[Added by Ord. No. 53-1986]
"Downtown" shall be described as that area bounded
by and including Lackawanna Avenue, Mifflin Avenue, Mulberry Street
and Jefferson Avenue.
The owner of property fronting or abutting on
any designated public street, lane or alley in the city shall be required
to construct sidewalks and keep the same in good repair and condition
and shall construct, replace and repair the same in accordance with
the provisions of this Article.
Upon the issuance of a building permit for a
new building, the owner through his contractor, is obligated to install
sidewalks, if required, as a part of the building contract. Such installation
shall be in accordance with the regulations of this Article.
A.
Permit required. All sidewalks constructed or repaired
in the downtown area of the city shall require a permit from the Building
Inspector's office.
B.
Lines and grades. All sidewalks shall be constructed
or repaired to lines and grades as established and on file, or to
be placed on file in the City Engineer's office and where feasible
they are hereby fixed at a uniform width of four (4) feet on the respective
streets from the line of the street towards the curb, gutter or cartway
on each side. All sidewalks must provide cuts for the handicapped
from the street to the sidewalk in accordance with resolutions hereinafter
passed, except that the four-foot width may be increased by waiver,
dependent upon existing conditions and location, but in no case shall
such width be less than four (4) feet. Such waiver shall be in accordance
with directions set forth by the Director of Public Works or City
Engineer upon written application by the owner, to the Department
of Planning and Development who will so instruct the Director of Public
Works or City Engineer.
C.
Construction regulations. Except by special waiver,
sidewalks in the downtown area of the city may be constructed only
of stone flagging, brick, tile or concrete and must be constructed
under the following regulations:
(1)
Stone flagging on walks six (6) feet wide or over
must consist of stone not less than four (4) feet long by three (3)
feet wide and two (2) inches thick; four-foot walks must consist of
stone not fewer than three (3) feet long by two (2) feet wide by two
(2) inches thick. Such stones must be laid evenly on a base of crushed
stones, porous cinders or sand not less than four (4) inches in depth
with joints not more than one-half (1/2) inch in width.
(2)
Concrete.
(a)
Concrete shall be at least four (4) inches thick,
except where driveways cross sidewalks, thickness shall be six (6)
inches; the sidewalk shall be constructed of and meet the following
criteria:
[1]
At least six and twenty-five hundredths (6.25)
minimum to eight and zero-tenths (8.0) bags of cement/cubic yard.
[2]
A water/cement ratio of five-tenths (0.5) pound/pound.
[3]
A slump range of one (1) to three (3) inches.
[4]
A proportional coarse aggregate solid volume
of nine and ninety-three hundredths (9.93) to thirteen and ten-hundredths
(13.10) cubic feet per cubic yard.
(b)
The concrete shall be air entrained and capable
of testing to three thousand five hundred (3,500) pounds per square
inch compression after twenty-eight (28) days, curing may be by natural
means or chemically sprayed. All sidewalks shall be sprayed with an
anti-spalling protective treatment after the twenty-eight-day period
is fulfilled. Concrete shall be placed on a base of crushed stone
(4) inches in depth, with one (1) layer of 6-10/10 welded wire mesh
reinforcing placed half way between the top and bottom of the sidewalk
slab. Finish shall be steel troweled, with a light broomed or float
finish.
(3)
Asphalt or asphalt mixture shall not be used for new
construction of sidewalks or driveways crossing sidewalks. Asphalt
or asphalt mixtures may be used to repair an existing asphalt sidewalk,
provided that such repair is not in excess of thirty (30) percent
of the existing walk area.
(4)
Cuts.
(a)
When a cut is made by a contractor (plumbing,
electrical, etc.), utility or utility contractor in an existing sidewalk;
block (slab section), flaggings, concrete or asphalt shall be replaced,
where damaged, in its entirety in accordance with the regulations
set forth herein; where existing walk is of asphalt construction,
the damaged portion shall be reconstructed so that the entire width
of the existing walk is replaced with concrete as hereinbefore regulated
for a distance not fewer than eight (8) inches beyond the initial
cut opening paralleling the street line. Where the existing sidewalk
is concrete and cut is made with a saw in a straight and neat manner,
only the portion removed will need to be replaced subject to approval
of the Department of Public Works.
