Manitou Springs, CO Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

011 lets the parking manager or a designee resolve disputes over whether part of a private property is a valid driveway by applying ten criteria, at least two of which must be met: a non-mountable curb with an established curb-cut; a gap in a retaining wall along the frontage; service to an existing garage usable for vehicle storage; a surface of asphalt, concrete or gravel that differs from the adjacent yard; a minimum size of eight feet wide, or eight by sixteen feet if used for compact-vehicle parking; appearance on a survey, improvement location certificate, or a hand-drawn site plan submitted with a prior building permit; status as the only vehicular access to the property; prior city permitting or approval; absence of a safety or traffic hazard; and location outside the public right-of-way unless the city has authorized it there.

The surfacing requirement is central: a dirt or grass strip that has not been paved in asphalt, concrete or gravel fails that criterion outright and must qualify, if at all, on two of the other nine factors. Once the parking manager rules on a disputed driveway, the property owner receives a written determination, and a copy goes into the Planning Department's property file. The section was adopted by Ordinance No. 2215 on July 7, 2015.