Pontiac, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Pontiac City Code § 102-51(a) bars obstructing or encumbering any public street, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way or other public place in the City of Pontiac with any article or thing, while subsection (b) separately bars depositing litter, debris, refuse, garbage or other material in those same public spaces. Subsection (c) exempts obstructions authorized by federal postal laws, temporary construction obstructions permitted under the chapter's permit process, and garbage, rubbish or refuse properly placed in the right-of-way for pickup by the city under Chapter 94 or by a private commercial collector following the Code's placement rules.

The section traces to Code 1985 § 23-26 and sits in Chapter 102, Article II, Division 3, immediately before the display-of-goods ban at § 102-52 and the unlawful-assembly ban at § 102-53. A related permit process appears at § 102-54: a property owner needing to temporarily block a sidewalk or street for construction must apply to the Department of Public Works and Services, pay a council-set fee, post a cash deposit, and carry indemnification and insurance naming the city, with the director able to approve, deny or later revoke the permit and the applicant able to appeal an adverse decision to the City Council.

Unauthorized obstructions can be removed by the department under § 102-55 after written notice (48 hours for personal delivery, five days if mailed), with removal costs billed to the responsible party and, if unpaid, assessed as a special assessment against the abutting property.