A. 
No person shall construct, remove, replace or repair a sidewalk or driveway or lower a curb within the limits of any public street, highway or other public property without first obtaining therefor from the Commissioner a written permit as hereinafter provided.
B. 
Such permit shall be valid for an effective period not to exceed 30 consecutive calendar days, to be determined and specified therein by the Commissioner. Such effective period may be extended, if so requested in writing by the permittee prior to expiration thereof, for such additional period as the Commissioner, at the latter's discretion, may authorize.
Any person desiring a permit for such work shall make application therefor to the Commissioner upon forms provided for that purpose. The said application shall contain the names and addresses of the applicant and of the owner of the property in front of which or for whom the work is to be performed; the location of such property; the block and lot designation thereof; the extent and nature of the work to be done, the date or dates when the work is to be done, together with such necessary sketches and additional information as the Commissioner may require; a signed statement by the applicant that said applicant agrees to perform the work for which the permit is granted strictly in accordance with the conditions of the permit, the provisions of the Charter, the ordinances of the City and the applicable rules and regulations of the Department of Public Works, and that the City is to be saved harmless from any loss, injury or damage arising out of the granting of the permit or from any negligence or fault of said applicant, his servants or agents in connection with any of the work done under or in connection with said permit.
Sidewalks, curbs and driveways shall be constructed, removed, replaced or repaired in accordance with the following specifications:
A. 
Concrete sidewalks. Concrete sidewalk shall consist of not less than five inches of one-to-two-to-four mix and five inches of steam cinders well tamped. Expansion joints shall be inserted where and as ordered by the Commissioner. Steel forms and cross strips of required depth shall be used throughout.
B. 
Driveways. The above specifications shall apply except that six inches of concrete shall be used with one-fourth inch round rods as reinforcement, six inches on centers in both directions shall be installed.
C. 
All concrete for curbs and sidewalks shall be air entrained (four-percent to six-percent air in concrete).
D. 
Dropped curb. All granite or bluestone curb must be dropped when lowering. No cutting will be permitted. Concrete curb shall be taken out and new curb poured.
E. 
Bluestone flag walk. All flagstone walk shall be a minimum of two inches thick and laid on a bed of sand two inches thick.
F. 
The permittee shall perform the work so as to meet the grade and alignment of the adjoining sidewalk, curb and driveway and/or such established line and grade as may be determined by the Commissioner, and in accordance with his directions.
G. 
The current standard specifications of the Department of Public Works shall be followed, subject to the prior approval of the Commissioner.
[Amended 6-25-1969, approved 6-26-1969; 5-8-1974, approved 5-9-1974; 7-8-1987, approved 7-9-1987; 11-12-2025, approved 11-13-2025]
A. 
The Commissioner shall not issue a permit for any curb lowering in front of any tax lot or parcel, whether unimproved or improved, where the application is for a curb lowering exceeding 18 lineal feet, unless:
(1) 
Written approval is first obtained by the applicant from the City Council; or
(2) 
A width exceeding 18 lineal feet is expressly required by any chapter of the City Code, in which case, the Commissioner shall not issue a permit that exceeds such required width unless written approval is first obtained by the applicant from the City Council.
B. 
The Commissioner shall not grant permission for more than one curb lowering in front of the same improved tax lot or parcel.
C. 
This section shall not apply to work done under a contract with the City for the improvement or repair of streets or the doing of any public work, except that the specifications set forth in Part 1 of this chapter shall be complied with by persons performing work under a contract with the City.
D. 
Any person applying to the Commissioner for a curb-lowering permit shall file three detailed sketches of the proposed curb lowering and pay a fee of $10 to the City Clerk for each linear foot of curb, curbing or curbstone sought to be lowered before such permit shall be issued. No fee shall be charged for any application for a curb-lowering permit for municipal, county, state, federal, school or nonprofit incorporated or chartered hospital purposes.
E. 
Bluestone and granite curbs shall not be cut but shall be lowered in an acceptable manner. Concrete curbs may be cut if so authorized by the Commissioner and provided that such cutting can be done in a workmanlike and satisfactory manner.
F. 
The lowering of existing curbs or the construction of new depressed curbs for the purpose of providing driveway entrances or exits will not be allowed unless the permittee shall provide and install in each such case, during the effective period of the permit, an adequate driveway ramp or apron between the said curb and the abutting property line and extending over the entire width of the existing or proposed driveway.
G. 
The said driveway ramp or apron shall be surfaced with reinforced concrete six inches in thickness or not less than two inches of bituminous surfacing material over four inches of crushed stone, between inside edge of sidewalk and property line, of satisfactory workmanship and construction.
H. 
The portion of the driveway ramp or apron common with the sidewalk and forming a part thereof shall, unless otherwise authorized, consist of reinforced concrete six inches in thickness.
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is to be adequately protected by the permittee by means of suitable protective barricades and red lanterns illuminated during the nighttime around the work, and the work is to be so arranged as to cause a minimum of inconvenience and hazard to such pedestrian and vehicular traffic.