Blog Archives

VOLUME 38, EDITION 10

10/31/2020

Message From the President

Greetings Neighbors and Friends,

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

1290 Williams Street rezoned to PUD G-23. After more than three years of planning and unprecedented community engagement, Denver City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of CHUN's Tears-McFarlane property located at 1290 Williams Street. CHUN would like to thank Councilperson Chris Hinds for his kind words during the final hearing noting the rezoning application is in line with his vision of the 20-minute neighborhood. We could not agree more.

CHUN seeks to fill up to 5 board vacancies. The CHUN board of directors regularly engages in city issues like supporting affordable housing or promoting smart land use and zoning. If you live and/or work within CHUN's geographic boundaries, joining our board creates a unique opportunity for you to get involved in the issues impacting your neighborhood. CHUN is committed to creating a more diverse, equitable, and just community. Candidates/applicants from communities historically underrepresented on boards and commissions (including race, ethnicity, education level, housing status, et al) are strongly encouraged to apply. For more details about our diversity and inclusivity policy, please click HERE. Our bylaws and a full list of responsibilities can be found HERE.

Apply to join the CHUN board of directors HERE. The deadline is December 11, 2020.

Homelessness a challenge throughout Denver. For the past few months, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Golden Triangle Creative District, Colfax Ave Business Improvement District, Uptown on the Hill RNO, and other neighborhood groups have engaged our members and community stakeholders to address the seeming surge in homeless encampments. This growing coalition of groups has outlined a few actionable steps to (a) support the unhoused with near-term options; (b) engage service providers on new ideas and implementation; and (c) immediately initiate long-term solutions. Collectively our groups sent a formal memo to Denver leadership, for which we have received positive feedback. Neighborhood groups have an obligation to be thought partners. CHUN is committed to being solutions-oriented and not an obstacle to this most vexing of issues. Click here to read the full text of the memo.

1295 Race should remain affordable housing. Members of the CHUN History Matters Committee met with other groups concerned about a demolition application for 1295 Race St. The building itself is historic, but most importantly, it has provided affordable housing to Denver seniors for decades. Kevin Kelly, co-chair of the CHUN history matters committee, joined other individuals in a notice of intent to file a landmark designation. This notice was designed to slow the process down and create a window for important negotiations. The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority has weighed in about how we need to find a way to preserve this property and will seek to bring additional resources to the table. Councilwoman Robin Kneich has been helpful in bringing key groups together as well. Denver Landmark Preservation and Community Planning and Development established a process to preserve unique historic and cultural features. That same process prevented the demolition of 1295 Race and the displacement of seniors in affordable housing (for now). As CHUN awaits Botnick Realty Group's reply to our request to engage in more meaningful conversations, CHUN remains unequivocal in its support for affordable, attainable housing. Rest assured, we will be at the table advocating for affordable housing and protecting vulnerable residents.

Greater Capitol Hill could be home to two temporary safe outdoor sites: Two church parking lots have been proposed as temporary safe outdoor sites. Westword covered the initial proposal HERE. It is our understanding that community partners and direct service providers who support the unhoused are proceeding in thoughtful fashion to ensure immediate needs are met for those unhoused neighbors and to address concerns of the surrounding community too. CHUN has been a part of some of these conversations to ensure appropriate analysis and thoughtful consideration of neighbor concerns. That is our duty. Two community meetings have been scheduled to discuss and review these concepts.

Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 6 - 8:00 p.m. MST; Join by computer, tablet or smart phone with this link, or join by phone at 669-900-6833. Enter if prompted: Webinar ID: 892 9105 6028, Passcode: 891919.
Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 10 - 12:00 p.m. MST Join by computer, tablet or smart phone with this link, or join by phone at 669-900-6833. Enter if prompted: Webinar ID: 895 3937 1970, Passcode: 863791.

More information can be found on Denver's Department of Housing Stability website. We know there will be some disagreement. Should these temporary sites receive approval by the City, a legally-binding, good neighbor agreement is necessary and certain conditions must be met. More details about what a safe site could look like and how it would operate can be found in local reporting HERE. The Denver Channel also covered one proposed temporary SOS site here.

CHUN wants to fund your important cause and work. CHUN's SEED Awards support community involvement and foster locally grown solutions for the public good. CHUN will award more than $5,000 in community impact funds. 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 on-line application is available HERE. The deadline to apply is November 20, 2020.

Shakespeare writes, "What is the city but the people?" For it is the people...the elected leaders making tough decisions, the unhoused in need, coalitions of neighborhood groups, the diverse backgrounds of the CHUN board, and generous members and supporters like you...who help our organization contribute to the rich fabric of this city. What is Denver but YOU?

