Tuesday, January 27, 2026–9:20 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome City Commission, at the request of the Rome Downtown Development Authority, has delayed a vote on an updated downtown sidewalk ordinance.
According to Kelley Ledford, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the City of Rome, there have been so many new establishments coming to Broad Street, and many do not know that the city even has a sidewalk ordinance.
“We wanted to make some changes because of the fact that you guys passed an open container ordinance several years ago; we didn’t have as much of a need for sidewalk café permits,” Ledford told commissioners. “So, we dusted this off, and we realized that folks are using the sidewalks on Broad Street for a lot more than just cafes. People have got their signage out there. They’ve got sale racks. They’ve got potted plants. They’ve got A-frames. They’ve got all kinds of things going on, and some of these things are becoming a safety concern.”
Ledford added that the meat of the ordinance is the same. There are a few changes, the majority of which are aimed at clearing up some misconceptions and making the standards a little easier to enforce. She also explained one of the biggest changes.
“If you don’t quite conform to something in the ordinance, you can actually come and get a variance,” Ledford said. “For example, if we only allow two planters in front of your store, and you think your store has a bigger façade than some and you really want four planters, all you have to do is come to one of our meetings and present your case. It gets discussed, and as long as it’s safe, and your peers who are on the design committee feel like it’s okay to have four, then you are good to go. There is no charge for the permits, and there is no charge for the variance request.”
To go along with the ordinance, there is also going to be an effort to communicate and educate downtown property owners and business owners about what is allowed on the sidewalk.
Downtown stakeholders and the public are invited to a meeting on February 26 to learn more. It will be at 8:30 a.m. in the Milner Building, located behind the Rome-Floyd County Chamber of Commerce.
The sidewalk ordinance is expected to go back to the Rome City Commission for a vote in March.
