Volume 40, Edition 1

Message from the President

Greetings Friends and Supporters, 

Happy New Year! I hope this note finds you well. Welcome to the Urban Dweller--Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' monthly e-newsletter. Here is the latest from Denver’s largest, oldest registered neighborhood organization and community advocate:

CHUN to award thousands of dollars to neighborhood projects. Join CHUN on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 6pm for a virtual presentation of the 3rd Annual SEED Awards. Since launching this program in 2019, CHUN has invested more than $20,000 in groups throughout our geographic boundaries. This would not have been possible without our growing membership and generous grants provided by Verizon Wireless. 

Thank you Shirley Howson. After more than 4 years of work on behalf of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, first as a board member and later as office manager, Shirley Howson will take on a new professional opportunity. In 2017, Shirley organized our first wine tasting just as we were emerging from an uncertain financial situation. As office manager, she facilitated tenant relations exceptionally well, refined a number of membership and database processes, and oversaw enumerable administrative duties. CHUN is in a better position because of her commitment and hard work. Please join me in thanking Shirley for her work. 

Now hiring a community outreach coordinator. CHUN is accepting applications for a Community Outreach Coordinator who is passionate about Denver and eager to shape the future of the greater Capitol Hill community. This person will facilitate special programs, organize community meetings, develop community-investment projects, and promote volunteerism all with an emphasis on fostering meaningful connections on issues facing the Mile High City from Cherry Creek North to Congress Park and Alamo Placita to Uptown. Click here to view the full job description. The deadline to apply is January 21, 2021.

Internal CHUN neighborhood names and descriptions will align with City. CHUN represents citizens from 22nd Avenue (North) to 1st Avenue (South) and from Colorado Boulevard (East) to Broadway (West). For years, our work and neighborhood descriptors did not align with Denver's Statistical Neighborhoods. A corrected, statistically accurate map can be found HERE. This means the Speer and Five Points neighborhoods will be recognized, celebrated, and represented more in our work. 

Congratulations to returning board colleagues. On November 30, CHUN hosted the Annual Neighborhood Assembly. The assembly featured a guest presenter detailing LGBTQ+ history in Denver and greater Capitol Hill. Neighborhood delegates were also elected to serve on our board of directors for another 2-year term. Congratulations to all new and returning board members. A special thanks goes out to those who did not pursue another term on the board: Boris Jonica, Charles Nusbaum, Lindsay Burleson, Kathy Callender, Amy Alleman, and Anne McWhirter. Each contributed their time, talent, and treasure to the effectiveness and impact at CHUN. I am immensely grateful to each for their leadership. 

Redistricting underway in Denver. Denver City Council is currently evaluating and considering modifications to current city council districts. Denverites are invited to participate in the process as well. You can learn more about the process in this Denverite article. More information about the process and to get involved, please visiting the City and County of Denver for more information. 

Auditor to review City's Response to Homelessness. In October, Denver Auditor Tim O'Brien announced that his office will soon review the City's response to homelessness. I, along with other community leaders, met with the auditor's team to convey both our concerns and present near-term opportunities for improvement. I shared my perspectives as they relate to clear operational deficiencies, the need to deliver services to Denver's unhoused before unsanctioned encampments develop, reiterated calls for a single point-person whose sole focus is solving Denver's homelessness crisis, improving reporting strategies beyond PocketGov and/or 311, and several other strategies for immediate action. 

The board and staff at CHUN are saddened by the shooting spree that took place on Monday, December 27th. Our hearts break for the victims, their loved ones, and all who have been impacted by these senseless acts. Not only did two of the shootings occur within the greater Capitol Hill community, but one was also just feet from our office's front door. What remains true is that it is imperative for Denver to get smarter about public safety, that our justice system needs to build in safeguards protecting residents, and our communities must come together to advocate for the well-being of our city's neighborhoods. This cannot be the new normal in Denver. 

