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Town of Webster, MA
Worcester County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting 5-8-1988 ATM, Art. 98, as Secs. 110.3 through 110.14, 110.16, 110.18, 150.3 and 150.5 of the General Bylaws. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Bicycles on sidewalks — See Ch. 320.
Snow and ice removal — See Ch. 555.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 599.
No person, except the Selectmen in the lawful performance of their duties or those acting under their orders or those who are fully covered with statutory power shall break up or dig out the ground in any street or public way in the Town without first obtaining a written permit from the Selectmen, which permit shall state the regulations under which such excavation shall be done.
[Amended 5-11-2009 ATM, Art. 26]
Whenever the Director of the Department of Public Works is about to construct or repair street or way, he shall, before beginning the work, give reasonable notice of such intention to other departments and corporations affected thereby and to all abutting owners. After such notice has been given, no department, corporation, or person shall for a space of one-year break up or disturb the surface of said street or way within the area so constructed and repaired except in case of reasonable necessity.
A. 
Any person who intends to repair or take down any building on land abutting on any way, which the Town is required to keep in repair, and intends to make use of any portion of said way for the purpose of placing thereon building materials or rubbish, shall give notice to the Selectmen. Thereupon, the Selectmen may grant a permit to occupy a portion of said way to be used for such purpose as in their judgement the necessity of the case and the security of the public require; such permit, in no event to exceed a period of more than 90 days, shall contain such conditions as the Selectmen may require; sufficient light shall be so placed from sunset to sunrise as to effectual secure all travelers from injury.
B. 
The Selectmen may, before granting such permit, require such person to furnish a satisfactory bond to save the Town harmless for any damages that may arise from such obstructions in the street and to insure the faithful compliance with the conditions of said permit.
No person shall establish or maintain any shade or awning or any part thereof over any part of a street or highway unless the same be securely and safely supported and said awning or shade must be at least seven feet above the sidewalk and is specifically permitted by the Selectmen.
No person shall allow any gate or door belonging to the premises under his legal control and adjoining any public way to swing on, over, or into said public way.
No person shall establish or maintain any sign, signboard or advertising device over any street or highway without a written permit of the Selectmen.
[Added 5-8-1988 ATM, Art. 98]
No person shall maintain any type of political poster on poles, trees, real estate or any type of structure for a period in excess of seven days following the final election day in contrast to caucuses or primaries to which said posters refer.
No person shall break, remove, deface or otherwise injure any stone-bound which marks a street-line or public way or Town land.
[Amended 5-11-2009 ATM, Art. 26]
No person shall drive any vehicle upon or over any hosepipe or hose in use when placed in any street or highway by order of the Fire Chief or other officers of the Fire Department or the Department of Public Works.
No person shall course, coast, or slide down, across, or over any street or highway upon any hand-sled, board or otherwise, except at such places and under such restrictions as the Selectmen shall designate and require.
All street, hereinafter laid out or accepted by the Town as a street or public highway, shall be at least 50 feet in width, unless otherwise determined by the Planning Board and shall not be accepted unless a plan showing in detail the location and proposed grade of such way is placed of file with the Town Clerk Seven days, at least, before the date of the Town Meeting at which the acceptance of such way as a street or public highway is required, and unless the surface of the way has been put in condition reasonably safe for public travel, conformable to the grade set forth in said plan by the landowner or owners contributing the franchise of such way.
No person or persons shall obstruct any sidewalk after being requested to move on by a Police Officer.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: (Attorney General's note-August 31.1988) Caution in the application and enforcement of Section 110.14 should be exercised to avoid problems of vagueness, discretionary enforcement and overbreadth. See Commonwealth v Williams. 395 Mass. 302 (1985).
Whenever any person, contractor or Public Utilities Co. (excepting any Town Department) if approved by the Webster Chief of Police or during a time of emergency opens up any street or roadway which has an effect on the safe and free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, such person, contractor or Public Utilities Co. shall have an officer of the Webster Police Department at the scene to protect the safety of the public.
[Amended 6-29-1989 ATM, Art. 20]
Whoever without first having obtained written permission from the Selectmen intentionally obstruct a public street or sidewalk by placing or causing to be placed therein any article or thing whatsoever, or suffer the same to remain in such position for more than five minutes, shall be liable for a penalty as set in Chapter 85, Enforcement; Noncriminal Disposition, of the Code of the Town of Webster, plus cost incurred by the Town to remove and dispose of said obstruction (items).
No person shall suffer or permit any water or other liquid substance to run or be discharged from any building owned by him or under his control into or across any street or sidewalk; nor shall any person wash with water from hose or any pipe any windows or parts of a store or other building whereby any sidewalk may become wet except before 9:00 a.m. and after 9:30 p.m.
No person shall throw stones, snowballs, sticks, or other missiles, nor play other games which interfere with the free, safe, and convenient use of any street or way by any person traveling or passing along on same.