Salinas, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Sec. 30-1 sets the general obstruction ban: no one may place or leave lumber, vehicles, machinery, crates, cases, boxes, bales, barrels or any other article likely to obstruct free passage on a street, sidewalk or alley, and property occupants can't let such items remain on the sidewalk in front of their premises. The section carves out three exceptions: goods actively being received or removed from a business, so long as they're moved with reasonable diligence and at least half the sidewalk stays clear; building material placed in the street under a street-superintendent permit; and poles, posts, trees, water troughs or similar fixtures placed with city officer permission.

Sec. 1 declares any Sec. 30-1 obstruction a public nuisance under Sec. 1(a), which the city may remove immediately, citing Government Code Sec. 38775 as its authority to prohibit and remove street obstructions. Sec. 2 then shifts the entire cost of that removal, including attorney fees and court costs, onto the person or entity that caused the obstruction. A closely related provision, Sec. 30-2, separately requires a city manager permit before displaying or selling merchandise on a sidewalk, capping such sales at two occasions a year and three consecutive days each, and requiring at least four feet of clear sidewalk width at all times.