Sidewalk Construction, Reconstruction and Repair

Revenue received from new annual sidewalk charge will be placed in a special fund. Per Ordinance 307, the revenue is to be used to develop a master plan and near- and long-term strategy for a continuing program of sidewalk construction, reconstruction and repair.

DOTI will begin the master planning efforts in 2024 and will use the citywide implementation strategy to prioritize safety improvements across the city.

The requirement to pay the sidewalk fee is not dependent upon having a sidewalk or whether or not a property owner has recently completed sidewalk installation or repairs. The purpose of the fee, as stated in the ordinance passed by voters, is to implement a sustainable program for the construction, reconstruction and ongoing repairs of sidewalks citywide and promote the general public health, safety and welfare by assuring that sidewalks are accessible and safely maintained for all sidewalk users.

The requirement to pay the sidewalk fee is not dependent upon having a sidewalk or whether or not a property owner has recently completed installation or repairs. The fee is a revenue source to fund maintenance and repair projects and new sidewalk installations to connect people to places and services citywide. Therefore, the city will not be issuing any refunds or exemptions from this fee.

Yes, the sidewalk fee is still required. The fee is a revenue source to fund maintenance and repair projects and new sidewalk installations to connect people to places and services citywide.

The sidewalk fee will be issued in conjunction with Denver stormwater billing in 2024, so if your HOA receives your stormwater bill and pays it on your behalf, check with your HOA to see how it plans to handle the sidewalk fee.

Among other ideas, the ordinance outlined these stated purposes:

• To promote the general public health, safety and welfare by assuring that sidewalks are accessible and safely maintained for all sidewalk users

• To provide for the establishment of a sidewalk master plan and maintenance program for effectively identifying sidewalks in need of construction, reconstruction and repair and developing a comprehensive program for sidewalk construction, reconstruction and repair

• To establish a reasonable sidewalk service charge for construction, reconstruction and repair of sidewalks computed on a basis of the use made of, and the need for, and the service provided by, sidewalks in the city

The ordinance states, among other things, that the sidewalk master plan shall set forth the location, width and state of repair of all sidewalks within the city, as well as the location of all lots and parcels of real property in the city where there are currently no sidewalks. It will also address the implementation of the initial capital investment plan as well as a long-term strategy for a continuing program of maintenance, repair, and/or reconstruction of city sidewalks as needed and over time.

The ordinance states that the sidewalk master plan shall require sidewalks to be constructed, reconstructed and repaired to the minimum standard sidewalk widths identified in the city’s Complete Streets Guidelines for the type of street on which the sidewalk is located, unless the manager of transportation and infrastructure determines doing so is not reasonable or feasible.

The ordinance also states that the sidewalk master plan shall consider and direct the implementation of strategies to preserve flagstone sidewalks where the existing materials are substantially intact and it is possible to do so while still satisfying sidewalk master plan priorities and meeting sidewalk construction and condition standards.

Ordinance 307 authorizes the City to place a lien on properties that are delinquent in the payment of fees.

Sidewalks installed or widened by the Denver Sidewalk Program will not increase billable impervious surface on your stormwater bill as public-use sidewalks are not chargeable.

Yes. Ordinance 307 does not relieve property owners of the snow clearing responsibility.

The ordinance specifies that the city compute the sidewalk service charge by:

• First, determining the linear footage of the property frontage for the lot or parcel of real property

• Second, identifying the street type on which the lot or parcel is located

• Third, multiplying the sidewalk service charge per linear foot for the assigned street type

The ordinance uses street types developed in the Blueprint Denver plan to establish the following rates:

The ordinance discounts the annual fee per linear foot of property frontage by 20% for real property located in neighborhoods identified through the city’s Neighborhood Equity & Stabilization (NEST) program. The ordinance includes a caveat that if it becomes unfeasible to use the city’s NEST program to identify neighborhoods in which the annual fee per linear foot of property frontage should be discounted, the manager of transportation and infrastructure may direct that these neighborhoods be identified through alternate means.

Please note these rates that were included in the ordinance are being analyzed for their ability to meet the implementation time frames stated in the ordinance.

The city is utilizing parcel data from the assessor’s office to calculate the linear frontage.