Except by authorization of a resolution of the Township Committee, no person shall place, put, continue or permit to remain in or over any street or sidewalk or any part thereof any post, sign, porch, shed or awning, except a retractable awning having a clearance from the sidewalk of at least seven feet when down.
[Added 6-7-1993 by Ord. No. 93-29; amended 7-17-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-19; 10-7-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-35; 7-17-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-20; 6-12-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-10; 10-24-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-12; 7-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-08]
Any eating establishment or restaurant ("eating establishment") located in the Special Improvement District established by Chapter 355 of this Code or located in the D-C Downtown Core District, D-B Downtown Business District, VC Village Commercial District or NC Neighborhood Commercial District may, upon application for and issuance of a permit pursuant to this section, utilize part of the sidewalk in front of its place of business for a sidewalk cafe.
A. 
Application for the sidewalk cafe permit created under this section and operation of any sidewalk cafe shall be in accordance with rules and regulations established by the Downtown Business and Economic Development Office or as created or modified by resolution of the Township Committee. A sidewalk cafe is defined as any space in between the curbline and the front of any qualified eating establishment utilized to accommodate tables and chairs for patrons to utilize.
B. 
Application for such permit shall be made to and such permits shall be granted by the Zoning Officer.
C. 
A permit shall be granted only if the proposed sidewalk cafe conforms to the following:
(1) 
The cafe shall be confined to the area directly in front of the existing eating establishment, unless written permission of any adjacent property owner and ground floor occupant shall be submitted and filed with the application.
(2) 
Any cafe shall not interfere with access to the building entrance or exit, any basement entrance or any fire hydrant, bus stop, parking meter or public alleyway.
(3) 
A minimum of four feet from the curbline must remain open to maintain pedestrian access and must remain free from any obstructions, including existing utilities, fire hydrants, street trees, light poles, etc. and/or from temporary obstructions such as garbage cans or wait staff. Existing obstructions such as utilities may negate the suitability of a site for the placement of a sidewalk cafe.
D. 
Applicants shall be required to provide a plan highlighting the layout of the proposed sidewalk cafe. This plan must include the placement of tables, chairs, barriers, planter boxes, street utilities and/or street furniture, and the requisite four-foot walkable path from the curbline to the cafe area in relation to the building facade and any doorways to the primary restaurant area.
E. 
Applicants shall be required to submit proof of liability insurance for the proposed sidewalk cafe, naming the Township of Cranford as an additional insured, with minimum limits of liability in an amount established in the rules and regulations.
F. 
The sidewalk cafe permit shall be an annual permit. There shall be no fee for the permit. Use of the premises for sidewalk cafes shall be permitted seasonally and only as prescribed in the rules and regulations.
G. 
The rules and regulations established pursuant to this section shall be filed with the Township Clerk and available for public inspection.
H. 
Any sidewalk cafe permit may be suspended or revoked by the Zoning Officer or by the Township Committee upon a violation of this section or the rules and regulations. Revocation of the permit can also take place if the sidewalk cafe is deemed to create an unsafe condition. Such suspension or revocation shall be in writing and delivered personally or mailed by certified mail to the permit holder at the address set forth in the application.
I. 
Any suspension or revocation issued by the Zoning Officer may be appealed to the Township Committee within 15 days of the mailing of such notice.
J. 
The granting of a permit under this section shall not be construed to permit any activity otherwise prohibited by this Code or by other law.
K. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 143-10 and 143-11 of this Code, consumption of permitted alcoholic beverages shall be allowed at a sidewalk cafe holding a valid permit under this section as follows:
(1) 
Consumption of alcoholic beverages shall be permitted only at sidewalk cafes with wait staff serving patrons.
(2) 
Beer and wine shall be the only permitted alcoholic beverages to be consumed at permitted sidewalk cafes which do not hold alcoholic beverage control licenses.
(3) 
No alcoholic beverage control licensed premises may serve alcoholic beverages at a sidewalk cafe until and unless the licensee shall have applied for and received approval of a place-to-place transfer of its license for expansion of its premises to include the sidewalk cafe area.
(4) 
Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to permit service or consumption of alcoholic beverages at any time or at any place or in any manner other than as permitted under this subsection and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder.
No person shall obstruct any paved sidewalk or the space to a width of two feet adjoining any paved sidewalk by placing thereon or permitting to remain thereon any vehicle, building material, barrel, box, goods, wares, merchandise or any other obstructive matter; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall prohibit the temporary placing of any matter on a sidewalk or said adjoining two-foot space during its delivery or transit across such sidewalk or space, and provided further that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the maintenance of any building, fence, tree, shrubbery or any permanently fixed object or matter on private property within said two-foot space.
