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Rutland planning commission reviews updates to driveway, street and sidewalk rules
Summary
The commission reviewed a revised driveway permit that references VTrans standards and discussed enforcement, minimum and maximum driveway widths for first-responder access, and adding clearer excavation language to the town ordinance; commissioners will continue review at future meetings.
The Rutland Town Planning Commission spent part of its Aug. 1 meeting reviewing proposed updates to the town’s street, sidewalk and driveway ordinance that highway committee members say are mostly formatting but include clarifications intended to improve enforcement.
Bill, a highway committee member, said the revised permit largely codifies the existing VTrans standards and adds a required approximation of the driveway width on permit applications so staff can verify compliance. “The application says the person and the ordinances, though, they shall follow the V trans standards,” Bill said.
Commissioners raised public-safety concerns and asked staff to ensure driveway widths work for first-responder vehicles. Commissioners noted the draft maintains a 12-foot minimum and a 24-foot maximum for driveways; those numeric standards were discussed as continuing guidance rather than a substantive change to local practice. The commission also discussed whether enforcement language in the ordinance should be strengthened to ensure compliance.
Separately, the highway committee proposed adding an excavation section to define allowable depth, responsibilities for utilities and property owners, and enforcement steps after contractors or utilities excavate in rights-of-way without permits. Commissioners debated whether to require explicit DigSafe language; one member noted many utilities already mark lines, but “DigSafe” does not currently appear in Rutland’s ordinances.
Next steps: commissioners said they will continue reviewing the draft ordinance, check that VTrans references are correctly cited, and discuss enforcement language and any excavation/road-opening language at an upcoming meeting.
