Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: General Rules and Regulations for City Code, Chapter 906
Contact Name: Andrew Williams
Contact Telephone Number: 614-645-5080
Contact Email Address: ANWilliamsjr@columbus.gov <mailto:ANWilliamsjr@columbus.gov>
Body
GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR
CITY CODE CHAPTER 905
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
EFFECTIVE DATE: 7/21/2025
SUBJECT: SIDEWALK, SHARED-USE PATH, DRIVEWAY CONSTRUCTION & REPAIR IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
RULE:
The abutting private property owner(s) of record shall be responsible for the proper maintenance and repair of all sidewalk and driveway approach within the abutting right-of-way for any improved or unimproved street, alley, or other public way within the city, which provides access around, in, or to said private property in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code and these rules and regulations.
No person shall construct, reconstruct, repair, or level any sidewalk, shared-use path, curb, curb & gutter or driveway entrance in the public right-of-way, or easement either by private or public agreement, until after obtaining a shared-use path, sidewalk, curb, and/or driveway approach permit from the Director of Public Service or designee, and obtained all necessary inspection approvals, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code and these rules and regulations.
INDEX
SECTION/DESCRIPTION
1. General Provisions
1.1 Authority
1.2 Definitions
1.3 General Permit Fees
1.4 Length of Permit Terms
1.5 Sidewalk and Driveway Approach Maintenance Criteria
1.6 Civil Citation Appeal Procedure
1.7 City Abatement
2. Conditions of Permit
2.1 Permit Application
2.2 Driveway Approach Site Plan Requirements
2.2.1 Commercial and/or Multi-Family Property Driveway Approaches
2.2.2 Single Family and Twin Single Family Property Driveway Approaches
2.2.3 Approval Time
2.2.4 Waiver
2.2.5 Modifications to Existing Driveway Approach Locations and/or Widths
3. Obligation of Permittees
3.1 Maintaining Pedestrian Safety and Access
3.2 Curb Ramp Construction
3.3 Inspection of Form Work, Base Material, and Other Inspections Required
3.3.1 Construction Inspections Required
3.4 Procedure for Requesting Inspection
3.5 Inspection
3.6 Inspection of Finished Curb Ramp Required
3.7 Requests to Provide Alternative Methods for Sidewalk and/or Driveway Approach Repair
3.8 Paid Parking Out of Services Fees
REGULATIONS:
1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1.1 Authority: These rules and regulations were created under the authority provided within Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code.
1.2 Definitions: Terms contained within these rules and regulations shall have the meanings outlined within Chapter 900 of Columbus City Code.
1.3 General Permit Fees: There are general fees associated with the issuance of a sidewalk, shared-use path and/or driveway approach permit. Fees are as follows:
1.3.1 Sidewalk, Shared-use Path and/or Driveway Approach Permit, including one inspection: $165.00
1.3.2 Hourly, additional inspections fee:
§ During standard work hours (if more than 1 inspection is required): $90.00 per hour
§ During non-standard work hours (after hours inspection, or re-inspection): $130.00 per hour
1.3.3 Sidewalk, and/or Driveway Approach Permit Renewal (must be renewed prior to permit expiration or a new permit will be required: $60.00
1.3.4 When overtime is required, the following formula will be used for calculation of charges based on the $90 per hour rate:
§ Multiply the Rate by 1.5 (2.0 if worked on Sunday)
§ Minimum 4 hours Per Union Contract
§ Multiply the Amount by the number of Hours
§ Multiply this amount by 0.4205 (benefit costs)
§ Add Charge and Benefit costs for total
Projects of a duration requiring multiple inspections will be billed pursuant to Section 1.3.2. The need for additional inspections are based on the complexity and duration of the project and may be determined during the plan review process. Inspections that require overtime will be billed pursuant to Section 1.3.4.
When an inspector is required to work beyond their normal scheduled hours or weekends, the permittee shall also be required to pay any additional inspection cost at an hourly rate pursuant to Section 1.3.2.
1.4 Length of Permit Terms: All permits provided in conjunction with Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code and these rules and regulations shall become null and void ninety (90) calendar days from the date of issuance, if the associated construction has not commenced by that time. All funds received for said permits shall in no case be refunded by the City.
1.5 Sidewalk and Driveway Approach Maintenance Criteria: Where sidewalks, and/or driveway approaches within the public right-of-way are determined to violate the Code Maintenance Violation Criteria specified within Section 905.11 of Columbus City Code the Director of Public Service or designee may issue a Civil Citation and/or an Emergency Order in accordance with Chapter 908 of Columbus City Code.
