Royal Oak Township, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

The township's permission process for private use of the street edge is § 24-145 in Chapter 24, Article IV. It applies to a person desiring any driveway or obstruction of the kind covered by § 24-144, meaning an obstruction of a gutter, drain or drainage ditch in or abutting upon a street, road or alley. The application goes to the township clerk. It must set forth the nature and size of the intended obstruction, and the applicant pays the clerk an amount, as currently established or as hereafter adopted by resolution of the township board from time to time, according to the width of the obstruction. The section prints no dollar amount; it points to the Board's resolution.

The township builds the structure rather than the applicant. On receiving the application and the money, the township clerk, within a reasonable time, causes the proper culvert to be constructed and proper crock or other suitable conduit to be installed at the place designated by the person making the application. Any such crock or conduit must be not less than 12 inches in diameter.

Work on the sidewalk itself runs through a separate permit. Under § 24-19, no person shall construct or repair any sidewalk except in accordance with the line, grade, slope and specifications established by the township engineer, nor without first obtaining a written permit from the township clerk. The written permit must be prominently displayed on the construction site, and a fee set by resolution of the Township Board is charged for each permit to cover engineering costs of survey.

Obstructions already in place before the ordinance are handled by § 24-146: within 20 days of receiving notice from the township clerk, the person maintaining the improper driveway or obstruction pays the established cost per foot of width. Anyone who builds an obstruction over a gutter, drain or drainage ditch without going through § 24-145 is in violation of § 24-144.