Source: https://ecode360.com/11806104
Timestamp: 2018-11-14 01:22:04
Document Index: 782079825

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92', '§ 92']

Township of Springfield, PA Permits and Regulations
Ch 92 Art I Permits and Regulations
§ 92-1 Permit required for excavations; poles, obstructions.
§ 92-2 Application requirements.
§ 92-3 Insurance requirements.
§ 92-4 Emergencies.
§ 92-5 Fees; liability insurance.
§ 92-6 Approval of permit by Township; expiration and renewal; exhibit.
§ 92-7 Measurements.
§ 92-8 Tunneling.
§ 92-9 Backfilling; temporary and permanent paving.
§ 92-10 Safety precautions.
§ 92-11 Responsibilities of public service corporations.
§ 92-12 Poles: identification; record of location; tax.
§ 92-13 Sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
§ 92-14 Effect of permit fees.
§ 92-15 Street and sidewalk obstructions; overhanging vegetation.
§ 92-16 Obstruction of gutters.
§ 92-17 Discharge of drainage or sewage onto streets.
§ 92-18 Rubbish and fires in streets.
§ 92-18.1 Closing and opening of streets.
§ 92-19 Standard specifications for highway improvements.
§ 92-20 Violations and penalties.
Chapter 92 Streets and Sidewalks
Article I: Permits and Regulations
[Adopted 8-14-1957 by Ord. No. 423]
Chapter 92: Streets and Sidewalks Article I Permits and Regulations
[Amended 8-8-2001 by Ord. No. 851]
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons, firm, association or corporation to open or break the surface of the ground within the boundaries of any public highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath, for the purpose of laying pipes, sewers, drains or conduits of any description, or for making connections therewith or repairs thereto; or for the setting or planting of telegraph, telephone, electric light or other poles, or for repairs thereto or renewals thereof or to break the surface of any improved sidewalk or curb for the purpose of building any driveway across same or occupying a portion of the highway, street or sidewalk for any purpose, without first obtaining from the Township of Springfield a permit therefor before such work is begun, and complying with the other requirements herein specified.
Before such permit and said work is begun, a written application, on a form to be furnished for that purpose by the Township of Springfield, must be filed with the Code Enforcement Department a minimum of five days prior to the planned start of work, setting forth the purpose for which said highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath is to be opened, excavated or occupied and the location of said proposed work, and in such application the applicant shall assume all liability for all or any damages to person or property accruing to the public or to said Township which may or might result from the opening, excavation or occupying of said highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath.
Said application must be signed by a person, firm, association or corporation who shall have filed with the Township of Springfield a certificate of insurance showing that they maintain property and bodily injury liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 combined and single limit per occurrence. The Township of Springfield shall be named as an additional insured and be held harmless for the acts of any permit holder.
Whenever the exigencies of public health or safety require that instant repairs be made and the procurement of a permit prior to the commencement of the work is impracticable, it shall be lawful for the work to be begun without a permit, provided that an application for said permit is filed and the proper fee paid therefor within 48 hours from the time when the emergency arose, and provided further that any person or persons, firm, association or corporation beginning said work under the provisions of this section shall do so subject to the conditions and obligations imposed by this Article upon persons, firms, associations and corporations opening or excavating highways, avenues or streets as though an application for a permit had been filed.
[Amended 11-11-1970 by Ord. No. 600; 1-9-1980 by Ord. No. 692; 7-11-1984 by Ord. No. 725; 8-8-2001 by Ord. No. 851; 10-11-2006 by Ord. No. 879]
Administrative and restoration fees. Before the issuance of a permit, the applicant shall make payment to the Township of the sums hereinafter mentioned:
For openings or excavations in any highway, road, street, avenue, alley, sidewalk or footpath having an unimproved surface, the sum of $10 per square yard or fraction thereof.
For openings or excavations in any highway, road, street, avenue, or alley having an improved surface, the sum of $150 per square yard or fraction thereof.
If the disturbed area is to be restored by the permit holder in accordance with approved Township specifications, the sum of $20.
For openings or breaks in improved sidewalks or footpaths, the sum of $100 per square yard or fraction thereof, and for breaking the surface of any improved curb for the purpose of building any driveway across the same or for any purpose, the sum of $10 for each section of 10 linear feet or fraction thereof.
