[Adopted 2-9-2006 as Ch. 150, Art. IV, of the 2006 Code of the Borough of High Bridge]
It shall be unlawful for any person to take up or remove all or any part of a curb or a sidewalk without first obtaining permission from the Borough Engineer.
A. 
All sidewalks where the grade has been or may hereafter be established shall be laid under the supervision of the Borough Engineer and shall be constructed of concrete according to the following specifications: such sidewalks shall be at least four feet wide, shall be laid to a line and grade to be furnished by the Borough and shall be laid using metal or wood forms so as to preserve a straight line along the sides. Forms may be of wood or metal and shall be of substantial thickness and have a smooth, true surface. Metal forms shall be free from rust and shall have all bolts or rivets countersunk so as to prevent intrusion into the concrete. All forms shall be braced and lined up so as to produce smooth concrete surfaces true to line and grade. The earth shall be excavated or filled to a plane four inches below the finished grade (six inches in driveways) of said sidewalk and shall be well compacted by ramming, rolling or vibratory methods, upon this shall be laid the concrete walks to total thickness of not less than four inches (six inches in driveways) of Class B air-entrained concrete. The material shall be well mixed and evenly applied and the surface shall be smoothed with a wood float or other proper tool. The walks shall be constructed with transverse expansion joints 1/2 inch wide at intervals of not more than 16 feet, such joints to be filled with performed bituminous-type joint filler. Transverse surface grooves shall be cut in the sidewalk between expansion joints at intervals of four feet. Longitudinal joints 1/4 inch wide shall be provided between sidewalks and abutting curbs and also 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 sidewalks. All edges shall be neatly rounded to 1/4 inch. The space between the concrete walks and the sideline of the street shall be graded to blend into the existing ground line. The sidewalk and the space between the sidewalk and gutter line of the street shall be graded off to the gutter, the surface being pitched toward the gutter for surface drainage. The slope of the sidewalk shall be 1/4 inch per foot and the surface between the sidewalk and the curb shall vary between 1/2 inch per foot and one inch per foot. If necessary, grades will be provided by the Borough.
B. 
Permitted material. New sidewalks and areas of reconstruction or replacement of existing sidewalks shall be constructed of concrete, slate, bluestone, concrete pavers or asphalt or other construction material approved by Mayor and Council.
It shall be unlawful to construct or maintain a private cartway or driveway consisting of any material other than concrete or blacktop and not constructed under the supervision of the Borough Engineer. See Chapter 145 for driveway requirements.
A. 
The owner or occupant of any dwelling, house, store or other building or lot or lots of ground fronting or abutting on any public street, avenue, alley or lane which has been graded shall, at his own expense, properly and sufficiently lay sidewalks in the manner provided in this article in front of or adjacent to such premises.
B. 
It shall be the duty of the owner or owners of sidewalks to maintain such in reasonable repair at the owner(s) expense and in accordance with the standards and specifications contained in this article. Notwithstanding, the Mayor and Council may designate a specific sidewalk area in need of repair and without delay, due to a significant safety hazard, cause such to be repaired at Borough expense.
C. 
If an individual property owner wishes to change the material of composition or the sidewalks abutting their property, at their own expense, they must first obtain written approval from Mayor and Council.
D. 
If an individual property owner must remove or raze a sidewalk or curb abutting their property for the purposes of utility repair, it is at their own expense. They must first obtain approval from Mayor and Council.
A. 
The Mayor and Council will determine when to install new sidewalks along existing roads on a case-by case basis, taking into consideration traffic density, the nature of the street or roadway involved, including whether it is an arterial street or a dead end or cul-de-sac, pedestrian usage, proximity of existing sidewalks on neighboring streets, topography of the street and shoulder area, the width of the right-of way and comments of property owners in the area or the general public. When an existing road is reengineered and repaved, the cost of installing new sidewalks shall be borne by the Borough.
B. 
The Planning Board will base its decision on whether to require sidewalks in connection with any application for development before it on the same criteria and consideration as in Subsection A. The cost of constructing such sidewalks shall be borne by the developer.
C. 
The Mayor and Council may, by resolution, cause a notice in writing to be served upon the owner or occupant of any land abutting on any public street, avenue, alley or lane, requiring said owner or occupant to set curb or lay sidewalk or to cause the existing curb or sidewalk to be reset, relaid, altered or repaired within a period of not less than 30 days after the date of service of said notice. Whenever any lands are unoccupied and the owner or owners thereof cannot be found within the Borough, the notice shall be, with proof of service, mailed, post paid, to his post office address if the same can be ascertained. In case such owner or owners are nonresidents or his post office address cannot be ascertained, then the notice may be inserted for four weeks, once a week, in a newspaper circulated in the Borough.
D. 
In the event the owner or occupants of such land shall not comply with the requirements of such notice, the Mayor and Council shall, upon filing due proof of service or publication of such notice, cause the required work to be done, and the cost of same shall be ascertained and certified to the Tax Collector, to become a lien upon the abutting lands in front of which such work was done to the extent that assessments for local improvements are liens, and shall bear interest from the date it is certified to the said Tax Collector at the same rate of interest as other assessments, and in addition thereto the Borough may maintain an action to recover the said amount against the said owner or owners of said lands in any court having competent jurisdiction thereof.
A. 
Land lying between the curb and a sidewalk and between the sidewalk and the property line shall be maintained at a uniform grade or surface and shall be neatly and sufficiently covered with gravel, broken stone, screening, grass or sodding.
B. 
Whenever an area exists between the sidewalk(s) and curb or between the sidewalk(s) and property line, the abutting property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance of such area and for keeping the same free of holes, weeds, and rubbish. If the area is grass, it shall be maintained at a height no greater than four inches. The area may not be changed or improved without approval from the Borough Engineer.
A. 
No person shall drive a trailer, wagon, automobile or other vehicle across or along any sidewalk, except on a driveway, without first thoroughly covering such sidewalk so as to protect it from damage.
B. 
Intentional or negligent damage. The person, firm or corporation damaging any sidewalks shall be responsible for the repair of or shall pay for the repairs to any such damaged sidewalk.
The owner or tenant of land abutting upon the sidewalk of any street or avenue shall remove all snow and ice from such sidewalk within 12 daylight hours after same shall have formed or fallen thereon. If the sidewalk is covered with snow after it has been cleared, by forces other than nature, it is the responsibility of the owner or tenant to ensure that snow is removed.
The owner or tenant of land abutting or bounding upon the sidewalks of any street or avenue shall, when such sidewalks may become icy or otherwise slippery, place thereon calcium chloride, sodium chloride, ashes, sand, cinders, sawdust or other material designed to prevent pedestrians from slipping and falling, and shall at all times keep such sidewalks in a safe and passable condition.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $1,000 or suffer imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 90 days, or by a period of community service not exceeding 90 days, or all, for each such violation. Each day in which this article is violated shall constitute a separate violation.