[Adopted by Ord. No. 5-1997 (Ch. 12.28 of the 1996 Municipal Code)]
The owner of the real property fronting or abutting on any public street, avenue, alley or lane, which has been graded, shall, at the owner's expense, lay sidewalks, driveway aprons and curbs in accordance with municipal standards and shall maintain the same in good repair.
[Amended 4-7-2009 by Ord. No. 10-2009]
A. 
The owner of real property on which it is intended to lay, construct, reconstruct, repair or alter a sidewalk or driveway apron or, where the responsibility of such real property owner, a curb, shall submit to the Construction Official with the permit application a sketch detailing the proposed work specifying dimensions and materials to be used and a permit fee in accordance with the fee schedule in Chapter 146, Fee Schedule, § 146-9. The permit shall issue upon compliance with the application, procedures and the design and construction standards set forth in this article.
B. 
There shall be a reinspection fee collected by the City, which shall be in accordance with the fee schedule in Chapter 146, Fee Schedule, § 146-9.
[Amended 4-7-2009 by Ord. No. 10-2009]
A. 
Driveway aprons.
(1) 
The entrance shall intersect the public right-of-way at a ninety-degree angle unless otherwise permitted by the Construction Official due to physical conditions which make it impossible to provide the required ninety-degree angle.
(2) 
The minimum driveway apron width for a one-car driveway shall be 10 feet and for a two-car driveway shall be 18 feet.
(3) 
At the point where the driveway apron adjoins the street, the driveway shall have an additional width of 2 1/2 feet on each side.
(4) 
There shall be a minimum distance of four feet between driveway aprons on adjoining properties.
(5) 
A driveway apron may not be located within six feet of a traffic signal, fire hydrant or intersection.
(6) 
A driveway apron may not be located within three feet of a light standard or utility pole.
B. 
Sidewalks. All sidewalks shall have a minimum width of four feet.
C. 
Curbs. Curbs shall not be less than six inches wide at the top, eight inches wide at the base and 18 inches deep, with the back of the sidewalk side vertical. The exposed top front edge shall be rounded with a one-half-inch radius.
D. 
Lines and grades. The lines and grades of all sidewalks, curbs and driveway aprons must conform to the lines and grades of the street as constructed or the map of the street prepared by the City Engineer.
A. 
The specifications for the laying and construction of concrete sidewalks shall be as follows:
(1) 
Grading. The sidewalks are to be graded from the curbline to the property line to the proper grade of 1/4 inch to one-foot rise. Such portions as are above grade shall be filled in. Where the fill is more than six inches, it must be placed in layers and thoroughly compacted. All fill shall be compacted. Where tree roots are encountered, the Construction Official shall determine the need to install a deep root control barrier system to prevent roots from growing beneath the sidewalk.
(2) 
Foundation.
(a) 
The concrete flags shall be four feet in width, accurately laid to the proper line and grades approved by the Construction Official.
(b) 
The walks shall be excavated four inches below the finished grade of the sidewalk for at least the full width of the concrete flag. If unsuitable subgrade soil is present, clean granular material approved by the Construction Official shall be placed and compacted to the level of four inches below the finished grade.
(3) 
Concrete mix.
(a) 
Concrete mix shall have a design compressive strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch at 28 days.
(b) 
The concrete, when placed in the forms, shall be well rammed and tamped until the mortar flushes to the surface and shall be four inches in depth finished in place. Bituminous-cellular-type and preformed-bituminous-type expansion joint material shall be placed every 20 feet and shall extend completely through the four-inch thickness. Score marks will be made at the four-foot spacing between expansion joints.
(4) 
Finishing or wearing surface.
(a) 
The mortar shall be leveled off to a proper grade with a straight edge. When sufficiently firm it shall be rubbed down to a true and even surface with proper tools in a uniform manner satisfactory to the Construction Official, finished with a wooden float to an even continuous surface and lightly brushed with a dampened brush as a final finish. The wearing surface shall be blocked off in sections of four feet in length.
(b) 
Retempering mortar or concrete, i.e., remixing with water after it has partially set, shall not be permitted.
(c) 
After the addition of water to the concrete mixture, it shall be handled rapidly to the place of final deposit. Under no circumstances shall concrete be used which has partially set before final placing.
(d) 
When completed, all walks shall be kept moist and protected from traffic and the elements for two or three days, according to the weather conditions. The forms will be removed with great care, and upon their removal, the edges of the walk shall be protected in a suitable manner. The protection will be such as to prevent any damage or intrusion on the walk until it has hardened.
B. 
Driveway apron. If concrete driveways are required in sidewalks, they shall be constructed of the same quality as the concrete sidewalks already described, but the concrete shall be six inches thick. The slope of the driveway apron shall extend in a continuous grade from the top of the depressed curb to the profile line of the back edge of the walk as dictated by the cross slope of one-fourth-inch rise for each horizontal foot of width as measured from the face of the curb to the back edge of the walk. In the event that the grade is in conflict with the level of a preexisting driveway surface and to modify the driveway would entail extensive reconstruction, the grade at the back of the drive apron may then be adjusted to meet the driveway surface for the required width. The length of transition from the normal grade at the back of the walk to the grade required to match the driveway shall be a minimum of five feet or as approved by the Construction Official.
C. 
The specifications for the laying and construction of concrete curbs shall be as set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:21-4.17.
This article shall serve to supplement the City's historic preservation regulations; however, in the event of a conflict, the City's historic preservation regulations shall govern.
Whenever the Construction Official certifies to the Common Council that any sidewalk, driveway apron and/or curb is in need of construction, repair, alteration, relaying or maintenance, the expense of said construction, repairing, altering, relaying or maintenance shall be borne by the owner of the real property abutting the improvement.
A. 
The Common Council, upon receipt of the certification set forth in § 306-36, shall determine the necessity of said construction, repair, alteration, relaying or maintenance, and if it deems that said work is necessary, the Common Council shall, by resolution, cause the Municipal Clerk to issue a notice in writing to be served upon said abutting owners or occupants of said lands, requiring the necessary specified work to be done by said owner or occupant within a period of not less than 30 days from the date of service of such notice.
B. 
Whenever any lands are unoccupied and the owner cannot be found within the City, the same may be mailed, postage prepaid, to his or her post office address, if the same can be ascertained. In the event that such owner is a nonresident of the City or his or her post office address cannot be ascertained, then the notice may be inserted for four weeks, once a week, in a newspaper published in the state and circulating in the City.
In the event that the owner or occupant of such lands shall not comply with the requirements of the notice, it shall be lawful for the Business Administrator of the City, upon ascertaining that the Municipal Clerk has prepared a proof of service or proof of publication, to direct that the Director of the Department of Public Works cause the work required to be done and paid for out of municipal funds available for that purpose. The cost of such work shall be certified by the Director of the Department of Public Works to the Tax Collector. Upon filing said certificate of costs, the amount of the cost of such work shall be and become a lien upon said abutting lands in front of which such work was done, to the same extent that assessments for local improvements are liens in the City, and shall be collected in the manner provided by law for the collection of such other assessments and shall bear interest at the same rate. In addition thereto, the City may commence, in any court having competent jurisdiction thereof, an action against the owner of said lands to recover said amount.