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1. Do I need a permit to dig in the public right-of-way?

Yes. An excavation permit is  required from the Engineering office at 221 E Second Street. Usually  there is a charge for the permit and a security deposit is required.

2. Can someone from the City come to my house and help me find my property corners?

The City does not provide that service. However, there are a number of professional land surveyors in the Moscow area that do perform that service. The City crews occasionally find what appear to be property corners (monumentation) in the course of collecting field data for projects and will generally notify the property owner. Our Engineering staff can provide you with measurements and topographic maps to assist you in looking for your property corners. 

3. Can City staff tell me where my sewer line exists between my house and the City sewer?

No. We have no records indicating how private lines were installed. We can sometimes tell you where the private line connects to the City sewer. 

4. What kind of maps do you have and what do they cost can I get a digital drawing?

We maintain record maps of many types of information from underground utilities to property addresses and the cost varies depending on the size of and process used to generate the copy. See the Engineering map web page for a price list of the most requested maps and the maps available for download. We do not provide computer generated digital maps to the public.

5. What is the width of the public right-of-way on a particular street?

We maintain a set of City plat maps and willingly research right-of-way widths at requested locations. You can obtain this information in person or by a phone call to 208-883-7034.

6. Are permanent structures allowed on public right-of-way?

Construction of building structures is not allowed on public right-of-way, however depending on the particular situation, a retaining wall may be permitted. Requests for encroachments are reviewed by Engineering staff to determine the impacts on public property. Engineering staff will approve or deny simple encroachment requests. More complex encroachments require City Council approval.

7. Are two or more homes allowed to connect to the same private sanitary sewer service pipe?

Present day codes require each home/structure have individual sanitary sewer service connected directly to the public sewer main. In earlier times, there were no regulations prohibiting multiple connections to one service. This is why one may hear of such conditions existing. Moscow does not allow additional homes/structures to be connected to existing private sewer lines.

8. Can I widen my private driveway approach (curb cut) onto a public street?

City code allows residential driveway approaches (curb cuts) with a maximum width up of twenty feet (20'). If you live on a corner lot, you are allowed to have a curb cut on each fronting street. Commercial lots are allowed one thirty-foot wide, two-way approach, or two twenty-foot wide, one-way approaches. A permit is required from the City Engineering.

9. Why doesn't the City pave my gravel street?

The City of Moscow established a policy years ago not to pave local and residential gravel streets. The City will, however, support property owners adjacent to gravel streets who wish to pave streets at owner expense. This support is offered through the Local Improvement District process.

10. Can I get a map of my property?

The Engineering Division has a variety of maps and photos that may be used to approximately identify your property, lot line dimensions, and topographic features. We do not have accurate mapping that shows exactly where property lines are in relation to topography such as buildings, sidewalks and streets. For general site-plan preparations these maps can be very helpful and are available at a reasonable cost in the Engineering Division Office at 221 E Second Street.

11. Where can I obtain the City Engineering Standards?

The Standard Construction Drawings are available electronically, Standard Construction Drawings or paper copies of the City Construction Standards Specification and Standard Construction Drawings are available at the Engineering Division Office.