It is the intent of College Township to provide for a safe and
convenient sidewalk system in appropriate areas of College Township
to create a pedestrian friendly environment, as per this chapter.
A.
Design standards. In addition to § 180-16 and Subsection B of this chapter; repair, reconstruction of sidewalks, and new construction of sidewalks shall be constructed and/or repaired upon one of the following conditions:
(1)
Horizontal alignment. A sidewalk shall be repaired when a crack within
a square or a joint between two adjacent squares has separated to
a distance of one inch or greater or when the edges of a crack are
chipped or broken to create surface openings of one inch or more.
Where expansion or contraction joints have widened to one inch or
greater, repairs shall be made in such a way to allow for expansion
to occur later. If vertical movement occurs around a crack which,
in the opinion of the Township Engineer, creates a tripping hazard,
the square should be removed and replaced. Cracks shall be chipped
out in a V-shape to sound concrete and thoroughly cleaned before repair.
(2)
Vertical alignment. Repairs shall be made when a sidewalk square
has risen or sunk one inch or more in relation to the remainder of
the square or to an adjacent square. If a portion of the block has
risen or sunk more than one inch, measured 15 inches from the edge
of the block, repairs shall be made. The square can be physically
raised or lowered to be realigned with the adjacent squares. If an
entire square has sunk, it may be patched with concrete-bonded overlay
of the entire square. The minimum thickness of this patch cannot be
less than one inch. Placing a wedge of patch material over a portion
of the square is not acceptable.
(3)
Surface deterioration. A sidewalk square must be repaired when 25%
or more of the exposed horizontal surface has chipped or crumbled,
exposing aggregate and creating peaks and valleys, to a depth at any
point of 1/2 inch or more below the original surface. A square must
also be repaired if an area of 16 square inches or more has deteriorated
or has developed a hole at least one inch deep in the surface. Deteriorated
material must be removed down to sound concrete and the area thoroughly
cleaned before repair.
(4)
Materials. When sidewalks are reconstructed, they shall conform with § 177-28 above. Repairs shall be made by first applying bonding agent and next placing patch material composed of a half-and-half mixture of Portland cement and sand, or with a commercial epoxy-type concrete patch material. Other commercial material such as vinyl modified may be approved by the Engineer.
B.
Maintenance, repair and reconstruction of sidewalks. All property
owners who abut a sidewalk available for public use shall maintain
said sidewalk, keeping it free from obstruction whether such sidewalks
are located in the right-of-way or adjacent to it as follows:
(1)
In the event that the condition of any sidewalk requires maintenance,
repair or the removal of obstructions therefrom as required by the
regulations of this and all other chapters of the College Township
Code, Council or its designee shall cause a notice to be sent in writing,
to the owners of the property requiring said owners to effect such
repairs, maintenance or removal of the obstruction from the sidewalks
with the following conditions:
(a)
Repair of sidewalks shall be made by the property owner in accordance
with the provisions of this chapter.
(b)
The property owner shall be given at least 90 days to correct
any deficiency in the sidewalk.
(c)
The property owner shall be guilty of a separate violation of
this section for every five-day period beyond the repair date that
the defects go uncorrected.
(d)
Fines shall be set by resolution of the College Township Council.
(2)
Upon failure of any property owner to make necessary repairs required
by the notice provided for hereinabove within the time fixed by this
chapter, the Township is hereby authorized and empowered through its
duly authorized agents, servants or employees to enter upon the premises
and make the necessary repairs or remove the offending obstructions
and the expense thereof shall be levied against the property and collected
from the owners in the manner provided for the collection of municipal
liens. Any claims entered against the owners shall be a lien upon
the premises dating from the time of commencement of work.
(3)
It shall be unlawful for any person to tear up, destroy, remove,
deface or excavate or otherwise damage any sidewalk in the public
rights-of-way or for those public sidewalks located adjacent to the
public rights-of-way except in accordance with a permit duly authorized
by an agent or employee of College Township. Anyone in violation of
this section or subsection shall be subject to fines as set by resolution
of the College Township Council.[1]
C.
Snow and ice removal from sidewalks. Property owners or occupants
of said property shall be responsible for the removal of snow and/or
ice from sidewalks along public rights-of-way abutting their property
or located on said property but adjacent to the right-of-way within
24 hours after the same shall have ceased to fall, in the case of
snow, or shall have occurred, in the case of ice, as follows:
(1)
Responsibility for removal of snow or ice. It shall be the duty of
the owners and occupiers of properties as hereinafter provided, and
the owners of unoccupied lots along whose premises sidewalks have
been laid, or may hereafter be laid under the authority of the Township,
to cause said paved sidewalks along their respective properties to
be cleared to the width of said sidewalk of snow or ice, provided
the owner shall be responsible for conforming to the provisions of
this section in the case of unoccupied property, or property occupied
by a tenant or a property containing more than one dwelling or business
unit; the occupant shall be responsible therefor in the case of property
containing a single dwelling or business unit.
(2)
Responsibility of owners of multiple-family dwellings and apartments.
It shall be the duty of all owners of multiple-family dwellings or
apartments to cause sidewalks leading from the said buildings to the
street, parking lots, or other sidewalks located along the respective
property to be cleared of snow or ice.
(3)
Responsibility of owners of nonresidential property. It shall be
the duty of all owners of nonresidential property to cause sidewalks
leading from said buildings to the street, parking lots, or other
sidewalks located within the property dedicated to general public
use to be cleared of snow or ice.
(4)
Responsibility of property owners' associations. It shall be the
duty of all associations and their assigns for sidewalks which are
the responsibility of the property owners' association to be cleared
of snow or ice.
(5)
Responsibility for dedicated streets prior to acceptance. It shall
be the duty of all owners of properties to cause dedicated paved streets
and/or sidewalks along the respective properties to be cleared of
snow or ice, which shall continue until said streets shall have been
accepted as a public right-of-way of the Township.
(6)
Violations. Any property owner who fails to comply with this section
pertaining to snow and/or ice removal within the given time period
shall be considered in violation of this chapter and subject to a
fine as set by resolution of College Township Council.
(7)
Removal of snow or ice by Township. In cases where a property owner
continuously fails to remove snow and ice from sidewalks as required
herein, the Township and/or its designees may clear or cause the same
to be cleared and the costs of clearing them plus 10% administrative
costs shall be collected by the Township from said property owner
or occupier of the property involved, and such amount may be charged
in addition to any fine or penalty already imposed in relation to
the clearance of snow and ice.
Any required accessible curb ramp located within a right-of-way
or shared-use path easement shall be installed and maintained in accordance
PENNDOT Publication 408, and PENNDOT Publication 72, Standards for
Roadway Construction, latest edition.
