Abington, PA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Township Code Section 143-13, in Chapter 143's Article I on excavations, poles and driveways, prohibits placing any planting, tree, shrubbery, flower, sign, post, step, wall, fence, gasoline pump, oil tank or like obstruction within the boundaries of any public place. Public place is defined in Section 143-1 to include every township street, road, highway, avenue, lane, alley, footpath, sidewalk and park, or any public property controlled by the Board of Commissioners, so the ban reaches sidewalk areas as well as roadways. Enforcement is notice-based: the Board of Commissioners gives the owner written notice to remove an unlawful obstruction, and if the owner fails to comply, the township removes it itself and charges the cost to the owner.

Because Section 143-13 sits within Article I, a violation also exposes the responsible party to Article I's general penalty provision, which converts noncompliance into a recoverable municipal fine collected through summary proceedings rather than leaving removal costs as the only consequence. The rule applies regardless of whether the obstruction was placed by the abutting property owner or another party, since the article addresses the obstruction itself rather than who caused it.