[Amended 3-26-1985 by Ord. No. 6-85]
The following property maintenance standards
shall be observed:
A. All vacant structures and premises thereof or vacant
lands shall be maintained in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition
as provided herein so as not to cause problems or adversely affect
the public health or safety.
B. Sanitation. All exterior property areas and premises
shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary condition, free
from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage.
C. Storage areas. All open salvage yards and open storage
shall be completely obscured from surrounding property by a solid
screen not less than six feet in height.
D. Exhaust vents. A person shall not construct, maintain
or operate pipes, ducts, conductors, fans or blowers discharging gases,
steam, vapor, hot air, grease, smoke, odors or other gaseous or particulate
wastes so as to discharge directly upon abutting or adjacent public
and private property or property of another tenant.
E. The exterior of a structure shall be maintained structurally
sound and sanitary so as not to pose a threat to the health and safety
of the occupants and so as to protect the occupants from the environment.
F. Exterior surfaces: foundations, walls and roof. Every
foundation, exterior wall, roof and all other exterior surfaces shall
be maintained in a workmanlike state of maintenance and repair and
shall be kept in such condition as to exclude rodents.
G. Exterior walls. Every exterior wall shall be free
of holes, breaks, loose or rotting boards or timbers and any other
conditions which might admit rain or dampness to the interior portions
of the walls or to the occupied spaces of the building. All exterior
surface material, including wood, composition or metal siding, shall
be maintained weatherproof and shall be properly surface-coated when
required to prevent deterioration.
H. Window and door frames. Every window, door and frame
shall be constructed and maintained in such relation to the adjacent
wall construction as to exclude rain as completely as possible and
to substantially exclude wind from entering the dwelling or structure.
I. Chimneys. All chimneys, cooling towers, smokestacks
and similar appurtenances shall be maintained structurally safe, sound
and in good repair. All exposed surfaces of metal or wood shall be
protected from the elements and against decay or rust by periodic
application of weather-coating materials such as paint or similar
surface treatment.
J. Decorative features. All cornices, entablature, belt
courses, corbels, terra-cotta trim, wall facings and similar decorative
features shall be maintained in good repair with proper anchorage
and in a safe condition.
K. Signs, marquees and awnings. All canopies, marquees,
signs, metal awnings, stairways, fire escapes, standpipes, exhaust
ducts and similar overhang extensions shall be maintained in good
repair and be properly anchored so as to be kept in a safe and sound
condition. They shall be protected from the elements and against decay
and rust by the periodic application of a weather-coating material
such as paint or other protective treatment.
L. Cleanliness. Every occupant of a structure or part
thereof shall keep that part of the structure or premises thereof
which that occupant occupies, controls or uses in a clean and sanitary
condition. Every owner of a dwelling containing two or more dwelling
units shall maintain in a clean and sanitary condition the shared
or public areas of the dwelling and premises thereof.
M. Disposal of rubbish. Every occupant of a structure
or part thereof shall dispose of all rubbish in a clean and sanitary
manner by placing it in rubbish containers equipped with tight-fitting
covers as required by this chapter.
N. Disposal of garbage. Every occupant of a structure
or part thereof shall dispose of garbage in a clean and sanitary manner
by placing it in garbage disposal facilities or, if such facilities
are not available, by removing all nonburnable matter and securely
wrapping such garbage and placing it in tight garbage storage containers
as required by this chapter or by such other disposal method as may
be required by applicable laws or ordinances.
O. Garbage storage facilities. Every dwelling unit shall
be supplied with an approved garbage disposal facility, which shall
be an incinerator unit to be approved by the Construction Official,
in the structure for the use of the occupants of each dwelling unit
or an approved outside garbage can or a leakproof approved container
provided with a close-fitting cover for storage of such material until
the materials are removed from the premises for disposal. The garbage
cans shall be kept in a screened-in area or in an enclosure.
P. Caretaker. In every multiple dwelling in which the
owner does not reside, there shall be a responsible person designated
by the owner residing on the premises, whose duties include maintaining
the commonly used parts of the premises.
Q. Motor vehicles: residential areas. Not more than one
currently unregistered and/or uninspected motor vehicle shall be parked
on any property in a residential district, and said vehicle shall
not at any time be in a state of major disassembly or disrepair nor
shall it be in the process of being stripped or dismantled. A vehicle
of any type shall not at any time undergo major overhaul, including
bodywork, disassembly or disrepair, in a residential district. Nor
shall any disassembly, disrepair, dismantling, stripping or bodywork
be done on a residential street.
R. Motor vehicles: nonresidential areas. Not more than
two currently unregistered and/or uninspected motor vehicles shall
be permitted on any property in a nonresidential district, and any
vehicle shall not at any time be in a state of substantial disassembly
or disrepair nor shall it be in the process of being stripped or dismantled.
In no event on a nonresidential street shall any vehicle of any kind
at any time undergo substantial overhaul, including disassembly, disrepair,
stripping or dismantling or bodywork.
S. Public areas. All sidewalks, steps, driveways, parking
spaces and similar paved areas for public use shall be kept in a proper
state of repair and free of all snow, ice, mud and other debris. If
any sidewalk or driveway or portion thereof by virtue of its state
of repair shall constitute a danger to public health and safety, the
sidewalk or driveway or portion thereof shall be replaced.
