Littleton, CO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 8-1-5(B) of the Littleton City Code prohibits erecting or placing any building, fence, wall, ditch, temporary outdoor merchandise display, or other obstruction on any street, avenue, alley, sidewalk, or public ground in the city, except as the section itself permits. The Director of Public Works may issue permits for fences, retaining walls, and similar structures on public rights of way citywide, but permits for planters, benches, and other seating are limited to a defined downtown zone bounded by West Berry Avenue on the north, South Rio Grande and Bega Streets on the east, Church Avenue on the south, and South Santa Fe Drive on the west.

Only owners of property abutting the right of way, or their authorized lessees for planters and benches, may apply, and the permitted area is capped at the property's projected lot lines. An application must include a scaled site plan showing dimensions, location, materials, and height, plus indemnification of the City and liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. Temporary outdoor merchandise displays are further restricted to non-residential properties whose entrance sits within six feet of the right of way, and a continuous six-foot-wide pedestrian path must remain clear at all times.

Any encroachment permit continues only at the City's pleasure and is subject to immediate revocation if the use changes, falls into disrepair, or if the City needs the right of way for street, alley, or sidewalk work, with no compensation owed to the permit holder.