I, along with my CHUN board colleagues, are committed to working with first responders and community leaders to create neighborhoods, and a city, that we are proud to call home. 

For Denver, 
Travis Leiker, MPA
President and Executive Director 
Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods

Member of the Month

ACLU of Colorado

Last Fall, we welcomed the ACLU of Colorado as one of our newest community partner members. The ACLU is the state’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its mission is to protect, defend and extend the civil rights and civil liberties of all people in Colorado through litigation, education and advocacy. They fight for your rights, and the rights of all Coloradans through litigation and legal advocacy, public policy and legislation, and public education.

Thier legal department writes letters, talks to government agencies and, if necessary, files lawsuits on behalf of clients whose rights have been violated. At the state capitol and at city council meetings across Colorado, the ACLU advocates for rational laws that protect people’s rights and liberties. The ACLU also engages and informs Coloradans through public forums on current civil liberties issues, “Know Your Rights” trainings, rallies and media events. 

​Click on the links above to learn more, or here, to join the ACLU.

CHUN News and Events

Photos from Members and Neighbors

Big Changes Expected for Tears-McFarlane House in 2022

As 2021 draws to a close, CHUN continues to work with City Street Investors and Semple Brown Design on the renovated and restored Tears-McFarlane House and new annex cafe.

This year has seen significant milestones for the project including approval from the Landmark Preservation Commission on September 7th and the preparation of final design documents for the project. Semple Brown Design is currently working with the City of Denver to obtain the necessary site development plan and building permit approvals for the project. A building permit is expected in the first quarter of 2022 and work will begin once a permit is received and a contractor is selected. ​Expect to see big changes in 2022!

CHUN to Announce 2022 SEED Awards

Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' SEED Awards promote community entrepreneurship and invests in neighborhood engagement. Launched in 2019, these financial awards provide support to scalable, high-impact projects that align with CHUN's mission and values.

Join us for a virtual awards presentation and to learn more about what we are supporting in 2022. The presentation will include a description of the awards, an overview of each organization, and how each will invest in their organizations and enhance the quality of life for those in our greater community. 

Thursday, January 6, 2022
6:00 - 7:00 pm 
VIRTUAL ZOOM PRESENTATION. Meeting ID: 496 877 7874. Passcode: 1899

CHUN Board Members Volunteer at Urban Peak

Giving back to those in need is an important part of the holiday season.

​Special thanks to Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods board members Nikki Racelis, Vickie Berkley, and Travis Leiker for volunteering and preparing meals for homeless youth at Urban Peak.

CHUN President Travis Leiker speaks out on Public Right-of-Way

​Rights-of-way are the areas between the street and the sidewalk -- usually grassy, sometimes with trees, and in Denver, increasingly filled with unsanctioned homeless camps.

"This just came up in a conversation that I had with the city earlier this week concerning our residents' concerns around what they're calling hostile landscaping, hostile architecture," said Travis Leiker, president of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods.  

As head of the nonprofit organization, Leiker met with city leaders last month to discuss rights-of-way and how to best mitigate resident concerns--pertaining to both encampments or what others call hostile architecture/landscaping. 

"Folks are concerned with, and responding to, unsanctioned encampments," said Leiker "What you see is a number of private property owners trying to triage what they think is a concern, or an issue, in terms of public right-of-way enforcement." He also pointed out that there ways to make right-of-way enhancements or modifications through a permitting process  established by Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).

Here is what you need to know. The installation of temporary features in the right-of-way (e.g. fencing) requires a Revocable Street Occupancy Permit. The application can be completed online and has a quick turnaround time (normally less than 3 days). There is a $50 permit issuance fee and depending on length, size and duration of the permit, the cost can range from $50 to $100’s.

