(a) Any right, permit or license heretofore issued or granted to install and maintain any open areaway or private stairway on any sidewalk or sidewalk space of the City is hereby revoked and cancelled.
(b) Open areaways and private stairways which are permitted to remain in or are maintained in any sidewalk or sidewalk spaces of the public streets of the City in connection with any buildings adjacent thereto, are hereby declared to be obstructions to public travel and are public nuisances. After giving thirty days' written notice to the owner or person in possession of the building in connection with which such open areaway or stairway is used, the Director of Public Service is authorized to abate or cause to be abated such nuisance, and any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation owning, leasing or in possession of any building in connection with which an open areaway or stairway is used, as aforesaid, failing to remove such nuisance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. The right of the Director of Public Service to cause the removal of any such nuisance shall be cumulative to the penalty herein provided.
(c) No person, firm, partnership or corporation shall permit to remain, or maintain any open areaway or stairway in any sidewalk or sidewalk spaces of the public streets of the City after the expiration of thirty days from the receipt of a notice from the Director of Public Service to remove the same.
(d) This section shall not apply to any existing open areaway or private stairway as set forth in subsections (a) and (b), unless by reason thereof the adjacent sidewalk is reduced in width to eight feet or less; but this shall in no manner impair or modify the authority of Council to make such further restrictions as it deems desirable in regard to any open areaways or private stairways.
(1952 Code § 7-5-2)