[Adopted 7-12-1955 by Ord. No. 478]
[Amended 8-7-1967 by Ord. No. 832; 5-11-1981 by Ord. No. 1128]
All owners of property in the City of Greensburg shall at all times maintain and keep in repair all sidewalks and curbs existing on, in front of or alongside their respective real estate situate in the City of Greensburg. The owner or owners of real estate situate in the City of Greensburg shall, upon 20 days written notice from the City Council or its representative, construct or reconstruct curbs or sidewalks on, in front of or alongside their respective real estate situate in the City of Greensburg in conformity with the specifications provided in this article.
[Amended 7-8-1985 by Ord. No. 1256; 7-11-2005 by Ord. No. 1907; 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 1980; 9-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2057]
Effective June 1, 2005, all sidewalks shall be constructed, reconstructed and repaired of concrete only in accordance with specifications included in procedures for sidewalk replacement as set forth by Planning and Development. Copies of said procedures for sidewalk and curb replacement in residential areas and a designated area located in the downtown district of the City shall be available at Planning and Development. In all cases where sidewalks and curbs are constructed or reconstructed in the targeted downtown area as outlined on a map included with said specifications, being the area bounded by North and South Maple Avenue on the east; East and West Fourth Street on the south; Euclid Avenue, Vannear Avenue, Bell Way and College Avenue on the west; and by Tunnel Street on the north, a stamped concrete basket weave pattern shall be utilized and must be poured prior to the concrete walks in the same thickness as the walks, Federal ADA compliance shall be adhered to in all curb and sidewalk construction and reconstruction as per a diagram included in the specifications packet and as per § 232-12 of this chapter.
In all cases where sidewalks or curbing are constructed, reconstructed or repaired over coal cellars or other excavations under such sidewalks, such sidewalks shall be supported by iron or steel beams or girders or stone or concrete arches, and in no case shall any support of wood or other perishable material be used.
[Amended 5-11-1981 by Ord. No. 1128; 9-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2057]
All sidewalks and curbing shall be constructed, reconstructed and repaired and the grade thereof done upon the line and grade obtained by the property owner from the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent and not otherwise. Upon notice as provided in § 232-5 of this article, such construction, reconstruction or repair shall be done by the owner or owners of such property.
[Amended 5-11-1981 by Ord. No. 1128; 9-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2057]
It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent, upon direction by the Council, to determine the specific part or parts thereof of an individual property owner of sidewalk and curbing to be constructed, reconstructed or repaired. The Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent may, at any time during the course of the work of construction, reconstruction or repair, visit the site of such work to ascertain whether such work is being done according to the requirements. Within two days of the completion of the work of construction, reconstruction or repair, as herein provided, it shall be the duty of the property owner where such work was done to notify the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent of that fact so that proper inspection may be made to determine whether the specifications have been observed. Any property owner upon his own initiative and without notice from any City authority may construct, reconstruct or repair the sidewalk or curbing in front of or alongside his property, provided that such owner shall first make application to the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent and shall conform to the requirements of this article as to line and grade and material used, and he shall notify the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly agent within two days after the completion of this work.
[Amended 5-11-1981 by Ord. No. 1128; 9-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2057]
Upon the failure of any owner to construct, pave, curb, repave or recurb or maintain any sidewalk and curbing after notice so to do, the same may be done or caused to be done by the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent upon action by the Council, by resolution duly adopted, the cost thereof to be levied and collected from such owner, together with a penalty of 10% of such costs and all charges and expenses, which amounts shall be a lien upon such premises from the time of the completion of the work, which date shall be fixed by a certificate of the Municipal/Consulting Engineer or his duly authorized agent filed with the City Administrator, and which debt may be collected by an action in assumpsit, or such lien may be filed and proceeded with as is provided by law in case of municipal liens, the cost of the entire project to be collected from the owner unless otherwise provided by the Council.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to emergencies; but such repairs, when, in the opinion of the head of the department having charge of sidewalk repairs, a dangerous condition exists that can be repaired by an expenditure of not more than $50 and upon failure of a property owner to make such repairs within 48 hours after the service of such notice upon the owner so to do, which notice shall expressly state that an emergency repair is required and shall further set forth the provisions of this section of this Article. The cost of such emergency repairs shall be a charge against the owner of the property and shall be a lien until paid upon the abutting property, provided that a claim is filed therefor in accordance with the law providing for the collection and filing of municipal claims. In addition, such charge may also be collected from the owner by an action in assumpsit.
[Added 6-9-1980 by Ord. No. 1099]
It shall be the duty of all owners of property abutting a dedicated or opened or public street or highway within the city to construct concrete ramps, where feasible, and crosswalks when new installations of sidewalks and/or curbs are made or when a replacement of an existing sidewalk and/or curb is made so as to make the transition from street to sidewalk easily negotiable for handicapped persons in wheelchairs and for other persons who may have difficulty in making the required step up or down from curb level to street level. All such ramps shall be constructed or installed in accordance with the designs and specifications therefor prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The cost for such installation shall be borne by the abutting property owner. The abutting property owners shall also keep the same in good repair.