[Adopted 12-19-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-73]
All sidewalks and curbs along any streets, roads
and public rights-of-way in the Township of Stafford shall be reconstructed,
repaired or replaced at the cost and expense of the owner or owners
of the lands in front of which such sidewalks and curbs are constructed.
All curbs and sidewalks shall be constructed
in accordance with specifications of the Township of Stafford as prepared
by the Township Engineer. Copies of said construction specifications
will be provided, at no cost, to any property owner upon request.
Prior to replacing or repairing the curb or
sidewalks, the property owner must obtain a permit from the Township
of Stafford. The property owner will be required to submit an application
form for the permit for the replacement or repair of curb and sidewalks.
There shall be no fee charged for the issuance of the permit.
Upon obtaining a permit for the repair or replacement
of curbs or sidewalks, the property owner shall request a Township
Engineer to establish the line and grade for the curb and/or sidewalk
in advance of the commencement of the replacement of such curb and/or
sidewalk. The Township Engineer will establish the line and grade
at no cost to the property owner.
Whenever the Township Administrator has determined,
upon advice from the Township Engineer or Township Construction Code
Official, that any curbs and/or sidewalks are in need of repair or
reconstruction, the Administrator shall advise the Township Council
in writing that such curbs and/or sidewalks are in need of repair
or reconstruction, specifying the location and assessed owner of the
property.
The Township Council, shall determine the necessity
of said improvement, and if it deems that said improvement is necessary,
it shall by resolution cause a notice in writing to be served upon
said abutting owners or occupants of said lands requiring the necessary
specified work to said curb and/or sidewalk to be done by said owner
or occupants within a period of not less than 120 days nor more than
180 days from the date of service of such notice.
The notice provided for in § 187-25 shall be served upon the owner(s) of the affected lands in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:65-14.
In the event that the owner or occupant of such
abutting lands shall not comply with the requirements of said notice,
it shall be lawful for the Township Administrator, in accordance with
N.J.S.A. 40:65-14, to cause the required work to be done and paid
for out of municipal funds available for that purpose. The cost of
such work shall be certified by the Township Engineer to the Tax Collector
or person having charge of the collection of assessments in Stafford
Township. Upon filing said certificate of costs, the amount of the
cost of such work shall be and become a lien upon said abutting lands
in front of which such work was done, to the same extent that assessments
for local improvements are liens in the municipality, and shall be
collected in the manner provided by law for the collection of such
other assessments and shall bear interest at the same rate. In addition
thereto, the Township may commence, in any court having jurisdiction
thereof, an action against the owner of said lands to recover said
amount.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary
in this article, the Township reserves the right to repair and replace
sidewalks and/or curbs at no cost to the property owner in conjunction
with any road or drainage improvements that the Township undertakes
on any Township road or street. In addition, the Township reserves
its rights to repair and construct curbs and/or sidewalks at the Township
expense in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:65-1 et seq.,
when the governing body of the Township of Stafford determines that
it is in the best interest of the Township to take such an action.
