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Borough of Bellefonte, PA
Centre County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Adopted 12-24-1963 by Ord. No. 481; amended in its entirety 5-15-1978 by Ord. No. 808 (Ch. 1020 of the 1979 Codified Ordinances)]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PATHWAY, PASSAGEWAY and PATH
Any area of ground adjacent to an ordained street of the Borough which is common ground or part of a right-of-way of any ordained street of the Borough open to public use for foot traffic.
[Amended 7-23-1990 by Ord. No. 1034[1]]
No person shall coast, ride or sled upon any roller skates, skateboard, scooter, sled or similar conveyance or device upon any sidewalk, street, alley or trafficway, or within the confines of any park in or belonging to the Borough, unless such sidewalk, street, alley or trafficway has been set apart and designated by the Mayor as a "play highway" in accordance with § 530-11 of Chapter 530, Vehicles and Traffic, and has been blocked off or adequately guarded from vehicular traffic, or unless certain designated portions of any park within the Borough or belonging to the Borough have been set aside by Council for the purpose of coasting, riding or sledding within such designated areas. However, the use of skateboards, roller skates and scooters shall be permitted on the sidewalks in those areas of the Borough zoned R-1, R-2 and R-4, provided the person using such device or conveyance yields the right-of-way to pedestrians.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[Amended 5-4-1998 by Ord. No. 1133]
No person shall store, display or offer for sale any goods, wares or merchandise or place temporary signs upon any portion of any sidewalk in the Borough except as follows:
A. 
The same are permitted in the area designated as a curb market on days and at times designated for the holding of the market, and then only in strict conformity with the provisions of Chapter 355, Market;
B. 
In the area directly in front of the store premises only, and in such a manner as to maintain an open pathway at least 1/2 the width of the sidewalk measured from the curb to the building line, but in no event to exceed a distance of five feet.
C. 
Goods, wares and merchandise must be directly associated with the business occupying the storefront.
D. 
Goods, wares and merchandise or temporary signs must be removed completely from the sidewalk area at dusk each business day.
E. 
Businesses are limited to one freestanding double-faced sign, not to exceed 30 inches in width and 36 inches in height.
F. 
Cords, hoses and lines of any kind are prohibited from crossing the sidewalk area.
G. 
Soda machines, coolers and refrigerators are prohibited from being displayed on any portion of the public sidewalk area.
No person shall construct, install or maintain any cellar door or entrance to a basement or cellar of a building which extends into and occupies more than the innermost 1/4 of the width of a sidewalk or more than three feet into an alley. Entrances to cellars and basements, where the steps extend at right angles to the building line, shall be covered with metal doors, closing flush with the surface of the sidewalk or alley. Such doors shall be kept closed at all times except when goods, wares or merchandise are being taken into or removed from the cellar or basement to which such cellarway leads, and under no circumstances may any such door be open between sunset and sunrise unless a person is present at all times on the adjacent sidewalk to warn passersby of the danger. Entrances to cellars and basements, where the steps extend parallel to the building line, shall be surrounded on two sides by a metal barrier or railing, at least three feet in height. No person shall construct any step, porch or portico extending into any sidewalk, which step, porch or portico occupies more than the innermost 2/5 of the width of the sidewalk. However, any entrance to a cellar or basement, step, porch or portico heretofore constructed and occupying a greater part of the sidewalk than herein permitted may continue to be maintained but, in the case of entrances to cellars and basements, all requirements of this section as to safety measures and precautions shall apply to such entrances as well as to all others heretofore or hereafter constructed.
Any person who places or maintains any sidewalk display contrary to § 495-15 or who constructs or maintains any entrance to a cellar or basement or any step, porch or portico contrary to § 495-16 shall remove the same or make any changes necessary to bring the same into conformity with the applicable requirements, upon notice to do so from Council or its duly authorized agent, within the time limit set forth in the notice, in default of which the Borough shall have authority to cause such obstruction or encroachment to be removed or the unlawful condition remedied and to collect the cost of such removal or remedy, with an additional amount of 10%, from the person to whom such notice was given.
After the effective date of this article (Ordinance No. 808, adopted May 15, 1978), paths, pathways, passageways or common ground shall be free of any or all obstructions of any kind and shall be maintained by the owner of the adjacent premises in the same manner and subject to the same penalties for failure to maintain as sidewalks are presently treated under this article.
[Amended 6-15-2015 by Ord. No. 06152015-02]
A. 
No person shall obstruct in any manner the free and open use of common ground, pathways, paths or passageways so as to inhibit public use of the same.
B. 
No hedge, shrub, bush or small tree shall encroach upon or overhang the clear width of a public sidewalk, common ground, pathways, paths, passageways or public street in such a manner as it diminishes the clear width of said sidewalk or street from ground level a distance of eight feet above the sidewalk or 14 feet above the street.
C. 
All trees on or adjacent to sidewalk, common ground, pathways, paths, passageways or public street in the Borough of Bellefonte shall not extend any lower than 14 feet above the public street or lower than eight feet above a public sidewalk.
No person shall make any opening or excavation in any pathway, passageway, path or common ground except in strict conformity with the provisions of this article.
Sections 495-14 through 495-17, including the penalties prescribed for violations thereof, shall be applicable to all pathways, passageways, paths and common grounds of the Borough, subject only to the provisions of §§ 495-18 through 495-20.