Street Walk Basements.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 245-5
in effect245-5. Street Walk Basements.
1. GENERAL REGULATIONS. a. Street-walk basements entirely below a street walk and adjoining a building or structure may be constructed, maintained, occupied and used in connection with such building or structure for any purposes not inconsistent with this code, other laws or ordinances, or rules regulating the construction, maintenance, occupancy and use of such basements, on condition that the right to maintain, occupy and use such basements may be revoked by the city at any time. When an order is issued for the removal of such basement, the owner of the building or structure shall execute all construction work and assume all costs and expenses attendant therewith. Such street-walk basements shall not interfere with any public work or improvement, and the city in granting a permit to construct such basements, reserves the right at any time to construct under or within such basements municipally owned utilities for the public service.
b. Boilers, engines or machinery using steam, gas or explosive mixtures, or tanks containing volatile flammable liquid, shall not be located in such basements or under any public thoroughfare.
2.
DESIGN. a. Street-walk basements may extend beyond the street line for a distance as approved by the commissioner of public works, but not beyond the curb line. Such basements shall be of approved construction and shall be provided with a roof or top of noncombustible material, capable of carrying a live load of 250 pounds per square foot. The top surface of the street walk shall be at a grade as established by the city and shall be constructed of concrete or other approved material with a nonslippery surface. No glass in such street walk surface shall be permitted.
b. The walls of such basements shall be constructed of solid masonry units, plain or reinforced concrete, and shall be of a strength and thickness to resist safely lateral pressure from the adjacent earth, and to support vertical loads. Footings for such walls shall be designed and constructed to maintain a safe load on the soil and shall not project beyond the curb line.
3.
OPENINGS IN STREET WALKS.
a. Openings in street walks shall be permitted when protected with approved nonslippery metal covers or gratings, as herein regulated, flush with the top surface of the street walk, designed to support a live load of 250 pounds per square foot. Such covers or gratings shall be maintained normally closed and secured in place, and when open shall be equipped with approved guards to prevent accidents. Such openings, when used for ventilating purposes and located in street-walk basements, shall be protected with gratings or covers having openings therein not more than 3/4 inch in width, and shall be equipped with approved pans or screens with mesh openings therein not in excess of 1/4 inch. Electric transformer vaults need not be equipped with approved pans or screens with mesh openings.
b. Except as otherwise required or approved by the commissioner of public works, the location and size of openings in street walks shall be as follows:
b-1. For existing elevators and for conveyors or chutes, openings shall be located with not more than 2 feet of space from the face of the curb. The length of such openings on the side parallel to the curb shall not exceed 8 feet. The width of such openings shall not exceed 1/3 the distance from the face of the curb to the street line, but not more than 6 feet in any case. New elevator installations shall not pierce a sidewalk or be located in an area used by people or vehicles as a place of travel.
b-2. For the delivery of coal or other materials, openings shall be located with not more than 2 feet of space from the face of the curb, and shall not exceed 8 square feet in area.
b-3. For ventilation or other approved purposes, openings shall be located with not more than 2 feet of space from the face of the curb on the street line and shall not exceed 8 square feet in area.
c. If upon inspection the department finds any cover or grating which appears defective or unsafe for any reason whatsoever, the commissioner may order that a critical examination be performed by a registered architect or registered structural engineer employed by the owner or the agent. The registered architect or registered structural engineer shall submit a written report showing the structural condition of the cover or grating. Two copies of the report shall in turn be submitted to the commissioner. One copy of the report shall, if satisfactory to the commissioner, be returned to the owner or agent bearing a stamp of approval signed by the commissioner. All defects noted on the written report submitted by the registered architect or registered structural engineer shall be corrected by the owner within a time period mandated by the commissioner. A written report showing that all defects noted in the prior report have been corrected shall be submitted in duplicate to the commissioner by a registered architect or registered structural engineer. One copy of the report shall, if satisfactory, be returned to the owner or agent bearing a stamp that the correction report has been placed on file.
4.
APPROVAL. a. No permit shall be issued by the commissioner for the construction of a street-walk basement unless such basement is first approved by the commissioner of public works.
b. The cost of protecting, altering or changing the location of any city-owned utilities to permit the construction of a street-walk basement shall be paid by the owner of the real estate abutting such basement.
5.
REMOVAL. All street-walk basements used in connection with a building or structure shall be removed whenever such building or structure is removed or razed. Removal of such basements shall be construed to mean the removal of all work executed in the construction of the basement to the extent required by the commissioner of public works. After the street-walk basement is removed, the area shall be filled to grade and the street curb, street walk, pavement and other public improvements shall be restored. The type and placement of the fill and the construction of the curb, walk, pavement and other improvements beyond the street lot line shall be in accordance with the specifications and regulations of the department of public works. The owner of the premises affected shall be responsible for the removal of such basement (vault) and for the restoration of public improvements as herein regulated, and shall assume all costs and expenses attendant therewith.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-2/CH245.pdf#page=4Fetched: 10/26/2026