2023 California Code › Streets and Highways Code - SHC › DIVISION 7 - THE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1911 › PART 3 - PERFORMING THE WORK › CHAPTER 27 - Construction of Sidewalks and Curbs › ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions › Section 5871.

5871. (a) This chapter applies to the construction of sidewalks, gutters, pavements, driveways, and curbs, and the installation of storm and sanitary drainage facilities, water mains, pipes, conduits, tunnels, hydrants, and other necessary works and appliances for providing water service, parkway trees, and street lighting facilities in front of properties in any block where a sidewalk, gutter, pavement, driveway, the installation of storm and sanitary sewer drainage facilities, water mains, pipes, conduits, tunnels, hydrants, and other necessary works and appliances for providing water service, parkway trees, and street lighting facilities, or curb, or all of them, have been previously constructed in front of properties in the block constituting more than 50 percent of the front footage of the block, or where the owners of more than 60 percent of the front footage of the block, as shown by the last equalized assessment roll of the city, file a petition with the city clerk requesting the installation of any of those improvements, or where a petition signed by the owners of more than 60 percent of the front footage of any part of an unimproved portion or portions of a block has been filed with the city clerk requesting the installation of those improvements in front of that part.
(b) This chapter does not apply to the construction of improvements of the type specified in subdivision (a) fronting on, or otherwise adjacent to, or in conjunction with, an arterial or collector street section. For purposes of this section, an “arterial or collector street section” is a street section with more than one traffic lane in each direction either before or after the proposed improvement, or a street section on which more than 70 percent of the average daily vehicle trips do not originate or end within the proposed assessment district.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), this chapter applies to the construction of sidewalks, curbs, and gutters appurtenant thereto, sufficient paving to provide a parking lane, and to parkway trees and street lighting facilities, but only to the extent that those improvements are in front of the property on arterial or collector street sections, which is otherwise subject to assessment, if the property has not been subject to any other special assessment to pay for construction of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, parking lane paving, parkway trees, or street lighting facilities within the preceding 10 years. As used in this subdivision, “gutters” shall include only above-ground structures appurtenant to sidewalks and curbs.
As used in this subdivision, “parking lane” means a paved area adjacent to the curb which is used exclusively for on-street parking. It does not include any portion of the street used for through traffic or as a bicycle lane. An assessment for parking lane purposes shall not include the cost of any signs necessitated by the parking lane. If property is assessed for a parking lane pursuant to this chapter and the parking lane is subsequently converted to another use, the amount of the assessment paid, together with interest at the prime rate plus 3 percent, shall be paid by the city to the then owner of the property.
(d) This chapter does not apply to driveway construction in front of a vacant lot, or in front of an unimproved property, unless requested by the owner.
(e) This chapter does not apply to the repair, resurfacing, or maintenance of streets.
(f) As used in this chapter, “sidewalks or curbs” includes “gutters,” “driveways,” “pavement” to the centerline of the street, “full pavement” in alleys, “storm and sanitary drainage facilities,” “water mains,” “pipes,” “ conduits,” “tunnels,” “hydrants,” and “other necessary works and appliances for providing water service,” “paving to provide a parking lane on arterial or collector street sections,” “parkway trees,” and “street lighting facilities;” and “superintendent of streets” includes any other person or persons who may be designated by the legislative body to perform any of the duties of the superintendent of streets set forth in this chapter.
(g) “Fronting” and “facing,” as used in this chapter, means “abutting” in the case of property adjoining an alley improvement.
(h) In the case of street lighting, in determining how much of the front footage of a block has been improved, the front footage of property benefiting from existing installations may be included regardless of the side of the street on which the installation has been constructed.
(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 449, Sec. 2. Effective July 22, 1986.)