[Amended 11-1-1971]
Licenses and permits required by this article, unless otherwise specifically provided, shall be issued by the Supervisor of Streets and shall be countersigned by the City Engineer before the same shall take effect.
[Adopted as Rev. Ords. 1964, §§ 18-1a, 18-2 to 18-4, 18-6, 18-7, 18-11 to 18-20, 18-33, 12-7 and 12-33 (§§ 20-2 to 20-23 of the 2010 Code)]
[Amended 8-8-2000]
No person shall erect or remove any post in the streets or ways, or change the grade or width of any street, way or sidewalk, without a permit from the Municipal Council or designee, such work or change to be done under the supervision, and to the satisfaction, of the Supervisor of Streets. No permit shall be granted to erect, place or change any fence or building adjoining any public street, way or sidewalk until the true bounds of the street, way or sidewalk have been first ascertained to the satisfaction of the City Engineer by the applicant.
Any person who builds or expands a business use, residential use, or other facility intending to utilize an existing or a new access to a local roadway, or seeks to alter or expand an existing access to a roadway, other than a state highway location, shall be required to obtain a permit from the Commissioner of the Taunton Department of Public Works or designee under this section before constructing or using such access. Said person may be required by the Department of Public Works to install and pay for, pursuant to a permit under this section, standard traffic control devices, pavement markings, channelization, or other roadway improvements to facilitate safe and efficient traffic flow, or such roadway improvements may be installed by the Department, and up to 100% of the cost of such improvements may be assessed upon such person. Access from properties on or abutting state highways must be formally permitted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
No person shall place, erect or maintain in any public street, way or place or upon any lands of the City any stand, booth, tent, stall, table or other structure without a license from the Mayor and Municipal Council, who may grant the same upon such terms and conditions as they deem proper.
[Amended 8-8-2000[1]]
No person shall place or maintain signs, advertising devices, clocks, marquees, public telephones, telephone booths and other appurtenances, permanent awnings or other structures projecting over the line of any street or sidewalk of the City without permission from the Municipal Council, and no such permit shall be granted for the placing or maintenance of such structure unless the petitioner shall have filed plans, satisfactory to the Building Commissioner, showing the size and type of the proposed structure and the method of attaching such structure to the building. The fee for such permit shall be $100, payable in advance. Any permit granted under this section shall apply only to the particular structure covered by the petition, and no substitution shall be made excepting with the express permission of the Municipal Council.
No person shall allow any gate or door belonging to premises owned or occupied by him/her or under his/her legal control, adjoining any street in the City, to swing over or into the street.
No person shall place or carry on or upon any public street or sidewalk any board, banner, placard or sign for advertising purposes or for the purpose of displaying or attracting attention to the same without written permission from the Chief of Police.
No person shall allow the platform or grate of the entrance or passageway to his/her cellar or basement in any street or sidewalk to rise above the surface thereof, and every such entrance or passageway shall, at all times, be kept covered by a suitable and substantial platform or grate, unless authorized to be kept open temporarily by the Supervisor of Streets, and in such case it shall be protected by a sufficient railing on both sides thereof, at least 2 1/2 feet high, and well lighted at night.
No person shall play any game of ball or football, or throw a stone, snowball or other missile, within any street of the City, or, without the permission of the Supervisor of Streets, coast in the streets or upon sidewalks, with hand sleds or otherwise.
[Amended 8-8-2000]
No person shall drive, wheel or draw any vehicle except a child's carriage or wheelchair or other ADA approved locomotion pushed or drawn by hand upon any sidewalk.
[Amended 8-8-2000]
No person shall allow any car, trailer, dumpster or other vehicle of any description to remain in any street or way so as to obstruct the same after having been ordered by the Mayor, the Chief of Police, or any police officer to remove the same.
No person shall injure, deface or destroy any street sign, guidepost, electric light pole, electric light, or any tree, building, fence, post or other thing set, erected or made for the use or ornament of the City, nor paint or draw any word or figure upon any curbstone or sidewalk.
No person shall allow any sink water or other impure water, or any wastewater, to run from any building or lot occupied by him/her, or under his/her legal control, onto any street, without the approval of the Commissioner of Public Works.
[Amended 2-9-1965; 8-8-2000; 12-17-2024]
The owner of any building or lot of land bordering on any sidewalk on any public or private way located in any area designated as a business district, central business district or highway business district by any zoning ordinance of the City shall cause the snow and ice to be removed from such sidewalk. The owner shall remove snow from the entire width of the sidewalk. If the snow ceases falling in the day it shall be removed within four hours thereafter, and if it ceases falling in the nighttime it shall be removed before 11:00 a.m. of the succeeding day, and all ice formed upon any sidewalk in such streets as may be so designated, or otherwise deposited thereon, shall be removed within 24 hours after the same is so formed or deposited unless within such time the sidewalk is otherwise rendered safe for travel. The penalty for the violation of this section shall be a fine not in excess of $50 for each violation.
[Amended 5-13-2003[1]]
No person shall put, place or throw, or cause to be put, placed, or thrown, in or upon any street or other public place in this City any snow removed from sidewalks, driveways or premises adjacent to such streets or public place. This offense shall be punishable by a fine of $50 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for the third or subsequent offense. Any operation of a commercial registered vehicle which, for hire in the removal of snow and ice, violates the above section shall be fined an additional $250 per offense.
The tenant, occupant and, in case there is no tenant or occupant, the owner or other person having the care of any building adjoining any street or way, the roof whereof slopes toward the street or way, shall cause all snow and ice to be removed from the roof during business hours within three hours after the same shall be formed or deposited.
[Amended 8-8-2000]
No person shall, without authority, enter or remain upon any portion of the public or private streets which has lawfully been enclosed, barricaded or roped off.