VOLUME 38, EDITION 9

Message From the President

Dear Neighbors and Supporters, 

The Urban Dweller, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' (CHUN) monthly e-newsletter, is now online.  Here is the latest overview from Denver’s largest, oldest registered neighborhood organization and your community advocate: 

CHUN to bestow more than $5000 in SEED funding. CHUN's SEED Awards support community involvement and foster locally grown solutions for the public good. This year, CHUN will award more than $5,000 in community impact funds. Program priorities include: Smart development, Enrichment activities, Environmental sustainability and Diversity. Details on funding priorities and an on-line application are available HERE. Past projects include public murals, access to personal toiletries for people in need, computers for PTAs, and more. If you have a great project that needs financial support, apply today. The deadline to apply is November 20, 2020. 

Membership continues to grow.  CHUN works to improve the quality of life throughout Denver, and we cannot do this work without you.  Many thanks to all who joined or renewed their membership last month including: Teresa S., Seth H., Matthew L., Susan S. Benjamin O., Caroline T., Sally L., Bernie J., the Althea Center for Engaged Spirituality, the Parlour Capitol Hill, Denver Compost Collective, SafeHouse Denver, Inc., and MORE!  It is because of this continued generosity, CHUN is able to boost its impact in the community. Join or renew today. 

CHUN cares. Earlier in September, business member Barbara de Jong, CFP (Edward Jones Investments) and I hosted a virtual roundtable to discuss The CARES Act. The Act was passed earlier this year, and it provides neighbors with some incentives to support their local community including up to $300 in qualified charitable deductions on your 2020 tax filing next year (even if you do normally itemize your deductions). Here is a recap of the Act and other helpful information. 

The Future of Racines and 650 Sherman Street: On September 30, CHUN hosted a virtual town hall to discuss 650 Sherman Street. The property was home to Denver dining establishment, and a much-missed institution, Racines Restaurant. Joining us for the town hall were Todd Nicotra, of AvalonBay Communities, and Robert Miller, an architect with StudioPBA. It was a robust 90 minute overview of the proposed Avalon: Governor's Park (AGP). AGP will be a multi-family residential property.  Typical rezoning topics such as traffic feasibility, height restrictions, design renderings, and more were addressed. CHUN members stressed importance for more neighbor engagement and expressed concerns about the lack of affordable units associated with the project. I, along with several other CHUN board members, encouraged enhanced community partnerships and financial investments in local human service organizations as a part of the developer's entry into the Denver development market.  Check out this presentation for more information about the project. You can also contact Todd at Todd_Nicotra@avalonbay.com. If you have feedback you would like to share with Councilman Chris Hinds, please email District10@denvergov.org.  

1290 Williams Street Rezoning Approved by LUTI Committee. CHUN's rezoning for the Tears-McFarlane property at 1290 Williams Street was thoughtfully reviewed and deliberated at the September 15 meeting of Denver City Council's Land Use, Transportation, and Infrastructure Committee. The committee unanimously moved the application forward and it will be considered by the full City Council later this month.  If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us at chun@chundenver.org.

How can we help small businesses, wellness providers, local artisans, and more during this time of need?  With the days growing colder, I am worried about the health and well being of so many in our community. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and sustained economic uncertainty, the livelihoods of so many are at risk. CHUN's mission is to engage citizens, help neighbors, and facilitate opportunities to support local businesses.  If there is a small business you would like us to feature, please email the name of the business, why you support them, and what CHUNs members and followers can do to help. This information will be shared across our Facebook, NextDoor, Twitter, and Instagram platforms.

Teamwork is key. CHUN's staff and board are doing amazing work in the face of uncertainty and unrest. A special shout out goes to our groundskeeper Randle Loeb for keeping the Tears-McFarlane House safe, secure, and well maintained. Shirley Howson, CHUN's office manager, fields a number of community inquiries each day along with supporting our overall administrative operations.  Many thanks to our board for their continued leadership.  I am honored to be working with such extraordinary group of committed, neighborhood advocates.  

The 2020 General Election is just weeks away.  If you are registered to vote, make sure your registration is up to date. If you are not registered to vote, register today. Don't delay. Visit DenverVotes.org to register, update your address, and get other important information about voting.  As Susan B. Anthony said, "Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it." Your vote will help define Denver's tomorrow.  

For Denver, 

Travis Leiker, MPA
President | Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc. 

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Monthly Member Profile 
HOAs are Important CHUN Community Partners

HOAs throughout the greater Capitol Hill community are teaming up with Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods to to shape the future of Denver. This month we thank the following HOAs for their generosity and partnership--Central Flats HOA, the Florentine Condominium Association, and the Barrington Homeowners Association. HOAs are invited to join CHUN at chundenver.org/membership.

