DENVER – When you think of public sidewalk repairs, you might think it's the city's job, right? Denver7 found out uneven or damaged sidewalks are not the city's problem.
Cheryl Bullock, 66, enjoys sitting outside her El Tovar Apartment on East Colfax Avenue and Grant Street in Denver.
"I come out here at 7 or 8 in the morning, and I stay out here until 4 in the afternoon,” said Bullock.
Her neighbor, Colleen Morley, is often outside as well.
"I'd rather be out here than cooped up in my apartment,” said Morley.
When they’re outside, both keep a mental tally of what's happening right outside the apartment’s gate.
“When we sit out here during the day, we see probably 15 people fall,” said Bullock.
Tenants at El Tovar say the uneven public sidewalk in front of the building has caused them to trip and fall. The latest casualty is their neighbor Jacquelyn Shorter, 64.
“I lost [20 percent] use in my hand. I almost stopped cooking,” said Shorter.
She tried her best to avoid the cracks but still tripped.
"My foot slipped down, and I was trying to brace myself, and I fell. I fractured my hand in four places,” said Shorter.
Bullock also got a taste of what many of her neighbors have already experienced.
"I fell down several times and got my face all scraped up,” said Bullock.
Denver7 contacted the city after several tenants failed to get an answer. The city says while the sidewalk is public, it’s the property owner’s responsibility to make repairs.
The city has given the owner of El Tovar until September 25 to repair the sidewalk.