For the erection, setting or planting of any pole, the sum of $20 for each pole, except that, in the case of renewals, the application must be made but no permit fee shall be charged.
The permit fee for occupying a portion of a highway, avenue, street or sidewalk for any purpose shall be the sum of $50 for each week or fraction thereof. No permit for occupying a portion of a highway shall be issued except with the approval of and upon such terms and conditions as may be required by the Chief of Police or his/her assigned designee. A permit shall not be issued if suitable space is available outside of the right-of-way.
No such permits shall authorize the occupying of more than 1/3 of the width of the roadway between curbs or 10 feet in width, whichever is less, nor shall the occupied area exceed the dimensions of the frontage of the premises about to be built upon or repaired.
Provision shall be made by the applicant for such a permit for maintaining at all times a clear and unobstructed passage along the sidewalk, at least six feet in width, and a free passage for water in the gutter.
No other obstruction shall at any time be placed in the highway within 25 feet of any fire hydrant.
Obstructions occupying the highway shall be removed prior to the expiration of the time for which the permit was issued or for which it was renewed.
Loose materials such as, but not limited to, mulch, stone, topsoil or leaves may not be deposited, stored or staged within the highway, avenue or street unless secured within a suitable container.
Street degradation fees. For openings or breaks in any improved surfaces, a street degradation fee shall be charged in addition to any administrative and restoration fees required under this section; and provided, further, that all base fees and additional degradation fees shall be adjusted annually by the Philadelphia All-Urban Consumer Price Index.
Base fee: $75.
Additional degradation fee if surface was paved or microsurfaced within the past five years:
If paved within one year of permit: $25/linear foot.
If paved within two years of permit: $20/linear foot.
If paved within three years of permit: $15/linear foot.
If paved within four years of permit: $10/linear foot.
If paved within five years of permit: $5/linear foot.
No permit provided for under the provisions of this section shall be issued until such time as the applicant has first filed with the Township of Springfield a certificate showing that they maintain property and bodily injury liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 combined and single limit per occurrence.
No permit shall be issued until the application has been approved by the Township Engineer.
Once the application has been approved by the Township Engineer, a permit shall be issued by the Township Code Enforcement Department and shall not be operative for more than 30 days from the date of issue. Permits may be renewed for a like period upon payment of a renewal fee of $10.
[Amended 7-11-1984 by Ord. No. 725; 8-8-2001 by Ord. No. 851]
The permit shall at all times be kept in the possession of a competent person actually engaged in the work and, upon demand, shall be exhibited to any police officer or properly authorized employee of the Township, county or state.
All measurements required to be made in applying the above fees shall be made by the applicant and approved by the Township. Any enlargements of openings which may be required to be made as an incident of the repair of such paving or to restore the same to its former condition shall be reported to the Township.
No highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath shall be tunneled, except where special written permission therefor shall have been granted by the Township Engineer.
All breaks or openings shall be refilled by the applicant for the permit to the approval of the Department of Public Works by replacing all the excavated materials in the opening without raising the surface of the highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath, due allowance being made for the structure being placed in the trench. All refilling must be done with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Specified 2A stone, thoroughly compacted by puddling or hard tamping in uniform layers not exceeding six inches in depth, and all surplus dirt must be removed from the job.
[Amended 5-14-1986 by Ord. No. 742]
A temporary paving of materials, the top two inches of which shall be new bituminous concrete, thoroughly bound and compacted, shall be installed flush with the surface of the adjoining paving. The applicant shall keep and maintain such paving in proper condition until such time as the permanent paving is constructed. If the applicant fails to install such paving within a reasonable time after the completion of the improvements or fails to properly maintain such paving, the Township shall perform the work and charge the costs thereof to the applicant.
Permanent paving shall be constructed no later than 30 days after the installation of the temporary paving. If within one year after the installation of the permanent paving, defects appear therein, resulting from defective restoration by the applicant, the applicant shall reimburse the Township for the cost of all necessary repairs to the permanent paving.
If the applicant opens pavement having an improved surface, and the Township's wearing course is less than five years old, the applicant shall, in addition to the restoration requirements outlined in this article, overlay the pavement in accordance with the following conditions:
When a longitudinal opening longer than 100 linear feet has been made in the pavement, the applicant shall overlay the traffic lanes in which the opening was made, for the entire length of highway that was opened, in a manner to be approved by the Township.
