Your Sidewalk: Let's Make It Perfectly Clear!
A
Clear Sidewalk Means Accessibility For Everyone
Did you know that cars...garbage cans...branches...even
basketball hoops can be dangerous obstacles? It is
important to remember to keep your sidewalk clear
to ensure accessibility for all citizens.
Please remember that trees, shrubs, and bushes are
all potential hazards if their branches extend into
or across your sidewalk. The City of Sacramento code
(12.56.050) calls for a minimum eight-foot vertical
clearance to ensure accessibility. Please keep branches
pruned back.
Keep It Safe!
Cracks, spacing, and grade displacements in your
sidewalk also can impede public access and cause
serious accidents for passers-by. City of Sacramento
code (12.32.010 and 12.32.020) requires property
owners to maintain their sidewalks in such a way
that they do not create a safety hazard, endanger
persons or property, or interfere with public convenience.
The City has specific criteria for determining whether
or not a sidewalk requires repair, including the
grading and spacing of the sidewalk.
Please call the City of Sacramento 's Department
of Transportation Street Services Division at (916)
808-1888 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30
p.m. Monday through Friday with any questions or
to schedule an inspector to inspect your sidewalk
to determine if repair is necessary.
Responsibility
In most cases, the property owner is responsible
for sidewalk repairs. There are exceptions, however.
These include damage caused by:
- Cuts into the sidewalk to install or repair utilities
(water and sewer lines, pullboxes, public utility
boxes, etc.);
- City workers (garbage trucks, tree services crews,
etc.); or
- Persons other than the property owner.
Property owners are also not responsible for sidewalk
repairs if the sidewalk is:
- Within a round corner,
- Within a curb ramp, or
- A double frontage sidewalk (in which case, property
owners are only responsible for the sidewalk closest
to their homes).
Help Us Make It Perfectly Clear!
Even if you're not the owner of the property with
a sidewalk with a potential obstacle, you can help
in the City's effort to keep it perfectly clear.
Any citizen can request a repair to a hazardous sidewalk
by calling (916) 808-1888.
Getting the Work Done
If you are notified by the City that your sidewalk
needs to be repaired, you have three options to complete
the work: (1) obtain your own licensed contractor,
(2) do the work yourself, or (3) request that the
City choose a contractor to do the work. All three
of these options would be at your own expense.
If you wish to hire your own licensed contractor
or do the work yourself, please note that the repairs
must meet the City's specifications as to the time
of completion, materials used, and overall quality
of the work. If you choose to use a contractor chosen
by the City, our inspectors can provide you with
an estimated cost of repair - free of charge - once
the area is examined.
Please note that City code (12.32.100 and 12.32.080)
does include a process by which the City can move
ahead to make required repairs and place a lien on
the property owner's lot or lots to recoup costs,
if necessary.
Financial Assistance
You may qualify for the City of Sacramento 's Sidewalk
Repair Payment Assistance Program, which permits
property owners with demonstrated need to pay their
sidewalk repair bill in installments with no interest.
Property owners who (1) are at least 62 years of
age, or 100 percent disabled regardless of age, and
(2) have an annual income of less than $25,000 automatically
qualify for the program. Others demonstrating a genuine
financial need may qualify on a case-by-case basis.
Call City Revenue/Accounts Receivable Office at (916)
808-5527 for more information.
An Important Note About Tree Roots
If tree roots are the cause of the damaged sidewalk
and you elect to hire your own contractor or do the
work yourself, call City Tree Services at (916) 808-6345
after the sidewalk has been removed and the roots
exposed. City arborist will then make recommendations
on the cutting off roots from the tree. An arborist
can normally be scheduled for a visit to your property
fairly quickly.
For more information on City of
Sacramento sidewalks, please call (916) 808-1888.
|
