[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
(a) 
Scope. The provisions of this article shall set forth standards for the maintenance of those portions of premises covered by this Exterior Property Maintenance Code. Premises shall comply with the standards herein prescribed insofar as they are applicable.
(b) 
Responsibility. The owner of the premises shall maintain such premises in compliance with these requirements. A person shall not occupy as owner or permit another person to occupy or use premises which are dangerous to life, health, property or safety of the public.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
Any excavation site shall be completely surrounded by a solid screen fence of at least six feet in height.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
All premises shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary condition, free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage, and in a manner so as not to constitute a public nuisance or otherwise adversely affect the public health or safety.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
The owners or occupants of every premises generating garbage or rubbish shall provide, and at all times cause to be used, sealed approved containers provided with close-fitting covers for the storage of the garbage or rubbish until removed from the premises for disposal and such containers shall be located in the rear yard of all properties, including corner properties, devoted to commercial, industrial, or multifamily use. Such containers shall be screened from view from a public street or parking lot by solid fencing or vegetation. On any property devoted to commercial, industrial or multifamily use, where such rear yard location is not possible because of lack of space or access, such containers may be located in the side or front yard but, to the extent practical shall be screened from view from the public street or parking lot as set forth above.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018; 11-1-2016 by G.O. No. 2072; 11-8-2023 by G.O. No. 2023-33]
All premises shall be graded and maintained so as to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water thereon. If the slope of land is toward neighboring properties, drainage shall be released so that it will flow away from downslope structures to the maximum practical extent. Stagnant water shall be determined as any accumulation that has not dispersed within three days of the last recorded local rainfall. Pools and hot tubs in regular use are exempt from the requirement of this section. Sump pump discharge shall be routed to the roadway, storm sewer or on the ground; provided, however, in connection with new construction projects, and such other construction projects that, in the reasonable opinion of the Town Engineer is necessary and appropriate to prevent excess stormwater discharge and runoff, sump pump discharge piping shall be connected to the storm sewer, if feasible; otherwise, discharge shall be routed to the roadway. No sump pump discharged to the surface of land shall occur within 10 feet from any property line, sidewalk, street, or curb. No sump pump shall be connected to the sanitary sewer.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
Except as otherwise permitted by resolution of the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Adjustment, or as provided in the Land Use Ordinance, all loading areas shall be paved with bituminous concrete or equivalent surfacing and shall be free from dirt and other litter and kept in good repair. When lighted for nighttime use, lights shall not be permitted to shine directly upon dwellings nearby.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
The owner of a premises shall be responsible for the extermination of rats, vermin or other pests in all interior and exterior areas of the premises, except that the occupant shall be responsible for such extermination in a single-family dwelling.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
All public sidewalks, steps, driveways, parking spaces and similar paved areas for public use shall be maintained in a state of repair, free of all snow, ice, mud and rubbish and free of hazardous conditions. If any public sidewalk, steps or driveway for public use, or portion thereof, by virtue of its state of disrepair shall constitute a danger to public health and safety, the sidewalk, steps or driveway for public use, or portion thereof shall be replaced or repaired. Steps shall comply with the requirements for exterior stairs set forth in Article VIII.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018; 9-22-2020 by G.O. No. 2190]
(a) 
All premises shall be maintained free from grass growth, weeds or other invasive plant species growth which are detrimental to the public health and welfare, or excessively overgrown as compared to the character and condition of the surrounding properties and where the same could constitute a blighted condition or public nuisance.
(b) 
Failure to control the spread of such grass growth, weeds, or other invasive plant species growth beyond the boundaries of a resident’s property is a violation of this chapter. All new in-ground plantings of invasive plant species are strictly prohibited. All existing plantings must be contained by appropriate physical barriers to prevent the growth or spread of existing invasive plant species beyond the boundaries of a resident's property.
(c) 
Whenever grass growth, weeds, or invasive plant species growth as defined by this chapter is found on any plot of land, lot or any other premises or place, and is found to lack appropriate physical barriers to prevent the spread or growth of the species, or is found to have spread beyond the boundaries of a property, a notice or order shall be given to the owner of the property from which the invasive plant species has spread, in writing, to remove or abate the invasive plant species within the time allotted by this chapter. The cost of all remedies, including the removal of plantings of invasive plant species, shall be borne by the property owner.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
All commercial open yards and open storage areas shall be completely screened from adjacent premises and the public right-of-way by a solid screen fence or vegetation. The provisions of the Westfield Land Use Ordinance regarding other requirements for outdoor storage shall apply notwithstanding these provisions.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
Pipes, ducts, conductors, fans or blowers discharging gases, steam, vapor, hot air, grease, smoke, odors or other gaseous or particulate wastes shall be constructed, maintained and operated in a manner so as to not cause discharge directly upon abutting or adjacent dwelling units or premises.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
Open fires shall be prohibited except as specifically approved by the Fire Department.
