Commerce City, CO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 6-2012(6)(b) of the Commerce City Revised Municipal Code makes it unlawful for the owner or occupant of any building, property or lot to deposit, place, locate or fail to remove any hazard or obstruction upon a public sidewalk or right-of-way adjacent to the property. The code defines "hazard or obstruction" to include, without limitation, tree limbs, trash, debris, containers and sports equipment, so items left on the walk after a delivery, yard work or a game in the yard all count. The adjacent public right-of-way runs from the property line to the roadway centerline, or to the edge of pavement where the centerline sits in the street, so the duty follows the full width of the walk fronting a lot, not just the section nearest the house.

Because the obstruction rule sits in Chapter 6, Section 6-1003 designates a violation a civil infraction, prosecuted in municipal court or through the city's administrative hearing process, and the city need only prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence. Section 6-1004(a) lets the city abate an obstruction found on a public sidewalk without prior notice or a hearing, and a peace officer may issue a summons at the same time. Section 1-3003(c) caps a civil infraction fine at the maximum permitted under C.R.S. section 13-10-113, while Section 1-3003(d) elevates two or more violations within twelve months to a misdemeanor carrying the criminal penalties in Section 1-3003(a).

If the city performs the abatement itself, Section 1-3004(a) authorizes it to bill the responsible party for the cost of the work plus a fifteen percent administrative fee.