Exciting enhancements are coming soon to eCode360! Learn more 🡪
City of Olean, NY
Cattaraugus County
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Code 1971, § 26-1]
It shall be unlawful for any person in any manner to block or impede the free and unobstructed passage of persons upon the sidewalks of the City, either by hawking and crying goods and merchandise, attracting a crowd, or otherwise.
[Code 1971, § 26-2]
Any railroad company raising or lowering its rails above or below the established grade of the City streets must first receive the consent of the common council.
[Code 1971, § 26-3]
Every stairway in any of the streets of the City leading to a basement shall be protected by an iron gate at the top of the stairway at least 30 inches in height. Such gate shall be kept closed and fastened at all times when the rooms to which the stairway leads are not in actual use.
The owners of property abutting subways shall maintain the portion of the subway abutting their property. "Subway," as used in this chapter shall have the same meaning as provided in section 1-2.
[Code 1971, § 26-4; Res. No. 52-92, 4-14-1992; Res. No. 20-92, 2-23-1993; Res. No. 140-03; 3-9-2004; Res. No. 14-04, 3-9-2004; Res. No. 22-04, 4-13-2004; Res. No. 53-07, 7-24-2007]
(a) 
The purpose of section shall be to preserve the public peace and good order in the City, and to contribute to the public welfare, safety and good order of its people and to contribute to the safe conveyance of its people over the streets and sidewalks of the City by establishing certain regulations for the removal of snow and ice from the streets and sidewalks of the City that are consistent with the rights and privileges of other residents of the City.
(b) 
It shall be the duty of the owner and occupant, jointly, of every parcel of real estate adjoining a public sidewalk, whether the parcel of real estate is occupied by a structure or not, to keep such sidewalks adjoining such property free from snow and ice for the full paved width of such sidewalk.
[Amended 2-14-2017 by Res. No. 02-17]
(1) 
For those parcels of real estate located in General Commercial and City Center zoning districts where the paved sidewalk extends across the full width of the subway to the street, it shall be the duty of the owner and occupant, jointly, to maintain a passage free from snow and ice of a width of no less than eight feet.
(2) 
For those parcels of real estate located in all other zoning districts where the paved sidewalk extends across the full width of the subway to the street, it shall be the duty of the owner and occupant, jointly, to maintain a passage free from snow and ice of a width of no less than four feet.
(c) 
Every owner and occupant, jointly, of lands, premises or buildings fronting on any street or public place within the City shall clear and remove from the sidewalk along any such lands, premises or buildings all snow and ice which may at any time be thereon. At no time shall any portion of any such walk be permitted to be or remain in an icy or slippery condition.
(d) 
Snow and ice shall be removed within 24 hours after the end of a snowfall. In addition, sidewalks in front of commercial establishments and commercial parking lots shall be kept free of snow and ice at all times between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
(e) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to use or cause to be used the public street or any sidewalk for the deposit, piling or placement of plowed or shoveled snow. Every owner and occupant, jointly, of any lands, premises or buildings fronting upon any street or public place in the City shall, upon notification of the Code Enforcement Department, be required to immediately remove any snow placed or piled contrary to this provision.
(f) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, pile or place, or cause to be deposited, piled or placed on any corner lot, plowed or shoveled snow piles greater than 2 1/2 feet in height vertically measured from the sidewalk grade with the triangular area formed by the intersecting street lines and a straight line joining such street lines at points which are 35 feet distant from the point of intersection, measured along said street.
(g) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, pile or place, or cause to be deposited, piled or placed, plowed or shoveled snow or to blow, or cause to be blown, snow so as to cover or obstruct accessibility to fire hydrants.
(h) 
Nothing contained herein shall prohibit any person from utilizing the streets, subways, sidewalks or rights-of-way of the City for temporary deposit, piling or placement of snow in connection with a snow removal project actually underway.
(i) 
Removal by City. Whenever the owner or occupant of a parcel of real estate adjoining a public sidewalk fails to remove the snow and ice from such sidewalk adjoining such property within the time specified in this section or within four hours after notice by the City Code Enforcement Office or Director of Public Works to remove same, the snow and ice shall be removed by the City of Olean from such sidewalk and the City Clerk shall be notified of the expense incurred by the amount of labor, equipment and materials used. The charge shall be not less than a minimum of $50 or such greater amount equivalent to actual costs and expenses incurred by the City. There shall be an administrative fee of a minimum of $50 and not to exceed $250 above all other fines, fees, expenses and charges to cover any costs the City incurred.
[Res. No. 33-13, 5-28-2013]
(j) 
Collection of the costs for removal by the City. The City Clerk shall promptly present to the owner and occupant of each parcel a bill for the removal of snow and ice as certified by the Code Enforcement Office or Director of Public Works. If not paid within 30 days, the cost thereof shall be assessed against the property, added to their tax bill and become a lien thereon, collectible in the same manner as delinquent City taxes.
