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Unopened Streets
Resident Responsibility For Unopened Streets
Throughout the Municipality, there are parcels of ground that don’t seem to belong to anybody. In many cases, these areas were laid out decades ago by developers on subdivision plans and intended to be streets. However, for reasons unknown today, the streets were not opened to vehicular traffic and remained in their natural condition. Although the history and the applicable law vary with each example, it is usually the case that the Municipality has no legal interest in these areas because they were not opened or accepted as public streets.
In most of these instances, the abutting property owners have title to the center line of the parcels and the responsibility for their maintenance. However, these rights are often subject to the right of other residents in the same subdivision to use the unopened street area for at least pedestrian access. The Municipality performs no maintenance on these areas, except for occasional maintenance if required for public safety. The abutting property owners are billed by the Municipality for the time and materials consumed by such maintenance.
Property Status Inquiries
If a resident thinks his property may abut such an area, he should call the Municipal Planner Ian McMeans at (412) 343-3620 or the Director of Public Works Rudy Sukal at (412) 343-3403 to inquire about the status of the property.
Throughout the Municipality, there are parcels of ground that don’t seem to belong to anybody. In many cases, these areas were laid out decades ago by developers on subdivision plans and intended to be streets. However, for reasons unknown today, the streets were not opened to vehicular traffic and remained in their natural condition. Although the history and the applicable law vary with each example, it is usually the case that the Municipality has no legal interest in these areas because they were not opened or accepted as public streets.
In most of these instances, the abutting property owners have title to the center line of the parcels and the responsibility for their maintenance. However, these rights are often subject to the right of other residents in the same subdivision to use the unopened street area for at least pedestrian access. The Municipality performs no maintenance on these areas, except for occasional maintenance if required for public safety. The abutting property owners are billed by the Municipality for the time and materials consumed by such maintenance.
Property Status Inquiries
If a resident thinks his property may abut such an area, he should call the Municipal Planner Ian McMeans at (412) 343-3620 or the Director of Public Works Rudy Sukal at (412) 343-3403 to inquire about the status of the property.