The large Ikea sign along southbound Interstate 25 was repositioned “slightly to the west” Tuesday because it encroaches on the light-rail- tracks right of way just beneath it, according to a memo sent to the company in late October.
Additionally, stormwater drainage from the Ikea property that’s channeled onto the Regional Transportation District right of way is generating too much water and must be fixed, the memo from the Colorado Department of Transportation and RTD says.
The water issue “could cause safety and operational problems” for light-rail trains, the letter says.
Ikea said in a brief tweet that the sign adjustment would be completed by Friday.
Company spokesman Joseph Roth said in a message that only the sign faces were being adjusted, not the pole. Centennial store spokeswoman Annie Boeckman said the fix was Ikea’s initiative, not the result of any warning from the two public agencies.
Allison Wittern, a spokeswoman for the city of Centennial, said two sides of the three-sided sign atop a 100-foot pole were being moved “less than a yard” inward.
She said the sign was placed in the position called for by the construction plans, but after it was installed, Ikea did a survey and found it encroached on the right of way.
The right of way sits between I-25 and the Ikea property and is owned by CDOT. Ikea’s sign violates rules that prohibit “private advertising signs . . . from being located in interstate right of way,” the letter says.
The Oct. 21 letter gave Ikea 15 days to provide proposals to fix the issues and 60 days in which to implement them.
A pair of cranes were being used to make the adjustment.
It is unclear how the stormwater problem will be addressed.
The encroachment issue was raised shortly after the sign was erected before the store opening, but officials initially said there were no problems.
David Migoya: 303-954-1506, dmigoya@denverpost.com,