1.6 Civil Citation Appeal Procedure: Any persons affected by any citation issued pursuant to Chapter 908 of Columbus City Code may request, and shall be granted, a hearing before a designated hearing examiner on all matters set forth in such citation, provided that said request is made in accordance with the provisions of Section 908.04 of Columbus City Code.
1.7 City Abatement: Pursuant to Section 908.03, if a sidewalk and/or driveway approach is not repaired to code, due to the inability, or unwillingness, of an abutting property owner, the Public Service Director or designee may elect to have said work performed by City forces, and/or its contractual agent. Where the Public Service Director elects to pursue this option said work shall proceed in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code, and the City Charter. The cost of said work shall either be collected through an assessment added to the abutting property owner’s annual property taxes or through civil court proceedings. If the work performed is not done to code standards, a Notice of Violation may be issued to ensure compliance. If there is no compliance a Civil Citation may be issued pursuant chapter 908 of City Code.
Property owners that receive a civil citation or other notification, but are unable to perform the associated repairs, may request for the Director of Public Service or designee to perform the necessary work in accordance with the City’s sidewalk/driveway approach assessment procedure. Such requests are made by contacting the Department of Public Service by email or by calling the telephone number included in the civil citation or other notification. However, the Director of Public Service or designee has complete discretion as to whether this request shall be granted or denied. Applicants shall receive notification of that decision within 30 business days.
2. CONDITIONS OF PERMIT
2.1 Permit Application: On residential properties, only an abutting property owner, or a contractor holding a valid City of Columbus Home Improvement, or General Contractor’s License shall be permitted to apply for, and obtain, any sidewalk, curb replacement, and/or driveway approach permit from the Department of Public Service Permit Section.
In the case of a commercial or multi-family (4 units or more) property, an authorized agent may also apply. However, the contractor scheduled to perform said work must be added to the permit application before said permit will be issued.
2.2 Driveway Approach Site Plan Requirements:
2.2.1 Commercial and/or Multi-Family Property Driveway Approaches: Requests for a driveway approach permit for all new commercial and/or multi-family (4 units or more) development’s driveway entrance(s), on any City of Columbus public right-of-way, shall include the submission of a site plan previously approved by the Director of Public Service or designee in accordance with the requirements of Section 3312 of Columbus City Code.
2.2.2 Single Family and Twin Single Family Property Driveway Approaches: Requests for a driveway approach permit for new single family and twin single family driveway entrances shall require the concurrent submission of a site plan conforming to the requirements outlined within Section 3312 of Columbus City Code.
2.2.3 Approval Time: Unless previously approved by the Director of Public Service or designee, the review and approval of said site plan may take up to two (2) business days. No driveway approach permit shall be issued until said site plan has received by the Director of Public Service or designee approval.
2.2.4 Waiver: This site plan requirement may, however, be waived if the Director of Public Service or designee is able to verify, through a review of existing record plat and street plan records, that there are no violations or conflicts with the Department of Public Service’s existing driveway approach location policies pursuant to the Rules and Regulations for the Approval of Driveway Plans for Access to Public Right-of-Way.
2.2.5 Modifications to Existing Driveway Approach Locations and/or Widths: Requests for a Driveway Approach Permit for the purpose of modifying an existing driveway entrance’s location and/or width shall require the submission of a site plan conforming to the requirements outlined within Section 3312 of Columbus City Code. Unless previously approved by the Director of Public Service or designee, the review and approval of said site plan, for a single or twin single family driveway approaches may take up to two (2) business days. The review of site plans proposing driveway approach changes on commercial properties may take up to five (5) business days or may be determined to require re-submission through the City’s Commercial Site Plan process. No driveway approach permit shall be issued until said site plan has received the Director of Public Service or designee approval.
3 OBLIGATION OF PERMITEES
3.1 Maintaining Pedestrian Safety and Access: No excavation area shall remain open for more than fourteen (14) calendar days before construction, or re-construction, without the express written permission of the Director of Public Service or designee. If the Department deems the excavated area to be a safety hazard, the Director of Public Service or designee can order the immediate backfill.
In areas of high pedestrian volume, as determined by the Department of Public Service, a partial width sidewalk and/or a driveway approach construction/re-construction shall be required whenever feasible for maintaining pedestrian access and safety. In high pedestrian volume areas where partial width construction is not feasible, the permit applicant shall provide an alternative plan for pedestrian access. This plan shall include details of proposed signage and/or the construction of temporary pedestrian facilities.
