Notice: 2011 Holiday Restrictions
Office of Underground Cooperation (OUC) – Holiday Restrictions
Per Information Received from Chicago’s OUC…

Due to the upcoming holiday season, the Department of Transportation has directed that NO Street Openings or Traffic Obstructions, other than those for Emergency purposes, be placed within the following limits:

“Beginning at the easternmost point of Division Street extending to Lake Michigan, then west on Division Street to LaSalle Street, then South on LaSalle Street to Chicago Avenue, then West on Chicago Avenue to Halsted Street, South on Halsted Street to Roosevelt Road, then East on Roosevelt Road to its easternmost point extended to Lake Michigan.”

This directive will be in effect from:
Friday November 18th, 2011 at 12:01 am to Monday January 2nd, 2012 at 12:01 am.
Please note that all existing permits will be automatically revoked during this period. Restrictions will not be lifted for any non-emergency work without special permit exemption by the City of Chicago Department of Transportation Division of Infrastructure Management Public Way Permits Division.

Special permit requests are to be made to:

Mr. Michael Simon
Assistant Director Public Way Permit Office
121 N LaSalle Street, Room 905
Chicago, IL 60602.

Also, all work performed January 2nd, 2012 thru April 1, 2012 will be subject to criteria acceptable for snow removal/control operations.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the holiday moratorium, give us a call at 800.407.7990.

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If you want to build a new driveway in New York City, you will need to obtain a driveway permit from the DOB (Department of Buildings) Office. Although building a new driveway may seem like a relatively small job, you will need to complete just as many steps as you would have to for a larger project.

Outside of the city, the rules concerning driveway permits vary. You should check the individual rules of your municipality or county. If your home is located on a State highway, you most likely need to obtain a driveway permit from the DOT (Department of Transportation). If you have any questions about what steps you need to take in your particular area, you can speak with a Burnham Nationwide consultant. They can give you advice about the process and help ensure you meet criteria within your area.

If you live in NYC, you need to complete the following steps. First, pre-file all of your forms. You must complete a PW-1 form which can be picked up at the DOB or downloaded from their website. You will also need a set of drawings of your plan. If you are also building a garage, you may need to fill out asbestos forms as well. Once you submit three copies of all of these forms to the DOB, they will determine how much of a fee you owe, and they will assign you a BIS job number.

After you pay your fee, your forms will be sent to the data entry department. They will enter the details of your application into their computer system and forward those details to a plan examiner. Once the examiner has the plan, he or she will check it for completeness and to ensure that it is inline with all of the relevant codes. If there are any problems at this point, the forms will be sent back to you.

A driveway permit should be an easy and straightforward process. However, they can sometimes take ages to process for just the simplest mistake. If you want to ensure that your application is perfect, you should have a consultant from a company like Burnham Nationwide guide you. The staff at their New York office has years of experience working with all sorts of permits and city officials and can help you ensure a smooth process.

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Different cities have different requirements for construction, but one commonality is that both residential and commercial spaces need a driveway. When obtaining a driveway permit in Chicago, keep in mind that local requirements may differ from those in other cities. This type of permit grants approval to an owner, allowing them to install a driveway in compliance with City of Chicago standards. However, contractors must go through different application processes for residential permits versus commercial permits.

A residential permit is valid for property that does not exceed 4 residential units. The fee is only $10 but cannot be transferred to a new owner. In such a case, a new application would have to be filed. The documentation required for this permit includes:

• Completed application 
• Five copies of a plat of survey for proposed driveway application and two copies are required for existing driveway application or sketch showing exact location and the entire site being served by existing driveway showing curb cut. 
• One photograph of driveway or proposed location showing curb and sidewalk area.  
• Certificate of insurance (property owner’s) for $250,000 of personal liability naming the City of Chicago, its officers, employees or agents as additionally insured with respect to the driveway approach at the property location. 
• Permanent Index Number (PIN) for the property. 

A commercial permit is necessary when a property contains a commercial business, more than 4 residential units, a combined residential/commercial business, a school, a church, etc. The fee for a commercial driveway permit varies slightly based on the width. The minimum fee is $100 and increases at $2 per foot of added width over 25 feet. If building within the Central Business District, these fees are doubled. The documentation required for this permit includes:

• Completed application 
• Five copies of a dimensioned site plan, drawn to scale.  Plan must show entire site and all proposed and existing driveways (all existing driveways to be removed must be noted and shown on the site plan). 
• Three photographs of each driveway showing curb and sidewalk area. 
• Certificate of insurance (property owner’s) with a combined single limit in the amount of $1,000,000.  The City of Chicago its officers, employees or agents must be listed as additionally insured in respect to each driveway approach at the property location. 
• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Social Security Number and Permanent Index Number (PIN) for the property. 

Additionally, whether residential or commercial, if the permit is for a proposed driveway, an application can take a minimum of 30 days for approval. This is much longer than the one week timeline for existing driveways.  Overall, with a bit of guidance, obtaining the necessary permit can be a smooth process.

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By:  Ken McNeeley

The City of Chicago is offering a voluntary compliance period ending October 2010. This amnesty period will allow existing businesses that do not have the proper permits for their existing signs, canopies, awnings, marquees or banners to apply through the Department of Buildings and/or Public Way Use Permits at no cost. If you have a sign, canopy, awning, marquee or banner that is not properly permitted and you apply for all the proper permits during the amnesty the City of Chicago will waive all the permit fees. Permitting these will also help avoid any future fines and violations.

Burnham Nationwide, Inc. offers building owners and businesses assistance with obtaining the necessary paperwork and municipal approvals to get your signs, canopies, awnings, marquees or banners in compliance with the City of Chicago. If you have an existing sign, canopy, awning, marquee or banner and would like to learn more about our services and how we can help, please visit our website at  www.burnhamnationwide.com or call our help desk at (312)407-7990.

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