2019 Address Changes

There are a large number of address changes happening in Federal Heights on January 1, 2019.  Residents will have 16 months (or until May 1, 2020) to make the address changes.  Prior to the change affected residents will receive a direct mailing indicating what their new address will be. The number of addresses being changed in the City is 1,681 out of 6,091 total addresses in the City.  The table below shows the affected neighborhoods.

Why are addressed changing?
Over the years, the city has received numerous complaints from local residents about incorrect addresses. Sometimes this situation results in deliveries arriving that were not ordered or deliveries being made to the wrong locations.  Staff completed a full audit of city addresses for compliance with the Denver grid and linear address ranges.  The city has had a number of addressing irregularities that were not very consequential until people started using mapping services to find their way to a location.  Delivery trucks are one of those primary users along with visitors and people who are not from this area.

Is my address changing and if so, what will the new address be?

PDF Guide to Address Changes by Neighborhood

 

Why doesn't my Mail Carrier know about this?
The City is working with the Post Office and multiple offices at Adams County to coordinate the address changes.  Changes this large are done at the district level, not at the level of the individual mail carrier. By working with the correct offices, the City was able to get a longer period of time for mail forwarding.  Normally address change forwarding through the post office is only good for 60 days for periodicals and magazines and 12 months for first class mail.  The post office has generously offered to provide a “Same As” address change for our residents and this will be viable for up to 16 months.  The “Same As” distinction also prevents any confusion or interruption of service related to ballots and voting.  All of the new addresses are brand new.  They have never been associated with any other households.  Local mail carriers will be informed prior to the change.

How will this affect real estate and property records?
The Assessor’s office tracks all real estate by legal description, not address.  This makes changes to address much less burdensome than some people may think.  They also track real estate records by unique parcel identification numbers which adds another level of security.  They have offered to add the new address numbers to these existing records so that both sets of addresses will be searchable and deliver the same results.  The bulk of the incorrect addresses in the city are found in mobile home parks.  Space numbers are not changing for those individuals.  The address identification numbers on the outside of homes within mobile home parks will not need to change.  The bulk of the remaining changes affect apartment complexes.  For the 85 affected single family home addresses outside of mobile home parks whose address is changing, new house numbers will need to be added within that 16-month time frame.

Will police and fire be able to find me when I call 911?
Emergency Services will not be affected by this change.  The City will provide to the county and to local dispatch agencies both address records (one historic and one new) that will both show up in their software systems, so there is no need to worry that during an emergency, you may not remember the correct address.  Both will work for 911.  Local water and sewer bills paid at the City will update with the new address, and account information will transfer automatically.

What about all the other things that need to change?
Regarding changes to personal accounts that all of us have with various businesses, agencies and services, residents will need to update their records within the sixteen month forwarding period (January 1, 2019 to May 1, 2020).  The list below provides categories of potential updates, which may not apply to each resident, but could serve as a helpful guide.

  • Public Offices and Government Agencies (the City will update all real-estate records at the county)
    • Federal IRS and State Revenue Agency, Social Security, Medicare Administration, Department of Motor Vehicles, Family Support/ Child Protection Offices, Department of Veteran Affairs, Federal and State Pension Benefits Offices, Unemployment Insurance Office, U.S. Customs and Immigration Service, Voter Registration, Do-Not-Mail and Do-Not-Call National Programs
  • Utilities and Services (the City will update records for gas, electric, water and sewer)
    • Telephone, Television Provider, Internet Provider, Bottled Water Services, Garbage/Recycling Services
  • Financial Services
    • Banks, All Loan Institutions, Credit Card Companies, PayPal, Insurance Agencies, Retail Credit Accounts, Pension Plans and IRA/401k Administrators, Accountant/ Tax Specialist, Investment Brokers/ Advisors, Credit Reporting Agencies
  • Institutions, Organizations and Clubs
    • Employer,  Children’s Schools, Daycare Providers, Church, Attorney, Medical Clinic/ Doctors, Optometrist, Dentist, Veterinarian, Professional Memberships, Civic Clubs/ Organizations, Children's Clubs/ Organizations,  PTA, Neighborhood Association, Health Clubs, Country Club, Social Club, Alumni Groups, Charity Organizations, Cost Clubs (Costco, Sam's Club), Membership Clubs (AAA, AARP, ACLU, Etc.)
  • Residential Services
    • Pool Maintenance Service, Lawn/ Garden Service, Housecleaner, Pest Control Service, Delivery Services, Home Security Service
  • Periodicals and Online Delivery Merchants
    • Newspapers, Magazines, Online Merchants such as Amazon, Wayfair, eBay, etc.