(a) Maintenance of Exterior of Premises; Hazards and Unsanitary Conditions. The exterior of the premises and the exterior of all structures thereon shall be kept free of all nuisances, unsanitary conditions, and any hazard to the safety of occupants, pedestrians, and other persons utilizing the premises, and any of the foregoing shall be promptly removed and abated by the owner or operator. It shall be the duty of the owner or operator to keep the premises free of hazards which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Refuse. An accumulation of brush, broken glass, stumps, and roots that presents a safety hazard; also garbage, trash, and debris that present an unsanitary and/or a safety hazard. Compost piles enclosed in a fenced-in area not exceeding 30 feet from adjacent property lines are exempt from this paragraph.
(2) Natural growth. Dead trees and limbs or other natural growth which, by reason of rotting or deteriorating conditions or storm damage, constitute a hazard to persons in the vicinity thereof.
(3) Overhangs and awnings. Loose and overhanging objects which, by reason of location above ground level, constitute a danger of falling on persons in the vicinity thereof.
(4) Sources of infestation. Permitting premises to become infested with vermin or rodents is hereby declared to be a nuisance and is prohibited. No owner, operator, or person in charge or control of any premises shall cause or knowingly permit such premises to become or to remain infested with vermin or rodents.
(5) Foundation walls. Exterior foundation walls shall be kept structurally sound, free from defects and damage, and capable of bearing imposed loads safely.
(6) Chimneys and all flue and vent attachments thereto. Chimneys and all flue vent attachments thereto shall be maintained structurally sound, free from defects, and so maintained as to capably perform at all times the functions for which they were designed, and the same shall be capable of withstanding the action of flue gases.
(7) Gutters and downspouts. All gutters and downspouts shall be kept in good repair and maintained to collect surface water from roofs. Rusted, broken, or damaged gutters and downspouts shall be promptly repaired or replaced.
(8) Sidewalks and tree lawns. All sidewalks and tree lawns shall be maintained in good repair. Sidewalks and tree lawns shall be free of excessive vegetation, trash, and debris, and sidewalks shall be kept broom-clean. Freestanding objects, including but not limited to trash receptacles, vending machines, and benches, shall be maintained in good repair and free of trash, debris, and excessive vegetation. Any grade separation greater than one inch on the surface of a sidewalk caused by cracks or settling shall be promptly replaced or repaired. Sidewalks, where surfaces are eroded or pitted to such an extent as to cause a safety hazard to pedestrians, shall be replaced or repaired in a timely matter, not to exceed 90 days fram date of notification.
(9) Paved and unpaved grounds. Paved right-of-ways of all premises, including driveway approaches and curbing, shall be maintained in good repair, free of debris, chuck holes, loose asphalt, loose gravel, loose concrete, and vegetation. Non-paved right-of-ways shall also be maintained with the existing medium or material or may be upgraded at the owner's discretion and expense.
(b) Appearance of Exterior of Residential and Nonresidential Premises and Structures. The exterior of premises and the condition of accessory structures shall be maintained so that the appearance of the premises and all buildings thereon reflects a level of maintenance in keeping with the standards of the immediate neighborhood so that such appearance does not constitute a blighting factor for adjoining property owners nor an element leading to the progressive deterioration and downgrading of the immediate neighborhood with the accompanying reduction of property values, including the following:
(1) Landscaping. Premises shall be maintained. Lawns, hedges, and bushes shall be trimmed and kept from becoming overgrown and unsightly where exposed to public view and where the same constitute a blighting factor depreciating adjoining property. Grass in lawns permitted to grow in excess of eight (8) inches in height shall be presumed to be a nuisance. No landscaping shall impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
(2) Signs and billboards. All permanent signs and billboards exposed to public view permitted by reason of other regulations or as a lawful nonconforming use shall be maintained in good repair. Any signs that have weathered or faded or those upon which the paint has peeled shall, with their supporting members, be removed forthwith or put into a good state of repair. All broken electrical signs shall be repaired or shall, with their supporting members, be removed forthwith.
(3) Store fronts. All store fronts shall be kept in good repair, painted where required, and shall not constitute a safety hazard or nuisance. In the event that repairs to a store front become necessary, such repairs shall be made with the same or similar materials used in the construction of the store front in such a manner as to permanently repair the damaged area or areas. Any cornice visible above a store front shall be kept painted, where required, and in good repair.
(4) Awnings and marquees. Any awning or marquee and its accompanying structural member which extend over any street, sidewalk, or other portion of premises shall be maintained in good repair and shall not constitute a nuisance or a safety hazard. In the event that such awnings or marquees are not properly maintained in accordance with the foregoing, they shall, together with their supporting members, be removed forthwith. In the event that such awnings or marquees are made of cloth, plastic, or similar material, such cloth, plastic, or similar material, where exposed to public view, shall be maintained in good condition and shall not show evidence of weathering, discoloration, ripping, tearing or other holes. Nothing herein shall be construed to authorize any encroachment on streets, sidewalks, or other parts of the public domain.
(5) Storage of industrial and commercial materials or waste and motor vehicle equipment. There shall not be stored or used at a location visible from the sidewalks, street, or other public areas, equipment, materials, waste, or motor vehicle equipment relating to commercial, industrial, or residential uses unless exclusively permitted by the Zoning Regulations for such premises. The parking or storage of boats, motor homes, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, or truck trailers used for sales or storage between the property line at the street right-of-way and the front of every commercial, industrial, or residential building is prohibited. All such boats, motor homes, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and truck trailers used for sales or storage shall be stored in the rear yard and screened from view. In the event that the commercial, industrial, or residential building is located on a corner lot, boats, motor homes, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and truck trailers used for sales or storage shall not be stored or parked between the property line at the street right-of-way and the side of the building facing the street.
(6) Outside storage and dumpsters. Equipment, materials, baled or bound, containers, and merchandise stored on grounds shall be in good repair, stored in a neat manner, free of all nuisances, at the rear of the premises or in an area approved by the property maintenance officer. Dumpsters shall be maintained in good repair and free from rust and damaged components. Grounds surrounding dumpsters shall be free from trash, debris, and excessive vegetation. Dumpsters shall be adequate to hold all garbage and trash with a closed cover. Covers shall remain closed at all times except when filling and emptying. Dumpsters shall be located in an appropriate place so as to not impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic, preferably at the rear of the premises or in an area approved by the property maintenance officer.
(c) Structural Soundness and General Maintenance. The exterior of every structure or accessory structure, including fences, signs, and store fronts, shall be maintained in good repair and all surfaces thereof shall be kept painted where necessary for purposes of preservation and appearance, or surface coated with a protective coating or treated to prevent rot and decay. All surfaces shall be maintained free of broken windows, crumbling stone or brick, peeling paint or other condition reflective of deterioration or inadequate maintenance to the end that the property itself may be preserved, safety and fire hazards eliminated, and adjoining properties and the immediate neighborhood protected from blighting influence.
(d) Reconstruction of Walls and Sidings. All reconstruction of walls and sidings shall be of standard quality, and their appearance commensurate with the character of the properties in the same block and on both sides of the street on which the premises front, such that the materials used will not be of a kind that by their appearance under prevailing appraisal practices and standards will depreciate the value of neighboring and adjoining premises as aforesaid.
(e) Freedom from Infestation. All exterior parts of premises shall be maintained so as to prevent infestation of insects and rodents.
(Ord. 00-18. Passed 12-18-00.)