Street Right-of-Way

Street Right-of-Way

If you are planning improvements to your property that involve work on your driveway approach, City sidewalk, or anywhere on the street right-of-way, you must first obtain a permit from the Northville Department of Public Works.

A street right-of-way is a strip of land 50’ to 66’ wide dedicated for public streets, sidewalk and utilities.  The City has more than 25 miles of street rights-of-way in the City.  However, some properties are located on streets under the jurisdiction of Wayne or Oakland Counties.

If you have property on the following streets and you are considering improvements within the public right-of-way, contact the Wayne County Department of Public Services at 734-595-8627:

• Northville Road (East Main to Seven Mile Road)
• East Main Street (Griswold east)
• Griswold Street (E. Main to Eight Mile Road)
• Eight Mile Road (Taft Road to the East City Limits)
• Seven Mile Road (West City Limits to East City Limits)

If you have property on the following streets and you are considering improvements within the public right-of-way contact the Oakland County Road Commission at 248-684-0262:

• Eight Mile Road (West City Limits to Taft Road)
• Novi Road (Eight Mile Road to Novi/Northville City Limits)

If you are along all other streets in the City of Northville and wish to make improvements within the public right-of-way, you must first obtain a permit from the City or by clicking on the link below.  Should you have any questions please contact the Public Works Department at 248-449-9930.
​

Caring for a new tree on a right-of-way

Let’s work together to make sure that new trees planted by the city/vendor on residential right-of-ways grow up to be healthy and tall. Your new tree needs five gallons of water per week. That’s five milk jugs of water … if you’re trying to visualize it. Irrigation systems typically don’t provide enough water for a new tree. It’s the homeowner’s responsibility to water the tree, year-round. It’s very important that new trees get the proper care during the first year after being planted, especially as we head into a hot summer when trees may need even more water. If you have any questions about the care of your new tree, contact DPW at 248-449-9930 during business hours.