For residents who installed driveways before August 2017 without a permit, the fees have been waived for one year beginning this October 1st.
According to Borough Planning and Land Use Director Alex Strawn, driveway permits are an important way to ensure safe streets and rights-of-way.
“Driveway permits are really important because driveways have the potential to cause drainage issues, maintenance issues, safety issues. We want to make sure you have appropriate line of sight. We want to make sure that you’re not draining out your neighbor, that you’re not causing flooding, or too much water impacting the roadway. We want to make sure you’re not sliding into the right-of-way because your driveway is too steep.”
The Borough’s aerial imagery from 2017 will show any driveways that were installed before that time. Those installed without a permit are required to be permitted and still must meet the standards. However, there is no cost for the permit.
Driveways installed after 2017 still need to be permitted, however, the cost is $50. To ensure that residents actually build driveways, an initial deposit of $200 is collected. Then, $150 is returned after final driveway inspection and approval.
New driveways must be built within one year of acquiring a permit, unless an extension is granted. After three years, the deposit is no longer refundable.
The fee waiver is meant to encourage more residents to bring older driveways into compliance and to ensure safer roadways.
To apply for a permit, visit the Mat-Su Borough Planning Department website.
