ALLENTOWN – The Borough Council has adopted an ordinance which regulates the placement and use of portable storage containers in Allentown.
A portable storage container refers to “any portable temporary storage container, pod, trailer, storage unit, or portable structure; with or without axles or wheels; without a foundation; that is designed and used for storage,” according to the ordinance, which was adopted during a recent meeting of the governing body.
In Allentown, a portable storage container “may only be placed on an existing off-street driveway or parking area, at a location furthest from the street as practicable,” according to the ordinance.
The law goes on to state that the portable storage container “must be in good repair and must be kept debris-free and weed-free around its perimeter.
“In the event that a property’s driveway or parking area does not accommodate a portable storage container, the code enforcement officer may approve a location contiguous to the driveway or parking area or another location as far from the street as practicable, or if necessary, on the public right-of-way.”
A portable storage container may not exceed a maximum height of 10 feet, a maximum
width of 8 feet or a maximum length of 20 feet. A fee of $25 to place the container for 30 days will be required, with an additional $25 due if the permit is renewed for 30 days.
Portable storage containers used in conjunction with active construction may be placed
for up to six months, with possible renewal of one additional month, according to the ordinance.
In other business at the Aug. 11 meeting, council members authorized Allentown’s engineer, the Roberts Engineering Group, to prepare a Local Aid Infrastructure Fund (LAIF) grant application for improvements to Waldron Road, Quinn Road and Hamilton Street.
The borough has received a grant for the work, but there is a difference in the grant amount and the estimated cost of the project, according to a resolution. Additional funding will be sought from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT).
The LAIF grants are approved at the discretion of the DOT commissioner, but can be difficult to obtain, according to the resolution.
Borough officials said the grants have “historically been awarded for projects that provide an obvious benefit to local or county infrastructure. (Allentown) earned one for $300,000 in 2015 to assist with Phase I of the Historic Streetscape Project.”
The work required by the Roberts Engineering Group to complete the LAIF application will not exceed $2,800, according to the resolution.
