Right of Way
All public roads in Berrien County have a strip of land that runs on either side of the road called a "Right-of-way". This area along the roadway is where utilities are placed and construction/maintenance activities take place. On roads outside of platted sub-divisions this right-of-way is typically 66 feet wide (33 feet either side from center of road).
County Road Right-of-Way Complaint Procedure
- A Service Request is submitted about a right-of-way violation on a road under the jurisdiction of the Berrien County Road Department.
- Once a service request is received, the Berrien County Weigh Master will investigate the complaint.
- If a property owner is in violation of the Road Department's Right-of-Way policy (PDF), the property owner may receive a written or verbal WARNING indicating that they are in violation and that action must take place within a stated time period, depending on the nature of the violation.
- After the stated time period expires, the Berrien County Weigh Master will determine if the property owner has complied with the Road Department's Right-of-Way policy.
- If the property owner is not in compliance, a citation for the violation will be issued by the Berrien County Weigh Master with fines charged until the property owner is in compliance with the Berrien County Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 1 (PDF) as adopted by the Board of Commissioners of Berrien County, Michigan on October 9, 2003.
Note: Any violation of the BCRD Right of Way policy that is deemed an immediate, dangerous hazard to the motoring public may be removed without giving notice to the property owner.