To report a pothole please e-mail creiner@chestertownship.org
Road Improvement Schedule
Click here to view a tentative schedule of road paving and maintenance for the years 2017-2020.
Ordinance covering the damage to mailboxes caused by official Township activities (snow plowing) and reimbursement. Reports of damaged mailboxes due to Township plows should be directed to the DPW Secretary, Mary Nowicki, at 908-879-5916 x319.
ORDINANCE NO. 2015-10
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING §153-58 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CHESTER ENTITLED “MAILBOXES IN RIGHTS-OF-WAY, REGULATIONS; REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGES”
WHEREAS, §153-58 of the Code of the Township of Chester addresses the reimbursement for damages to mailboxes in the rights-of-way, the Mayor and Council of the Township of Chester, County of Morris, State of New Jersey, hereby amend its Municipal Code of Ordinances to add a deadline for reimbursement requests, and to further refine language regarding liability for mailboxes not located in the right-of-way.
NOW THEREFORE, be it ordained by the Mayor and Township Council of the Township of Chester, in the County of Morris, State of New Jersey, §153-58 be amended as follows:
Section 1.
Articles A and B are hereby amended as follows (new text underlined and bold, deleted text strikethrough):
A. Posts, stanchions or other support for mailboxes may be located in the right-of-way in accordance with United States Post Office regulations, provided that the post, stanchion or support does not exceed four feet in height above ground level and 12 inches (or a diameter of 12 inches) in width. Mailboxes which exceed this requirement are not a permitted structure and remain in the right-of-way solely at the expense and liability of the abutting property owner of the mailbox and post. Such location of a post/mailbox should not create a hazard or an obstruction to passage of roadways, sidewalks, or street maintenance vehicles or snowplowing equipment.
B. Reimbursement for damages caused by official Township activities. Should the Township, through its required maintenance activities, destroy a post and/or mailbox properly placed in the right-of-way, the Township may reimburse the property owner the sum of $50 for parts and labor or replace and install the post and/or mailbox with a post and/or mailbox selected by the Township. The property owner shall notify the Township in writing as to whether the property owner seeks payment or replacement as provided herein. Requests for repairs or reimbursements must by received by the Township no later than May 1st of each year.
Section 2.
Any provisions of any Ordinances of the Township of Chester which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.
Section 3.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the remaining portions of this Ordinance.
Section 4. Effective Date.
This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon passage and publication as required by law.
Placing the Mailbox
Here are some helpful guidelines to follow when installing your mailbox:
- Position your mailbox 41″ to 45″ above ground level.
- Place your mailbox 6″ to 8″ back from the curb. If you do not have a raised curb, contact your local postmaster for guidance.
- Put your house or apartment number on the mailbox.
- If your mailbox is on a different street from your house or apartment, put your full street address on the box.
- Mailboxes take a beating from the weather, so we recommend an annual mailbox checkup to avoid damage to your mail or difficulty identifying your address.
- Tighten loose hinges on the door.
- Take care of rusty or loose parts.
- Replace missing or faded house numbers.
- Keep the path to your mailbox clear.
During snow removal operations sometimes mailboxes are damaged due to improper installation. In an effort to prevent damage to your mailbox, please see the following USPS installation instructions. It is important to note that both the height and the distance from the curb or shoulder measurements should be followed accordingly.