• Here is the page that has all the information to apply for an RSOP: https://bit.ly/3dHiFNr
• If you are thinking longer-lasting features (e.g. planters, flower box, pavers, etc.) in the right of way, an Encroachment Permit may be necessary. That information can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/31SAEO3

For more information, please reach out to Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

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​CHUN Seeks New Community Outreach Coordinator

​CHUN is accepting applications for a part-time Community Outreach Coordinator who is passionate about Denver and eager to shape the future of the greater Capitol Hill community. This person will facilitate special programs, organize community meetings, develop community-investment projects, and promote volunteerism all with an emphasis on fostering meaningful connections on issues facing the Mile High City from Cherry Creek North to Uptown.

This is a great opportunity for a responsible, creative, motivated, and detail-oriented person who is looking to expand their experience in city-based nonprofit work and to deepen their expertise at the neighborhood and municipal level. The deadline to apply is January 21, 2021. 

Click here to view the full job description. ​

Unhoused Communities, Addressing Racism, and Parking in Capitol Hill were introduced at CHUN's first CHUN-Talkwa

More than a century ago, a minister and a businessman founded an adult education movement that introduced people to new ideas and issues of public concern. This exchange of ideas would later become the Chautauqua Movement.  CHUN came up with a new take on this decades-old concept - CHUN-Talkwa - to address issues that Denver residents are facing. 

On Monday, December 6, we heard from Regina Jackson on addressing systemic racism & privilege, from Tom Luehrs on unhoused communities in Denver, and from Mary Dudzinski on parking in Capitol Hill. 

​Stay tuned for an announcement on our next CHUN-Talkwa.

CHUN Committee Reports

Community Engagement

CHUN-Talkwa: CHUN’s inaugural CHUN-Talkwa was held virtually on December 6th. Many thanks to Jamie LaRue for organizing the event and to the speakers for sharing their topics of interest and their solutions with the audience: Regina Jackson (racism), Tom Luehrs (the unhoused) and Mary Dudzinski (parking). The event generated lively discussion on these issues. A white paper will be written once there are sufficient interviews. If you would like your interests to be heard, email Jamie LaRue at [email protected] no later than February 11, 2022.

SEED Awards: CHUN’s Seed Awards are one of the ways in which CHUN fulfills its mission, by encouraging neighborhood enhancements through community investment. The fourteen applications received this year were reviewed by CHUN Board members and after careful deliberation, eight projects were recommended by the review committee and approved by the board.  They will be announced on January 6 at a CHUN virtual event (see link in story above).

Urban Peak Volunteer Event: CHUN executive committee members Nichole Racelis, Travis Leiker and Vickie Berkley prepared dinner for youth at Urban Peak on December 23rd. Urban Peak provides a full convergence of services focused on one of the most vulnerable populations in our community: youth ages 15 through 24 who are experiencing homelessness. Additional volunteer opportunities, such as this one, will be scheduled throughout the coming year

History Matters

In December, the CHUN History Matters committee considered the following proposals:

1622 Emerson Street: CHUN History Matters was asked to undertake a landmark review before redevelopment. We met with the architect and owner who answered questions about design, density, and parking. This redevelopment was unanimously recommended for approval by the Landmark Commission.

Steele Street/7th Ave Historic District:  CHUN had already written a recommendation for approval for the extension of the 7th Avenue Historic District, and, in December, we heard an update from the organizers and Historic Denver prior to the scheduled December 13 Denver City Council Meeting. CHUN History Matter co-chairs testified in support of the historic district at the City Council meeting. CHUN President Travis Leiker sent the CHUN letter of support to all City Council members prior to their meeting. The Denver City Council voted to support the formation of the new historic district.

Denver Public Library Landmark Application:  The Landmark Commission has rejected the architectural changes to the historic Michael Graves design of the central library. Kevin Kelly, History Matters co-chair, reiterated the CHUN letter of support at the Landmark Commission meeting. 

Denver and Colorado News and Events

Clear, Safe Sidewalks for All

Be a great neighbor! Everyone enjoys safe, clear sidewalks – and it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep the sidewalks adjacent to their home or business clear and accessible. Shovel all sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, and bus stops around your home as soon as it's practical and safe. Businesses have 4 hours after the snow stops to shovel, and residents have 24 hours. 
 
