It’s been a terribly busy week for me – this is my crunch time at work – so you’ll forgive me, I hope, as I bring you a rather uneventful update. As part of my recent series exploring metro Lansing sidewalk ordinances, I tried checking out Williamston’s. The city has been showing up in TV ads a lot as I’ve been watching Christmas special broadcasts. There are a lot of little boutiques in its small downtown, so it advertises a lot during the holiday shopping season.

Sadly, Williamston’s code contains nothing about sidewalk stamps, though it does say that sidewalks shall be constructed “in accordance with the specifications stated in the city’s municipal standards, and shall guarantee such construction against defective workmanship, material or construction for three years from the time such sidewalk is constructed.” A specific warranty period hasn’t been mentioned in any other code I’ve looked at. Of course, it would be easier to track down the contractor responsible for a bum walk if they had to leave their name on it. (If there’s anything relevant in the city’s municipal standards, I don’t know, as those don’t appear to be online.)

I also notice that Williamston’s ordinance on sidewalk maintenance specifies that not only the sidewalk itself must be clear of obstructions, but a window of one foot on either side of it (provided there isn’t a building there) and eight feet above it must remain clear. As someone who has repeatedly been bonked on the head by low tree limbs while walking at night, I approve. There are also quite a lot of places in my neighborhood where property owners have allowed weed trees and shrubs to encroach from the sides, which has to be even more bothersome to people in wheelchairs.