"Highway Letter"
Notification To Highway Superintendent of a Capital Construction Project

Facilities Planning has recently encountered a situation in which a County Highway Department sued a School District because they were not properly notified of a capital
construction project at a school site. Although the Town Highway Department was notified, the County was not.

The Commissioner of Education cannot approve a project unless the county superintendent of highways or commissioner of public works has been advised of "the
location of all temporary and permanent entrances and exits on public highways and the
storm drainage plan which is to be used." (Education Law, Section 408, subdivision 2). A
copy of a letter to this effect to the highway official must be part of a submission to obtain a building permit and approval of plans and specifications by the Commissioner of Education.

Please be sure that with each capital construction project the County Superintendent of Highways or Commissioner of the road/s affected is notified and a copy of that letter is included with each submission to Facilities Planning. A letter which does not cover each of the above points is deficient and may cause unnecessary delays in the approval process.