When two or more transverse openings have been made within 100 linear feet of pavement, the applicant shall overlay traffic lanes in which the openings were made, for the entire length of highway between the openings, in a manner to be approved by the Township.
When four or more openings have been made by the same applicant within 100 linear feet of pavement, the applicant shall overlay traffic lanes in which the openings were made, for the entire length of highway between the openings, in a manner to be approved by the Township.
If disturbed lanes adjacent to undisturbed lanes are overlayed, the edge of the disturbed lane shall be saw cut or milled to a depth of 1 1/2 inches or the depth of the existing surface course, whichever is less, for the length of the opening to insure a smooth joint, with proper elevation and cross section. A full width overlay may be authorized on various roadways instead of saw cutting or milling the disturbed lane.
If disturbed lanes adjacent to the shoulders are overlayed, the shoulder shall be raised, with material and in a manner approved by the Township for the type of existing shoulder, so that the overlaid pavement and shoulder edges are at the same elevation.
If more than 100 linear feet of longitudinal or transverse openings, or both, are made in the pavement, the Township reserves the right to require the applicant to overlay traffic lanes in which the openings were made, for the entire length of highway that was opened, if the Township Engineer determines that the rideability or structural integrity of the pavement has been impaired by the openings.
If four or more openings are made by the same permit holder within 100 linear feet of pavement, the Township reserves the right to require the applicant to restore the entire disturbed pavement between the openings by milling, planing or authorized method and overlaying the entire disturbed pavement.
Aggregate used in bituminous overlay wearing course shall comply with skid resistance level (SRC) criteria specified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
At each end of an overlay, the applicant shall install a paving notch by milling, planing or other authorized method and provide a minimum ten-foot transition.
When pavement markings on more than 100 linear feet of highways are covered or destroyed by the permitted work, including overlays, they shall be replaced with temporary pavement markings, before opening the disturbed pavement to traffic. When the pavement surface is fully restored, permanent pavement markings that were covered or destroyed shall be replaced by the applicant, in like kind, in their former location.
Restored openings in the pavement or paved shoulder shall be sealed with a suitable material in accordance with Township specifications.
All materials, openings, excavations or obstructions created under such permits must be properly guarded at all times, and from sunset to sunrise by illuminated barricades so placed as to indicate, from the roadway or sidewalk in both directions, the exact location and limits of said work or obstruction. Permit holders are further required to provide work zone signage and traffic controls in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Publication No. 203, Work Zone Traffic Controls, as currently amended. If, in the opinion of the Chief of Police or his/her assigned designee, the life, safety and/or welfare of any individual is in jeopardy as a result of any occupancy or work within the public right-of-way, the Township of Springfield reserves the right to remove the obstruction or to prohibit any work from occurring until such time as suitable safety controls are in place.
The filing of an application by a public service utility corporation, and the issuance of a permit for laying of water or gas pipe or conduit for electric wires or for the erection of an electric light, telephone, cable television, or any other pole, shall constitute an agreement on the part of the applicant that it will at any time thereafter, upon notice from the Township of Springfield, at its own expense, make such change in locating or construction of such pipe, conduit or pole as may be required.
All telegraph, telephone, trolley, electric light and similar poles erected within the boundaries of any public highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley in the Township of Springfield, shall be lettered or stenciled with the number of same. A complete record, showing the location and number of each pole in the Township of Springfield, shall be filed, by the owner or owners of said poles, with the Township Secretary annually, on or before July 1.
A license charge or tax of $0.25 per pole per annum is hereby assessed on all poles erected in the Township of Springfield.
Sidewalks, curbs and gutters shall not be placed or replaced within the boundaries of any public highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley in the Township of Springfield without first obtaining a permit for such purpose, which shall fully set forth in written application and plans showing such purpose and assuming all liability for all and any damage which might result from the performance of such work; except where repairs to existing sidewalks, curbs or gutters involve no change in line or grade and where no new stakes for lines and grades are required to be set, there shall be no need of any permit, but the Township shall be notified and the work inspected by a Township Inspector.
