[Adopted 9-26-1966 as Article I of Chapter 22 of 1966 Code]
[Amended 10-3-1977 by Ord. No. 77-25]
A. 
When necessary and expedient for the preservation of the public safety, all owners or tenants of lands and premises lying within the Borough shall, within 10 days after notice to cut the same has been given by the Chief of Police of the Borough, keep all brush, hedges and other plant life growing within 10 feet of any roadway and within 25 feet from the projected intersection of the curbline of one street with the curbline of the adjoining street cut to a height of not more than 2 1/2 feet above the curbline.
[Amended 8-18-1969 by Ord. No. 69-23[1] ]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. 2).
B. 
Failure to comply. Upon the neglect or refusal of the owner or tenant of any lands and premises to cut the brush, hedges and other plant life thereon in the manner and within the time set forth in § 166-2A, and any notice filed thereunder, the Chief of Police shall notify the Director of Public Works of the Borough who shall have the power to cut or direct the cutting of such brush, hedges or other plant life and certify the cost thereof to the governing body of the Borough, which shall examine the certificate and, if found correct, cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged against such lands or, in the event that such cost is excessive, to cause the reasonable cost thereof to be charged against such lands. The amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon such lands and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands, to bear interest at the same rate as other taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
C. 
Enforcement officer. The Chief of Police of the Borough is hereby designated the officer to give all notices, provide for the cutting of brush, hedges and other plant life and generally to enforce the provisions of § 166-2.
[Amended 3-22-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05]
A. 
Every person, partnership, corporation, or other entity in charge or control of any building or property within the Borough including but not limited to single-family and multifamily residential and commercial, whether an owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall remove and clear away or cause to be removed and cleared away snow and ice from so much of said sidewalk as is in front of or abuts on said building or property, along with all walkways, curb ramps, staircases (including steps), the public right of way of driveways and parking areas open to the public on said property. Snow and ice shall also be removed so as to provide access to all fire hydrants located on the property.
B. 
All sidewalks, walkways, curb ramps and staircases shall be cleared to a width of 42 inches or the maximum width of the sidewalk, walkway, curb ramp or staircase, whichever is less, in order to provide adequate ADA compliant accessibility.
C. 
Except as otherwise provided in this article, snow and ice shall be removed from sidewalks, walkways, curb ramps, staircases, public right of way of driveways and public parking areas within the Borough within 12 hours of daylight after the same shall fall or be formed thereon, and at all times thereafter said areas shall be kept free and clear of snow, slush and ice.
D. 
In the event that snow and ice on a sidewalk, walkway, curb ramp, staircase, public right of way of a driveway or parking areas open to the public has become so hard that it cannot be removed without likelihood of damage to the area, the person or entity responsible for its removal within the time mentioned in this section shall place sand, ashes, cinders or other approved substance on the area to make travel thereon reasonably safe and shall then, as soon thereafter as weather permits, cause said area to be thoroughly cleaned of all snow and ice.
E. 
In case such snow or ice shall not be removed from such sidewalk, walkway, curb ramp, staircase, public right of way of a driveway or public and business areas as provided in § 166-3A, B and C, the same may be removed forthwith and under the direction of the Director of the Department of Public Works and the cost of such removal as nearly as can be ascertained shall be certified by the Director of the Department of Public Works to the governing body. The governing body shall examine such certifications and, if found to be correct, shall cause such cost to be charged against such real estate so abutting or bordering upon such sidewalks and the amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien and a tax upon such real estate or land and be added to, recorded and collected in the same way and manner as the taxes next to be levied and assessed upon such premises and shall bear interest and be enforced and collected by the same officers and in the same manner as other taxes. The imposition and collection of a fine imposed by the provision of this Code shall not constitute any bar to the right of the Borough to collect the cost as certified for the removal of snow or ice in the manner herein authorized.
[Added 3-22-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05]
It is prohibited and unlawful for any residential homeowner or tenant, commercial property owner or commercial tenant or their employees, agents, contractors or contractors' employees to dump, plow, shovel or otherwise place snow onto the streets, roadways, curb ramps or public parking lots and public rights-of-way located in the Borough of Metuchen.
[Added 3-22-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05; amended 4-29-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-13]
The provisions of this article shall be enforced by the Borough of Metuchen Police Department, Zoning Officer and/or the Enforcement Officer/Official of the Borough of Metuchen.
[Added 3-22-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05]
Any person, persons, partnership, corporation, or other entity, organization, or group violating any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall upon conviction be subject to penalties as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article 1.
A. 
No person shall, without first having obtained a written permit from the Council, build or construct or cause to be built or constructed any bridge or culvert in or across any gutter in any street in the Borough.
B. 
If the maintenance of any bridge or culvert built under a permit as required by § 166-4A, or any bridge or culvert existing, shall be deemed by the Council to be a detriment to the street, the Council may order the owner of the property, in front of which it shall be, to do away with the obstruction or encroachment made by such bridge or culvert within 10 days, and if the owner fails to comply with the order he or she shall be subject to the penalty prescribed in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article 1 and the obstruction may be removed by the Council at such owner's expense.
No owner of any property abutting on any portion of any street shall cause or suffer the drainage from such abutting property to run or flow to a point in the street beyond the gutter line next to such property, which gutter line shall be two feet from the curbline, and should drainage be suffered or caused to flow beyond the gutter line above described, the Council of the Borough may give such owner 10 days' notice to make such provisions as shall ensure to do away with the flow of the drainage into the street beyond the gutter, and should such owner fail to comply with the provisions of such notice, such owner shall be subject to the penalty prescribed in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article 1.
No person shall obstruct or close any gutter, sewer drainage pipe, catch basin or watercourse.