(k) 
Notwithstanding anything contained herein, any property owner who shall permit snow or ice so as to accumulate and remain upon any sidewalk adjacent to or abutting on any lot or premises owned by him or her, in the City of Olean, shall be liable to any party for injuries sustained as a result thereof.
[Code 1971, § 26-5]
It shall be unlawful for any person to use any part of a public street, sidewalk, subway, or public grounds in the City for the deposit of any building, paving, sewer, or other materials, except for immediate transfer of such materials to the premises adjoining the portion of such street, sidewalk, subway, or public grounds so occupied. No such substance shall be allowed to remain upon such street, sidewalk, subway, or grounds longer than until 6:00 p.m. of the same day. The director of public works may, however, permit any owner of the premises or the contractor for work thereupon to use the sidewalk and subway and not more than one-third of the street adjoining any premises for the deposit of any such materials for a period to be designated by him. In all such cases, the person to whom such permit is granted shall keep such materials so piled that they shall not encumber any other portion of such street, subway, sidewalk, or public grounds and shall, if required by the director of public works, guard such areas against accidents by suitable barriers and lights at night. In case any person shall refuse or neglect to comply with the directions of the director of public works with reference to such material, such refusal or neglect shall forfeit all rights and privileges under such permit, and such person shall be liable to the same penalty as if such permit had not been granted.
[Code 1971, § 26-6]
(a) 
Except as otherwise permitted in this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to deposit or leave any goods, wares, merchandise, boxes, barrels, tanks, cans, or other receptacles or packages upon any street, sidewalk, or subway in the City. When any of the aforementioned articles shall be so deposited upon the street, sidewalk, or subway in the course of delivery to the person permitting such articles to be deposited or for the purpose of removing from the premises adjoining on which such articles are deposited, such articles may be allowed to so remain upon the sidewalk or subway and next to the curb or curbline of the street for a period not to exceed two hours from the time of deposit.
(b) 
The common council of the City, upon application of any vendor, may permit any vendor to display merchandise on the subway, providing such display does not extend beyond that vendor's building lines in excess of 36 inches. Permits for the purposes of such display shall be effective for a period of one year unless sooner revoked by the common council in its sole discretion.
[Code 1971, § 26-7]
It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain any awning over the sidewalk on any of the streets of the City at a height of less than seven feet above the sidewalk. Any person who shall violate this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
[Code 1971, § 26-8]
(a) 
No telegraph, telephone, or other similar poles shall be erected in any of the streets of the City, and no telegraph, telephone, or similar wires shall be strung over or across any of the streets of the City by any person who shall not have previously obtained a franchise or consent granted by the common council.
(b) 
No telegraph, telephone, or similar poles shall be hereafter erected in any of the streets of the City by any person, until the person proposing to erect such poles shall obtain a written permit for the erection thereof signed by the director of public works. Such permit shall specify the location where such poles are to be set.
(c) 
All telegraph, telephone, railway, or electric light or other poles used or to be used for the stringing of wires by telephone, telegraph, railway, or electric light and power companies, hereafter set along paved streets or set along streets which are hereafter paved, shall be placed, under the supervision of the director of public works, inside the curb. Such pole shall not be less than six inches, nor more than 12 inches from the curb, as the director of public works may designate. All such poles, however, shall be placed under the supervision of the director of public works.
[Code 1971, § 26-13]
(a) 
The City shall not accept as part of the street system of the City any street not improved with paving and sanitary sewers according to the requirements of the department of public works in effect at the time of such acceptance.
(b) 
The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not affect any unpaved street of the City for which petitions for sanitary sewers have been submitted and accepted by the City prior to May 22, 1956.
[Res. No. 30-92, 3-24-1992; Res. No. 37-13, 6-11-2013; amended 2-9-2016 by Res. No. 06-16]
The Director of Public Works shall have the power to approve or deny any curb cut application subject to the procedure herein specified. In making his determination the Director shall take into consideration the benefit to the applicant if the application is granted, as weighed against the detriment to the character of and the impact to on-street parking in the immediate neighborhood impacted by such application if granted.
(1) 
All applications made to the Director shall be in writing, on forms prescribed by said Director.
(2) 
Prior to approval or denial of the application, the Director shall set a public comment period whereby immediate neighborhood property owners and occupants may comment on the application to the Director in writing.
(3) 
All applicants shall mail notices of the application to the owners or occupants of all lands on the fronting City street on which the curb cut sought. Such notices shall be postmarked at least 10 days prior to the expiration of the public comment period, as established by the Director.
(4) 
Any applicant or property owner noticed under Section 21-11(3) shall have the right to appeal to the Common Council at the first Council work session immediately following the determination of the application by the Director.
(5) 
The Common Council, on any appeal pursuant Section 21-11(4), by majority shall have the power to uphold or reverse the decision of the Director or modify the parameters of any curb cut granted by the Director under this section.
(6) 
The fee for any such curb cut made in addition to an existing curb cut performed by the Department of Public Works shall be charged at $100 per lineal foot.