The owner or owners of the lands fronting or
bordering on any of the streets, highways and avenues of the Borough
of Park Ridge, when required by a separate ordinance passed by the
Council of the Borough of Park Ridge, and when proper notice and procedure,
as prescribed in N.J.S.A. 40:65-1 et seq., is given, shall construct,
reconstruct, pave, repave, curb, recurb, improve and repair at his,
her or their own proper costs and expense the sidewalks and curbs
of the streets, highways and avenues; provided, however, that nothing
herein contained shall be construed to affect any owner or owners
of land fronting or bordering on any of the streets, highways or avenues
whose sidewalks and curbs on any said streets, highways or avenues
are now in good repair and construction, at the established grade
and paved in accordance herewith.
Upon passage of an ordinance by the Council
of the Borough of Park Ridge requiring any of the aforesaid improvements,
a notice of improvement shall be served and the contents thereof,
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:65-2, must contain a description of the property
affected sufficient to identify it, a description of the improvement
and a statement that the cost is to be borne by the said owner or
owners, and said notice shall state that unless the owner or owners
shall complete the same within 30 days after service thereof, the
municipality shall make the improvement at the expense of the owner
or owners.
The notice may be served personally upon all
owners affected residing in the municipality or by leaving the same
at the usual place of residence with a member of the family above
the age of 14 years. In the event that infants or incompetents are
involved, such notice shall be served upon their guardians, and such
other service shall be made as prescribed by N.J.S.A. 40:65-3 and
40:65-4.
In the event that any of the owners or any owner
of the real estate affected which are required to bear the whole cost
of improvement after passage of the ordinance therefor and after notice
given as stated heretofore shall fall to make such improvement as
required by ordinance, then and in that event the governing body may
cause the improvement to be made under the supervision of the proper
municipal officer or may award a contract or contracts therefor.
The officer of the municipality in charge of
such improvement shall keep an accurate account of the cost thereof
and shall assess such cost or the proportion thereof required to be
assessed under said ordinance upon such properties in proportion to
their respective frontage thereon and shall file a report thereof
under oath with the Municipal Clerk and shall proceed pursuant to
N.J.S.A. 40:65-8 regarding the assessment for the benefits of local
improvements.
Such sidewalk and curbing assessment shall bear
interest from the time of confirmation at the same rate and with the
same penalties for nonpayment as assessments for local improvements
in the municipality and, from the confirmation thereof, shall be a
first and paramount lien upon the real estate assessed, to the same
extent, to be collected and enforced in the same manner as assessments
for local improvements; and the governing body may provide for payment
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:65-9.
The construction of the aforesaid improvements
mentioned herein shall be in accordance with the requirements set
forth as follows:
A. Forms shall be of steel or of smooth-surface wood
not less than 2 inches thick. Both sides of the curb or sidewalk shall
contain forms. All forms shall be firmly fastened before pouring of
concrete shall be permitted by the Borough Engineer. On curved streets,
highways or avenues of greater than two-hundred-fifty-foot radius
on the center line, straight forms not longer than 10 feet each may
be used. On all curved streets, highways or avenues of less than a
two-hundred-fifty-foot radius, curved forms shall be used to conform
to the curvature of the street, highway or avenue.
B. Subgrade. The base on which any curb or sidewalk is
poured shall consist of a minimum of four inches of compacted road
gravel or stable sand which does not contain clay, muck, stumps or
any other materials which could result in the settlement of the structure.
C. Curbs shall be Class B, air-entrained portland cement
concrete having a minimum twenty-eight-day compressive strength of
4,000 pounds per square inch. Metal forms shall be used, except that
wood forms may be used on curves too sharp for satisfactory construction
with metal forms. The dimensions of the curbs shall be 18 inches in
depth, six inches wide at the top, eight inches wide at the base and
tapered on the roadway side. The materials and methods used for lubricating
the forms shall be such as will not discolor or stain the concrete.
