Angola Board of Works OKs private driveway on city right-of-way if portion on city property is hard-surfaced

The Angola Board of Works & Safety voted Monday, March 3, 2025, to allow a resident to construct a private driveway across roughly 90 feet of city-owned right-of-way on Beverly Court provided the portion of the drive on city property is a hard surface.

The decision came after property owner Jeff Klink asked for permission to extend a driveway to serve an existing building and barn behind Moe’s restaurant, and after discussion about snow removal, fire department access and city consistency on driveway surfacing.

Klink described his request to the board, saying he had “an existing building” on about 1.2 acres and wanted “to put a driveway into that building at some point” and proposed a 12-foot limestone drive down the center of the right-of-way. Don Wise, an adjacent property owner who said he holds an easement for access, told the board he had no objection to a properly installed limestone drive for limited private use.

Board members and staff discussed operational concerns. A city staff member noted there is a fire hydrant “right where the pavement ends,” and fire-department representatives raised maneuverability and turnaround space for emergency apparatus as issues that needed to be considered. The board also discussed snow-plow operations and whether the city would be required to maintain any additional paved length.

Planning staff pointed out the city’s ordinance prohibits gravel driveways inside city limits and that private portions of a driveway crossing off city property would require review by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA). Board members cited a prior, similar case on Thomas Drive in which the property owner was required to install a paved surface.

After discussion, a board member moved to permit the driveway across city-owned right-of-way on the condition that the section on city property be a hard surface. The motion said the portion of any drive beyond the city right-of-way would be subject to planning and BZA review. The motion passed unanimously; members present signaled “aye.”

The board left details of the private-property portion of any access—such as whether the driveway beyond city property could be limestone or would need paving—to the planning department and the BZA. The board also emphasized the city’s interest in consistent treatment of similar requests and in avoiding actions that would create maintenance or public-safety burdens.

The board did not set a specific maintenance or funding arrangement in the meeting minutes beyond noting the requirement for a hard surface on city property and that private improvements beyond the right-of-way are subject to zoning review.