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Pets of Capitol Hill: Meet Scotty

Scotty moved to Capitol Hill two years ago from the MaxFund Animal Wellness Center. He settled in immediately! His favorite activities are napping, stuffing his face, gazing at the world from his cat tower, and occasionally spazzing out. He has been a most excellent quarantine buddy for his pet parent, Ryan Keeney, while he works from home. 

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Submit Nominees for CHUN's Good Neighbor Awards

Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods presents its Good Neighbor Awards at its Annual Membership meeting held each January.  There is one winner for each of our six award categories:

• Tom Knorr Award for Outstanding Community Leadership
• Roger Armstrong Award for Outstanding Volunteerism
• Historic Preservation Award
• Neighborhood Character Award
• Affordable & Accessible Housing/Addressing Homelessness Award
• Neighborhood Safety Award

Do you someone deserving of recognition for their good work in CHUN's neighborhoods? To view prior recipients, read more about the award categories, and submit a nominee, visit Good Neighbor Awards.

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Be Ready to Vote

Submitted by the Denver Elections Division
REGISTER TO VOTE/UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS The 2020 General Election is right around the corner.  Make sure your registration is up to date—ballots will be mailed to all active voters beginning October 9.  Visit GoVoteColorado.gov to register or update your address.

BALLOT TRACKING:  Did you know you can track your ballot? Casting your mail ballot is safe and secure—get notifications via email or text about when your ballot is on its way to you and when it's been received for counting. Sign up at BallotTRACE.org.

BALLOT SECURITY:  The Denver Elections Division is committed to holding safe, secure and accessible elections for all eligible voters. There is no evidence that mail ballots are more subject to fraud than other methods of voting. Voting by mail is a solution that addresses many of the threats to our democracy, from the pandemic to foreign interference. Get more information on how mail ballots really work at DenverVotes.org.

OPTIONS FOR VOTING:  You have options to vote in Colorado! Your ballot will automatically be mailed to you beginning October 9. Return it by November 3 at a 24-hour drop box, drive-through, or by mail; or vote in person beginning October 19. Don't wait to cast your vote! Find locations at DenverVotes.org/VoterInfo. Need a new ballot? Use Denver's new curbside pick-up service or call 311.

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Participate in Discussions about Denver's Group Living Rules Proposal

The proposal to update Denver's Group Living rules to allow more unrelated people to live together was presented to City Council in early September. City Council's Land Use and Infrastructure Committee, or LUTI, has scheduled a number of meetings over the coming months to review and discuss the proposed amendments. These meetings will be conducted virtually via Zoom and broadcasted live on Denver 8.

Schedule of Topics:

• October 6: Household regulations: alternatives and revisions
• November 3: Residential care introduction
• November 10: Residential care regulations, community corrections and proposed "type 2" size, lot minimums and locations
  
• November 17: Former chapter 59 ("old zoning code") and enforcement
  
• December 1: Wrap up and final committee action

To attend these virtual meetings, register for the Zoom webinar (use password: Denver).

Another way to participate is to sign up for a "community office hours" appointment to talk with a city planner. These are small group sessions where city planners have been answering questions and taking comments for several weeks. Spaces in office hours meetings for the next few weeks are still available.

This information, along with comprehensive overviews of the proposal, and recordings of past meetings, are available on www.denvergov.org/groupliving.

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Curbside Pickup available at Union Station Farmers Market

The Union Station Farmers Market has been doing a weekly curbside pickup of local, fresh fruits & vegetables.

It's the perfect time to invest in your local food system, and bonus - it's tasty! Order online for a safe, market-fresh curbside pickup at Union Station on Sundays. Fully customize your box from a wide selection of farmers, ranchers, and local food producers. Ordering opens Tuesdays from 8 am through Thursday at 12 pm.

If you're ordering for the first time use the promo code FIRSTORDER to waive the $5 pickup fee. Credit Cards, SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks accepted.

Register and place your order here.

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Explore Neighborhood Data with Denver's Neighborhood Dashboards

Earlier last month, Denver Community Planning and Development launched an interactive tool to give residents, non-profits, and other stakeholders the ability to view public data on housing, employment, affordability, and more at the neighborhood level.  They also developed an interactive public map that can be used to examine potential relationships between displacement risk and a variety of other indicators. This work builds upon key concepts and maps found in Blueprint Denver.  View the neighborhood dashboards or Explore the Map.

