DENVER — A member of Denver City Council is open to changing the city's new sidewalk fee, after Denver7 Investigates highlighted a nonprofit stuck with a nearly $15,000 dollar bill.
"I think I was as surprised as they were," said City Council Member Shontel Lewis.
Lewis represents District 8, which is home to Bluff Lake Nature Center. The nonprofit owns more than 120 acres of land, open to the public free of charge every day of the year.
The newly implemented sidewalk fee in Denver was passed by voters in 2022. The cost for each property owner in the city is a flat fee of $150, then an additional cost is assessed depending on the amount of frontage facing the public right of way.
Bluff Lake Nature Center's annual fee comes out to $14.685.50.
Denver7 Investigates
Nonprofit stuck with nearly $15,000 yearly bill after sidewalk fee kicks in
Denver7 first highlighted what the nature center is dealing with after the nonprofit's initial appeal to Denver' Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) was denied.
"As a nonprofit, one can't afford that fee," said Lewis, who wrote a letter of support for Bluff Lake.
Now, Council member Lewis says she is willing to discuss a change at the city level that would curb the fee for the nonproft.
"We're still exploring with the with our attorneys whether it's going to be carve outs in the ordinance or if it's something in policy, internal policy, that needs to be done, but certainly in exploration."
On Feb. 19, Bluff Lake filed a second appeal to the DOTI. The nonprofit's executive director wrote in a letter that they are "trying to get the City to take notice of our unique situation."
A DOTI spokesperson told Denver7 Investigates that the appeal is currently under review.
