[Adopted 7-2-1945]
From and after the passage of this article, every person, firm or corporation owning property abutting on any public road, street, lane or alley, including state and state-aid highways and county roads, in the Township of Tinicum, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, which is or shall be brought to the established grade, shall grade and construct, pave, curb, repave and recurb the sidewalks along such property in accordance with the provisions herein, within 20 days after notice so to do.
All sidewalks and curbing shall be laid in accordance with the established lines and grades, which lines and grades will be furnished by the Township Engineer within 10 days after receipt of request so to do.
The Township, except in those cases where the Township shall decide to cause the work to be done without notice to the property owners in accordance with the Act of Assembly in such case made and provided, shall give notice to the owner or owners aforementioned to do the work required in § 312-11 hereof within 20 days. Upon failure of the said owner or owners to do the work required within said time or to do the work in the manner or with the materials hereinafter required, the Township shall cause the same to be done by the Township and shall levy and collect the costs thereof in the manner provided by law.
All notices required under this article shall be written and shall specify the width of the sidewalk and the width thereof to be paved and the location of the required work. Notice shall be served upon the owner or owners of the property to which the notice refers, or upon his or their known agent or occupant of the property, and, if there is no known agent or occupant thereof, the said notice may be posted on the most public part of the property.
All sidewalks shall be constructed of cement-concrete, and all curbing of stone or cement-concrete.
This type of curbing shall consist of granite or other approved stone. It shall not be less than five inches in width at the top, not less than 22 inches in depth, and not more than eight feet nor less than four feet in length. The bottom of the stone curb shall be two inches wider than the top. The top surface shall be tool-dressed and with a quarter-inch bevel, the ends of the curb to be cut square for the full depth and width of the stone and the front face of the curb tool-dressed to a point not less than eight inches below the top, and the back face tool-dressed to not less than three inches below the top. All curved curbing, where the radius exceeds five feet, shall be cut and dressed as specified for straight stone curbing, excepting that the width at the top shall be six inches and the width at the bottom eight inches and the back face vertical and the front face on a batter. All stone curbs with a radius under five feet shall be cut as a cornerstone, where the top and front face only shall be tool-dressed as specified for straight curbing. All joints on stone curbing shall be true and straight and not exceeding 1/4 inch in width for a distance of 12 inches below the top and may be wider from this point to the bottom. All joints shall be filled and pointed with a stiff mortar composed of one part of portland cement and two parts of approved sand. When indicated or directed, drainage openings shall be made through the stone curbing at the elevation and of the size required. Any curbing required, crossing the entrance to an alley, driveway or private entrance way, shall have the top set two inches above the outside edge or gutter line of the finished roadway pavement.
These shall be of monolithic construction with a width of six inches at the top, eight inches at the bottom and with a depth of 18 inches and each section not to exceed 10 feet in length. The back face shall be vertical. Any curbing required, crossing the entrance to an alley, driveway or private entrance way, shall have the top finished two inches above the outside edge or gutter line of the finished roadway pavement. When indicated or directed, drainage openings shall be made through the cement-concrete curb at the elevation and of the size required. The mixture shall be of portland cement, clean sharp sand and three-quarter-inch pebbles or stone and shall be in the proportion of 1:2:4, volumetric measuring. When the temperature of the air falls below 40° F., calcium chloride must be added to the mix to insure quick setup. Its use shall be a proportion not exceeding 4% of the cement used. All curb corners shall be circular and have a radius not less than equal to the least width of the sidewalk area of intersecting streets. All curb joints to be filled with bar sand upon withdrawal of forms and templates, excepting that, at every fifth joint and at the beginning and ending of a return curb, precase bituminous expansion material shall be inserted instead of sand.
Excavation for curb subgrade shall be at a point not less than 18 inches from the top of the finished curb unless otherwise specified by the Township Engineer, in which case it may be required that this excavation be increased a further depth of six inches and refilled with a tamped layer of stone, gravel, rubble or cinders, due to unsuitable conditions. Backfilling around all curb construction shall be hand tamped, and grass plots and other adjacent sidewalk areas brought to a level not lower than the top of the curb. Forms shall be of such material and type as will meet with the approval of the Township Engineer and shall not be withdrawn within 24 hours from the pouring of the concrete.
The cement-concrete may be mixed upon the site in such manner and by such method as shall meet with the approval of the Township Engineer, or may be delivered on the job from a central mixing plant, if the Engineer approves. All finishing of curbs shall be attained by the application of a 1:2 mortar in all voids exposed upon withdrawal of forms and, finally, by rubbing in a manner to be approved by the Township Engineer.
The subgrade shall be excavated to a depth of four inches below and parallel with the top of the finished pavement and shall be well compacted. If, after excavation, the subgrade is found to be of unsuitable material, then the Township Engineer may at his discretion require an additional excavation to a depth of not less than six inches and its replacement with cinder or rubble, well compacted.
The ingredients for cement-concrete for sidewalks shall be of the same proportion as provided for curbs. The concrete may be job mixed or supplied from a central mixing plant. Each block of sidewalk shall be jointed not less than every four feet, with every fourth joint opened to the subgrade and filled with an approved bituminous material upon withdrawal of forms and templates. At street corners, the sidewalk tangent shall be extended each way across grass plots to the curb. All sidewalks shall have a slope of 1/4 inch per foot toward the curb. All sidewalks shall be of monolithic construction and finishing to be by screeding, floating and brushing.
All private driveways constructed across the sidewalk area shall have the finished grade meet the finished grade of the sidewalk, with the ramp or approach beginning two inches above the gutter line of the roadway pavement and terminating at the edge of the sidewalk closest to the curb. Curb returns are not required for this type of driveway approach. The depth of concrete shall, however, be six inches.
Excavating, laying, constructing, form work, jointing, edging and finishing of all curbs, sidewalks and driveways shall be according to the best practice and methods and in every case such as will meet with the approval of the Township Engineer.
The width of all sidewalks and the paved portion thereof and the location thereof shall be as directed by resolution of the Township Commissioners.
No sidewalks shall be constructed or reconstructed or any grading, paving or repaving done and no curbs shall be constructed by the owner or owners, or by a person or persons under his or their directions until the owner or owners or the person having charge of the work shall first have obtained a permit for the same from the Secretary of the Township. The permit shall be placed in the hands of the Township Engineer, who shall furnish said person with the established lines and grades; provided that if, in the judgment of the Township Engineer, such construction or reconstruction, grading, paving, repaving or repairing is inexpedient or dangerous because of the existing grade of the street or of the contiguous sidewalk, the Engineer shall retain the permit and return it to the Township Secretary for cancellation. The permit shall be valid for a period of 60 days from issue.
If any owner required to construct, pave, curb, repave and recurb the sidewalk along property which he abuts, or to construct or reconstruct any curb as aforesaid, fails to comply with notice so to do for the space of 20 days after service of notice in the manner required herein, the Township Commissioners shall forthwith cause the work to be done and shall collect the cost thereof in the manner provided by law.
The Township Commissioners, however, may at any time, by resolution, cause any of the work as comprehended in this article to be done by the Township without notice to the property owners, and to levy and collect the cost thereof from such owners of property abutting such sidewalk, in accordance with the Act of Assembly in such case made and provided.