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Recipe: Warm up this Winter with Racine's Red Pepper Bisque

The Urban Dweller doesn't usually share cooking recipes, but we're making an exception for a restaurant that was held close to our hearts. Fellow CHUN Board member Rachel Griffin discovered a clipping of a recipe from the recently-shuttered Capitol Hill staple, Racines Restaurant.

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Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, large dice
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 potatoes, large dice
• 5 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded (recipe follows)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pint heavy cream (may substitute half-and-half)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Directions
To roast peppers: Choose red bell peppers with smooth survaces for easier peeling once roasted. Lightly rub with olive oil and season with kosher salt and coarse-ground black pepper. Grill over open flame or under broiler, turning peppers every 3 to 5 minutes until skins are charred all over. Place roasted peppers in large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let cool for an hour.

When cool, remove skins, core and seeds. (Peel under cool, running water to remove skins more easily.) Refrigerate finished peppers until ready to add them to the bisque.

In a heavy soup pot, saute onions, carrots, celery and potatoes in a little olive oil over medium-high heat until slightly browned. Deglaze pot with the wine. Add the cream, milk, water, tomato paste, bay leaf and seasoning. Cover and gently simmer on low heat until potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and add the peppers. Puree entire mixture using hand bleder. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serves 4 to 6. Makes about 1 1/4 quarts of bisque.  Recipe can be doubled.  

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Top Neighborhood News Stories

P.U.M.A.'s 2020 Global Trends Report & Pandemic Update

Progressive Urban Management Associates, or P.U.M.A., guides downtowns, neighborhoods, and communities to prepare for the future. It conducts groundbreaking research to identify the top trends in demographics, lifestyles, global competition and disruption, and place them in the unique context of North American cities and towns. It has also worked on Denver's East Central Area Plan.

At September's C.H.U.N. Board Meeting, Brad Segal, president of P.U.M.A., presented its recently-published Global Trends Report, and discussed the top demographic and lifestyle trends affecting our city and how COVID-19 continues to impact them.

Among its key findings, P.U.M.A. reports that changes in consumer behavior, public health, the nature of work, and housing affordability are some of the most significant accelerating trends impacting downtowns. As pandemic recovery efforts pick up, younger generations are "more likely to return to social gathering and pre-pandemic preferences quickly", and cities should "expect a surge in entrepreneurship that can be focused to fill and enliven storefronts."  To read the full report, visit P.U.M.A.'s Global Trends Report page.  P.U.M.A. is a Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods member and was featured as the July "Member of The Month."

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Denver Dept. of Housing Stability Releases Draft Action Plan

The Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) has released a public comment draft of its 2021 Action Plan. The one-year plan serves as a bridge from existing strategies set in Housing an Inclusive Denver and the Three-year Shelter Strategy to a forthcoming five-year strategic plan set for development in 2021.

The draft Action Plan outlines HOST’s goals for 2021, including:

• Serve at least 2,000 households in housing stability programs
• Assist 5,000 households through homelessness resolution programs
• Assist 4,000 households through housing opportunity programs
• Create at least 610 affordable housing units; preserve approximately 300 units

The draft plan is available for public comment on the HOST website through November 9, 2020. Through an online survey, individuals can submit feedback regarding the draft plan. Spanish translation of the draft plan and survey will be posted on the HOST website by early October. All comments and feedback will be evaluated in partnership with HOST’s Strategic Planning Executive Committee, and the final plan is expected to be posted online by year-end.

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Denver Botanic Garden’s sprawling new Freyer-Newman Center turns the gardens into a year-round attraction

The Freyer-Newman Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver on Sept. 23, 2020. The new facility houses the Helen Fowler Library, art galleries, herbaria, classrooms, the School of Botanical Illustration and a coffee shop, the Copper Door. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

The Denver Botanic Gardens has spent more than $116 million revamping itself over the past decade. There’s a new science pyramid, gift shop and welcome center, a children’s garden, an outdoor bistro, a tea garden and a massive greenhouse complex.

Old structures (like the glass-enclosed Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory) have been refurbished, and new ones (like a green-roofed parking garage) have been built from the ground up.

But none of those projects contains the potential to transform the garden and the way Denverites use it as much as the Freyer-Newman Center, the 13th and final step of its master redevelopment plan, which opened to the public last week.

Read the article on The Denver Post.

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From the people who brought you LoDo, Union Station and the Molly Brown House …

Union Station March 18, 2020. The downtown Denver landmark was voted a fan-favorite in Historic Denver’s recent survey of its most popular projects. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Historic Denver wasn’t always Historic Denver.  The nonprofit dedicated to preserving the Mile High City’s physical history didn’t have a name when concerned neighbors banded together in 1970 to save Capitol Hill’s Molly Brown House from demolition.

