Right-of-Way

The City owns a portion of the land between the street and people's homes.  This area, called a boulevard, is public land because it falls within the right-of-way (ROW).  ROW, which included the street and boulevard area, is land specifically dedicated for public purposes such as street and utility work.

The City uses the boulevard to store snow, maintain and construct roadways, sidewalks, sewer lines, water lines and other utilities.

The size of the boulevard adjacent to a property depends on the size of the dedicated ROW, the width of the street, and the location of the street within the ROW.  The majority of streets in the City of Aitkin have a ROW of either 66 or 80 feet.  For example:  if the ROW is 66 feet and the street is 30 feet wide and centered on the ROW, then the boulevard on each side of the street would measure 16.5 feet.  This is very common in the City of Aitkin but is not the case for every street.

 

Managing ROW

Property owners are required to mow and maintain the boulevard area adjacent to their property.

To provide for the health, safety, and well being of its citizens, and to ensure the integrity of its streets and appropriate use of the ROW, the City of Aitkin strives to keep all ROW in good repair and free from unnecessary obstructions.

To uphold these standards, the City imposes reasonable regulations on current and future placement and maintenance of equipment and facilities within the ROW.  These are intended to complement the regulatory roles of state and federal agencies, which grant the City authority to manage all ROW within its jurisdiction.

City of Aitkin's City Code provided regulations for managing excavations and obstructions in the City ROW.

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ROW Permits

Unless otherwise provided in the City Code, no person may obstruct or excavate in the ROW without first obtaining a ROW Permit from the City.  Obstructions approved by permit are the responsibility of the property owner.  The City reserves the right to remove any obstruction in the ROW without notice and is not liable for any damages to the obstruction at any time.