The several streets and ways in the City shall continue to be called and known by the names heretofore established, and all streets and ways hereafter laid out and accepted shall be named by the City Council. The City Council may change the name of any street or way. No name shall be given to any avenue, street, way or place which has already been given to any other public avenue, street, way or place. The commissioner of public works shall erect and maintain in conspicuous places on each street and way in the city, one or more signs, on posts or otherwise, which shall bear the name given to the street or way by the city council.
[1]
State law reference: Naming of streets, G.L., C. 85, § 3 et seq.
The city engineer shall assign a number to all dwellings and buildings on every street that has been accepted as such or as maintained by the city, or that has a city water supply or a public sewer therein. He shall thereafter, upon the acceptance of any street, or the placing therein of a city water pipe or a public sewer, proceed at once to assign numbers for each dwelling or building built or to be built therein, and may upon the petition of 25% of the property owners along any street or way open for the convenience and travel of the public, although not accepted as such by the city, nor having a city water pipe or a public sewer, proceed so to assign numbers.
Each number referred to in section 21-2 shall cover a frontage of 20 feet with the odd numbers on the northerly and westerly sides and the even numbers on the southerly and easterly sides of the streets, except upon streets whose center line makes, with the meridian, an angle equal to about 45°, in which case the side for odd or even numbers shall be at the discretion of the city engineer.
The owner or occupant of every dwelling or building to which the city engineer shall assign a number shall, within five days after notice from the city engineer, cause to be placed and maintained on or over the outside doors fronting on the street or way, or on the front corners of every dwelling or building having its entrance on the side thereof, such number as shall be assigned by the city engineer. The numbers or figures shall be not less than two inches in height, shall be securely fastened and if possible shall be so placed as to be easily observable from the street in front of the premises.
[R.O. 1954, Ch. 38, §§ 1, 21; 5-6-1963; Ord. of 2-9-1982]
No person, except the commissioner of public services or one acting for him or under his direction, shall break or dig up the pavement or ground in any street, or erect any staging for building thereon, or place thereon any rubbish or materials, except as provided in this section, without first obtaining from the commissioner of public services a written permit describing the space in the street that may be so disturbed or occupied, and the length of time such disturbance or occupancy may continue and such other provisions and restrictions as the commissioner of public services may promulgate from time to time, nor without filing with the city clerk a written agreement approved by the commissioner, to comply strictly with the terms of the permit and to indemnify the city against all loss, cost or expense that it may suffer by reason thereof during such disturbance or occupancy and for a period of two years after its termination, accompanied by a bond with sureties satisfactory to and approved by the commissioner of public services, in a sum agreeable to the commissioner, conditioned upon the faithful performance of such agreement.
No person shall suffer his firewood, coal or other fuel, sand, gravel, lumber, or materials to remain in any street after sunset. In case any such material must of necessity so remain after sunset, the owner shall place and keep a sufficient light over or near the same from sunset to sunrise.
Whenever any street shall, by reason of any work done under any permit granted as provided in section 21-5, be dug up, obstructed, encumbered or otherwise thereby rendered unsafe or inconvenient for travel, the person receiving such permit shall put, and at all times keep up, a suitable railing or fence around the section of the street so excavated, encumbered or obstructed so long as the same shall remain unsafe or inconvenient, and shall also keep an adequate number of lighted lanterns or flares fixed to such fence or fixed in some other proper manner, during every night from sunset to sunrise so long as such railing or fence is kept standing or the obstruction, excavation or encumbrance remains. He shall also, within such reasonable time as commissioner of public works shall direct, clear or repair such street, in a manner satisfactory to the commissioner of public works.
[1]
Editor's Note: Section 21-7, relating to display or sale of merchandise on streets or sidewalks, was repealed by an ordinance adopted Aug. 9, 1983.
No person shall alter, or cause to be altered, the height or width of any sidewalk in the city nor shall wholly or partly fill up any gutter in any street, or cause the same to be done, without written permission from the commissioner of public works.
No person shall move or cause to be moved any building through any street without having obtained from the commissioner of public works a written permit therefor, stating the streets through which, and the time within which, the building may be moved and such other provisions as may appear advisable to him, without having first given adequate notice to any public utility company whose physical plant may be effected by such moving, and without having filed with the city clerk a written agreement, approved by the commissioner of public works, to comply strictly with the terms of such permit and to indemnify the city against all loss, cost or expense it may suffer by reason of the moving of such building.