Forms shall be removed when the concrete has hardened sufficiently
to be self-supporting yet in ample time to allow for finishing as
hereinafter specified. The concrete shall be tamped and spaded or
vibrated so that the forms are completely filled, the concrete is
thoroughly compacted and mortar is flushed to the face and top. The
top shall be finished with a wood float to an even, smooth and dense
surface and, as soon as the forms can be removed, the face shall be
similarly finished. The edges of the curb shall be rounded to the
required radius with suitable edging tools. In curbs, expansion joints
shall be provided opposite joints in abutting concrete pavement and
at approximately equal distances of not more than 20 feet between
pavement joints, except as otherwise specified or shown on the plans,
and shall be filled with preformed bituminous cellular-type joint
filler, 1/2 inch thick, which shall be inset 1/4 inch from the top
and face. Curb joints shall be neatly rounded to one-fourth-inch radius.
For headers, joints shall be provided as shown on the plans incorporated
herein. Between the concrete curbs and concrete surface or base
course, one-half-inch preformed bituminous joint filler shall be installed
and the joint shall be sealed with hot-poured rubber-asphalt joint
sealer. Where shown on the plans, the curb shall be constructed monolithic
with the adjoining pavement. Concrete curbs and headers shall be cured
with clear or translucent liquid compound which shall be applied as
soon as the concrete has been finished. Gradual transitions shall
be constructed where changes in the size or shape of curbs occur in
a continuous section. When the curb is to be constructed upon a concrete
pavement, all dirt, bituminous material and other loose or adhering
matter shall be removed from the pavement, and the curb shall be doweled
to the pavement with steel dowels of the size and having the spacing
shown on the plans. The diameter of holes drilled in the pavement
shall be not more than 3/4 inch greater than the diameter of the dowels.
The dowels shall be set in a one-to-two cement-sand mortar. Transverse
joints in doweled curb shall be installed directly over transverse
joints and over definite cracks in the pavement. Additional joints
shall be installed between pavement joints and cracks so as to divide
the curb into sections of approximately equal lengths of not more
than 20 feet. The finished curb and headers shall be neat and workmanlike
in appearance and shall not vary from the prescribed line and grade
more than 1/4 inch at any point.
D. Sidewalks shall be Class C, air-entrained portland
cement concrete having a minimum twenty-eight-day compressive strength
of 3,000 pounds per square inch. Sidewalks shall be four inches thick,
except at driveways, where sidewalks shall be six inches thick from
the curb to the edge of the sidewalk nearest the property line. After
being placed, the concrete shall be tamped, screeded and finished
to true grade and surface. The finish shall be made with a wood float,
followed by brushing with a wet soft-hair brush to a neat and workmanlike
surface. Transverse expansion joints 1/2 inch wide shall be provided
at intervals of not more than 20 feet and filled with preformed bituminous
cellular-type joint filler. Longitudinal joints 1/4 inch wide shall
be provided between curbs and abutting sidewalks and shall be filled
with preformed bituminous-type joint filler. The top of all joint
filler shall be 1/4 inch below the top of the sidewalk. Transverse
surface grooves shall be cut in the sidewalk between expansion joints
at intervals equal to the sidewalk width. All edges shall be neatly
rounded to 1/4 inch. The concrete shall be cured with clear or translucent
liquid compound which shall be applied as soon as the concrete is
finished. In residence districts, sidewalks shall be four feet wide
on all streets which are 50 feet wide between property lines. Sidewalks
shall be five feet wide on all streets which are 60 feet wide or more.
In business districts, the sidewalks shall extend from the curb to
the property line. Transverse contraction joints shall be installed
at each junction with a driveway and at a minimum of five-foot intervals.
Transverse expansion joints shall be installed at a minimum of forty-foot
intervals, using a one-half-inch-thick premolded asphaltic joint filler
of standard make.