T. Weeds, trees and hedges.
[Amended 11-23-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-10]
(1) All premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from
weeds and grass in excess of six inches in height, with the exception
of trees, shrubs, cultivated flowers and gardens. All noxious weeds
shall be prohibited and immediately removed.
(2) Trees. Dead and dying trees, tree limbs or other natural tree growth
which, by reason of rotting or deteriorating condition or storm damage,
has been determined by the Village Health Officer, Village Code Enforcement
Officer, the Ridgefield Park Shade Tree Commission or the Commissioner
of Public Safety to constitute a hazard to persons in the vicinity
thereof shall be removed within 10 days after notice to remove same
has been given.
(3) Hedges, shrubs and bushes. All hedges, shrubs, bushes, weeds, trees,
grasses, growth or vegetation of any kind shall not encroach across
a sidewalk or roadway or otherwise become a public nuisance to pedestrians,
drivers or members of the public.
(4) Enforcement. These requirements set forth in this subsection shall
be enforced by the Village Health Officer, the Village Code Enforcement
Officer or the Commissioner of Public Safety, who shall make the final
determination as to whether the requirements of this subsection have
been met.
(5) Notice to owners or tenants. Notice to cut and remove objectionable brush, hedges, trees, grass and other plant life pursuant to this subsection shall be given by any of the enforcing officials set forth in Subsection
T(4) herein to the property owner by regular and certified mail to the last-known post office address. The owner or tenant shall have 10 days from the date that the notice was delivered to correct the violations stated in the notice. Refusal to accept or sign the certified receipt shall not stay the ten-day remediation period, which shall commence either three days from the date of mailing or the date that the certified receipt is signed, whichever is later.
(6) Failure to comply; correction by Village. In the event of the failure of any owner or tenant to comply with any notice issued by the Village pursuant to this subsection within the ten-day period provided, the Village may proceed to cause the cutting and removal of the objectionable brush, hedges, trees, grass and other plant life under the direction of the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works. The decision to cut or remove the objectionable plant life shall rest in the sole discretion of the enforcing officials set forth in Subsection
T(4) herein.
(7) Costs to become lien. In any case where the Village has cut and removed
brush, hedges, trees, grass or other objectionable plant life, the
Superintendent of the Department of Public Works shall thereafter
certify to the governing body the cost thereof; and if the amount
is determined by the Board of Commissioners to be correct and reasonable,
then the Village Clerk shall forthwith deliver a certified resolution
memorializing the final amount to the Village Tax Collector. The amount
so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon the lands from which
the objectionable plant life was cut and removed.
(8) Violations and penalties. Any person who shall refuse or neglect,
after receiving written notice in the manner set forth above, to comply
with the notice therein made with respect to the cutting and removal
within the 10 days provided in this subsection shall, upon conviction
thereof, be liable to a penalty to not exceed $50 per day for each
and every day after the ten-day period in which the owner or tenant
shall refuse or neglect to cut and remove the objectionable plant
life. Each day shall be deemed a separate offense and shall continue
until either the owner/tenant or the Village cuts or removes the objectionable
plant life. The imposition and collection of any fine or penalty prescribed
by this section shall not bar the right of the Village to collect
the additional cost of cutting the brush, hedges, trees, grass or
other objectionable plant life, as hereinbefore specified. Such remedies
shall be cumulative. Refusal to sign the certified receipt shall not
be a defense to the imposition of penalties in this subsection.
U. Open fires. Open fires shall be prohibited except
as specifically approved by the Fire Official.
V. Parking lots.
(1) All commercial and business establishments within
the Village of Ridgefield Park shall have areas providing off-street
parking for the employees and persons using said establishments, which
areas shall be surfaced with asphaltic or concrete surfaces so as
to be hard-surfaced and to prevent erosion and shall have appropriate
curbing or the equivalent, in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance.
Each parking area shall have controlled entrances and exits, with
painted lines indicating traffic flow and parking spaces. The proposed
location of the off-street parking shall show all drainage facilities
and proposed grades, with proposed lighting facilities, including
showing the direction and reflection of the lighting. Such parking
areas shall also have such planting and fencing, if necessary, as
to enhance the neighborhood. The proposed design, location and other
requirements of this subsection for parking areas shall be reviewed
and approved by the Municipal Engineer. Any operator or owner of property
dissatisfied with the decision of the Municipal Engineer may appeal
such decision to the Board of Commissioners, which shall make a determination
in writing within 45 days from the time the Clerk receives objections
to the decision of the Municipal Engineer.
(2) Off-street parking areas so designed as to accommodate
five or fewer vehicles may be exempted from the provisions of this
chapter upon proper application to the enforcement officer.
W. Trailers.
(1) No trailers, which includes buildings, vehicles or
rollers for carrying persons or property, shall be located within
any portion of the municipality so that they may be used for residential,
business or commercial purposes, including human habitation or the
permanent storage of property or the operation therefrom for permanent
commercial purposes.
(2) Any trailer, however, which is located on a piece
of property for a temporary period of time in connection with the
operation of a business or commercial establishment, or a travel trailer
used for travel, recreation, vacation and other short-term uses, which
does not have a width exceeding eight feet and a body length exceeding
24 feet, shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter as long
as it is operable for the foregoing purposes and is not used for human
habitation.