A. Aside from the fact that state and local laws require them, practical reasons involve "notice" for work on a public road.
The County is responsible to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the traveling public. They must also protect your investment in the infrastructure. The County Engineer is charged with making sure all this happens. The permit process gives him the needed information to do so. There is some inherent liability to both the County and the permittee when work is allowed on public property. The permit process allows the County Engineer to review the proposed work and set conditions to do the work. These conditions generally deal with public safety, physical location of the work, materials to use, and how repairs are made.
An example is a request for a driveway for a new home. The County Engineer will look at a number of things.
- What will its effect be on drainage?
- Will the runoff from the driveway cause a problem on the road or the neighbor next door?
- Does there need to be a culvert installed?
- Can you see down the road both ways (sight distance) for safe entrance onto the road?
- Is the new road going to be too steep to stop on with winter snow and ice?
- Will the work change the county road some way?
The Engineer may even have a check list of things for you to think about.
If you are thinking about a project that may affect a county road, ask your County Engineer early to help the process along!
-- County Road Administration Board Library
Q. How long will it take to receive my permit?
A. Public Works strives for a two week turn around time, so please plan accordingly. We appreciate your patience.
Q. How long is the permit good for?
A. There is a two part answer to this question: Firstly, permits are "one time only" permits. Thus, for example, if you secured a waterline utility permit to cross an Adams County road and then decided to repair or replace the line in the future, you will need to secure another waterline utility permit for the repair/replace work you plan on doing. Secondly, once granted, you have 6 months to perform the work specified in the permit.
Q. What does the permit cost?
A. Fees are stated on the application forms themselves. Currently, they are $25.
Q. Will I need a culvert for drainage?
A. Field inspection of the site will determine whether a culvert is required for drainage. This will be indicated on the Permit Requirements.
Q. Is any type of culvert acceptable?
A. Per the conditions of your permit, only galvanized 16 gauge corrugated metal culverts with a minimum diameter of 15 inches are allowed. Plastic and concrete culverts do not meet current county standards.
Failure to place the correct type of culvert will require that out of spec culvert be removed and replaced at the expense of the applicant.
Q. It says I need to gravel my approach. What rock is acceptable?
A. Crushed rock, sometimes referred to as "aggregate," is required and 5/8 minus is the largest size allowed in the right-of-way. A smaller size is also acceptable. The rock size is limited to 5/8 minus because eventually some of the rock will work its way out into the county road and be picked up in tires. This may result in cracked windshields if the rock is then thrown from the tire.
Cobble, or river rock, is not an acceptable surfacing. Failure to place the correct type of rock will require that out of spec rock be removed and replaced at the expense of the applicant.
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