Property Owner Maintenance Responsibilities

As described in the Town Code of Ordinances Section 17-52, removal of snow and ice is the responsibility of the owner or occupant of the property adjacent to a public sidewalk and should be done within 24 hours of the storm event. According to the ordinance, vegetative growth shall also be removed and maintained by the property owner to a distance of one (1) foot beyond each exterior edge of the sidewalk to a clear height of seven (7) feet above the sidewalk. Overhanging vegetation shall be removed to establish a clear height of seven (7) feet. Grass or sod overgrowing the sidewalk surface greater than six (6) inches shall be removed.

If a property owner in your neighborhood has not cleared snow/ice or vegetation/debris from their sidewalk in a reasonable amount of time, please speak with them personally to remind them of this ordinance/responsibility. If they still refuse to address the issue, you can report it through the Town's Service Request system. Please visit the Citizen Request System website and choose "Snow and Ice Removal Issues - Residential Properties" from the Request Type list. A member of the Police Department will work with the property owner to address the issue.

Sidewalk Repair and Replacement Program

The Town of Glastonbury Engineering Division inspects public sidewalks on an annual basis for the purpose of identifying sidewalks in need of repair. As there are over 100 miles of sidewalk throughout Town, sidewalks repairs must be prioritized to maximize the limited funds available for this work.  Sidewalks with significant structural deficiencies or elevation variations that would present a tripping hazard are eligible for repair or replacement under this program. If there is a section of sidewalk in need of repair or replacement in your neighborhood, please contact the Engineering Division to request information regarding this program.

Miscellaneous Sidewalk Program

The Town also considers the allocation of funds on an annual basis through the Capital Improvement Program for installation of new sidewalk where gaps exist in the current sidewalk network. The Engineering Division administers the design and construction of new sidewalks under this program. The Engineering Division also maintains a Sidewalk Master Plan map to document existing and proposed sidewalk sections that is available in the Map Library section of this web site. 

New sections of sidewalk to be constructed as part of this program are typically identified by Town Staff or by written requests from residents, and proposed projects are reviewed and prioritized by Town Staff. A sidewalk project rating system was implemented in 2008 to evaluate proposed sidewalk sections and assign relative priorities for projects to funded under this program. The criteria used to evaluate potential sidewalk projects is described in this document. Each project is rated either a 0 or 1 for each of the criteria, with the project rating determined by the sum total across all criteria. Questions about this program should be directed to the Engineering Division.