Under all circumstances, it shall be the permittee’s responsibility to provide construction site pedestrian and vehicular safety through the use of approved signs, barricades, and/or other safety devices.
3.2 Curb Ramp Construction: When existing curb ramps require reconstruction or repair at the intersection of two or more public roadways, the permittee shall inform the Department of Public Service. The Department shall then schedule the necessary replacement or repair as soon as practical.
However, the Department’s policy is the developers that are responsible for the construction of new commercial and/or residential developments shall also be responsible for the construction of the original curb ramps required as a result of their development. This requirement should be reflected upon their original design plans, as approved by the City of Columbus, when applicable. Likewise, the replacement of curb ramps made necessary through the re-development of a property shall also be the developer’s responsibility.
The construction, repair, and replacement of curb ramps at the intersection of private roadways and driveways with a public street shall be the abutting property owner’s responsibility.
All curb ramp construction work shall be performed in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and all regulations and amendments promulgated thereto, the City of Columbus ADA Rules & Regulations, Item 608 of the Construction and Material Specifications of Columbus (CMSC), the City's current Standard Construction Drawings 2319, Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code, and these rules and regulations. The type and location of all proposed curb ramp construction, and/or replacement, shall also be preapproved in the form of a Design and Build plan submitted along with the permit application in accordance with the requirements outlined within the City of Columbus ADA Rules & Regulations before proceeding with construction.
3.3 Inspection of Form Work, Base Material, and Other Inspections Required: The placement of concrete, or other pre-approved materials, for any sidewalk, curb, curb and gutter, or driveway approach in the public right-of-way may not commence until the Department of Public Service’s personnel have inspected and approved the proposed base materials and form work, and authorized said concrete, or other materials, placement to proceed.
3.3.1 Construction Inspections Required:
• Concrete Form Inspection - Prior to the placement of concrete, a form inspection is required.
• Brick/Stone Sidewalk Base Inspection - Prior to the placement of a stone or brick surface course, a base course inspection is required.
• Asphalt Shared-Use Path Inspection - Prior to the placement of asphalt in a shared-use path, a base course inspection is required.
• Finished Curb Ramp Construction - Within 72-hours of completing curb ramp construction, a finished curb ramp inspection is required. The Department of Public Service shall then verify that all work was performed in accordance with the requirements outlined within Section 3.2 of these rules and regulations.
• Restoration Compliance Inspection - When all permit related construction operations are completed, a Restoration Compliance Inspection is required. This inspection is essential to ensure the city’s right-of-way has been returned to its proper condition and the permit has been closed out within our system. There is no inspection fee associated with this inspection so long as everything passes inspection. Job sites requiring a second or additional Restoration Compliance Inspection shall be charged pursuant to Section 1.3.2.
3.4 Procedure for Requesting Inspection: All required inspections shall be scheduled using the city’s online permitting portal at <https://portal.columbus.gov/permits>. All inspection requests should be submitted before 2 p.m. on weekdays, the day before the inspection is needed. The Department of Public Service shall then make every attempt to complete the associated inspection by the close of the following business day. Inspections requested after 2 p.m. on weekdays, the day before the inspection is needed will be performed within two (2) business days.
3.5 Inspection: If no one is present at the work site when the inspector arrives, a signed copy of an inspection report, with the date and name of the inspector, shall be reported in the City’s Online Portal, and emailed to the applicant. This report shall state whether the work has or has not been approved for concrete or other surface material placement. If the inspection report is not approved, a rejection notice shall be provided with the inspection report. The rejection notice shall contain details of area insufficiencies and/or instructions on how to contact the Department of Public Service.
We strongly recommend to not schedule the placement of concrete or other surface materials until our inspector has authorized such placement. Under no circumstances should concrete or other surface materials be placed without the consent of the Director of Public Service or designee. Should unauthorized placement occur, said materials shall be subject to being ordered removed and replaced in accordance with Section 905.05 of Columbus City Code, at the permittee’s expense.
3.6 Inspection of Finished Curb Ramp Required: In addition to the previously specified inspections within these rules and regulations, permittees for the construction of a curb ramp within the public right-of-way of the City shall within 72-hours after they have completed said construction: (1) notify the Department of Public Service that construction is complete and (2) provide a finalized copy of the Department’s Curb Ramp Compliance Checklist form verifying ADA compliance. The Department of Public Service shall then verify that all work was performed in accordance with the requirements outlined within Section 3.2 of these rules and regulations.