Show kindness and offer to help your neighbors if they aren't able to shovel! Neighbors helping neighbors is one of the things that makes Denver great. You can volunteer to be an official “snow angel” at www.denvergov.org/snowangels or just do a #NeighborCheck. There are all sorts of reasons why people may need assistance, or they may just not know what the city’s rules are for keeping sidewalks clear. A simple conversation with a neighbor or just lending that helping hand will almost always resolve a snowy sidewalk faster than the city can, and it will preserve city resources for the rest of Denver’s 3,000 miles of sidewalks.
 
Learn more at www.denvergov.org/Snow.
​

Tips:

• Use the shovel to push the snow; don't lift it.
• Shovel early! When snow isn't shoveled, it gets packed down and becomes ice. Shoveling all the way to the pavement will also prevent ice from forming.
• Shovel into your yard and not into roadways and bike lanes. 
• Salt can be damaging when it runs off into your lawn or the storm sewer with the snowmelt. Look for ecofriendly and pet-safe deicers.
• Be proactive and come up with a plan for addressing sidewalks now, before it’s snowing.

Denver Zoo Announces 2022 Free Days

As part of its commitment to accessibility and affordability, Denver Zoo is offering seven Free Days through 2022 for anyone in the community. To provide the best experience for guests, the Zoo will provide a limited number of tickets for each Free Day using an online lottery system that will randomly select winners. Anyone who wants to attend a Free Day must register online during the five-day open lottery period for a chance to obtain up to five vouchers for its corresponding Free Day. 
 
“Providing access to everyone in the community, especially underserved groups that may not have the chance to experience nature and wildlife, is one of our top priorities and critical to our mission,” said Denver Zoo President and CEO Bert Vescolani. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Zoo on our Free Days to get inspired by our 3,000 wild animals.”

The first Free Day is on Friday, Jan. 7 with the lottery period open now through Thursday, Dec. 30.​

A complete list of 2022 Free Days follows:
 

• Friday, Jan. 7 (lottery period: Dec. 26-30)
• Saturday, Jan. 22 (lottery period: Jan. 10-14)
• Sunday, Feb. 6 (lottery period: Jan. 25-29)
• Sunday, April 10 (lottery period: March 29-April 2)
• Saturday, Oct. 8 (lottery period: Sept. 26-30)
• Tuesday, Nov. 1 (lottery period: Oct. 20-24)
• Sunday, Nov. 13 (lottery period: Nov. 1-5)

Colorado Village Cooperative Fundraising to add 4 New Tiny Homes

Colorado Village Collaborative (CVC) is fundraising to add four new tiny home units to its tiny home villages program. Each 100-square-foot unit costs approximately $25,000 for supplies and assembly.

CVC exists to bridge the gap between the streets and stable housing. CVC is working to advance dignified solutions that significantly reduce Denver’s unsheltered homelessness population. Since its founding in 2017, CVC has launched five transformational housing projects, including two tiny home villages and three Safe Outdoor Spaces that have provided more than 50,000 nights of safe, dignified housing in partnership with people coming from homelessness.

Our two tiny home villages have housed 47 people this year. We’ve helped 14 of our residents move into more stable housing, and we continue to support many of our former residents with resources. 

Click here to join CVC’s efforts and help us build more tiny homes in 2022! 

According to the 2020 Point in Time count, more than 1,500 people sleep on the metro Denver streets each night, but things don’t have to be this way.

Denver Approves '20 is Plenty' Ordinance

Better slow down when you hit your local streets.

Denver City Council approved the “20 is plenty” ordinance, which will reduce the speed limit on neighborhood streets from 25 to 20 MPH. 

Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Spokesperson Vanessa Lacayo said there are currently about 2,700-3,500 25-mph speed limit signs on local streets. It’ll take around three to five years to implement the signage changes.