Wyoming, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Sec. 90-1302, in Division 3 of the Wyoming Form Based Code (Chapter 90, Article 11), governs private building elements that project past a property's required setback, build-to-zone or into the public right-of-way along the 28th Street, Division Avenue and Burton Street corridors. Subsection (a) states that for any such element projecting into the public right-of-way, an encroachment permit shall be obtained from the applicable city department(s), and then sets the dimensional envelope for each: balconies need 12 feet of ground clearance and may extend six feet from the wall; awnings and canopies need eight feet of clearance and may extend five feet; eaves need 12 feet of clearance and may extend two feet; and projecting signs need eight feet of clearance and may extend three feet.

Subsection (b) draws a sharper line for ground-level elements: unenclosed porches, stoops, wells and steps may project into a required setback or build-to-zone, but shall not project into the public right-of-way at all, so no encroachment permit route exists for those. Along a principal frontage line, a porch, stoop or well may reach ten feet into the required front area but must stop five feet short of the frontage line, while steps may run all the way to the frontage line. Sec. 90-1304 layers an additional encroachment permit requirement onto outdoor seating placed on public property or within the right-of-way, obtained through the same applicable city department(s).