Sidewalk Replacement Program: What You Need To Know In Denver

DENVER, CO – It's no secret that Denver's sidewalks have problems. Lackadaisical repairs, broken flagstones, chipped concrete and other issues make the city's neighborhoods harder to walk and scooter along, and don't even mention APA accessibility.

That is... where sidewalks exist. About 250 miles of streets simply don’t have sidewalks, the Department of Public Works said in a 2016 City Hall presentation. Those sidewalk issues are being addressed separately through the Denver Sidewalk Gap fund.

The city's Sidewalk Working Group has helped guide Denver to identify and replace dangerous sidewalks.

And that plan involves property owners paying to fix them. Denver property owners are responsible for the repair and maintenance of sidewalks adjacent to their properties.

To help with the repairs, the city is offering extended payment loans, and discounts for property owners who meet certain income thresholds.

Inspectors will be out in the following neighborhoods starting this fall:

• North Capitol Hill
• Capitol Hill
• Speer (West Wash Park)
• Cheesman Park
• Country Club
• City Park
• Congress Park
• Cherry Creek

If your sidewalk is determined to need repairs, the city will send a notice describing the problems and what needs to be fixed. You will also receive an estimate for the cost to have a city contractor do the repairs. If you choose to hire a private contractor, the city will inspect the work.

Here are some of the repair options the city has said are available:

Patching to fill cracks: repairs gaps, cracks and holes by filling with a patching material such as grout or epoxy.

Mud jacking: Repairs tilted slabs by injecting slurry through adrilled hole to re‐level the grade.

Grinding/shaving: repairs uneven sidewalks by removing a portion of the elevated slab.

Partial or full replacement: Re‐pours damaged sidewalk blocks or all sidewalk blocks

How much will these repairs cost? According to a city survey of 100 inspections, 42 percent of residential and 38 percent of commercial properties required no repairs at all. Forty percent of mandated residential repairs and 22 percent of commercial repairs cost less than $1,000. Only 1 percent of residential repairs in the survey cost the maximum, which was more than $5,000.

Flagstone Sidewalks

For homes with historic flagstone sidewalks, the city will allow homeowners to try to level the sidewalks, or replace them at their own expense with new flagstones. The city contractors will only replace flagstone with cement.

Tree roots
The city will work with property owners to replace sidewalks in a way that does not damage mature tree roots on a case-by-case basis, the city said.

"The city views trees as valuable assets.... Options may include going around a tree root or over it or trimming a root, if no damage would occur to the tree as a result. All tree work done as part of Denver’s Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program will be performed by a licensed tree contractor," the city's website said.

DIY sidewalk repairs: The city offers hints for do-it-yourself repairs including a list of tools and how to determine the least-costly fix.

Click here for more information about the Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program.

Images via City of Denver

Stay up-to-date on Denver news with Patch! There are many ways for you to connect and stay in touch: Free newsletters and Email Alerts|Facebook