Dearborn Heights, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Sec. 28-1 of the Dearborn Heights City Code, part of Article I of Chapter 28 (Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places), makes it unlawful to use any part of a public sidewalk, public alley, public right-of-way, or the space between the property line and the street curb for the sale, display, or storage of goods or merchandise. The rule reaches storefronts that stack inventory outside as much as sidewalk vendors, and it applies along every public sidewalk and alley in the city, not just commercial strips.

The section carves out a narrow window for legitimate deliveries: incoming goods moving into a store, or outgoing goods about to be loaded into a delivery vehicle, are not treated as 'stored' on the sidewalk as long as the work of moving them is actively progressing and does not run past three hours. Even during that window, the goods can never block a pedestrian path at least four feet wide on the sidewalk. Governmental bodies and public utilities performing construction or repair work are excluded from the section entirely, so a public works crew or a utility repair job is not subject to the three-hour or four-foot rules.

The section was last amended by Ordinance No. H-23-04 on November 14, 2023, updating language that traces back to the 1969 Code, § 4.100. Chapter 28 sits among the 'classified portions' of the Code at Sec. 1-11, placing violations in fine Class C, and the building and engineering department, under Sec. 28-30, has general supervision over sidewalks and the authority to enforce this article whenever it deems necessary to protect public health and safety.