit at least 30 days in advance of the date they plan to start work on their driveway, unless making application for a long-existing driveway. However, to avoid potentially costly issues, PennDOT strongly encourages property owners to obtain a driveway permit before obtaining a building permit, which may be required in some municipalities by ordinance. Potential conflicts can often be avoided by determining an acceptable driveway location prior to constructing a building on the property.

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Once the driveway construction or alteration is completed, the property owner must notify the PennDOT district office so that a final inspection can be conducted to verify that the work completed is consistent with the permit.

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The application/inspection fee for a residential driveway permit is $25. A property owner who fails to obtain a permit prior to the construction of a new driveway or altering the design of an existing driveway is subject to a minimum $100 fine plus court costs. Additional costs would also result if the driveway were installed improperly and needs to be corrected by the property owner or PennDOT.

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Although a driveway permit is not normally required for paving an existing and properly permitted driveway, property owners should contact PennDOT before paving an existing permitted driveway to discuss any potential impacts to highway drainage. If highway drainage is not properly accommodated, driveway repairs may be required at the owner’s expense.