Applicants shall be required to submit engineered plans for review and approval by the Township Engineer, giving or defining grades and lines for the placing or replacing of sidewalk, curb or gutter within the boundaries of any public right-of-way.
The Township Engineer is hereby empowered to give or define grades or lines for the placing or replacing of sidewalk, curb and gutter within the boundaries of any public highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley within said Township, and no act on the part of any other official or employee shall bind the Township or make it liable therefor.
No sidewalk, curb or gutter shall be placed or replaced until such time as the agent performing the work has received written approval from the Township authorizing the work to proceed.
Property owners and their contractors or agents shall protect the public by proper guards and lights against any danger or injury while the highway is open in the work of placing or replacing sidewalk, curb and gutter or any matter pertaining thereto, including the guarding against injury by materials that may be placed in the highway for that purpose.
No permit fee paid under this article shall be considered to be in lieu of any annual license fee now required to be paid, or which may at any time be required to be paid by ordinance of the Township of Springfield.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to erect, set up, place or maintain any gasoline pump, oil tank or other obstructions, or to plant any trees, shrubbery or similar obstruction within the boundaries of any public highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath in the Township of Springfield.
Trees and hedges overhanging the sidewalk shall be trimmed to provide clear passage of not less than 12 feet above the sidewalk or roadway.[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 11, Brush, Grass and Weeds.
Any such obstruction shall be removed promptly by the property owner whenever written notice to remove such obstruction is given by the Code Enforcement Officer. If the owner fails to comply with such notice, the Township shall remove the obstruction and charge the cost thereof to the owner.
Every lane and entrance road connecting with any public highway, street, road or avenue of the Township of Springfield shall be so constructed or altered that the water and surface drainage shall not be blocked or diverted from the course of the gutter, and that the surface drainage from such lane or entrance road shall flow into the gutter of said public highway, road, street or avenue and not upon the roadbed thereof.
It shall be unlawful for all persons owning or occupying property along any public highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley in the Township of Springfield to drain or allow the flow into or upon any highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley, by pipes or any other channel, either natural or artificial, any water or drainage from sinks, bathtubs, washstands, lavatories, water closets, swimming pools, privies, cesspools or fish ponds of any kind or nature whatsoever, or any other foul or offensive water or drainage of any kind, or to allow any such water or drainage to percolate into or upon said highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley.
§ 92-18 Rubbish and fires in streets. [1]
No paper, trash, rubbish, ashes, junk, waste or discarded materials of any kind shall be thrown, deposited or dumped in any ravine, ditch or gutter, or any highway, road, street, avenue, lane, alley, sidewalk or footpath in the Township of Springfield, nor in any public place or private property, vacant or occupied, within the limits of said Township.
No leaves, grass, weeds, hedges or tree trimmings shall be burned within the boundaries of any public highway, nor shall any fire be made which will cause damage to the highway or street paving.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to prohibit municipal dumps maintained by the Township of Springfield or a reasonable accumulation of rubbish on private property by the owner thereof; provided, however, that such rubbish shall be kept in watertight containers and in a manner so as to not harm the health, safety or welfare of any being.
[Amended 6-14-1961 by Ord. No. 474; 8-8-2001 by Ord. No. 851]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 40, Garbage, Rubbish and Refuse, and Ch. 16, Burning, Outdoor.
[Added 4-14-1976 by Ord. No. 651; amended 8-8-2001 by Ord. No. 851]
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to close or open any highway, road, street, avenue, lane or alley in the Township of Springfield unless and until written authorization has been obtained from the Chief of Police or his/her assigned designee. Applications for such closings are available in the Code Enforcement Department and Police Department.
Standard specifications for highway improvements shall be designated and approved by the Township Engineer.
Any owner, person, firm, association or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this article or who shall fail to comply with the conditions or requirements of any permit granted in accordance with the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to pay a fine or penalty of not more than $1,000 for each and every offense. A new and separate offense shall be deemed to have been committed for each day that said violation exists.
All fines and penalties imposed by this article are recoverable by summary proceedings before any District Justice for the Township of Springfield, and all suits or actions at law instituted for the recovery thereof are to be in the name and for the use of the Township of Springfield, against which the offense is committed, and, upon recovery thereof, all such fines and penalties are to be paid into the treasury of the Township.