Asphalt Paving in Oakland Park, FL

Asphalt Paving in Oakland Park often begins at the edge of the street. The city's land development code treats the swale, the strip between the road and the right-of-way line or sidewalk, as drainage space first, and it spells out how much of that strip can be paved and with which materials. Asphalt is one of the materials the code approves for swale paving, which makes it a practical fit for driveway approaches and parking areas that cross the public right-of-way here.

How much of the swale can be paved

Under Section 24-94, R-1 lots and single-family sites in R-2 districts may pave up to 24 feet of swale when the lot is narrower than 70 feet, and up to 36 feet on lots 70 feet or wider and on corner lots. Other residential districts go by frontage: up to 24 feet on frontages under 60 feet, and up to 36 feet at 60 feet or more. Where backout parking is allowed on the street, 60 percent of the swale may be paved, provided subsurface drainage is designed and installed to city and Broward County standards. We measure your frontage at the estimate so the layout fits these limits before anything is submitted.

Why asphalt instead of concrete in the right-of-way

The same section lists asphalt and removable concrete or grass pavers as approved swale paving, and it prohibits loose gravel, rock and other unbound material. Rigid concrete driveways and parking areas in the right-of-way are generally prohibited unless the owner provides joints on each side of utility lines, and before concrete or other non-approved material is installed, the owner has to sign a swale agreement, recorded in the county's public records, taking on the cost of removal and replacement if the city needs to rebuild the swale. An asphalt apron sidesteps that extra step in the typical case, but confirm the specifics for your lot with the city before choosing a material.

Low ground and runoff

Oakland Park sits about 7 feet above sea level, and its swales are meant to let road runoff soak into the soil. The code even requires sod to stay below the road surface so water can reach the depressed swale. When we pave an apron or a driveway, we set its grade so water is not pushed back toward the house or trapped against the street edge. For renovation of an existing site beyond routine repair, the code calls for a Broward County Surface Water Management permit, another reason to look at drainage before quoting; confirm with the city whether your project triggers it.

A town rebuilt after the 1926 storm

Oakland Park was first incorporated in 1925 as the Town of Floranada, a blend of Florida and Canada. The 1926 hurricane drove the young town into bankruptcy, and residents reincorporated it as the City of Oakland Park in 1929. Later annexations, including Twin Lakes South and North Andrews Gardens, brought in neighborhoods with their own street layouts, so swale widths and conditions vary from one part of the city to another.

Our services in Oakland Park

• Asphalt driveway approaches sized to the swale width limits
• Driveway paving and resurfacing on private property
• Backout parking areas, with the subsurface drainage the code calls for designed and installed by an appropriately licensed professional hired by the owner
• Patching of aprons damaged by roots or utility cuts
• Sealcoating and striping for small commercial and multifamily lots

The permit step

Section 24-94 requires a construction or right-of-way improvement permit from the community development department before construction, grading or excavation in the swale, right-of-way or an easement, unless that work is already shown on an approved building permit. As the code reads, that permit comes before the work starts. We are glad to help assemble the submittal if the community development department accepts contractor help, though some departments want contractors registered first; the department can tell you what it requires.