E. Grades. On all streets, highways or avenues in subdivisions which are under Planning Board control, the subdivider shall provide complete engineering plans, elevations referred to mean sea-level datum and construction engineering for curbs and sidewalks subject to approval of the Borough Engineer, in writing, on one copy of the approved plans. No concrete shall be poured for curbs until the Borough Engineer has checked the forms for alignment and grade. All sidewalks shall be laid on a transverse grade line sloping upward 1/4 inch per foot from the top of curb. Sidewalks constructed on streets, highways or avenues which already have sidewalks nearby shall be aligned and graded to conform to existing grades, avoiding steps or other breaks hazardous to pedestrians. All sidewalks constructed on new streets, highways or avenues shall be located one foot away from the property line. Top of curb grades shall be even with the finished grade of the opposite center line of the street, highway or avenue on streets, highways or avenues having roadways which are from 25 feet to 35 feet in width; one inch below on streets, highways or avenues having roadways from 35 feet to 45 feet in width; and two inches below center line of roadways from 45 feet to 60 feet in width. On all streets, highways or avenues which have been officially dedicated and accepted for maintenance as public streets, highways or avenues, the local governing body shall furnish the property owner with a stakeout for grade and alignment to conform to official grades of the street, highway or avenue in a manner to make each unit constructed conform to the existing curbs and sidewalks. On all streets, highways or avenues which have been dedicated by the filing of a record map in the County Clerk's office after approval by the local governing body, and said streets, highways or avenues have been accepted for maintenance by the local governing body, the property owner or owners, hereby known as "applicants," shall at their own expense furnish the Borough Engineer with complete engineering surveys of existing roads, curbs, sidewalks or natural ground between adjacent block corners, together with duplicate plans and profiles referred to mean sea-level datum, Coast and Geodetic Survey, of the proposed construction. On streets, highways or avenues which are unimproved, the standards for construction outlined in Chapter
87, Subdivision and Site Plan Review, shall apply. Upon approval of the plans by the Borough Engineer, the applicants shall at their own expense have a licensed engineer lay out the construction work for line and grade of curbs and sidewalks. No concrete shall be poured until the Borough Engineer has checked the concrete forms for alignment and grade.
F. Curb openings. The top of the curb may be lowered
four inches from the normal top level for a distance of 16 feet plus
warping connections to the standard curb, to serve as a connection
with the street paving where a driveway is needed by the property
owner for off-street vehicle parking. One such opening shall be permitted
for each residential lot 99 feet or less, and two for lots greater
than 99 feet. Each property owner may have one sixteen-foot opening
unless there is a capacity for off-street parking of five or more
vehicles, when two openings may be made. Special cases of large parking
area openings shall be governed by Planning Board recommendations.
Entrances to gasoline service stations in business areas shall be
36 feet for entrance and exit and shall conform to New Jersey State
Highway standards.
G. Embankment. Curbs which are constructed on streets
where the original grade of the unimproved ground between the curb
and the property line shall have an embankment constructed of stable
earth to the same transverse slope from the property line to the top
of the curb connected to back up the standing portion of the curb.
A property owner requesting the Borough to furnish
grades on a public street, highway or avenue which has been accepted
for maintenance shall deposit a check for $0.25 per foot of curb,
or a minimum of $25, with the Borough Clerk when the request for curb
grades is made. Construction of the proposed sidewalk or curb shall
be completed within 60 days of the stakeout furnished by the Borough
Engineer or the full deposit shall be forfeited by the applicant.
Upon satisfactory completion of the construction of the curb and sidewalk,
certified by the Borough Engineer to the Borough Clerk, the deposit
shall be refunded.
A copy of the sidewalk and curb construction
standards is attached hereto and made a part hereof and there shall be strict compliance
therewith.
The terms and provisions of this article concerning
the construction of sidewalks and curbing and deposits required herein
shall not be applicable to lots, parcels or lands governed by the
ordinance and amendments thereto relating to original subdivisions,
the completion and improvements therein being guaranteed by the land
subdivision provisions, together with all its amendments. However, the construction
requirements shall be complied with by any and all persons, corporations,
associations or partnerships contemplating and constructing curbing
and sidewalks.
Any person who violates any provision of this
article shall, upon conviction, be subject for each and every violation
to a fine of not more than $500 or be imprisoned in the Bergen County
Jail for a period not to exceed 90 days, or both, at the discretion
of the Municipal Judge or other proper judicial officer before whom
complaint shall be made under this article.
[Added 9-14-1993 by Ord. No. 93-14]
Moneys contributed by applicants for waivers of sidewalk requirements in accordance with §
87-8 of the Code of the Borough of Park Ridge shall be placed in a separate account known as "In Lieu of Sidewalk Improvement Fund" to be utilized by the Mayor and Council at their discretion for the improvement of existing sidewalks and the construction of new sidewalks in the Borough.