Hempstead, NY Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Town Code § 181-14 bars the owner, occupant or lessee of any premises abutting a street, road, highway or parkway in the unincorporated Town from placing, keeping or permitting goods, wares, merchandise, boxes, barrels, display signs or other material things on the abutting sidewalk, and from otherwise obstructing or interfering with use of the sidewalk. The section carves out a narrow exception: goods, wares, merchandise or household furniture may sit on the sidewalk temporarily while loading or unloading, provided a minimum three-foot pedestrian walkway, measured from the curbline, stays unobstructed, the loading or unloading happens without unnecessary delay, and the items are not left on the sidewalk longer than one hour.

'Sidewalk' is defined broadly under § 181-14B to include all land between the curbline of the public highway and the building line of the abutting premises that has been surfaced or improved with concrete or other paving. This obstruction ban also underlies § 181-15F(1)(f)'s newsrack placement rule, which separately bars placing a newsrack anywhere it would create a sidewalk obstruction as defined in § 181-14.