Maintaining improper or unsafe sidewalks, shared-use paths or streets.
Columbus City Codes § 902.03
in effect902.03 - Maintaining improper or unsafe sidewalks, shared-use paths or streets.
(a) Every owner, occupant, or person having charge of any lot or parcel of land in the city shall cause the paved sidewalk or shared-use path, or any part thereof, in front of and abutting, or to the side or rear of and abutting upon such lot or parcel of land, to be clear of snow and ice each day. If for any cause it shall be impossible to remove all the snow and ice which may adhere to such sidewalk or shared-use path, then every such owner, occupant, or person having charge shall cover such snow or ice as shall remain with such coating of sand or other substance as may be necessary to render travel safe and convenient.
(b) No person shall do any of the following:
(1) Place or deposit snow or ice collected from parking lots, driveways, or any other private property onto a street, sidewalk, shared-use path, alley, or right-of-way; place or deposit snow or ice collected from driveway entrances or any other location onto a street, shared-use path or sidewalk in such a manner as to impede safe travel.
(2) Open any door constructed in and as a part of a public sidewalk, shared-use path or street and as a covering over an areaway under such sidewalk, shared-use path or over an entrance way to the basement of a building, or use such opening or entrance way, except between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
(3) Allow cellar doors or any other opening of a similar nature to remain open on any sidewalk or shared-use path of any street or alley unless a substantial railing surrounds the opening or unless there is stationed at such cellar door, trap door, or any other opening of a similar nature a guard or watchman during the time or period of its remaining open.
(4) Pave, repave, or repair any sidewalk or shared-use path in the public right-of-way, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a permit to do so from the Director.
(c) No person shall construct:
(1) On any sidewalk, shared-use path, street, or alley any smooth iron doors or coverings of maintenance holes, coalholes, or gratings, or by whatever other name they may be called. When such doors or coverings of maintenance holes, coalholes, or gratings are constructed they shall be of rough corrugated iron on the level with such sidewalk, shared-use path, street, or alley neither higher nor lower than the sidewalk, shared-use path, street, or alley on which they are constructed;
(2) Any pipe, stopcock or valve on any sidewalk or shared-use path unless they are constructed so as to conform with the level of the sidewalk or shared-use path neither higher nor lower than the sidewalk or shared-use path on which they are constructed.
(d) No person shall:
(1) Remove, displace, destroy, or deface any barrier, marker, sign, obstruction, or light set placed by any person acting under the direction of the Director or the director of public safety, in or on any public street or alley for the purpose of temporarily closing such street or alley or for the purpose of temporarily prohibiting driving, parking, stopping, or standing of vehicles thereon in connection with the improvement, repair, maintenance, or cleaning of such street or alley, or for any other authorized reason;
(2) Drive, park, stop, or stand any vehicle in or upon any street or alley when said street or alley is so marked by any barrier, marker, sign, obstruction or light for the purposes stated in division (d)(1);
(3) This division shall not apply to any person requiring the use of such street or alley so temporarily regulated for access to any premises abutting on the portion of such street or alley so temporarily regulated, when such person shall have obtained written consent to use the street or alley for such purpose from the Director.
(e) The Director and the director of public safety each is authorized, in their separate official capacity, to temporarily regulate the driving, parking, stopping or standing of vehicles upon any street or alley in the city, when such regulation is required for the purpose of improving, repairing, maintaining or cleaning such street or alley.
(f) No regulation under division (e) shall be effective until and unless the street or alley to be regulated is properly posted by appropriate signs or markers.
(Ord. 1817-96; Ord. 565-98 § 1 (part); Ord. 1909-01 § 1 (part); Ord. 1987-2008 Attach. 1 (part); Ord. No. 0128-2009, § 1, 2-9-2009; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1984-2023, § 2, 7-31-2023)
Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT9STPAPUPRCO_CH902HESA_902.03MAIMUNSISHEPASTFetched: 10/27/2026