If the curb ramp is determined to be non-compliant with Section 3.2 requirements it shall be ordered to be removed and replaced at the permittee’s expense in accordance with Section 905.05 of Columbus City Code.
Detectable Warning Devices shall be Type E, wet-set warnings, as per the Department of Public Service’s standard construction drawing 2319. Type D, surface mounted detectable warnings, shall only be used as specified in the Department’s standard construction drawing 2319, or with prior Director of Public Service or designee approval. If a Type D warning is used, it must be placed within thirty (30) days of the commencement date of ramp construction.
3.7 Requests to Provide Alternative Methods for Sidewalk and/or Driveway Approach Repair: Under certain limited circumstances alternative methods of temporary sidewalk and/or driveway approach repair shall be considered upon request of the Director of the Department of Public Service or designee. Examples include, but are not limited to:
a. Where an offset may be eliminated through the minor grinding of existing concrete without other code violation criteria remaining, the Director of Public Service or designee may upon request grant permission for said grinding to be attempted.
b. Where a minor crack, or separation, exists in an existing sidewalk, or driveway approach, without an associated offset, the Director of Public Service or designee, may upon request grant permission for the crack or separation to be sealed with an approved material designed for that purpose.
c. During inclement weather, which is non-conducive to traditional construction and repair methodologies, the Director of Public Service or designee, may upon request grant permission to utilize temporary repair materials, such as hot or cold mix asphalt, to temporarily fill and level an unsafe depression, or offset. Said materials shall then require removal and proper replacement, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 905 of Columbus City Code and these rules and regulations, as soon as inclement weather has passed.
Please note that all alternative methods of repair must be requested at the time of the permit application. After completion of the alternative method of repair, an inspection must confirm that such repair temporarily or permanently eliminated all associated Chapter 905 violations. If the repair does not eliminate the Chapter 905 violation, another Notice of Violation may be issued followed by Citation(s) pursuant to Chapter 908.
3.8 Paid Parking Out of Services Fees: Whenever the work being performed requires paid parking to be removed from service, the agency requesting the permit shall be responsible for paying the daily lost parking revenue for each paid parking space removed from service. The permit application shall include the meter and/or kiosk number(s), the mobile pay zone number(s) and the number of spaces to be removed from service.
When the activity requires the temporary removal of the meter or kiosk, or it is determined by the City that they need to be removed, a meter and/or kiosk removal fee shall also be charged. These fees shall be paid at the time the permit is issued. Lost parking revenue fees are determined by multiplying the daily lost revenue for each space by the number of spaces to be removed by the number of days the parking is to be removed from service. To determine the daily lost revenue, multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours the space is enforced each day. The applicant is required to pay the full daily lost revenue for each space as if the meter was occupied for all enforcement hours.
• Parking Meter Removal Fee: $60.00 per meter plus the daily lost revenue for the time each meter is out of service.
• Parking Kiosk Removal Fee: $350.00 per kiosk plus the daily lost revenue for time each kiosk is out of service.
Any parking meter(s) to be hooded on a Sunday or city observed holiday when parking is free, a $4.00 per meter hooding fee is assessed up to one-hundred (100) parking meters. Parking meters that require over one-hundred (100) to be hooded will be charged an hourly rate for the actual cost of personnel time for hooding each meter. City observed holidays are: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Indigenous People Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Any vehicle parked within a travel lane closure or paid parking space removed from service must clearly display the original occupancy permit on the dash of each vehicle or the vehicle(s) risks receiving a parking infraction. All other vehicles within the closure limits will be subject to parking restrictions identical to those of loading zones, which allows for active loading and/or unloading of materials and freight.
Permit applications seeking to occupy a paid parking area, other than parking meters, may be required to submit to the Department of Public Service a detailed drawing delineating the size and precise location where pay zone occupancy is being requested.
All requests to remove paid parking from service within the public right-of-way shall conform with the Department of Public Service’s, Requests for On-Street Parking Out of Service policy. Violations of this policy shall also be a violation of these rules and regulations.
The City may limit the approved use of the right-of-way at any time due to unforeseen operational circumstances, but shall make every reasonable effort to alleviate the effects of any such limitation.
KELLY SCOCCO, Director Department of Public Service