Acworth, GA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Under Acworth Code of Ordinances § 82-71, it is unlawful for anyone except a franchisee to place a pole, telephone or telegraph wire, cable or conduit upon, under, above or in a city street right-of-way without first getting a permit from the city manager or a designee. The application must be approved by the public works/power director and issued in duplicate, specifying the street, the purpose of the installation, the type and length of wire or conduit, the extent of construction and the time allowed to finish the work.

The permit fee is set separately under § 82-72, tied to the fee schedule kept on file with the city clerk rather than a fixed dollar figure in the code itself. Section 82-73 layers on conditions: the permittee must hold the city harmless for property damage or injury from the installation, follow the state DOT's 2009 Utility Accommodation Policy and Standards Manual, and cap any new pole height at 48 feet in residential areas, with no stand-alone monopoles allowed. Section 82-74 makes the permittee responsible for restoring any street or right-of-way it disturbs, and if repairs are not started within 20 working days of written notice, the city or property owner can do the work and bill the utility.

Under § 82-76, the permit runs for one year and renews automatically each year unless the director finds the holder in default (violating permit terms, evading the article, committing fraud, misrepresenting facts, or missing a fee payment); the utility then gets 20 working days to cure, and if it fails, 15 more calendar days after written notice of intended termination before the permit is declared terminated. A permit not started within six months of issuance expires automatically.