[G.O. No. 1694, § I; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
Motor vehicles and boats located upon premises shall be subject to the following requirements:
(a) 
Residential areas. No unregistered or uninspected motor vehicle or boat shall be parked ungaraged on any property in a residential zone as defined in the Land Use Ordinance of the Town. No motor vehicle or boat which is in a state of major disassembly; disrepair or in the process of being stripped or dismantled, shall be parked ungaraged or unscreened from the public view, in such a residential zone. No motor vehicle or boat shall at any time undergo a major overhaul, including bodywork, in such a residential district, unless such work is performed inside a structure designed and approved for such purposes.
(b) 
Nonresidential areas. No unregistered or uninspected motor vehicle, with the exception of new and used cars displayed for sale by new car dealers, or boat shall be permitted on any property in a nonresidential district unless the same is garaged or properly screened so that said vehicle or boat is obscured from view from adjacent premises and the public view. No motor vehicle or boat in a state of major disassembly or disrepair or in the process of being stripped or dismantled shall be permitted in a nonresidential district, unless the same is garaged or properly screened so that said vehicle or boat is obscured from view from adjacent premises and the public view.
[Added 12-14-2010 by G.O. No. 1970; amended 6-3-2014 by G.O. No. 2018]
(a) 
Prohibited conduct. No person in control of private property (except a residential lot with one single-family house) shall authorize the repaving, repairing (excluding the repair of individual potholes), resurfacing (including top coating or chip sealing with asphalt emulsion or a thin base of hot bitumen), reconstructing or altering any surface that is in direct contact with an existing storm drain inlet on that property unless the storm drain inlet either:
(1) 
Already meets the design standard in Subsection (b) below to control passage of solid and floatable materials; or
(2) 
Is retrofitted or replaced to meet the standard in Subsection (b) below prior to the completion of the project.
(b) 
Design standard. Storm drain inlets shall comply with the following standard to control passage of solid and floatable materials through storm drain inlets. For purposes of this subsection, "solid and floatable materials" means sediment, debris, trash, and other floating, suspended, or settleable solids.
(1) 
Grates.
a. 
Design engineers shall use either of the following grates whenever they use a grate in pavement or another ground surface to collect stormwater from that surface into a storm drain or surface water body under that grate:
1. 
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) bicycle safe grate, which is described in Chapter 2.4 of the NJDOT Bicycle Compatible Roadway and Bikeways Planning and Design Guidelines (April 1996); or
2. 
A different grate, if each individual clear space in that grate has an area of no more than 7.0 square inches, or is no greater than 0.5 inch across the smallest dimension.
b. 
Examples of grates subject to this standard include grates in grate inlets, the grate portion (non-curb-opening portion) of combination inlets, grates on storm sewer manholes, ditch grates, trench grates, and grates of spacer bars in slotted drains. Examples of ground surfaces include surfaces of roads (including bridges), driveways, parking areas, bikeways, plazas, sidewalks, lawns, fields, open channels, and stormwater basin floors.
(2) 
Whenever design engineers use a curb-opening inlet, the clear space in that curb opening (or each individual clear space, if the curb opening has two or more clear spaces) shall have an area of no more than 7.0 square inches, or be no greater than 2.0 inches across the smallest dimension.
(3) 
This standard does not apply:
a. 
Where flows are conveyed through any device (e.g., end of pipe netting facility, manufactured treatment device, or a catch basin hood) that is designed, at a minimum, to prevent delivery of all solid and floatable materials that could not pass through one of the following:
1. 
A rectangular space 4 5/8 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide (this option does not apply for outfall netting facilities); or
2. 
A bar screen having a bar spacing of 0.5 inch.
b. 
Where flows are conveyed through a trash rack that has parallel bars with one-inch spacing between the bars; or
c. 
Where the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection determines, pursuant to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places Rules at N.J.A.C. 7:4-7.2(c), that action to meet this standard is an undertaking that constitutes an encroachment or will damage or destroy the New Jersey Register listed historic property.
[11-25-2025 by G.O. No. 2025-22]
(a) 
It shall be a violation of this chapter for any owner, occupant or contractor to permit the discharge, accumulation, blowing of plastic dust, shavings, fragments, or other contaminants generated from the cutting, sanding, grinding, removal or processing of plastic, microplastics, vinyl, composite, fiberglass or synthetic materials onto any street, sidewalk, adjoining property, public right-of-way, or storm drain.
(b) 
All such dust, fragments, and debris shall be contained on the premises by means such as barriers, tarping, vacuum systems, sheeting or wet suppression and shall be disposed of daily or as soon as practicable. The party responsible shall ensure that no such materials are left unsecured overnight or allowed to blow or wash off the premises.
(c) 
The owner, occupant, general contractor, property manager and any subcontractor engaged in such work shall be jointly and severally responsible for compliance with this section.
(d) 
Contractors are strictly prohibited from blowing or sweeping debris, dust or plastic contaminants into any street, gutter, sidewalk, storm drain or watercourse. Truck transport, dumpster placement, and on-site storage of such materials shall be arranged so that no dust or fragments can escape the work zone.
(e) 
The Property Maintenance Officer shall be the municipal official primarily responsible for enforcement and compliance with this section. However, the Construction Code Official or any designated Code Enforcement Officer may also inspect for compliance, issue orders for cleanup and abatement and require corrective measures to prevent off-site migration of plastic dust or fragments.