Beloit, WI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 11.06 bars any part of a building from projecting into the street, and bars railings or basement entrances from extending over the property line into the street, except for canopies and marquees permitted under § 9.53 of the Building Code. Where an owner wants that kind of encroachment for another reason, § 11.06 requires a written petition to the City Clerk explaining why the encroachment serves the public good, and the petition must comply with Wis. Stat. § 66.045, the state law governing street and alley encroachment permits.

The City Engineer investigates the request and reports a recommendation to the City Manager, who has full discretion to refuse the permit or grant it for up to one year. A granted permit can be renewed for another year on a fresh application, but there is no automatic renewal: if the permit expires and the owner makes no effort to renew it within 60 days, the encroachment is deemed a nuisance by operation of § 11.06 itself, exposing the owner to nuisance abatement rather than a simple permit violation. The section applies only to new construction; railings, areaways, stairways, steps and entrances that already existed when the ordinance took effect are grandfathered.