DENVER — Pushing a stroller along the sidewalk hasn't been an easy task in Denver these past two weeks.
"Definitely really hard to walk, even in snow boots. It's really icy. I slipped a couple of times. And with the stroller, it's even more challenging," Maria McDermott said Friday.
That heavy, wet snow we had right before New Year's, followed by days of freezing temperatures and gray skies, meant we couldn't just rely on the Sun's mighty rays to clear the sidewalks.
"Our neighbors are really good. We all have kids on the same block, so I feel like our like little patch of the block is great, but just some of these areas are a little bit scary," McDermott said.
It's a property owner's responsibility to clear snow and ice off the sidewalk closest to them. And for the most part, they followed through this snowstorm.
"Once they get the notice, they take care of it within the day. It's very rare that we actually issue fines compared to the number of complaints that we received," said Alexandra Foster, spokesperson for Denver's Community Planning and Development.
The numbers prove that.
Of the 2,479 inspections from Dec. 28 through Jan. 12, only 35 property owners received a $150 fine after receiving a notice to clear their sidewalk, and only one property owner received a $500 fine after a follow-up inspection. The remaining 2,443 properties cleared the snow or ice after receiving a notice or before an inspector's arrived.
"Most residents do understand what their responsibilities are and take care of it as soon as they are able to," Foster said.
If there's an area near your home that still hasn't been cleared, by either the Sun or the property owner, you can file a report with 311.