A. 
Duties. The owners of real estate bordering upon any public street shall construct, maintain and repair the sidewalks, curbs and gutters abutting their property.
B. 
Shade tree policy. Where sidewalk, curb or gutter damage was caused by roots from street tree(s), and property owners ask to have the tree(s) removed so as to prevent damage to the new or existing sidewalks, but the City, in following its policy on shade trees, declines to remove the tree(s), the City will assume the cost of replacing that portion of sidewalk, curb or gutter damaged by the roots.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 287, Trees.
C. 
Exceptions.
(1) 
Where sidewalk, curb or gutter damage was caused by the roots from street trees which were previously removed or may still be in place, the City may assume the cost of replacing that portion of sidewalk, curb or gutter damaged by the roots, but only as site and financial conditions may warrant.
(2) 
Where the City is doing complete street reconstruction, the City may assume the cost of repairing or replacing curbs, gutters and the sidewalks, but only as site and financial condition may warrant.
A. 
Concrete used in the construction of sidewalks shall be in accordance with current New Jersey State Highway Specifications Class C and shall be air-entrained. Preformed bituminous-type joint filler shall be 1/2 inch thick.
B. 
All sidewalks shall be laid in conformity to the grade of the street established by the City.
C. 
In all streets where the width of the sidewalk is not fixed by ordinance the width shall be 1/5 part of the total width of the street, from the property line to the outside of the curbs on each side.
D. 
The minimum width of the paved portion of any sidewalk shall not be less than five feet on any street, and the sidewalk shall be paved to its full width when required by the Division of Streets.
E. 
If the sidewalk is not immediately paved to its full width, the space remaining unpaved must be maintained at the same grade as the pavement.
F. 
In general, the pavement must be so constructed that the middle line of the paved portion of all sidewalks shall coincide with an imaginary line drawn parallel with the outside line of the curb at a distance equal to 1/2 the total width of the sidewalk. No sidewalk shall be laid otherwise, except upon written approval issued by the Superintendent.
G. 
All sidewalks must have a pitch or slope from the curbline toward the building ascending at a rate of 1/4 of an inch to the foot. No sidewalk shall be constructed otherwise, except upon written approval of the Superintendent of the Division of Streets.
H. 
Sidewalks shall be constructed of portland cement concrete, except under special circumstances where permission is granted in writing by the Department of Public Works for the use of other materials. When permission is granted for the use of other materials the work shall be done in strict conformity with any special requirements imposed by the Department.
I. 
Concrete sidewalks shall be five inches thick, except where driveways cross the sidewalks, in which case they shall be seven inches thick within the limits of the driveway.
J. 
The application of cement to the surface of the concrete to hasten the hardening and to permit finishing is prohibited. The concrete shall be cured with clear or translucent liquid curing compound which shall be applied as soon as the concrete has been finished.
K. 
In general, sidewalks shall be constructed in slabs or independently divided sections. No section shall have an area of more than 100 square feet, nor shall any section be more than 10 feet on any side or have a length greater than 1 1/2 times its width. Where it is desired to construct larger slabs, they shall be reinforced with a steel mesh in a manner satisfactory to the Department of Public Works. The method of placing the various sections shall be such as to produce a straight, clean-cut joint between them extending the full depth of the pavement so as to make each section an independent unit.
L. 
A one-half-inch joint shall be provided at least once every 20 feet in the length of the walk which shall be filled with an approved joint filler. A similar joint shall be provided at each junction of sidewalk and street curb and between the sidewalk and abutting buildings.
M. 
Where the subbase upon which the sidewalk is to be laid is of an unstable nature, it shall be removed to a depth of at least four inches and replaced with well-compacted select material.
N. 
No driveway across any sidewalk shall be wider than 40 feet. Multiple driveways shall be separated by a minimum twenty-foot safety island. No driveways shall be located closer than 10 feet to the corner of any two intersecting streets. No driveway exceeding 15 feet in width shall be located closer than five feet to any property line. The width of the driveway shall be determined by the linear measurement of curb removed or depressed below the established curb elevation.
A. 
Curbs shall be constructed of concrete in accordance with New Jersey State Highway Specifications Class B or granite free from seams or other imperfections. The granite curb shall be not less than four feet in length, five inches thick and 16 inches in depth throughout. The tops shall be dressed to a smooth and even surface, and the sides shall be dressed to a smooth, even surface to a depth of at least eight inches, with the ends cut and squared so as to form close and even joints. The top shall also be cut to a bevel to meet the pitch of the pavement.
B. 
Where one curbline intersects another curbline, the curblines shall be connected with circular curbing of a radius not less than five feet. The circular curbing shall be set to a true tangent with intersecting curblines in all cases. Where an angle occurs in a curbline, the lines forming the angle shall be connected by a curve of a radius approved by the Superintendent of the Division of Streets.
C. 
