ZIP CODES

FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

County. e city, home to more than 100,000 people, has a land area of roughly 30 square miles, according to its website.

Roughly ve years ago, U.S. Rep. Jason Crow gave the city a roadmap on this matter and explained that the U.S. Postal Service is the agency to go to, Sutherland said.

“I think we need it for identity purposes. I think we need it for businesses to understand where to send their tax dollars,” Sutherland said. “I understand that it’s up to the U.S. Postal Service as to whether to grant ZIP codes or not, and it may be a futile process.

“And it’s been attempted before, but it’s been at least nine or 10 years since the attempt was made before,” he added. “I think we ought to at least make the attempt to do it.”

Councilmember Marlo Alston voiced support of the idea.

“We are working on our identity,” Alston said. “And we deserve to have someone pull up our ZIP code and say, ‘Oh, Centennial’ — not Aurora. And that happens quite often.”

Councilmember Don Sheehan said that he likes the idea, but he wondered what impact a ZIP code change may have on businesses.

“Any established business is going to have probably a website, they’re going to have letterhead, they’re going to have legal lings, and a lot of documentation that’s going to have whatever ZIP code they’re a part of right now,” Sheehan said. “And if they had to change that, that could be a pretty signi cant cost or burden on a signi cant number of businesses.”

Mayor Stephanie Piko said the city has raised this issue with Crow’s ofce in the past and with the o ce of U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper.

“I think it does, pretty much, put everybody in a stumped position, if you will, of not really knowing how to go forward or even get it passed, but it would be worth looking at, so I would support having us look at it again,” Piko said. is act was brought up during a Lone Tree City Council study session on March 7 as part of a legislative update from Je Holwell, the city’s director of economic development and public a airs. o cers and mental health responders reportedly contacted Lewis. e following day, March 3, detectives executed a search warrant and allegedly “located additional evidence to support the charges,” according to the release.

All members of the council gave a thumbs up for moving forward with the matter.

Centennial is not the only municipality interested in getting its own ZIP code. e City of Castle Pines has been trying to change its ZIP code since 2018.

In 2021, the Castle Pines Community Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives with sponsorship from U.S. Rep. Ken Buck. e bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to designate a single Zip code for Castle Pines.

While inside the residence, the o cers allegedly observed evidence of child pornography “in plain view,” the police department said in the release.

Detectives responded to the address and Lewis was arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, per the release.

“We met with the folks at Castle Pines and also with Representative Buck’s o ce, and potentially it’s an opportunity for us, as we consider, you know, building into 80134, whether it makes sense to have 80124 as a uniform zip code for the City of Lone Tree,” Holwell said.

Holwell explained there are a series of pieces of legislation written that relate to this issue, as well as a potential for Lone Tree to be added to the list of communities interested in a zip code.

It may take years before the legislation is introduced, but having it drafted and ready may not be a bad thing if the council agreed, he said.

Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet pointed out that the council does not make decisions during its study sessions, but noted a lot of the council members were nodding their heads. “We might as well try to consider it if it’s happening, so we’ll be working on that and keep you updated,” Holwell said.

“Lewis had been released on a personal recognizance bond by the Arapahoe County Courts but failed to appear for his court date today, March 8, 2023, where he was formally charged with ve counts of sexual exploitation of a child,” the police department said in the release. e Colorado Judicial Branch de- nes a personal recognizance bond, also called a PR bond, as a signature bond in which the defendant’s signature acts as the promise to appear in court. e bond does not involve any money or property as long as the defendant appears at all future court dates. e Arapahoe County Court reportedly issued a warrant for Lewis’ arrest and at approximately 2:24 p.m. March 8, Englewood o cers arrested Lewis at his residence, according to the release.