But over the decades, it’s notched major victories that have helped transform the city from cowtown to millennial haven — including the redevelopment of Lower Downtown into a spot for nightlife and a residential district, which helped spur the city’s revival at large in the 1990s and early 2000s.
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“Historic preservation has been really intimately tied to Denver’s growth and success by introducing identity and cohesion to neighborhoods,” said Annie Robb Levinsky, Historic Denver’s executive director. “The landmarks and neighborhoods that weave together and connect our city are our historic fabric.”

Read the article on The Denver Post.

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Upcoming Events

Take the Park Road Closures Survey

To prevent overcrowding and to encourage social-distancing, many Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR) parks saw internal park roads and parking lots closed during the summer. This survey will allow you to share general opinions of closing roads and parking lots within DPR parks, and will also focus on certain parks that we need to hear community input on.

This survey will close November 2, 2020.

Take the survey

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Free Guided Bike Tours of Denver - through 10/31

The Downtown Denver Partnership and Gates Corporation are providing free guided bike tours of Downtown Denver and the 5280 Trail through TourDenver in lieu of Bike to Work Day.

Groups, individuals, company teams, and families are welcome to join a guided tour through October 31st. Tours can be booked in 30- or 60- minute windows.

Book your tour here

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East Central Area Plan at Denver City Council - 10/05

After three years of work and input by thousands of residents, neighborhood groups, local business owners and community leaders, the draft East Central Area Plan is in its final phase of review, with hearings at the Denver Planning Board and City Council. The hearings follow review of the draft by community members, who provided more than 10,000 comments over three years of collaboration, including 3,000 comments on three versions of the draft plan, helping refine and strengthen the vision for these neighborhoods.

City Council Public Hearing
5:30 p.m., Monday, October 5
Virtual meeting via Zoom

How to participate:

• Submit comments to dencc@denvergov.org.
• Sign up to speak at the hearing
• Watch the hearing live on Denver's Channel 8 or online at Denver8.tv.

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Understanding Displacement - 10/07

Denver Community Planning and Development would like you to join them for a virtual discussion of involuntary displacement in West Denver. The discussion will cover what involuntary displacement is, why it happens, and what's being done locally and nationally to address its causes. While this discussion will focus on West Denver neighborhoods, the topics and strategies have broad relevance locally within CHUN's boundaries, regionally, and nationally.

The panelists will be:

• Renee Martinez-Stone, Initiatives Director at West Denver Renaissance Collaborative
• Tiana Patterson, Esq., Public Partnerships and Legal Director at Elevation Community Land Trust
• Jamie Torres, District 3 Councilwoman
• Laura E. Aldrete, Executive Director at Community Planning and Development
• Carrie Makarewicz, Assistant Professor at UC Denver
• Katie McKenna, Senior Program Director at Enterprise Community Partners

Register now

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Community Workshop on Denver's First Open Water Plan - 10/20

An unprecedented coalition of local water resource agencies has formed to develop Denver's first One Water Plan.

The need for a citywide water strategy has never been greater as our growing population unites to face climate change and forecasted water shortages for up to 2.5 million people statewide by 2050. 

Denver One Water will break down historic silos between drinking water, wastewater, and other uses to cooperatively manage the entire water cycle. Doing so will better meet social and environmental needs and create predictable policies to advance stewardship of this precious resource.

This is the moment to get involved. Join the One Water movement and help shape our first citywide water strategy. The first of two community workshops is scheduled for Tusday, October 20th at 5:00 PM.

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Participate virtually

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Growing Denver's Parks and Recreation System: Acquisition Plan Meeting - 10/22

With the passage of the 2018 Parks Legacy Fund ballot measure, Denver Parks and Recreation has a dedicated source of funds for park, trail and facility improvements, including acquisition. Guided by the Game Plan and the Parks Legacy Fund (2A) Five-Year Plan, DPR is developing a Strategic Acquisition Plan to define the approach for growing our park system.

Join the event on facebook

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Also In The News

In Our Community

• Denver releases Halloween trick-or-treating guidelines
  
• Denver breaks ground on Capitol Hill affordable housing apartment complex
  
• Safe Outdoor Space 'managed camp' model on display at Belong Church in North Capitol Hill
• Denver Property Owners Want Action From City As Homeless Camps Move Onto Their Property

Arts, Culture, and Leisure

• Murals to Kendrick Castillo, Southwest Community Will Be Unveiled Today
• New Mural at History Colorado Will Honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Denver Public Library Wants You to Contribute to the Social Distanzine
• Delicate Balance: COVID-19 Is Keeping Colorado Ballet on Its Toes
• Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s Sabrina & Corina Wins 2020 American Book Award

Denver8TV Keeps You In The Know

Your City Now has all the week's news for you in under 5 minutes!  The City and County of Denver's 5-minute news roundup that covers local government, city news, and local and public events. New episodes every Friday.

