The proposed regulations seem harmless enough till you get to the part where the property owner is required to pave or concrete at least twenty feet of any driveway if the grade is 10% or more. This could add thousands of dollars to the costs of building a simple driveway connection.

Aside from the possible added costs, the new regulations essentially require a property owner to get permission from the county to cut a driveway with the county having the final authority on how one would have to build their driveway. Failure to comply with the the highway commissioner's driveway requirements could prevent a property owner from moving into their new home.

Giles sights the need for the new regulations based on one driveway that he feels comes too far out into the road way and existing gravel driveways that tend to wash gravel into the road in heavy rains. The new regulations would not address any existing problems.

At some point there has to be a limit on just how many regulations local government should be allowed to place on private property owners. The county already requires building permits, inspections, zoning and set back requirements. Very rarely when government gets involved with anything thing do things get better. Quiet the contrary.

Private property rights are slowly being eroded with more and more control over those rights being taken by local government. Enough is enough.

Below are the proposed driveway regulations.

• Property owners will be required to contact the Loudon County Highway Department at 458-6940 for a field inspection.

 • The property owner should locate the center of the proposed driveway connection by placing an orange flag or spray paint at the edge of pavement.

 • A Highway Department inspector will inspect the proposed driveway location and complete a field inspection report within 48 hours of being contacted. The inspection report will approve the requested location or designate a new driveway location and specify the size of the drain tile require.

 • A copy of the Highway Department field inspection report will be sent to the property owner and the Loudon County Building Commissioners’ Office.

 • The property owner may proceed with the driveway connection upon receipt of the Highway Department’s field inspection report. When the work is completed, the property owner should contact the Highway Department for a final inspection.

 • A driveway permit approving the work will be signed by the Highway Superintendent and sent to the Loudon County Building Commissioner’s Office. The Building Commissioner will not issue a certificate of occupancy without a driveway permit from the Highway Superintendent. The minimum requirements for driveway construction will be: 

 • All driveways shall have a sufficient rock or stone base to keep mud and dirt off the county road.

 • Driveway drainage tiles must be galvanized metal, plastic or concrete. If plastic is used it must meet state specifications and have headwalls installed. All pipe must be covered with a minimum of six inches of crusher run stone. Driveway drain tile must have a minimum diameter of 15 inches.

 • If the driveway has a 10 percent or greater uphill slope from the county road, the first 20 feet of the driveway from the edge of pavement must be paved with concrete or asphalt.

 • Property owners are responsible for maintaining driveways and cleaning up any material that washes off the driveway into the county right of way or road.

Loudon County Road Superintendent Sean Giles gained permission from the Loudon County Regional Planing Commission for a new policy requiring driveway permits in the county. 

“A lot of times people are putting in driveways and they’re not even putting culverts underneath their driveways and it’s throwing water out onto the roads,” Giles said. 

“Others have steep driveways and all their gravel and mud washes out onto the road. That creates a hazard,” he said.

Giles also said that despite good intentions many driveway builders can create a hazard for the driving public. “I’ve got one who did an excellent job on the concrete, but they took it straight out and tied into the white edge line,” he said.

 “Then you’ve got a three-and-a-half inch piece of concrete sitting there on the white line with an sharp edge on it. The public goes down through there and hits that driveway they’re going to bust their tire.,” Giles explained. 

Under the new policy, prior to constructing a driveway that will connect to a Loudon County road, property owners must contact the Loudon County Highway Department for a free driveway permit.

“It’s just a safety thing,” Giles said.

If approved by the County Commission, property owners will have to go by the new regulations, which include the following:

• Property owners will be required to contact the Loudon County Highway Department at 458-6940 for a field inspection.

 • The property owner should locate the center of the proposed driveway connection by placing an orange flag or spray paint at the edge of pavement.

 • A Highway Department inspector will inspect the proposed driveway location and complete a field inspection report within 48 hours of being contacted. The inspection report will approve the requested location or designate a new driveway location and specify the size of the drain tile require.

 • A copy of the Highway Department field inspection report will be sent to the property owner and the Loudon County Building Commissioners’ Office.

 • The property owner may proceed with the driveway connection upon receipt of the Highway Department’s field inspection report. When the work is completed, the property owner should contact the Highway Department for a final inspection.

 • A driveway permit approving the work will be signed by the Highway Superintendent and sent to the Loudon County Building Commissioner’s Office. The Building Commissioner will not issue a certificate of occupancy without a driveway permit from the Highway Superintendent. The minimum requirements for driveway construction will be: 

 • All driveways shall have a sufficient rock or stone base to keep mud and dirt off the county road.

 • Driveway drainage tiles must be galvanized metal, plastic or concrete. If plastic is used it must meet state specifications and have headwalls installed. All pipe must be covered with a minimum of six inches of crusher run stone. Driveway drain tile must have a minimum diameter of 15 inches.

 • If the driveway has a 10 percent or greater uphill slope from the county road, the first 20 feet of the driveway from the edge of pavement must be paved with concrete or asphalt.

 • Property owners are responsible for maintaining driveways and cleaning up any material that washes off the driveway into the county right of way or road.