[Amended 7-8-1975 by Ord. No. 1582]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed:
DIRECTOR
The Director of Public Works of the Village or his duly authorized representative.
EMERGENCY
Any unforeseen circumstance or occurrence, the existence of which constitute a clear and immediate danger to persons or properties.
[Amended 9-16-2015 by Ord. No. 3498]
A. 
It shall be the duty of any owner of real property abutting any public street or sidewalk in the Village of Ridgewood, at the owner's sole cost and expense, to install, construct, repair, alter, relay, reconstruct and maintain the sidewalks in front of or abutting such property whenever such sidewalks are required as hereinafter provided or, being already installed, shall be in such state of deterioration or disrepair as to constitute a hazard to the general public using said sidewalks unless they are repaired, altered, relaid or reconstructed. In addition to the foregoing, it shall also be the duty of the owner, at the owner's sole cost and expense, to install, construct, repair, alter, relay, or reconstruct curbs where the deterioration or damage to the same has been caused by the actions of such owner.
B. 
Tree wells.
[Amended 10-9-2024 by Ord. No. 4016]
(1) 
It shall be the duty of any owner of real property abutting any public street or sidewalk in the Village of Ridgewood, at the owner's sole cost and expense, to maintain the interior of the tree wells located in/on the sidewalk in front of or abutting such property at all times by weeding, removing debris and maintain the overall clean appearance of the tree wells and the interior of same in accordance with § 223-59.
(2) 
Any person or entity with the responsibility or obligation under this section who is found to be in violation of § 249-24B(1) above shall be subject to a fine of $125 for a first offense; $250 for a second offense; and $350 for any third or subsequent offense thereafter.
Sidewalks and/or curbs shall be required to be installed and constructed when the Council of the Village shall, by resolution, determine that the health, safety and welfare of the general public so requires and causes notice to that effect, in writing, to be served upon the owner, owners or occupant of said lands requiring the necessary specified work to said curb or sidewalk to be done by said landowner or occupant within a period of time stated in said resolution not less than 30 days from the date of service of said notice.
[Amended 3-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1790; 3-14-2012 by Ord. No. 3332]
A. 
Repairs, alterations, relaying or reconstruction of sidewalks and/or curbs shall be required when the Director has determined by field observations that the health, safety and welfare of the general public so requires. The Director shall then issue an initial notice, in writing, to that effect to be served upon the owner of such lands, which said notice shall require the necessary work to the curb or sidewalk, as specified in the notice, be performed by the property owner. The initial notice shall set forth the date upon which the said work shall be completed, which date shall be not less than 45 calendar days after the date of mailing of said notice to the property owner.
B. 
In the event a property owner fails to make the repairs requested within the timeframe of the initial notice, a second notice shall be issued to the property owner with an additional 45 calendar days to complete the requested for repairs.
[Amended 3-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1790; 3-14-2012 by Ord. No. 3332]
A. 
The notice required by § 249-25 shall be served by both certified mail, return receipt requested, and regular mail, postage prepaid, to the property owner’s last known post office address according to the Village’s tax assessment records.
B. 
The initial notice required by § 249-26 for repairs to a defective sidewalk shall be served by regular mail to the property owner’s last known post office address according to the Village’s tax assessment records.
C. 
The second notice required by § 249-26 for repairs to a defective sidewalk shall be served by regular mail and certified mail, return receipt requested, to the property owner’s last known post office address according to the Village’s tax assessment records.
D. 
Failure to comply with the second notice for repairs to a sidewalk and/or curb shall be considered a violation of this article and shall subject the violator to the penalty provisions set forth in the Village Code in Chapter 1, § 1-15.
[Amended 3-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1790]
In the event that the owner of such lands shall not comply with the requirements of such notice, it shall be lawful thereupon for the Department of Public Works of the Village, upon filing due proof of service of the notice required or publication thereof with the Village Clerk, to cause said installation, construction, repair, alteration, relaying or reconstruction to be performed and paid for out of Village funds available therefor; the cost of such work shall thereupon be certified by the Director, Department of Public Works, to the Tax Collector, at which time the amount of such cost shall be and become a lien upon such lands in front of which or abutting which such work was done to the same extent that assessments for local improvements are liens in the Village under general law and shall be collected in the manner provided by law for the collection of such other assessments bearing interest at the same rate.
Nothing herein shall deprive the Village of its right to bring an action to recover said amount against the owner of said lands, and a certified copy of the aforesaid certificate shall, in such action, be prima facie evidence of the existence of the debt due from said owner to the Village.
[Amended 3-12-2008 by Ord. No. 3104; 3-14-2012 by Ord. No. 3332]
A. 
No person, firm, or corporation shall construct, replace or repair a sidewalk, curb or driveway within the limits of any public street, highway, or other public property without first obtaining a permit to do the same from the Director of the Department of Public Works or his or her designated representative. The entity obtaining the permit shall be deemed the "permit holder" or "permittee" for the purposes of this article. In the event a tree or its root system interferes with the proposed work for which the permit is obtained, the person, firm or corporation obtaining the said permit has the option of contacting the Village of Ridgewood Parks and Shade Tree Division to request to have the tree’s root system trimmed to permit the proposed work. In the event the Village’s staff cannot perform the requested for root trimming within 72 hours exclusive of weekends, upon receipt of the request, the permit holder shall have the option of engaging the service, at their cost, of a New Jersey certified tree expert to perform the root trimming. Tree roots may be trimmed only by the Village’s staff or a certified tree expert. For any tree roots not trimmed in the manner described above, the permit holder shall bear responsibility for the health and condition of the affected tree.