• Closing the city budget gap for 2021
• COVID-19 testing center changes
• DIA's new program for ensuring social distancing at the airport
• A new mural honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Plus, more on Denver's response to COVID-19, the upcoming election, and protests!

Tune in every week to keep up!

Business

• Downtown Denver’s hotel industry is struggling. Is it because people don’t want to be in the city center?
• Downtown Denver leaders may seek permanent closure of streets for outdoor dining
• Food delivery apps are charging restaurants such high fees, restaurants are losing money
• Amazon announces 1,900-person hiring spree in Denver

Construction & Development

• Another Apartment Tower Proposed in Denver. More than 300 Units Pitched for Capitol Hill
• Building Blocks: Inside the complicated fight to preserve Denver's historic properties
• Despite facing $190M budget shortfall, Denver seeks to speed up city construction projects
• Rezoning measure would allow ADUs across northwest Denver neighborhood
• Central Denver apartment complex sells for $140M

COVID-19 Updates​

• “COVID is still affecting everything”: Fears still mounting over a forthcoming Colorado eviction surge
• What It’s Like to Experience Homelessness During a Global Pandemic
• Colorado’s COVID-19 hospitalizations up more than 15% as cases rise for fourth week
  
• In person, virtual, hybrid: Teen Columnists on how local leaders are handling COVID-19 in schools
  

Civic Outreach, Legislation, & Politics

• Giving Denver City Council the power to make mid-year budget decisions will be up to voters this November
• Will Denver voters approve a 0.25 percent sales tax for programs dedicated to getting people off the streets?
• Hickenlooper, Gardner Spar Over Character, Policies At First Debate
• Denver Mayor Hancock reveals proposed 2021 budget that aims to close gap of $190M

Education

• Denver is bringing students back, but many high schools are sticking with virtual learning
• Candidate Profile: Lisa Escárcega, Board Of Education District 1
• How a Denver Politician Is Using Her Experience as a Latinx Woman to Battle Educational Inequity
• Gov. Polis, school officials address decline in enrollment, urge parents to get kids in some type of learning

Mobility & Transportation

• Greyhound Bus Terminal Moves to Union Station
• Polis Laid Out A ‘Roadmap’ To Meet Colorado’s Climate Goals. Not All Environmental Groups Are Happy
• Denver to transform Santa Fe Drive into a 'safer street'
• New Employees Claim RTD ‘Ripped Them Off,’ Didn’t Follow Through On $2,000 Signing Bonus

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A Special Thanks to Some of Our Business and Community Partner Members:

19-B, Inc
Ace Eat Serve
Adagio Bed and Breakfast
Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill (AMCH)
Althea Center For Engaged Spirituality
Angelo's Taverna
Argonaut Wine & Liquor
Bang Up to the Elephant!
Barbara H de Jong, CFP, Financial Advisor
Briarwood Health Care Center
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Castle Lion Development, LLC.
CCNNA
Cherry Creek Automotive
Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District
Colfax Pot Shop
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Colorado Vincentian Volunteers
Cornerstone Apartment Services
CRL Assoicates
Crockett Psychological Associates, LLC
Denver Community Church
Denver Compost Collective
Denver Sweet
East Cheesman Neighbors Association
Ekman Design Studio
Ember Hostel
FirstBank
Florentine Condominium Association
Good Chemistry
Harm Reduction Action Center
Historic Denver, Inc
Irish Snug

Leiker Strategies, LLC
​LivWell
Long Run Accounting
Marijuana Mansion
National Charter Bus Denver
Native Roots Cannabis Co.
Novo Coffee Bar on 6th Avenue
Pete's Kitchen / Satire
Progressive Urban Management Associates
Ritual Social House
Rosen Properties
Route 40 Cafe
SafeHouse Denver
Sarkisian Oriental Rugs & Fine Art
Senior Housing Options
Senior Support Services, Inc.
St. Charles Town Company
St. Francis Center
Stamm Dental
SubCulture
TBD Foods
The Bank of Denver
The Barrington Condominiums
The Center on Colfax
The Empowerment Program
The Park Tavern & Restaurant
The Parlour Capitol Hill
The Residences at Capitol Heights
The Sawaya Law Firm
Warren Village
Warwick Denver
Your Mom's House
And many more ... !