[Adopted 10-9-1951 by Ord. No. 754 (Ch. 106, Art. II, of
the 1972 Code)]
Sidewalks for the use of pedestrians shall be built and maintained
in front of all lots abutting on all highways regularly used by pedestrians
within the Borough, in accordance with the widths, lines, grades,
slopes and specifications furnished by the Borough Engineer. All data
necessary to construct or repair may be obtained without charge from
the Borough Superintendent. Sidewalks shall always be maintained in
a safe condition and shall include all the space between the property
line and the vehicular driveway, even though the entire space may
not be paved as a walkway for pedestrians. This safety requirement
shall apply to all structures and materials placed or permitted to
exist under, on or in the space between the property line and the
vehicular driveway, including therein the adequate safeguarding of
any work done within the space. Sidewalks shall be kept clean and
free of snow, ice, leaves and any structure or substance which may
cause inconvenience or injury to pedestrians; and upon failure to
do so by owners or tenants, the work will be done by the Borough and
the costs collected with penalties as authorized by law.
New sidewalks or curbs, whether laid by the abutter or by the
Borough, shall be of a minimum of two-thousand-pound concrete, but
an abutter may receive permission from Council to use material equivalent
in durability and usefulness to the public. Sidewalks shall be at
least four inches in thickness, with a slope of approximately 1/4
inch to a foot. Curbs shall be eight inches thick at the bottom, tapering
to six inches thick at the top, and shall be 18 inches high from top
to bottom. Six inches of the curb shall extend above the cartway,
and the sidewalk shall be laid so that there will be a slope of 1/4
inch per foot toward the curb, so laid as to provide proper drainage
over the curb. Upon reasonable cause shown, Council may change the
foregoing specifications. At intersections or driveways, curbs and
sidewalks shall be constructed in a manner to suit the local need
as designated by the Borough Engineer or as approved by Council after
a plan thereof, and the Borough may collect all additional charges,
expenses and penalties, as and when an existing sidewalk shall be
displaced by a new sidewalk.
The widths of sidewalks shall remain as now in use until changed
by action of Council. On new highways the width shall correspond to
widths on highways of like width, unless changed or ratified by Council.
No walkway shall be less than four feet in width. The Borough Engineer
shall prepare standards showing the location of sidewalk paving in
relation to the curbline, which standards shall be maintained by the
establishment of a uniform planting strip from the outside face of
the curb to the outer edge of the sidewalk paving.
Upon application to the Borough Council, grass plots, trees
and shrubbery may be temporarily permitted between property lines
and vehicular driveway. Such permission, however, shall not in any
way relieve the owner of the premises from liability for damages arising
from negligence on the part of such owner or the tenant.
Notice to lay or repair sidewalks shall be given to the owner,
according to legal requirements, by any elected or appointed Borough
official. Notice to construct sidewalks shall be not less than 30
days, and the notice to repair sidewalks shall be not less than 10
days, except in the case of emergency repairs, when it shall be not
less than 48 hours. If any person shall fail to comply with the provisions
of this section, the Borough may cause the work to be done and the
cost collected as provided by law; and such failure shall constitute
a nuisance and be abatable under the laws of the commonwealth.
All sidewalks shall be kept at all times in safe and usable
condition and in good repair by the owner of the abutting property.
Upon failure or neglect of any property owner to keep the sidewalk
abutting his property in such condition and repair, the Borough shall
give notice to such property owner to comply with these requirements
within 10 days, and upon failure of such property owner to do so within
such time limit, the Borough may cause the necessary grading, paving,
repairing, curbing and/or guttering to be done at the expense of the
said owner, and may collect the cost thereof and all additional charges,
expenses and penalties, as authorized in Section 1807 of the Act of
May 4, 1927, P.L. 519, as last amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See now 8 Pa.C.S.A. § 1806.
[Added 12-18-1972 by Ord. No. 1019; amended 7-14-1988 by Ord. No. 1180]
Any person who shall be convicted of a violation of any of the
provisions of this article before any Magisterial District Judge shall
be sentenced to pay a maximum fine as provided from time to time by
state statute, together with costs of prosecution, or to imprisonment
in the county jail for a term not to exceed 30 days, or both.
