Lenexa, KS Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

The City of Lenexa, Kansas, requires a City permit for work in public right-of-way in two places. Section 4-6-D-1 covers street excavations: except in an emergency, no person can make an excavation or perform any work in, through, upon or under any public right-of-way for any purpose without first obtaining a permit. Each excavation needs its own permit, permits cannot be assigned or transferred, and utility companies follow the same Article. Normal maintenance of the street or parkway lawn strip, which counts as part of the abutting private property, needs no permit.

Applications go to the Community Development Department on City forms and list the start and completion dates, the number of days the excavation stays open, an emergency contact, the address, a map or diagram tied to a street address and legal description, a copy of the business license, the permit fee, a certificate of insurance, copies of the permit and maintenance bonds and a traffic-control plan (Section 4-6-D-2). Any boring must stay at least 24 inches below the roadway surface. Section 4-6-D-5 requires an annual $10,000 permit bond and a 2-year $10,000 maintenance bond, and Section 4-6-D-6 requires general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence with the City named as additional insured. The Community Development Director has final authority to grant, deny or revoke every excavation permit (Section 4-6-D-8) and can waive fees only for projects under contract with the City (Section 4-6-D-4).

Article 4-6-I covers facilities in the right-of-way more broadly. Section 4-6-I-6 requires a City permit, in addition to any other authorization to occupy the right-of-way, before anyone works on facilities in, along, across, under or over it, with a pre-application conference unless the City Engineer waives it. The Building Code adds that right-of-way work permits are required for sidewalk or driveway installation or replacement in the public right-of-way (Section 4-8-A-4). Utilities must keep facilities at least 48 inches below the street surface and 24 inches below the right-of-way outside the street surface (Section 4-6-D-10).