[1]
Cross reference: Building code, Ch. 3; State law reference: Commonwealth law on moving buildings through streets, G. L., C. 85, § 18.
No person shall maintain an entrance to his premises by steps descending immediately from or near the line of a street unless such entrance is properly guarded; nor shall any person permit a cellar door, or doorway from any street into any cellar or basement to remain open when not in immediate use, nor while in such use after sunset unless a good and sufficient light be kept constantly at the entrance of such door or doorway.
[Ord of 1-11-2022]
The tenant, occupant, or owner responsible for a building, structure or lot of land bordering on any street, lane, court, square or public place within the City where there is a sidewalk, including any curb ramp/cut, shall, after snow, sleet or ice has ceased to fall thereupon or whenever snow, sleet or ice shall have collected or deposited upon any such sidewalk, within 24 hours, remove the same or cause the same to be removed from such sidewalk; and also remove or cause to be removed from such sidewalk, or cover or cause to be covered with sand or some other suitable substrate, within 24 hours after it has formed or appeared, any ice with which the same may be encumbered, in such a way as to render such sidewalk safe and convenient for travel, to the full width. If a person is found to be violating the provisions of this section, it shall be the duty of the Chief of Police, or their designee, the Director of Public Works, or their designee, or the Code Enforcement Department, to assess a fine to any such person in accordance with the fine schedule set forth in Chapter 29 Sec 29-2. Each twenty-four-hour period a violation of this section exists shall be considered to constitute a separate offense
Furthermore, whenever any sidewalk shall be encumbered with ice, it shall be the duty of the tenant, occupant, or owner responsible for the building, structure or lot of land bordering any street, land, court, square or public place within the City to cause such sidewalk to be made safe and convenient for travel by removing the ice therefrom or by covering the same with sand or some suitable substance within 24 hours after such sidewalk becomes encumbered.
Whenever any sidewalk shall be encumbered with snow or ice contrary to the provisions of this section, the Chief of Police or their designee shall notify any tenant, occupant, owner, or person having the care of the property abutting thereon, to cause such sidewalk to be made safe and convenient for travel by removing the snow, and as far as practicable, the ice therefrom, within six hours of the time of receiving such notice.
Upon further neglect of or violation of the duties imposed by the provisions in this section, such duties may be performed under the direction of the Commissioner of Public Works or their designee at the expense of the person(s) or entities liable to perform those duties. Assessment of costs under this subsection shall not preclude any party from being fined under Chapter 29 Sec 29-2.
The tenant, occupant, or owner responsible for a building, structure or lot of land bordering on any street, lane, court, square or public place within the City where there is a sidewalk may be considered liable for any injury, harm, damage or other incident caused by a traveler's need to depart the designated sidewalk due to the responsible property tenant, occupant or owner's failure to comply with the provisions of this section.
An exception to the above ordinance may be applied at locations of intentional City snow deposits, whereby City vehicles pile collected or plowed snow and ice in a single location, resulting in an undue burden for path clearing by abutting property tenants, occupants, or owners. These intentional deposits may remain uncleared without enforcement applied. This exception does not apply to locations where snow and ice build-up is impacted by City or State plow spray along the side of a road and is only applicable for locations directly identified by the Commissioner of Public Services, or their designee, as an intentional deposit placement.
Whenever snow or ice collects upon the roof of any building near the line of any sidewalk, the owner or person in charge of such building shall immediately erect barriers, or take other suitable measures to prevent the fall of snow and ice therefrom upon persons traveling on such sidewalk.
[1]
Editor's Note: An ordinance adopted June 14, 1988, (No. 9625-5), deleted former §§ 21-14 — 21-20 relative to throwing various substances into the streets and sidewalks. Former §§ 21-14 — 21-20 did not contain history notation and are presumed derived from the original codification.
No person shall set up or use in any street or sidewalk any kettle or other receptacle for the purpose of heating tar or other similar substance for roofing or otherwise without first having obtained a written permit from the Commissioner of Public Works.
