Smyrna, TN Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 16-109 of the Smyrna Municipal Code puts the day-to-day upkeep of sidewalks on the people next to them. Occupants of property abutting a sidewalk must keep the sidewalk clean. Immediately after a snow or sleet, those occupants must remove all accumulated snow and ice from the abutting sidewalk. The word is immediately, and the code prints no grace period.

The same section reaches beyond sidewalks. Occupants of property abutting a public right-of-way or public easement must keep the right-of-way or easement maintained to the edge of the pavement or public way. Public utility and drainage easements are to be maintained by the adjoining property owners in a manner sufficient to avoid creating a public nuisance or a blockage of normal drainage flow. Section 16-108 separately makes it unlawful to permit or cause the obstruction of a drainage ditch in a public right-of-way or public easement.

The duty is stated in terms of occupants, so a tenant in possession is covered as well as an owner. The section speaks to cleaning, snow and ice, and maintenance of the strip up to the pavement. It does not say in these words who must repair cracked or heaved concrete. Public streets, drainage areas, and other public ways are supervised by the Director of Public Works under § 16-113, and anyone who digs up a sidewalk must follow the excavation chapter: § 16-206 requires the person making an excavation to restore the street, alley, or public place to its original condition, and if there is unreasonable delay the Director of Public Works can give notice and the Town does the work and charges the cost to that person.

Other sidewalk rules in Title 16 sit alongside the maintenance duty. Section 16-107 prohibits littering or placing mud, glass, tacks, or refuse on a sidewalk, and § 16-111 prohibits using a sidewalk with animals or vehicles in a way that unreasonably interferes with pedestrians.