[Adopted 9-26-1960 as Ord. No. 91]
Sidewalks are hereby established on all highways and alleys of Upper
Merion Township.
The widths of the sidewalks in said township are hereby established
as follows: Unless otherwise directed by the township, sidewalks shall be
not less than four (4) feet in width; on alleys, sidewalks shall not be less
than two and one-half (2 1/2) feet in width. The width of the sidewalk
designated herein is exclusive of the curb. The slope or grade from the property
line to the curb shall be not less than one-fourth (1/4) inch to the foot
and not more than one-half (1/2) inch to the foot.
All pavements shall be constructed in accordance with the standards
established by the Board of Supervisors, a copy of which is attached hereto
and made part hereof.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said standards are on file in the office of the
Township Manager.
[Amended 8-9-1965 by Ord. No. 65-160]
Grass plots shall be placed between footwalk and curbline, as indicated
on the standards. Said grass plots shall extend for two and one-half (2 1/2)
feet between the back of the curb to the edge of the sidewalk. A reduction
in the width of the grass plot shall be allowed by the Township Engineer when,
in his sole discretion, a reduction is necessary to save or preserve a continuous
line or group of trees, bushes, hedges, fences or other obstructions to the
construction of the proposed sidewalk, but in no event shall said grass plot
be reduced in width to less than one (1) foot.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
The curbs shall be in accordance with the details as shown on Drawing
No. L-1.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Drawing No. L-1 is on file in the office of the
Township Manager.
No constructions or materials or trees other than those above mentioned
shall be built or placed in or over any street, highway or alley unless the
same are authorized by the Board of Supervisors and then only when such constructions
or materials or trees are thoroughly safeguarded and maintained so as to prevent
any injury or damage to person or property.
All constructions or materials and all porches and steps now existing
or hereafter built, placed or maintained contrary to this Article are hereby
declared unlawful and to be nuisances and to be abatable as such.
Poles and pipes now or hereafter placed or maintained so as to prevent
injury to person or property shall be removed or changed whenever the Board
of Supervisors decides that it is for the best interest of the township.
All sidewalks shall be built and maintained at the expense of the owner
of the abutting premises and shall be kept in thorough repair and in safe
condition, free of snow or ice or any other obstruction.
Sidewalks shall be built upon sixty (60) days' notice to the owner
and shall be repaired upon ten (10) days' notice.
The Board of Supervisors may, on twenty-four (24) hours' notice,
cause emergency repairs to be made to the sidewalks where the Board may deem
it necessary.
No motor vehicles shall be permitted to drive upon or be parked on a
sidewalk for repairs or for any other purpose.
A.
The Board of Supervisors of Upper Merion Township shall
each year advertise for bids for the construction of sidewalks and curbs in
the highways of the township, and the Board shall award the contract to the
lowest responsible bidder, reserving the right to reject any and all bids.
The township may, however, authorize the work to be done by township employees
for either the construction or the repairing of sidewalks and curbs.
B.
The contractor shall furnish bonds in such sum and with
such security as the Board of Supervisors may authorize and approve.
The use of any materials for new sidewalks and curbs other than those
herein specified is hereby forbidden unless specifically authorized by resolution
of the Board of Supervisors.
The materials to be used in all sidewalks and curbs and the method of
constructing the same shall comply with the following specifications:
A.
Concrete curb. Plain cement concrete curb shall be not
less than twenty-two (22) inches in depth, seven (7) inches wide on the top
and eight (8) inches wide at the bottom. The top surface shall be finished
with a slope of one-fourth (1/4) inch per foot toward the gutter or face of
the curb, and the upper outside edge shall be finished to a radius of one
(1) inch. The front face shall be vertical fourteen (14) inches up from the
bottom and battered to the seven-inch top, and the back shall be vertical.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
B.
Materials. All materials shall be subject to an inspection
of the Engineer or other township officials having charge of the work and
to tests herein outlined. Any material failing to pass the required tests
shall at once be removed from the work. Failure to condemn materials on preliminary
inspection shall not be grounds for acceptance if future defects are found.
C.
Cement.
(1)
All cement used shall be high-grade American portland
conforming to Standard Specification ASTM Designation C-150, Type I. Cement
shall be stored so as to permit easy access for inspection and identification,
in a suitable watertight structure which will protect the cement from dampness.
(2)
All cement which is not satisfactory shall be immediately
removed from the work. A bag of cement shall contain ninety-four (94) pounds
net. A sufficient quantity of cement shall be on hand at all times to allow
for seven (7) days' tests, if required. In testing cement, the rules
adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials shall be followed.
D.
Sand or fine aggregate for concrete.
