Nicholasville, KY Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 19-6(a) of the Nicholasville Code puts sidewalk construction and repair on the abutting owner, not the city. All owners of lots or parts of lots that front on streets or alleys must cause sidewalks, curbs and gutters to be constructed in front of their lots, made of such width, material and manner as the city commission deems expedient. They must also cause those sidewalks, curbs and gutters to be made or repaired in the manner the city commission directs. If an owner fails or refuses to do so for a period of thirty days after service of the order on the owner, the owner is guilty of a misdemeanor. The Board of Commissioners has authority to waive the requirements when in its opinion it is impractical and serves no useful purpose.

New construction carries a front-end condition in § 19-6(b): a certificate of occupancy is not issued for a newly constructed principal structure until a sidewalk, curb and gutter have been built to applicable city standards and specifications, unless the planning commission granted a variance waiving the requirement for the subdivision plat or lot at the time of approval.

Day-to-day upkeep is § 19-7, which requires all persons owning real estate in the city to keep all sidewalks abutting the property free from grass, weeds and obstructions of all kinds. Under § 19-8, a police officer who learns that an owner's sidewalk has grown up with grass or weeds, or is in untidy condition from any kind of obstruction or filth, notifies the owner and orders it cleared, and an owner who fails to comply within five days is guilty of a misdemeanor. Section 19-12 extends the owner's duty to the utility strip between the sidewalk and the curb and gutter or edge of roadway, where weeds, grass or plants other than approved trees cannot exceed twelve inches in height.