Variances to Road and Bridge Standards

Section 5600 of the Summit County Land Use and Development Code allows under certain circumstances the County Engineer to grant variances to the Road and Bridge Standards.

INFORMATION TO BE SUPPLIED
WITH A VARIANCE REQUEST

1. 1. Provide a written narrative as to the reasons why a variance is necessary and how the variance request complies with the following criteria, which is Section 5600 of the Summit County Road & Bridge Standards.
   1. Where, by reason of exceptional topographic or physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations or conditions, the strict application of these regulations would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to, or exceptional and undue hardship upon, an individual proposing to construct a road, bridge, driveway, or recpath, provided the conditions in Section 5600.D are met.
   2. Where an individual is proposing to construct a low volume, local access road or recpath and the strict application of these regulations would result, in the opinion of the County Engineer, in excessive cut and fill slopes, visual scarring or other environmental damage, variances in road or recpath design standards may be granted if granting the variance will result in lessened environmental damage and the conditions in Section 5600.D are met. In reviewing such requests, the County Engineer shall consider the following:
      • The effect of using a lesser standard on public health and safety including the ability of emergency vehicles to gain access using roads or recpaths built to a lesser standard.
      • severity of the terrain crossed by the road alignment.
      • The availability of alternative alignments where the same or more stringent standards could be met with the same or less environmental damage.
      • The length of road or recpath segments which will be built to a lesser standard.
      • The amount of snowfall anticipated and degree of exposure of the road or recpath surface to sun.
   3. Additional flexibility from the design criteria and construction specifications of this Chapter may be granted for projects undergoing a rural land use process, as specified in Section 8420 et seq. The flexibility may be granted by the County Engineer consistent with the intent of limiting visual and environmental impacts potentially caused by road or recpath construction, provided safe access for motor and emergency vehicles is ensured and provided the conditions of 5600 D. are met.
   4. Variances from the difficulties or hardships described in Section 5600.A and/or 5600.B may be granted, provided relief will not result in substantial detriment to public health, safety and welfare, substantial impairment of the road, bridge, driveway, or recpath design and construction standards or the granting of any special privilege or use. Prior to the County Engineer taking action, the Engineering Department shall refer any variance request to the appropriate fire district, the Road & Bridge Department, affected individuals or parties and other interested agencies for comment.
2. Provide engineering drawings showing:
   • The road alignment and/or site plan design incorporating the variance request.
   • The road alignment and/or site plan design that is in compliance with all aspects of the Summit County Road & Bridge Standards without the need for a variance.
   • Where appropriate, provide profile drawings of the road alignment that include cut & fill quantities and revegetation quantities for both scenarios.
   • Any information the Engineering Department deems necessary to review the variance request.
3. Engineering drawings for both scenarios shall be to the same scale.
4. Site plans must be in compliance with all aspects of the Summit County Development Code.
5. A check to the Summit County Engineering Department
   • $250 for single family variance requests
   • $500 for multi-family or project requests