Benicia staff propose to speed approvals for oversized driveways by shifting variances to city engineer

Senior civil engineer Derek Lindsley told the council that the driveway-specifications section of the Benicia Municipal Code has not been updated in roughly 75 years and proposed amendments intended to simplify and speed approvals for oversized driveways.

Lindsley said the current code limits driveway width to 20 feet and requires a multi-step special-permit process for wider driveways involving research, staff reports, Planning Commission review, and council approval. Staff proposed keeping the 20-foot maximum, clarifying how driveway width is measured, removing an unrealistic six-month compliance clause for nonconforming driveways, and authorizing the city engineer to approve variances — steps Lindsley said could reduce turnaround from about six months to a few weeks and cut engineering time from many hours to a few.

Councilmembers questioned how the changes account for ADA impacts, state daylighting rules (no parking within 20 feet of intersections), and industrial 'rollover' curb conditions used by trucking operations. Lindsley and Assistant City Manager Suzanne Thorsen said the proposed language tracks standard engineering practice, would require the city engineer to consider ADA, parking, and circulation impacts, and that industrial encroachments that do not meet city standards would still require coordination and may not be processed in the same way as residential variances.

After questions and no public speakers, council voted to waive the first reading and introduce the ordinance amending BMC 12.16.0.240; staff said a second reading and adoption would follow the scheduled timeline.