Springfield, OR Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Springfield Municipal Code § 3.208 makes it unlawful to temporarily store articles or to cut, break, dig up, damage, bore, jack or otherwise alter the surface of any highway, road, street, sidewalk, alley or public way within city limits without first obtaining an encroachment permit, though a property owner may do non-utility work inside a public utility easement on his or her own property without one. Violating the article is an infraction under Chapter 5 of the code. No permit is needed for utility line extension, repair or relocation done in conjunction with a public improvement project, or for work behind a sidewalk or in the park strip, such as replacing a meter box, as long as the curb, gutter, sidewalk or driveway pavement itself is not cut.

Section 3.212 requires the application on the public works director's form, the fee set by council resolution, four copies of a work plan showing the site, work type and dimensions, and, where applicable, a certificate of insurance and any state or county right-of-way permit. Section 3.210 requires the applicant to post a security deposit sized to the work, carry public liability insurance, and file a permit status report within 48 hours of completion; a utility or contractor doing more than occasional work may instead post a blanket surety bond capped at $500,000.00, or carry $500,000.00 per-occurrence liability coverage for storage permits.

Section 3.214 lets the public works director waive the normal review process in an emergency, though the contractor must still obtain the permit; franchise holders, public-way-use-agreement parties and utilities paying the city in lieu of taxes are exempt from the permit fee. The security deposit is refunded once the eleven-month inspection under Section 3.222 confirms the right-of-way is left in as good or better condition than before the work began.