(1)
For concrete, river or pit sand conforming to Standard
Specification ASTM C-33 may be used. It shall not contain more than three
percent (3%) by volume of clay or loam and, when dry, shall pass a screen
having four (4) meshes to the linear inch, and not more than twenty percent
(20%) shall pass a screen having fifty (50) meshes per linear inch and not
more than five percent (5%) shall pass a screen having one hundred (100) meshes
per linear inch.
(2)
When sand is mixed with portland cement in the proportion
of one (1) part cement to three (3) parts of sand by weight according to the
standard method of making one-to-three mortar briquettes, the resulting mortar,
at the age of seven (7) days and twenty-eight (28) days, shall have a tensile
strength at least equal to the strength of mortar made of portland cement
standard Ottawa sand in corresponding proportions and of the same consistency.
E.
Stone or coarse aggregate for concrete. The coarse aggregate
for concrete shall consist of either crushed traprock, crushed limestone rock
or crushed washed gravel conforming to Standard Specification ASTM C-33. It
shall be uniformly graded and shall pass a screen having a circular opening
of one (1) inch in diameter and shall be retained on a screen having a circular
opening of one-fourth (1/4) inch in diameter.
F.
Joint filler. Joint filler shall consist of prepared
strips of fiber matrix and bitumen containing not more than twenty-five percent
(25%) of inert material, having a thickness of one-half (1/2) inch.
G.
Construction.
(1)
Concrete. The concrete shall conform to Pennsylvania
Department of Highways specifications for Class A cement concrete. All concrete
shall have a minimum ultimate twenty-eight-day compressive strength of three
thousand five hundred (3,500) pounds per square inch.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
(2)
Measuring. All materials shall be measured accurately
by volume. The cement shall be measured as packed by the manufacturer, and
a sack containing not less than ninety-four (94) pounds shall be considered
as one (1) cubic foot. Measurement of aggregates shall be based on dry rodded
material.
(3)
Mixing. The concrete shall be mixed in quantities required
for immediate use, and any which has developed initial set or which is not
in place within thirty (30) minutes after the water has been added shall not
be used. No concrete shall be mixed or placed while the air temperature is
at or below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (32°F.). Each and every batch
shall be mixed for not less than one and one-half (11/2) minutes, and the
drum shall be entirely emptied of its contents before the next succeeding
batch is received.
(4)
Lines and grades. Concrete curb shall be laid to line
and grade as approved or as established by the Township Engineer.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
(5)
Expansion joints. Concrete curb shall be constructed in uniform lengths or blocks of ten (10) feet each, lengths being separated during construction by a template one-eighth (1/8) inch to one-fourth (1/4) inch in thickness. These templates shall be removed after the concrete has developed initial set. A prepared expansion joint conforming to that specified in Subsection F herein, one-half (1/2) inch thick, shall be placed at intervals of fifty (50) feet.
(6)
Forms. Outside forms for concrete curb shall be of wood
or metal for the full depth of the concrete, straight, free from warp and
of sufficient strength where staked to resist the pressure of wet concrete
without springing.
(7)
Placing concrete and finishing. The foundation shall
be formed at the required depth below the grade of the curb, in accordance
with the dimensions given. All soft and spongy or other unsuitable materials
shall be removed from the subgrade and the foundation shall be completed thoroughly
and finished to a uniform surface. The forms for the face of the curb shall
be removed within twenty-four (24) hours after the concrete has been placed.
Honeycombed places and other minor defects shall be filled with mortar composed
of one (1) part cement and two (2) parts sand, which shall be applied with
a wooden float. The top and face of the curb shall be finished while the concrete
is still green by wetting a brick or block of wood and rubbing the surface
until smooth, after which it shall be rubbed again using a thin grout of one
(1) part cement and one (1) part sand, instead of water, until a uniform color
is produced. Plastering will not be permitted.
(8)
Backfilling. After the concrete has set sufficiently,
the space on the back of the curb shall be backfilled with suitable material,
which shall be thoroughly compacted.
(9)
Curing and protecting. The finished work shall be cured
by the use of an approved white pigmented curing compound.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
H.
Cement concrete sidewalk. Concrete sidewalks shall be
constructed in accordance with the following specifications:
(2)
Concrete. The concrete shall conform to Pennsylvania
Department of Highways specifications for Class A cement concrete. All concrete
shall have a minimum ultimate twenty-eight-day compressive strength of three
thousand five hundred (3,500) pounds per square inch.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
(3)
Lines and grades. Concrete sidewalks shall be constructed
to line and grade as approved or as established by the Township Engineer.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
(4)
Sidewalks. The bed for the cement concrete sidewalks shall be thoroughly compacted by tamping and, when so compacted, shall be uniformly four (4) inches below the finished surface. On this foundation shall be constructed a four-inch, one-course cement concrete pavement. Joints shall be made every four (4) feet and a space of one-fourth (1/4) inch to one-half (1/2) inch left between blocks at every tenth joint and filled with prepared joint filler as specified in Subsection F of the materials specifications. All joints shall be at right angles to the lines of the walk and perpendicular to the surface of the walk. In all other respects the specifications for concrete curb shall govern.