(b)
All contractors (plumbing, electrical, etc.),
utilities and utility contractors are required to apply to the Bureau
of Building Inspection and obtain a sidewalk opening permit. The permit
fee is two dollars ($2.). Such permit shall be numbered, contain original
and two (2) copies and describe the applicant by name and address,
direct permission for him to perform work at a designated address,
provide for an explanation of purpose for the work and make provision
for issuing authorities' signature. General instructions on the permit
shall be stated as follows:
[1]
Backfill must be tamped in four-inch layers.
[2]
Sidewalk must be replaced by contractor within
ten (10) days after backfilling.
[3]
Concrete sidewalks must be replaced in accordance
with Article VI, Sidewalks, of this chapter.
[4]
Asphalt restoration will not be permitted; damaged
or cut asphalt sidewalks shall be replaced in accordance with Article
VI, Sidewalks, of this chapter.
[5]
Trenches must be properly barricaded and lighted.
[6]
No trees shall be cut or removed without permission
of the City Shade Tree Commission.
[7]
Tunneling will not be permitted without permission
of the Director of the Department of Public Works or the City Engineer.
(5)
Sidewalks shall be level with the driveway grades,
and in no case shall step downs be acceptable. When approved by the
Director of the Department of Public Works or the City Engineer, sidewalks
may be sloped to driveways if excessive grades prohibit a level installation.
Outside edges and joints shall be formed with a quarter-inch radius
edging tool. Traverse dummy joints shall be formed at five-foot intervals
approximately one-eighth-inch by one (1) inch deep. Half-inch premolded
expansion joints for full depth of sidewalk shall be placed opposite
expansion joints in adjacent curbs, between the sidewalk and curb
and between the sidewalk and rigid structures.
(6)
The Department of Public Works shall direct the owner
of properties fronting or abutting on any designated public street,
lane or alley in the city to repair or replace any sidewalk which
in his discretionary opinion does not meet city standards, such as:
(a)
Sidewalks buckled by tree roots or frost upheaval,
presenting an uneven variation in elevation between units, in excess
of one to one and one-half (1:1 and 1/2) inches or more, which would
be detrimental or injurious to a person walking thereon.
(b)
Sidewalks cracked by settling, heavy truck or other vehicular traffic which present the same characteristics as noted on § 412-43C(6)(a).
(c)
Sidewalks overly pitted or deteriorating to
a point where a serious condition is prevalent and the safety of the
public is endangered.
(7)
Driveway curb cuts shall be made only after approval
of the Director of the Department of Public Works or City Engineer.
All cuts shall be not fewer than ten (10) feet in length nor more
than thirty-five (35) feet in length and shall be elevated two (2)
inches minimum above pavement in order to provide a proper gutter
for stormwater drainage. New curb recesses in new curbing shall also
comply with the dimensions set forth herein.
It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector
to serve notices on the owner of any lot or piece of land in the downtown
area of the city in front or on the side of which the sidewalk is
out of repair or where no required sidewalk has been laid. Where the
owner cannot be found, the Building Inspector is to cause the notice
to be served on his agent or on the tenant or occupier of such lot
or piece of land, notifying such owner to repair or construct a sidewalk
as required by this Article. In case the owner of any vacant lot or
piece of land does not reside in the city and has not agent on whom
service can be made, it shall be the duty of the Building Inspector
to cause the notice provided for under this Article to be served on
such owner, if the same can be found, by registered mail or otherwise
at his place of residence or by posting the notice on the most public
part of the property. Whenever any notice has been served under this
Article, the person serving shall make an affidavit of the time and
manner of service and upon whom the same is served. This affidavit
shall be filed in the office of the Director of the Department of
Public Works.
If any owner, subject to the provisions of this
Article, shall refuse or neglect to comply therewith after thirty
(30) days' notice to do so by the Department of Public Works, then
the city shall have sidewalks constructed, repaired or replaced in
accordance with this Article and the cost and expense of the same,
together with a penalty of fifteen percent (15%) additional cost,
shall be collected from the person so refusing or neglecting in the
manner provided.
Whenever the city has constructed, replaced
or repaired sidewalks, the City Engineer shall certify the cost thereof
to the City Treasurer, who shall collect such costs. Such costs shall
be liened upon the premises from the time of the filing of such certification.
It shall then be the duty of the City Treasurer to place in the hands
of the city solicitor within six (6) months from the time of receiving
such certification of costs and expenses against any property or properties,
a list of claims against such property or properties showing the amount
paid on each and the City Solicitor shall thereupon file liens for
such claims in the Clerk of Judicial Records Office in the proper
lien docket.
