Revision Date: April 2020

OVERVIEW

This handout is a general guide for driveways, with an emphasis on single-family residential uses.  

Safe access is required.  No driveway can create a hazard to pedestrians or motorists, invite or compel illegal or unsafe traffic movements, or block or alter access to adjoining properties.  

RIGHT-OF-WAY WORK PERMITS

Prior to working within public right-of-way, you will need a permit from the one of the following:

Town of Estes Park

A right-of-way permit issued by the Public Works Department is required for any access to a Town street.  You may phone 970-577-3586, or view online at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/townofestespark/engineering

Larimer County

An access permit issued by the Larimer County Engineering Department is required for any access to any county maintained road or dedicated right-of-way. You may phone 970-498-5709, or view online at https://www.larimer.org/engineering/engineering-permits

Colorado Department of Transportation

An access permit issued by the Colorado Department of Transportation is required for any driveway to connect to a State highway.  

The Town of Estes Park Public Works Department serves as liaison to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

GRADE

Driveways cannot exceed 12% grade.

Grades within 20 feet of the road cannot exceed 10%.

DRIVEWAY OPENINGS

No lot can have more than two driveway openings, which cumulatively cannot exceed a width of 30 feet.

Direct access onto arterial streets is allowed only when no other reasonable access is available, and direct access onto collector streets is discouraged.  Refer to spacing requirements outlined in EPDC Appendix D.

SPACING & ALIGNMENT

A driveway serving a corner lot must be set back at least 30 feet from the cross street (Figure 1).

Whenever possible, new driveways should align directly across from existing driveways, and driveways should intersect roads at right angles (Figure 2).

Driveways must intersect with the road in front of the property served by the driveway and not in front of neighboring properties (Figure 3).

Gated drives must have enough clearance between the gate and the road to allow cars to pull off the travelled way with the gate closed (Figure 4).  

SETBACKS

Driveways may be built within the required building setback, but parking areas cannot (Figure 5).  

There is a three-foot minimum setback requirement from all property lines, unless the affected neighbor provides a letter approving a shorter setback (Figure 5).

STORMWATER

All areas in public right-of-way disturbed during construction must be revegetated, with swales re-graded and restored.

All driveways must be built so that water will not drain onto the road or interfere with the roads drainage system.

Where a driveway crosses a drainage ditch, a culvert must be installed at a diameter according to the ditch capacity (15-inch minimum).  Culverts must extend at least 2.5 feet on each side of the driveway.

CURBING

Where curbs exist or are required, driveways must be paved for their full width from curb to property line, with a concrete pan provided to maintain the flow line.

Where curbs are removed, they must be replaced with a concrete apron as outlined in Appendix D.

Note: Summarized from the Estes Park Development Code Appendix D Street Design and Construction Standards. These regulations may be viewed at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/townofestespark/developmentcode

Please review Appendix D for specific standards regarding nonresidential or multi-family residential development.