[Adopted 8-9-1976 (Ch. 75, Art. III, of the 1974 Code)]
It shall be the responsibility of the owner
of real property to cause the sidewalk abutting his premises to be
properly maintained at all times in such a condition that the same
can be traversed without impediment by pedestrians. All new sidewalks
constructed within the Borough shall be constructed by the owner of
the adjoining property at the expense of said owner. Any replacement
of an existing sidewalk shall be considered new sidewalk construction
to which the terms of this article shall apply. This article shall
not apply to walkways or pass-through walks which do not run along
highways but which lead from one highway to another.
No such sidewalk shall be constructed or work
commenced thereon until the owner of said adjoining premises shall
have obtained a permit for such sidewalk construction. Applications
for such permit shall be in writing to the Clerk in such form as may
be required by the Mayor and Council. Such permit shall be issued
by the Clerk, over his signature, if the Street Foreman approves thereof
and endorses the permit. Said permit shall be valid for 60 days from
the date of final approval.
New sidewalks shall be constructed according
to the following specifications:
A.
All sidewalks shall be not less than five feet in
width, except that repairs or replacements may conform to the width
of the existing sidewalk.
B.
All sidewalks shall be not less than four inches thick,
except that where such sidewalks are crossed by driveways, said sidewalks
shall not be less than six inches thick through the width of such
driveway.
C.
Expansion joints.
(1)
The individual blocks of the sidewalk shall not be
over four feet in length. There shall be at least a one-fourth-inch
open expansion joint between each block of the sidewalk, or alternate
blocks shall be poured without expansion joints.
(2)
In the alternative, sidewalks may have transverse
construction joints of one-half-inch premolded bituminous material
to the full depth of the concrete, spaced 20 feet apart. The top surface
shall be scored at intervals of three feet to five feet so that the
finished walk will be marked in squares both longitudinally and transversely.
D.
Joints and edges must be finished with an edging tool
of one-fourth-inch radius. Premolded bituminous joint filler shall
be placed between sidewalk and curb, pavement, buildings and so forth.
E.
Sidewalks shall be constructed of a mixture of not
less than one part concrete to two parts clean sand and four parts
clean gravel or broken stone. Said coarse aggregate shall be both
No. 1 and No. 2 crushed stone. The proportions shall be such that
there is a minimum strength of 3,500 pounds per square inch.
F.
All sidewalks shall be struck off to grade and finished
with a wooden float, leaving a smooth but nonslippery surface. After
the sidewalk is finished and the surface is hard, it shall be covered
for at least two days to keep moisture in the sidewalk.
G.
The grade and location of any sidewalk shall be determined
by the Street Foreman.
H.
The water used during the construction shall be free
of oil, alkali, acid or vegetable matter.
I.
Ingredients of concrete shall be separately measured
loose, in approved receptacles. The mixing of concrete, whether by
machinery or by hand, shall be done in a manner satisfactory to the
Street Foreman and subject at all stages to his approval. Batchmaking
only will be approved, and hand mixing will be permitted only in case
of necessity. A minimum of water, accurately measured, shall be used
to give the necessary plasticity. After the materials are first wetted,
the work must proceed without delay until the whole batch is in place.
The mass in place will be carefully and thoroughly worked to expel
air, fill voids and secure perfect and continuous contact with forms.
The mixtures herein provided are minimum requirements.
J.
Notice of the work to be done, 24 hours in advance
thereof, and also upon the completion of the new sidewalks, must be
submitted to the Street Foreman, who may then inspect the completed
work, which shall comply with all the specifications herein. The Street
Foreman must be given an opportunity to inspect during the progress
of the work.
In the event that any sidewalk or curb has become so out of repair as not to permit passage as set forth in § 358-24 above, or that any curb has become so out of repair as to require repair or replacement or that new curbs or sidewalks must be constructed and where the Mayor and Borough Council has notified owners of adjoining property to construct, repair or replace such sidewalks as required by notice within a time limit of not less than 30 days from the date of service of such notice, the Mayor and Council may, upon the expiration of the period of the notice, in the event that the owner has not complied with the requirements of such notice, cause the same to be constructed, repaired or replaced and assess the costs thereof against such adjoining land. All assessments shall be made and collected and taxes levied as provided by N.J.S.A. 40:65-14 et seq., as amended.