[Amended 6-24-1992 by Ord. No. 92-19]
A. 
No person shall obstruct the public streets or places of the Township with any kind of vehicle, box, lumber, timber, wood or showcase nor with any building material, goods, wares or merchandise or other obstruction whatever.
B. 
The provisions of Subsection A shall not be construed to prevent a person who is building from occupying 1/4 of the width of the roadway in front of the place where he is so building upon receiving a written permit for such occupancy from the Township Engineer.
C. 
Before the issuance of the permit referred to in Subsection B of this section, the applicant shall:
(1) 
Pay a fee of $5 to the Township; and
(2) 
Deposit with the Township Engineer the sum of $50 to ensure that the applicant will leave the street in a clean condition, free from all evidence that such material was deposited there; that he will keep the gutter open for the free passage of surface water; and that he will prevent sand, gravel and other building materials from being washed into any storm sewer or sanitary sewer.
D. 
If, at any time during which said material is deposited in any roadway, such material obstructs street drainage or is stored in such manner as to wash into any sewer or if, at the time of removal, the roadway is not left free from evidence of such storage, such condition may be remedied by the Township at the expense of the permittee, and the cost thereof shall be deducted from the deposit. Upon the final removal of said material, the deposit, less the expenses aforesaid, if any, shall be returned to the permittee.
E. 
The permit required by this article shall be valid for a period of three months. If it shall be necessary for material to be stored for a period exceeding three months, a new permit shall be issued for each three months, each permit to be accompanied by a fee of $5 and a deposit of $50. No deposit shall be returned until the final removal of all material as provided in this article.
F. 
A separate permit shall be required for the storage of material for each separate building, including a garage.
A. 
No person shall, without first having obtained a written permit from the Township Engineer, build or construct or cause to be built or constructed any bridge or culvert in or across any gutter in any street in the Township.
B. 
If the maintenance of any such bridge or culvert shall be deemed by the Township Engineer to be a detriment to the street, the Engineer, with approval of the Superintendent of Public Works, shall, by notice in writing, order the owner of the property in front of which it shall be to remove the obstruction or encroachment made by said bridge or culvert within 10 days from the date of said order.
[Amended 6-24-1992 by Ord. No. 92-19[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
C. 
The notice in writing provided by the preceding Subsection B shall be served upon said property owner personally or upon some member of his family above the age of 14 years. If personal service cannot be made, the notice shall be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the last known address of such owner.
D. 
If the owner of the property fails to comply with the order of the Township Committee for the removal of the obstruction or encroachment within 10 days after service upon him of the written notice provided by this section, the Township may cause the obstruction or encroachment to be removed under the supervision of the Township Engineer.
E. 
The Township Engineer shall keep an accurate account of the cost of removal and shall file a report thereof under oath with the Township Clerk.
F. 
The Township Committee, after notice to the owner of the property affected, shall examine such report and, if properly made, confirm and file it with the Tax Collector. The charge shall thereupon be and remain a first and paramount lien upon said land until paid and shall be collected with and in the same manner as the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon said land.
The owner or tenant of property abutting or bordering upon a public street or place shall trim any trees which are on his property, but overhanging the public street or place, to a height of not less than 10 feet from the surface of any sidewalk and not less than 14 feet from the surface of any roadway. Trees between the sidewalk and roadway shall be so trimmed by the Township.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
No lessee, owner or occupant of any property shall maintain any hedge, shrubbery or other vegetation between the sidewalk and the roadway or maintain any hedge, shrubbery or other vegetation in such manner as to encroach upon any sidewalk or roadway or in such manner as to interfere with the free and unobstructed passage of persons upon the sidewalks or roadways.
No person shall attach any handbills, posters or advertising matter in any way to any posts or trees or in any of the public streets or public places of the Township except upon public bulletin boards provided for that purpose.
No person shall attach or string any wire or cord in, upon or over any public street or place unless he shall first have obtained a permit for such purpose from the Township Committee. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person holding a franchise from any governmental authority for the purpose of stringing wires in the streets.
No rainwater leader or other pipe or conduit shall be constructed, maintained or placed in such manner that the water thereof shall be discharged upon the surface of any sidewalk.
A. 
No person shall build or construct or continue to permit to remain any cellar opening, vault, excavation or entrance inside the lines of any street or sidewalk except by authorization of a resolution of the Township Committee.
B. 
All such openings, vaults, excavations and entrances shall be made safe to pedestrians and vehicles by proper barriers and lights. Where a door or covering has been constructed to form part of the sidewalk, such covering shall be kept in good and sound condition.
C. 
No person shall continue such cellar opening, vault, entrance or excavation after having been notified to remove the same by the Township Committee or any Township official authorized by said Committee to give such notice.