[Adopted 4-25-2023 by Ord. No. 23-08]
All sidewalks within the Township shall be maintained in good repair and nondangerous condition. It shall be the joint and several responsibility of the property owner and occupant(s) to maintain the sidewalks in good repair and nondangerous condition as defined herein.
A. 
Good repair. A sidewalk is in good repair if it is one that does not have:
(1) 
Any surface crumbling;
(2) 
Cracks wider than one inch;
(3) 
Holes, pits or other spaces in which an average person could trip and fall; or
(4) 
Any other defects which could cause a hazard to persons walking thereon.
B. 
Dangerous condition. Sidewalk is in dangerous condition if it has:
(1) 
Any surface crumbling;
(2) 
Cracks wider than one inch;
(3) 
Holes, pits or other spaces in which an average person could trip and fall;
(4) 
Uneven adjacent surfaces, commonly known as "rising" or "shifting", in excess of one inch; or
(5) 
Any other defects which could cause a hazard to persons walking thereon.
It shall be the joint and several duty of the property owner and occupant(s) to repair or replace any sidewalk which is in a dangerous condition or not in good repair.
Should any property owner and/or occupant fail to repair or replace any sidewalk which is dangerous or not in good repair, the Director of Public Works, or designee, may order the property owner and/or occupant to repair or replace the sidewalk. If the property owner and/or occupant fails to repair or replace the sidewalk within 30 days of receiving written notice to do so, the Township may repair or replace the sidewalk and assess the costs to the owner's tax bill.
A. 
The Director of Public Works, or designee, shall notify each property owner and occupant of property with sidewalks needing repair, either by certified mail or personal service, that the sidewalk must be repaired. The notice shall contain a description of the property affected sufficient to identify it, description of the repairs required, and a statement that, unless the owner completes the repairs within 30 days after service of this notice, the Township will complete the repairs at the expense of the owner, and a lien will be placed upon the property. The cost incurred by the Township for such repairs shall be certified by the Director of Public Works to the Tax Collector, who shall examine such certificate and cause the cost as certified be charged against the lands abutting or bordering such sidewalk. The amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien on such lands, and shall be added to and become a form a part of the taxes then next to be assessed and levied upon such lands, and shall be collected and enforced according to law. Any owner against whom any assessment shall be made by reason of this article may pay said assessment forthwith or may pay the same, at his/her/their option, in five equal annual installments, each installment to bear interest at the rate of 8% per annum. Each installment shall fall due annually at the same time the assessment for local taxes upon real estate falls due and shall be collected by the Tax Collector upon notice sent out by the Collector for a local real estate taxes. The first installment shall be payable on the first day of February next after the work upon the property has been completed and the report of the cost thereof reported and certified as provided herein.
B. 
If the owner is unknown or for any reason service cannot be made by certified mail, the notice shall be published in a newspaper at least once, not less than 30 days before the repairs are made.
Nothing herein shall be construed to create a duty for the Township to inspect, fix, repair or otherwise maintain any sidewalk.
No person shall construct, reconstruct or substantially repair any sidewalk, curb or gutter on any public street of the Township of Ewing without obtaining a permit from the Superintendent of Roads. The work shall be done in strict conformity with the Township specifications and grades and line of the Township Engineer for curbs and sidewalks.
The fees for permits granted under the provisions of this section shall be as set forth in Chapter 172, Fees.
A. 
A separate permit for the performance of any work under the provisions of this article shall be issued for each lot, tract or parcel of land in front of or along which such work is to be done; provided, however, that where two or more lots, tracts or parcels of land actually adjoin and are owned by the same persons, a single permit may be issued to embrace the same (covering not more than 100 lineal feet for each permit).
B. 
A separate permit shall be required for the performance of work under the provisions of this article for each opening or driveway when all the land owned by the applicant shall extend more than 100 lineal feet.
C. 
This article shall not apply to any construction in connection with a major subdivision.