Sidewalk Inspection
The following is the criteria the City of Oregon uses to determine if a sidewalk is deficient and is need of repair or replacement.
If a section of sidewalk meets any of the following criteria it will be marked with a white letter denoting the sidewalk deficiency. Sidewalk slabs marked with a white letter will be the responsibility of the property owner to repair or replace.
Sections of sidewalk marked with a white “O” will be replaced or repaired at the City of Oregon’s expense if it is determined that a public infrastructure (sewer and water mains, sewer manholes, catch basins, … etc.) or a tree in the right of way has caused the damage.
Stub Toe – S
- The vertical misalignment along any part of the seam between two slabs, or between sections of a cracked slab, of 1/2″ or more, or deemed hazardous by engineering judgment
Cracked Slabs – C
- Slabs fragmented by cracks into 4 or more sections and/or where any one of the gaps is greater than 2″ and prohibits the sidewalk from functioning as designed
Traverse Slope – T
- Any individual slab or portion of a slab shall not slope either toward the street or the adjoining property at a ratio of more than 5/8”per foot (1:20)
Longitudinal Slope (Sunken or Raised Sections) – L
- Opening in between sidewalk slabs greater than 2” in width, or those caused by the absence of a fragmented section of sidewalk exceeding 2” in width
Gaps -G
- Any sidewalk panels that have lifted to a peak or sunken such that the slab or portion of a slab deviates from the average line of the sidewalk surface level at a ratio of more than 1” per foot.
Spalling (Pitted) Slabs – P
- Slabs whose surface is granular or if a chunk of the sidewalk surface greater than 2″ in width has broken out, and the result is a hole ½” or deeper
Public Utility Damage – O
- Any deficiencies in a slab or part of a slab that are deemed to be caused by public infrastructure (sewer and water mains, sewer manholes, catch basins, … etc.).
- Damage deemed to be caused by public infrastructure will be the responsibility of the City of Oregon.
Tree Root Damage – O
- Any deficiencies in a slab or part of a slab that are deemed to be caused by tree roots from a tree in the city rigt of way.
- Damage deemed to be caused by tree roots from street trees in the right of way will be the responsibility of the City of Oregon.rw tree
- To avoid cutting tree roots or removing trees, the slab replacement may require a change in the sidewalk alignment.
- Every effort will be made to preserve trees.
- The City of Oregon Tree Commission will be consulted regarding the useful life of some street trees in the right of way.
- Street trees in the right of way that are deemed unhealthy or potentially hazardous by the City of Oregon Tree Commission will be removed and replaced with a new tree suitable for the location.
- Damaged sidewalks caused by trees outside the right of way shall be the property owner’s responsibility to repair or replace.
- The removal and replacement of any trees outside the right of way shall be at the property owners discretion and cost.
