In the future, Lawtonians will be notified several days in advance if a street in their neighborhood or otherwise near their residence will be closed or blocked.
An ordinance the City Council adopted decrees that preplanned work which will cause a street to be closed, or block a direction of travel on any public street, will require the Public Works Department and “affected residences and establishments that are within 150 feet of either end of the work,” to be notified five business days in advance of the activity.
The current requirement is 24 hours’ notification.
A closure notice must specify the purpose, the location, the planned duration, alternate routes of travel, the customer service telephone number of the entity performing the work, and the hours of the day during which the street will be closed.
Physical notification to “affected residences and establishments” will be accomplished “at a minimum via written notification, securely posted at the front door (or closest resemblance of) the address,” the new ordinance decrees.
A companion ordinance requires any communication or pipeline company to provide similar notice five business days in advance if “vehicular traffic is to be interrupted, impeded or restricted during construction, installation, repair or maintenance” of its facilities.
The new laws go into effect Nov. 21.