Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council takes first reading on sidewalk rule allowing driveway waiver in select cases
Summary
City staff proposed a first reading to amend Chapter 136 sidewalk rules to permit staff to waive the 5-foot sidewalk standard through a driveway in limited circumstances (maintaining 5-foot elsewhere) to avoid impractical driveway/approach geometry; council approved the first reading and asked staff for clarifications about city/commercial compliance.
The council gave first reading on an ordinance to amend Chapter 136 of the Norwalk municipal code on June 18, clarifying sidewalk width requirements and allowing a staff waiver for limited circumstances where replacing a sidewalk through an existing driveway would create unsafe or impractical approach geometry.
Staff said the city adopted a consistent 5-foot sidewalk standard in 2014 (to provide passing space and ADA compatibility), but the Americans with Disabilities Act itself does not mandate 5-foot sidewalks in every location. The proposed waiver would allow staff discretion to retain a 4-foot sidewalk through a driveway approach when a full 5-foot replacement would require cutting into a driveway or changing the approach slope.
Council members asked for clarity about whether city and commercial projects would follow the same standard; a resident at the meeting urged the city to ensure municipal and commercial projects adhere to the same rule. Staff confirmed they will apply the standard consistently and noted past permitting practice has typically required 5-foot sidewalks when property owners replace approaches.
Why it matters: the amendment aims to balance ADA access and consistent sidewalks citywide with practical impacts for homeowners replacing driveway approaches; it clarifies staff authority to grant narrowly tailored waivers.
Next steps: the ordinance completed first reading; further readings and formal adoption will be scheduled per standard ordinance procedures.
