Commissioners approve new driveway permit process

Gonzales County commissioners unanimously approved new procedures and a new permit for putting in driveways off county and state roads outside city limits during their Monday, June 9 meeting.

Commissioners had discussed the matter at their previous meeting and had discussed the fees that would be charged for permits and what steps developers or property owners would have to take when installing a new driveway; upgrading an existing driveway by installing a culvert, changing a dirt driveway to one that is concrete or asphalt or doing any work within the county right-of-way; removing asphalt or concrete or widening an existing driveway.

Permits are not needed if the individual is simply adding a layer of gravel to an existing gravel driveway or seal coating an existing asphalt driveway or performing any general maintenance that does not involve resurfacing an existing driveway.

County Permitting Director Jimmy Harless said no driveway construction can take place until a permit is approved and issued by his department and that includes paying an application fee as well as providing a map showing the proposed area where the driveway will be placed.

“The standard operating procedure for us will be to accept the money and the application, take that application and either email it to (Commissioners’ secretary) Carly (Russell) or Commissioner Boatright so they are made aware of it,” Harless said. “Either our new inspector or I will go out and perform the inspection and then contact the applicant/owner of the driveway and let them know what is required.”

Harless said the vast majority of driveway permits will be issued to folks who are “going to be excavating down six inches, replacing gravel, keeping the natural grade elevation … that kind of stuff.”

“If there is an issue or a concern with a pipe or a culvert or the size, we're going to reach out to you directly, commissioners, and you're probably aware of the locations and familiar with the roads, so you can either instruct us, ‘Yeah, this is what I want’ or meet us out there at the time, but I think we could handle the majority of this just by going out and looking at it,” Harless said.

Harless said the permit applicants will be given a flag they are to take back to their property and place in the area where the driveway is to go. Harless or his inspector will collect the flag back when they go to inspect the property and make their notes about what is required.

He asked commissioners about a change they requested the previous month requiring concrete headwalls be installed on the ends of culverts and asked if it is possible that riprap could be used instead. Commissioners said they would keep the language in the permit that requires concrete headwalls, but could grant a discretionary exception on a case-by-case basis if a change to riprap is warranted.