No person shall slide or coast down, across, in or along any of the sidewalks or streets of the City except in such places and under such restrictions as the Commissioner of Public Works shall designate and direct.
[1]
Editor's Note: For law of the commonwealth authorizing the City to regulate coasting, see MGL c. 85, §§ 10, 10A.
No person shall, within the limits of any street, play any game of ball, fly a kite or balloon, throw stones or other missiles, or engage in any other game, amusement or exercise interfering with free, safe and convenient use of such street or sidewalk by any person traveling or passing along the same.
[Ord. of 8-26-1997; Ord. of 6-8-1999]
No person shall drive, wheel, draw, propel, or push any cart, wheelbarrow, bicycle, skateboard, roller skates, roller blades, or other vehicle of burden or pleasure upon or along any sidewalk except for the purpose of crossing such sidewalk to go to or out of some adjoining enclosure, provided that this section shall not apply to wheelchairs or children's carriages propelled by hand. This section does not apply to police officers on bicycles when engaged in the lawful performance of their duties.
[Ord. of 6-8-1999]
Roller skating, in-line skating and skateboarding upon any street or sidewalk in the Business District is hereby prohibited.
The Business District, for the purpose of this section, is defined as the area defined by and encompassing the following streets or portions of streets; Main Street easterly from West Main Street to the intersection of American Legion Drive; American Legion Drive southerly to the intersection of Ashland Street; Ashland Street northerly to the intersection of Main Street; Eagle Street northerly to the intersection of Center Street; Center Street westerly to the intersection of Marshall Street; Marshall Street southerly to the intersection with Main Street.
[Ord. of 2-27-2001; 7-23-2024]
Owners of shopping carts shall not allow said shopping carts to be stored, kept, left, or abandoned upon or along any street, sidewalk, or way. The owner of any such shopping cart that is so stored, kept, left or abandoned, which is picked up by the City employees and not retrieved by the owner within 48 hours, shall pay a fee (refer to Appendix D) to reclaim such shopping cart. It shall be the responsibility of shopping cart owners to contact the Commissioner of Public Services or his designee to claim such carts. Any such shopping cart that is not claimed by an owner within 10 days of being picked up by City employees may be disposed of.
Except as otherwise provided by statute, no person shall form, conduct or take part in any parade in any street or sidewalk, or form or conduct for the purpose of display or demonstration in any street or sidewalk any procession or assembly of people without first having obtained a permit therefore from the Chief of Police. This section shall not effect the right of peaceful assembly in any place other than a traveled way.
No person shall give any public address, speech or harangue in any street or sidewalk without permission therefor from the Chief of Police. This section shall not effect the right of peaceful assembly in any place other than a traveled way.
[Ord of 1-11-2022]
No person shall place upon any sidewalk, any coal, trunk, bale, box, crate, cask, barrel, package, article or thing, so as to obstruct the sidewalk of free passage for travelers for more than one hour, or for more than 10 minutes after being notified by a police officer to remove it, except as follows:
1. 
Designated trash and/or recycling containers in place for a designated pick-up day may be left on sidewalks for up to eight hours in a manner that still permits individuals to pass said containers freely without needing to step off of the sidewalk
2. 
Permitted longer term refuse containers (i.e. dumpsters) and permitted construction equipment associated with an active and valid building permit.
No person shall allow an obstruction to a sidewalk in the form of a tree, bush or other vegetation which protrudes beyond the property line, over said sidewalk or edge. Where the Department of Public Works or it's designees deem that an obstruction to a sidewalk, notice shall be provided via registered mail to the owner of the property causing the obstruction, to remove or prune said obstruction within 14 days so as not to block, obstruct or overhang the sidewalk. If the property owner fails to remove or prune the obstruction within said 14 days, the Department of Public Works or, in the case of trees, bushes or shrubs, the Tree Warden, shall remove or prune the obstruction at the owner's expense.
No tenant, occupant or owner with property abutting a public sidewalk shall allow the accumulation of debris, refuse, loose gravel, sand, soil, leaves or any other surface covering that may cause obstruction or unsafe travel on said sidewalk. Upon accumulation of any debris, refuse, loose gravel, sand, soil, leaves or any other surface covering or the like, tenant, occupant, or owner responsible for the abutting property shall clear and property dispose of said accumulated material in a manner compliant with City ordinance.