[Added 10-20-1993 by Ord. No. 21-1993]
A. Application. Any person who shall desire to construct,
reconstruct, repair or replace any sidewalk or curb shall make application
therefor to the borough's Department of Public Works. Such application
shall be made upon forms provided by the borough and shall set forth
the name of the applicant, the exact location of the proposed construction,
reconstruction, repair or replacement and a plan of the proposed construction,
reconstruction, repair or replacement showing the width, length and
thickness of the proposed curb or sidewalk.
B. Time for application. Except in emergency situations,
all applications for proposed construction, reconstruction, repair
or replacement of any sidewalk or curb shall be submitted to the borough's
Department of Public Works at least two workdays prior to the proposed
date of the commencement of the work.
C. Fees. Before any permit shall be issued to construct,
reconstruct, repair or replace any curb or sidewalk, the applicant
shall pay to the borough such fee as shall be required by a schedule
of fees, which schedule shall be established and amended from time
to time by Resolution of the Borough Council. The schedule of fees
shall be kept on file at the Department of Public Works.
[Amended 12-13-1978 by Ord. No. 11-1978; 10-9-1986 by Ord. No. 9-1986; 10-20-1993 by Ord. No.
21-1993]
A. Construction requirements. All sidewalks hereafter
constructed in the Borough of West Chester shall be constructed according
to the following specifications:
(1) Except in the Historic Overlay Zoning District as designated on the Borough of West Chester Zoning Map, a sidewalk shall be composed of not less than four inches of concrete, using a one-to-two-to-three mix, or high-early-strength concrete of 3,500 pounds per square inch, or shall be composed of brick, concrete paver or approved equivalent. In the Historic Overlay Zoning District as designated on the Borough of West Chester Zoning Map, all sidewalks that are constructed or rebuilt after the effective date of this Subsection
A(1) shall be composed of clay-fired brick. All newly constructed sidewalks shall not be less than four feet in width. Reconstruction or repairs to existing sidewalks shall match the width of the existing sidewalk. Exceptions to the minimum width requirements may be granted by the Public Works Committee of the Borough in such cases in which previously existing conditions would merit or justify such an exception.
[Amended 3-20-2012 by Ord. No. 2-2012]
(2) A concrete sidewalk shall be placed on a six-inch
thoroughly compacted base of stone aggregate. A brick sidewalk shall
be placed on a four-inch base of stone aggregate followed by a two-inch
layer of sand, screenings or approved equivalent. No other base material
will be acceptable.
(3) Curb cut ramps shall be constructed at all street
intersections in full compliance with all federal and state requirements.
(4) All sidewalk construction or reconstruction shall
provide for a two-foot minimum radius or a four-foot rectangular tree
well, where applicable.
B. Maintenance requirements. The owner of property abutting
a sidewalk in existence on the date of enactment of this section shall
not remove a sidewalk without replacing such sidewalk in accordance
with the provisions of this chapter and shall have the duty to thereafter
continually maintain and keep the sidewalk in good repair. The use
of such sidewalk for any purpose other than a sidewalk shall be prohibited.
All curbing hereafter shall be constructed as
follows:
A. The concrete curb shall be five inches wide at the
top and seven inches wide at the bottom, and the street side battered
to make the seven inches. The distance from the top of the curb shall
not be less than 18 inches to the bottom, measured vertically, or
so modified to meet field conditions as approved by the Borough Director
of Public Works. Extra depth may be required. The concrete mix shall
be the same as for sidewalk construction.
[Amended 10-9-1986 by Ord. No. 9-1986]
B. Expansion joint material of a mastic composition will
be required on long running pours of concrete sidewalks and curbs.
C. Curb cuts constructed for the purpose of driveway
entrances or curb cut ramps shall comply with applicable plans and
specifications, including but not limited to federal and state requirements.
[Added 10-20-1993 by Ord. No. 21-1993]
[Added 10-20-1993 by Ord. No. 21-1993]
The borough's Director of Public Works shall
have the right to refer any application for a curb cut permit to the
Borough Council for its review when, in the judgment of the borough's
Director of Public Works, such curb cut may have negative traffic,
traffic safety, pedestrian safety, stormwater, zoning or other ancillary
impact. The Borough Council may require engineering drawings, traffic
impact studies, stormwater runoff studies and such other information
as it deems necessary to consider the curb cut request. The applicant
shall prepare such studies and documentation at the applicant's cost.
Curb cut requests shall also be reviewed by the Borough Zoning Officer
for conformance with the requirements of the borough's Subdivision
and Land Development and Zoning Ordinances.
[Amended 10-9-1986 by Ord. No. 9-1986]
Any sidewalk or curb laid by any person, firm
or corporation contrary to the provisions of this article shall be
removed and the proper sidewalk or curb substituted therefor by the
property owner within 10 days after receipt of notice from the Borough
Director of Public Works, setting forth that the sidewalk or curbing
does not comply with these specifications, and if said sidewalk or
curb is not constructed within said 10 days, then and in such case
said sidewalk and curb shall be constructed by the borough, and the
cost thereof plus 10% billed to the defaulting property owner, and
if the cost is not paid within 10 days thereafter, the borough shall
cause a lien to be entered against said premises and thereafter collected
according to law.