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Valley County staff told to draft access-management ordinance after surge in driveway/approach requests
Summary
After a workshop on repeated requests for multiple driveway approaches in small-lot subdivisions, Valley County commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance or policy to limit new dual-access permits and to require shared approaches where plats specify single access.
Valley County commissioners told staff to draft an access-management policy or ordinance after a workshop on an increase in requests for additional driveway approaches on single lots in subdivisions.
County staff presented examples from Spring Valley and Railroad Village where plats showed single or shared driveway easements but subsequent work and approvals had produced multiple separate curb cuts. The presentation showed lots with 0.32-acre frontages where multiple approaches had been installed, sometimes infringing on drainage easements.
Commissioners and staff discussed options including: requiring shared driveways when a plat shows a shared access; limiting additional accesses on small lots; setting a minimum frontage threshold (for example, permitting two approaches only if frontage exceeds a specified number of feet); and building shared access as part of subdivision improvements. Staff said past practice sometimes allowed ad hoc permits issued by previous superintendents, creating inconsistencies.
No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Instead, commissioners directed planning and public-works staff to draft standards and bring a proposed ordinance or policy back to the board. In the meantime the commission said it would not approve new dual-access permits for the affected subdivisions until a formal policy is adopted.
Commissioners discussed grandfathering existing accesses but discouraged allowing new expansions where plats require a single entrance. They also identified enforcement options, including code-compliance letters or requiring redeed or reconfigured driveways for owners who have encroached into easements. Staff said many questions from property owners about specific cases would be best addressed through follow-up site visits and public meetings.
Why it matters: commissioners said the measure would improve safety, reduce winter snow-plowing complications, protect drainage easements and set clearer expectations for developers and buyers, who sometimes do not review plats before purchase.
Staff will return with a proposed ordinance or resolution, draft standards for shared-access construction and a public-notice plan for the rulemaking process.
