Connecticut HB 5397: AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES TO REGULATE CERTAIN STONE WALLS.

Bill Text

LCO No. 2026 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5397
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2026

Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Introduced by:
(PD)

AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES TO REGULATE CERTAIN
STONE WALLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subparagraph (C) of subdivision (6) of subsection (c) of 1
section 7-148 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is 2
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(C) (i) Lay out, construct, reconstruct, alter, maintain, repair, control, 4
operate, and assign numbers to streets, alleys, highways, boulevards, 5
bridges, underpasses, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, public walks and 6
parkways; 7
(ii) Keep open and safe for public use and travel and free from 8
encroachment or obstruction the streets, sidewalks and public places in 9
the municipality; 10
(iii) Control the excavation of highways and streets; 11
(iv) Regulate and prohibit the excavation, altering or opening of 12
sidewalks, public places and grounds for public and private purposes 13

Raised Bill No. 5397

LCO No. 2026 2 of 2

and the location of any work or things thereon, whether temporary or 14
permanent, upon or under the surface thereof; 15
(v) Require owners or occupants of land adjacent to any sidewalk or 16
public work to remove snow, ice, sleet, debris or any other obstruction 17
therefrom, provide penalties upon their failure to do so, and cause such 18
snow, ice, sleet, debris or other obstruction to be removed and make the 19
cost of such removal a lien on such property; 20
(vi) Grant to abutting property owners a limited property or 21
leasehold interest in abutting streets and sidewalks for the purpose of 22
encouraging and supporting private commercial development; 23
(vii) Regulate and prohibit the excavation, altering or opening of 24
stone walls within the rights-of-way of highways or streets; 25
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 7-148(c)(6)(C)

Statement of Purpose:
To authorize municipalities to, by ordinance, regulate stone walls
abutting certain highways or streets.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]