Denver sidewalk replacement program's unintended, unpopular consequences; "I did nothing to cause this," homeowner says

City-funded contractors have been moving through Denver neighborhoods, replacing sections of residential sidewalks, and leaving some homeowners frustrated.

"It's the city sidewalk program, I did nothing to cause this," said Lisa Whittaker, referring to sidewalk replacement work completed on her property at 6th Avenue and Humboldt Street last fall.

The work was part of a broader program aimed at making city sidewalks more usable and accessible. A contractor replaced roughly five concrete sidewalk squares in front of Whittaker's home. But when she turned on her sprinkler system last month, she discovered the crew had broken multiple sprinkler heads, cut irrigation lines, and damaged one of her trees.

"It wasn't right. I had to fork out all the money to get this fixed. Why isn't the city responding? It's a city issue," Whittaker said. "They caused it."

Whittaker said she contacted Denver's 311 system, where an operator told her they were receiving three to four similar complaints per day. She said she was referred to multiple public works personnel, but never received a response.

A few blocks away, homeowner James Kayser reported a similar experience. When he turned on his sprinkler system several weeks ago, he said it was clear someone had broken his sprinkler heads. A city contractor had replaced part of his sidewalk,  but damaged the irrigation system in the process.

Like Whittaker, Kayser said he struggled to get the city to take responsibility. He said he called 311 and was referred to other departments, but received no response.

"(There) just doesn't seem to be any coordination or program for the right people to follow up," said Kayser. He said it was "particularly disconcerting at this point in time when we are all trying to maximize water conservation and get us through this drought."

In the same central Denver neighborhood, Charles Willyard said at least half a dozen sprinkler heads were damaged after sidewalk work outside his home last October. He said he called multiple city numbers seeking repairs, but his calls either went unanswered, were not returned, or were directed to full voicemail boxes.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," said Willyard.

The issue of irrigation damage appears to have been anticipated. In a message sent to homeowners before construction began, the city said, "landscape restoration and potential sprinkler repairs will be scheduled within 7 days of concrete placement, weather permitting."

However, homeowners interviewed by CBS said those repairs never occurred, leaving them to either fix the damage themselves or seek reimbursement.

Both Whittaker and Kayser said their attempts to reach the city and its contractors were unsuccessful. However, they said that after CBS began looking into their cases, the city contacted them within 24 hours.

In a written response, Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said 42 residential sprinkler systems now need to be repaired after the sidewalk upgrades, and another 11 homeowners are being reimbursed for their damages.

Nancy Kuhn, Director of Communications for DOTI, said the city is taking steps to be more responsive to homeowners like Willyard, Kayser, and Whittaker.

"I would definitely like to apologize to those folks who received information that then took them to a place where they weren't cared for right away. We're addressing that," said Kuhn.

"It is not unusual for the contractor to be working adjacent to sprinkler systems and impacting them," she said. "Some of the impacts cannot be avoided. We are seeing an uptick in calls now that lines are being turned on in the spring."

The sprinkler problems and complaints mark the latest setback for the city's ambitious plan to repair or replace more than 3,000 miles of sidewalks.

About a decade ago, Denver launched a neighborhood sidewalk repair program that was later criticized by the city auditor for slow progress, inequity, and compliance gaps. That program was eventually scrapped in favor of the "Denver Deserves Sidewalks" initiative, approved by voters in 2022.

The new program shifted responsibility for sidewalk repairs from homeowners to the city, funded by an annual fee of $150 for most Denver properties. When some residents objected to paying for public infrastructure — or for sidewalks that did not need repairs — fairness concerns led to revisions in the fee structure. Full implementation of repairs began in 2025, and officials estimate it could take decades to address, replace, or repair all sidewalks citywide.

Kuhn said homeowners whose sprinkler systems or property were damaged during the sidewalk upgrades should report it to: denvergov.org/report and select "Other" in the "What can we help you with" section. Residents should specifically indicate damage to landscaping and/or sprinkler system from sidewalk repair.