At the most recent Perry City Council meeting they approved the second reading of an ordinance amending an ordinance regarding driveways in the city. 

The Council approved the second reading of an ordinance amending an ordinance that discusses the standards for driveway construction including rules for things such as material, size and location to prevent driveways that are excessively large, of lower construction or materials or are located in places they aren’t typically found. City Administrator Sven Peterson explains more about the ordinance.

“Really, the meat and potatoes of the ordinance have not changed a whole lot from what they were before but really just trying to add some definition and clarity to what is or isn’t allowed. So, defining what makes up a driveway and defining the widths that could be used.”

Peterson tells Raccoon Valley Radio the previous ordinance didn’t add specifics about what makes up an extension of a driveway. Peterson says the hopes are to create more uniformity throughout the city. Peterson mentions another important factor of the potential changes. 

“Another big thing is that this is not retroactive to existing driveways. So, if people have already put in a driveway, if people have a gravel driveway right now they are able to keep and maintain that gravel driveway as it is. So, not like we are going to go through and make everybody pave their driveways or anything like that.” 

Peterson says city staff did see a few issues in the past year or two that had driveways that wouldn’t meet what the new ordinance would outline which is one reason as to why the changes have been proposed but most driveways meet the ordinance. Peterson says the change is geared more toward new driveways.