Sidewalk Closure Permit

[Alex T.]

I recently paid to close the sidewalk on a construction project in North Philly. Because we're near a school, I thought it would be safest to lock the site down while we did did demo and framed out a 3rd story addition. I paid to close it for 6 weeks, and the permit ended a few days ago. We aren't quite done with framing, and I'd like to keep the sidewalk closed for another 7-10 days. The issue is (1) it's expensive to keep it closed and (2) you have to give Philly Streets at least 10 business days of notice prior to them approving you. Does anyone have experience leaving blockages up past the permit date? I feel like I read somewhere that it's a $70 fine per day for non-permitted closures. Obviously, any neighbors paying attention could call, but do you guys think the city is actively policing this if they don't receive a complaint? I see a ton of projects around the city that close sidewalks without permits (or at least without posting the permit) and also close sidewalks past the date that their permit calls out. I'm not trying to game the system, but if I need the sidewalk closed for another 7 days, I don't have any options now since I couldn't even pay the city without the 10-day notice rule. Thanks for the insight.