Greenwich, CT Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 11-3, tracing to Ords. & Reg. § 9-3 of October 9, 1950 and sitting in Chapter 11, Article 1 (Public Highways), makes it unlawful to place an obstruction to lawful travel, or to expose goods or articles for sale or distribution, on any public highway in Town, including a sidewalk or gutter, without the consent of the Chief of Police. The section carves out an exception for activity authorized under Article 2 of Chapter 3, the Town's licensed vendors and solicitors provisions, so a permitted sidewalk vendor operating under that separate licensing scheme is not automatically in violation.

The Chief of Police, rather than the Commissioner of Public Works, is the consent authority specifically for obstructions and displayed goods, while the Commissioner separately controls excavation and opening of a public highway under § 11-1. Companion sections in the same Article reinforce a clear right-of-way: § 11-4 bars an owner from letting roof, porch or balcony water drip onto a sidewalk, and § 11-6 prohibits removing a barricade or danger signal placed around a defective or under-repair sidewalk or street. All of these Article 1 duties share the single penalty clause at § 11-6.1.