Street and Sidewalk Improvement Petition Program

Streets are considered as non-standard if they do not include curbs, gutters and sidewalks, if they are too narrow, or if they do not have an acceptable base or pavement. Potholes are filled as needed on these streets, but they are not eligible for the annual street paving program. Resurfacing or the addition of curbs, gutters, and sidewalks requires action by the City Council. In most cases property owners will be asked to complete the petition process before the City Council will consider improvements.

Property owners may request the following improvements to non-standard streets.

• Paving dirt streets
• Repaving streets that do not have curb and gutter
• Installing curbs and gutters to existing streets
• Installing sidewalks to streets with existing curbs and gutters

When these types of improvements are made, a portion of the construction cost is passed to the abutting property owners in the form of an assessment. The City usually recovers less than 50% of the construction costs through assessments.

The City Council has the option to initiate street and sidewalk improvements. When a project is initiated by the City, a resolution stating the City's intent to construct improvements and assess the abutting property owners is adopted by City Council. Abutting property owners are then notified of a formal public hearing that is held to allow City Council to receive comments from interested parties before deciding whether to continue with the project.

Interested parties may initiate a street improvement or sidewalk petition by calling the Public Works Department at 919-996-3030 to discuss their concerns with an Assessment Specialist. If a petition packet is requested, staff will research the project and prepare a petition packet that includes the City's street and sidewalk policies and a map showing the proposed improvements in relation to the adjacent properties. The petition packet will be provided to the petitioner who then has six (6) months to get signatures from the majority of abutting property owners who represent the majority of abutting footage along the proposed improvements.

After a petition has been returned with the required signatures, it goes through a prioritization process and is ranked according to city policy and available funds. Once the prioritization is complete, it is submitted to the City Manager for recommendation to City Council. At that time, the abutting property owners are notified of a formal public hearing that is held to allow City Council to receive comments from interested parties before deciding whether to continue with the project.