La Plata County, CO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 70-6.I.D of the La Plata County Land Use Code is the county's obstruction rule for public ground. It states that development and obstructions within a county right-of-way or easement are prohibited. The owner has no notice period to wait out: the item must come out immediately upon discovery, and the removal is at the owner's expense. The subsection does not mention sidewalks by name. It covers any development or obstruction inside a county right-of-way or easement.

Where the right-of-way line sits matters. Section 70-6.I.C.2 measures roadway setbacks for state highways, county roads and all other streets and roads from the edge of the right-of-way to the closest exterior wall or projection of a structure or improvement. If the width of the right-of-way is unknown, the measurement runs from the road center line with an additional forty feet added to the minimum roadway setback. The setback table in the same section sets the row for all public roads or streets at 20 ft., and a greenbelt or open space between the property line and the public right-of-way can be applied to the setback.

Failure to remove the obstruction carries more than a land use consequence. The code calls it a possible violation of C.R.S. § 43-5-301, subject to criminal prosecution and civil action by the county. Work that belongs in the right-of-way goes through permits instead. Section 70-11 requires a county driveway permit for driveways unless exempt, and those driveways must meet the road and bridge standards in Chapter 74.

Where a project fronts an existing sidewalk, Section 70-11.III requires it to connect with sidewalks or walkways of equal or greater quality and to extend them along the property frontage for the entire distance of the lot or parcel. Ditch easements carry their own obstruction duty in Section 70-14: owners of property crossed by a ditch must keep the ditch easement free of obstacles such as fences, landscaping or bridges.