B. 
All work performed by a permit holder within the public right-of-way shall comply with any and all requirements of the Americans with Disability Act, including any subsequent updates and revisions.
C. 
Such permit shall be valid for an effective period not to exceed 30 consecutive calendar days. Such effective period may be extended, if so requested by the permit holder prior to the expiration thereof, for such additional period as the Director may authorize.
D. 
Annual contractor permit. Any firm, person, or corporation, performing sidewalk installation in the Village has the option to obtain an annual contractor permit valid from January 1 of each year to December 31 of each year for an annual fee, as prescribed in Chapter 145, Fees. The annual contractor permit will permit the permit holder to construct/reconstruct as many sidewalks in the Village as he/she desires. The annual contractor permit holder must still file a permit for each location of work prior to the start of any work with the Department of Public Works, Engineering Division. If there are root issues with any adjacent trees in the public right-of-way, the Engineering Division will coordinate the root/tree work with the Village Parks and Recreation Department and advise the annual permit holder when he/she may remove the old sidewalk. All work areas must still call for the requisite form/subgrade inspection prior to the placement of concrete.
[Amended 3-11-2015 by Ord. No. 3462]
A. 
The permittee shall not begin or carry on any part of the work provided to be done, except in the event of an emergency, without first notifying the Director not less than 24 hours in advance and obtaining his approval therefor.
B. 
No work provided to be done under said permit shall be performed on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays except with the prior approval of the Director or in the event of an emergency.
The permit must be in possession of the parties actually doing the work and must be exhibited to the Director or to any authorized representative of the Village upon request.
The Director shall have the right to revoke or cancel the permit at any time should the permittee fail to comply with any of the terms, agreements, covenants and conditions thereof.
A. 
The permittee shall clean up and remove promptly from the site of the work, upon completion thereof, all surplus excavated material and debris and shall leave the site of the work in a neat and orderly condition.
B. 
Where topsoil, seeded areas or sod are disturbed in the course of the work, the permittee shall restore such ground surface to its original condition.
[Amended 3-11-2015 by Ord. No. 3462]
A. 
The permittee, at his own expense, shall carry out the work as expeditiously as possible and in such manner as to cause the least possible inconvenience and to permit the use of the sidewalk by pedestrians and the roadway by vehicles and the flow of water along the gutters.
B. 
The permit holder for work to be performed shall be responsible for the condition of the sidewalk work area at all times until such work has been deemed complete and meeting the Village's standards by the Village of Ridgewood Department of Public Works Engineering Division.
C. 
No sidewalk work areas shall be excavated, have slabs removed, be barricaded or be caused to be unusable by the residents of the Village for a period more than seven calendar days. All permit holders shall coordinate any work to be done on adjacent trees in the public right-of-way through the Village's Engineering Division via email or written letter.
Any person, firm or corporation desiring a permit for such work shall make application therefor to the Director upon forms provided for that purpose. Said application shall show or include the following information:
A. 
The name, address, telephone number, and email address of the applicant (permit holder).
[Amended 3-14-2012 by Ord. No. 3332]
B. 
The name, address and telephone number of the owner of the property in front of which or for whom the work is to be performed.
C. 
The location of the property.
D. 
The extent and nature of the work to be done.
E. 
The date or dates when the work is to be done.
F. 
A signed statement by the applicant that he agrees to perform the work for which the permit is granted strictly in accordance with the conditions of the permit and this article.
G. 
A signed statement by the applicant that the Village 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.
H. 
All entities applying for a curb/sidewalk permit shall acknowledge that the Village shall control the pace of any work required on the adjacent trees in the rights-of-way.
[Added 3-11-2015 by Ord. No. 3462]
Sidewalks, curbs and driveways shall be constructed, removed, replaced or repaired in accordance with such grades and specifications as have been or may from time to time be established by the Director. Such grades and specifications shall be placed on file in the office of the Director and shall be followed in all instances except where the Director determines that the interest of the Village will be better served by a deviation therefrom. In the event of a deviation, the permittee shall be advised, in writing, with the reasons therefor. All work shall be performed so as to meet the grade and alignment of the adjoining sidewalk, curb or driveway, if any, or such established line or grade as may be determined by the Director and in accordance with the Director's instructions.
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is to be adequately protected by the permittee by means of suitable protective barricades and lights around the work, and the work is to be arranged so as to cause a minimum of inconvenience and hazard to such pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
[Added 3-14-2012 by Ord. No. 3332]
A. 
Cold weather concreting. Anytime when the ambient temperatures are expected to fall below 4° C. during the placement or cure time of concrete for curbs and/or sidewalks, the permit holder shall provide measures to maintain the concrete surface temperature above 29° C.
B. 
Hot weather concreting. Anytime when the ambient temperatures are expected to be above 25° C. during the placement or cure time of concrete for curbs and/or sidewalks, the permit holder shall undertake all necessary measures to cool the concrete, including but not limited to using water-reducing admixtures, cooling the aggregate, using chilled water, preventing adsorption by wetting underlying subgrade or wood forms, or any other method approved by the Director.
C. 
If a permit holder is unable to maintain the requisite temperatures in accordance with hot or cold weather concreting requirements, the work shall be suspended until suitable weather conditions exists.