(5)
Curing and protecting. The finished work shall be cured
by the use of an approved white pigmented curing compound.
[Amended 5-11-1970 by Ord. No. 70-250]
Driveways shall be constructed in accordance with the following specifications:
A.
Concrete shall meet the township standard specifications
for curb and sidewalk construction, a one-to-two-to-three-and-one-half mix.
B.
Walks shall be plain concrete four (4) feet wide, four
(4) inches or more thick. Blocks shall be cut at four-foot intervals to form
a dummy joint. Expansion joints shall be provided as follows: one-half-inch
joint every twenty-four (24) feet, also at fixed structures. Slopes shall
be one-half (1/2) inch per foot toward curb. Grass area shall have a one-half-inch
slope per foot toward curb. Walks shall be carried at grade across drives
using six-inch reinforced concrete, one-half-inch bars spaced ten (10) inches
both ways, or forty-two-pound mesh reinforcing.
C.
Drives shall be brought to grade of walk and depressed
curb. Curb shall be carried across all drives one (1) inch above gutter grade.
Curb shall be lowered across driveways and not cut down. Maximum length of
depressed curb is thirty-five (35) feet. The ramp from curb shall not extend
for a greater distance than one-third (1/3) of the distance from the curb
to the property line. No drives shall be constructed across radius corners.
When drive is to be constructed prior to walk construction, grade of the drive
must conform to walk grade.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed so as to prevent any owner
or owners of property from personally laying curbs and sidewalks or repairing
the same in front of their properties, provided that they comply with the
terms of this Article and other ordinances of the township applicable thereto.
The grading, paving and repaving and repairing of all sidewalks on the
highways and alleys of Upper Merion Township and the constructing and repairing
of the curbs at the edge of the sidewalks shall be done by the owner or owners
of the lot or lots fronting thereon, by and at the expense of the abutting
owner.
On neglect or refusal of the owner or owners of the lot or lots as aforesaid
to construct, repave, pave or repair any sidewalk or to set, place, construct
or repair any curb after sixty (60) days' notice so to do, Upper Merion
Township, through its designated officials, shall cause the same to be done
and shall collect from such owner or owners of the lot or lots the cost thereof
and ten percent (10%) additional, together with all charges and expenses,
and shall file a municipal lien therefor against such lot or lots or by action
of assumpsit as provided by law.
[Amended 12-31-1991 by Ord. No. 91-593]
All curbs not laid in conformity with the provisions of this Article and the established grade of the street on which they are constructed are hereby declared to be nuisances and must be taken up and relaid according to the provisions of this Article within sixty (60) days after notice to the owner or owners so to do by the township; and upon failure of said owner or owners thereof to regrade, recurb and repave said sidewalks within the time stipulated, they shall be liable to a fine as set forth in Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III, General Penalty Provisions, to be collected for the use of said township as fines of like amount are now by law recoverable, the same to be paid to the Township Treasurer. The township shall cause the sidewalk to be regraded, recurbed and repaved in the manner herein and hereby required, and the township shall collect the cost thereof, together with all charges and expenses, from the owner or owners of the lot or lots aforesaid according to law and this Article.
No pavement or curb heretofore constructed with material or materials
not hereinbefore prescribed shall be repaired without complying with the terms
and provisions of this Article. Whenever any such pavement or curb becomes,
in the opinion of the township, in bad condition, notice shall be served upon
the owner or owners of the lot or lots fronting thereon to repave the sidewalk
or reset the curb with the material as herein provided, and upon his, her
or their failure so to do after sixty (60) days' notice, said township
shall cause the same to be done and shall collect from such owner or owners
of the lot or lots the cost thereof and ten percent (10%) additional, together
with all charges and expenses as hereinbefore provided.
[Amended 2-22-1988 by Ord. No. 88-529; 12-31-1991
by Ord. No. 91-593]
Any person, partnership, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this Article shall forfeit and pay a fine as set forth in Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art III, General Penalty Provisions, to Upper Merion Township, the same to be collected by a summary proceeding before any District Justice in said township or recovered as debts of like amount are now by law recoverable and, in default of payment of such fine, shall be liable to imprisonment of not more than thirty (30) days in the Montgomery County Prison, and whenever such person, partnership, firm or corporation shall be in violation, each day that such violation is continued shall constitute a separate offense punishable by a like fine or penalty.
The notice of the specific application and enforcement of the terms
and provisions of this Article to specific areas within the township will
be determined from time to time pursuant to amendments duly adopted by the
Board of Supervisors, which shall be duly advertised at least seven (7) days
before the hearing scheduled to consider the amendments.
The plans and specifications referred to in this Article are on file
and may be inspected at the Township Building.
