PC moves on driveway steepness amendment

The Bella Vista Planning Commission voted unanimously March 11 to recommend to the City Council an ordinance amending code to allow driveways steeper than a 12% grade.

This is a recommendation to amend Section 107-380(f), created in June of 2022 with the intent of establishing a maximum driveway requirement to ensure residents could access newly-built garages safely and without damaging their cars. At that time, the council approved a 12% grade and a 2% administrative variance. Anything greater than 14% would be required to be sent to the Planning Commission.

The proposed ordinance would establish a maximum grade of 14% and expand the terms for administrative variances.

“The City Engineer, or his or her designee, may grant minor modifications from the 14 percent maximum if he or she finds that there is an undue hardship on the land that otherwise would not allow an access drive to the lot for the circumstances described herein,” the ordinance reads. “Financial cost shall not be deemed an undue hardship.”

For downhill or depressed driveways, the driveway grade could be waived administratively by the City Engineer by up to 3% for a maximum grade of 17%. For uphill or elevated driveways, the driveway grade could be waived administratively by the City Engineer by up to 6% percent for a maximum grade of 20%.

Any request exceeding these limitations would require a waiver from the Planning Commission.

The ordinance says the grade of driveways would be calculated by measuring along the center line of the driveway for the first 20 feet from the edge of the street.

This recommendation follows a period of public comments and a survey conducted by the city that garnered 191 responses from Bella Vista residents, according to Planning Manager Taylor Robertson, who noted the following data in her staff memo:

“In summary, 135 total or 70% of the participants believe the city should regulate driveways by setting a maximum percent or steepness. 151 of the 191 participants provided the following maximums:

• 34 believe it should be 12%

• 29 believe it should be 15%

• 3 believe it should be 17%

• 9 believe it should be 20%

• 49 were unsure.

• 27 provided other responses such as: less than 10%, >= 30%, 22%, 30-35%, 5%, 9.5%, 10%, 6%, etc.

“Overall, it appears the majority was in favor of 15% or less with a total of 69 participants.”

The proposed code amendment has the endorsement of City Engineer Christopher Brackett, who wrote in his memo to the commission, “After numerous visits to constructed driveways and seeing several videos of vehicles on these driveways, I have come to the belief that the maximum grade for driveways should be increased with more administrative control for variations.”

Brackett said these changes will allow for safe access to the garage for vehicles and pedestrians. “I also believe that the maximum grade should be more for uphill drives due to the land alternations required to lower a building as opposed to raising a building by adding additional foundation blocks for downhill drives,” he added.

First reading of the ordinance is slated for the next regular meeting of the Bella Vista City Council on Monday, March 25.