Concrete curbs shall be six inches thick at the top and eight inches at the bottom and 18 inches deep. The top corner on face of the curb shall be rounded to a radius of one inch.
D. 
Concrete curbs shall be cured in the same manner as sidewalks.
E. 
Forms for concrete curbs shall be made of substantial materials, preferably steel forms. They shall be braced or staked so as to insure perfect alignment and grade.
F. 
After pouring concrete into the forms, it shall be puddled and spaded so as to insure a thorough mixture, eliminate air pockets and create uniform and smooth sides. Before the concrete has thoroughly set and while it is still green, the forms shall be removed and the front and top sides shall be finished with a float or steel trowel to make a uniform finished surface. No plastering of the top or face of the curb shall be permitted.
G. 
All curbs shall be cut clear through by the use of steel template or other approved means so that they will consist of independent sections not more than 10 feet long.
H. 
Expansion joints 1/2 inch in thickness shall be placed between sections of curbs at intervals of not more than 50 feet. These joints shall be filled with an approved premolded bituminous material. Similar expansion joints shall be placed at street intersections where the straight curb meets the curved section of curb.
A. 
Concrete gutters shall be 14 inches in width and shall be nine inches thick. The surface of the gutter shall have a descending slope of one inch from the outer edge toward the curb. Concrete for gutters shall be the same as specified for concrete curbs. Gutters shall be divided into independent sections not greater than 10 feet in length and expansion joints 1/2 inch thick shall be provided for concrete gutters at intervals of not more than 50 feet.
B. 
The distance from the top of the curb to the surface of the gutter shall be fixed in each case by the Superintendent of the Division of Streets.
Whenever an owner shall fail to construct the sidewalks, curbs and gutters abutting his/her property or shall permit them to deteriorate into such a condition that the safety or convenience of the public is impaired, the Superintendent shall give notice to that owner to carry out the necessary construction or repairs.
The notice shall contain a description of the property sufficient to identify it, but need not necessarily contain a legal description. It shall contain a general description of the work required to be performed and shall state that if the owner does not perform the work within 30 days from the date of the notice, then the City shall carry out the necessary construction or repairs at the cost to the owner. Notices shall be served either personally or by mailing a copy to the owner at his/her last known address. If the owner's address is unknown, the notice may be served by posting it in a conspicuous place on the property affected and by publishing it once in a newspaper circulating in the City.
It shall be a violation of this article for the owner or owners of the real estate abutting the public street and sidewalk to maintain the sidewalk, curb or gutter in an unsafe condition or state of disrepair as prohibited specifically by this chapter. Violations shall be prosecuted by the issuance of notice in the manner set forth in §§ 257-21 and 257-22. If, after the service of notice, the owner fails to carry out the required construction or repairs, in compliance with the notice issued, the owner or owners shall be in violation of this article and subject to the procedures and penalties for the enforcement thereof as provided in Chapter 1, Article III, General Penalty, provided that the provisions of this article shall not be construed in such a manner as to relieve the owner of responsibility or liability for violating conditions existing prior to the issuance of notice or process. Additionally, subject to the availability of resources, the work may be performed by the City. The cost of the work shall be recovered by an assessment against the property affected as provided in N.J.S.A. 40:65-8 et seq. The assessment shall be in addition to any penalty which may be imposed for a violation of this chapter.
In all cases not specifically provided for in this article, the work of constructing, repairing and maintaining sidewalks, curbs and gutters shall be performed in accordance with New Jersey State Highway Department Standards for Road and Bridge Construction, 1961, and all amendments thereto adopted prior to March 31, 1967.
Before commencing the construction, reconstruction or substantial repair of any sidewalk, curb or gutter, a written permit shall be obtained by the person for whom the work is to be done or by the contractor who is to do the work. Application for permits shall be made to the Department of Public Works and shall state the name of the person who is to do the work or who is to be in charge of the work. Work shall not be done by any other person unless notification has been given, in writing, to the Department of Public Works, and has been approved by the Department. The Department of Public Works may suspend or revoke a permit, or deny an application for a permit, when the person performing or in charge of the work has been guilty of flagrant, repeated or continued violations of this article. Suspension or revocation of a permit shall be in addition to any other penalty which may be imposed for a violation.
A. 
The Director of Public Works shall receive the following fees for permits granted by him/her in accordance with the provisions of this article:
[Amended 11-7-2013 by Ord. No. 13-50]
(1) 
For each permit issued for the repair of an existing sidewalk, curb or gutter: $20.
(2) 
For each permit issued for the construction of a new sidewalk, driveway, curb or gutter: $20.
(3) 
For each permit issued for the construction of a sidewalk opening: $20.
B. 
A separate permit for the doing of any work under the provisions of this article shall be issued for each property in front of which the work is to be done, provided that where two or more properties actually adjoin and are owned by the same person a single permit may be issued.