For the greater Capitol Hill community,

Travis Leiker, MPA
President, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods

Monthly Member Profile: Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

With Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and other members, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado promotes justice, religious liberty and interfaith understanding through building relationships in order to educate, advocate and catalyze social change.

Through advocacy and technical assistance, The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado has been working to help create short term and long term solutions for our unhoused neighbors across the State of Colorado. Assisting in the approval, set-up, and winterization, we strive to create safe places for our unhoused community during COVID. Interfaith also works closely with non-profits and congregations to imagine, plan, and develop affordable housing as a long-term sustainable solution for some of Colorado's most vulnerable individuals.

Support Black-Owned Businesses in Denver

Looking for ways to support Black-owned businesses? Yelp Community Manager, Matt C., has been compiling a collection of these businesses for the city of Denver. As of this posting, the collection has 110 places on it.

Take a look at the collection if you're looking for a new business to support, and feel free to send him an email if you know of any businesses that should be added.

Sign Up for South City Park's "Leaf into Compost" Collection Program!

Your bagged leaves can support the SCP Neighborhood Association and Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods’ effort to address our global climate crisis from right here in the neighborhood! Bagged leaves will be collected on designated days through the Fall season by Denver Compost Collective, to be processed into a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. The finished compost will then be donated to a local nonprofit farm (Frontline Farming) to help grow more food for the community! Limited time only; Sign Up Today.

The fee is $1 per bag. Sign up by contacting Jim Slotta, the SCP Neighborhood Association Climate Action Chairperson: scpnaclimateaction@gmail.com

Denver Water's Lead Reduction Program Update

At the end of October, Denver Water provided updates about its ongoing Lead Reduction Program. This is a 15 year program to replace all the lead water service lines in its service area. For more information on other common sources of lead in your home, visit www.colorado.gov/cdphe/lead-what-are-common-sources. Here is what you may have missed:

Denver Water held virtual community meetings from June to October to inform customers about the Lead Reduction Program. To view recordings of these meetings visit: https://www.denverwater.org/your-water/water-quality/lead/events-outreach.
If you attended a virtual community meeting and asked a question that wasn't answered, please review the questions and answers linked here.
Wondering if your neighborhood is scheduled for lead service line replacement work in 2020? Denver Water has posted a map on Denver Water’s website showing areas where crews will be doing lead service line replacements this year.
If you’d like to stay updated on the progress of the Lead Reduction Program, you can now view the Program Dashboard.
In April 2020, Denver Water launched its pilot reimbursement program for property owners who want to replace their lead service line at their own expense. To qualify for a partial reimbursement for a service line replacement, applicants must meet requirements set by Denver Water.
Since March 2020, the pH levels have been increased to a target of 8.8 throughout all of Denver Water’s distribution system, which helps prevent lead from getting into the water as it passes through lead pipes, plumbing and fixtures. Read our TAP story to learn more about this milestones

Financial Aid Offered to Restaurants for Costs of Expanded Outdoor Space

10/28 - Press release courtesy of Denver Transportation & Infrastructure

DENVER – The City and County of Denver is continuing to support local businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic by making financial support available to restaurants and bars that participated in Denver’s Temporary Outdoor Dining Program. With $435,000 in funding recently received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Denver has created a new assistance fund to provide grants to restaurant and bar owners for incurred costs from creating new or expanded outdoor seating areas due to indoor capacity limits and social distancing requirements.

The number of awards and the grant amounts issued to businesses will be based on the number of applicants who apply that meet eligibility requirements, which include submitting receipts dated between March 16, 2020, and November 13, 2020, for costs incurred for their temporary expansions. More information about the new assistance fund can be found on the city’s website and businesses participating in the temporary outdoor expansion program will receive direct communication from the city about this available funding.

More About Denver’s Temporary Outdoor Expansion Program
Denver created a temporary program in May 2020 to allow restaurants and bars to operate in outdoor settings adjacent to their businesses allowing for greater physical distancing and safety for patrons. Proposals could include expansion into designated outdoor areas such as adjacent parking lots, streets, and sidewalks. The program has 346 currently participating businesses and was recently extended to run through October 2021. The program was developed in collaboration with the Mayor’s Economic Relief and Recovery Council, an advisory group established to support the relief and recovery efforts of Denver’s economy.

More About CARES Act
The CARES Act established the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to provide payments to State, Local, and Tribal governments navigating the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Survey: Should Internal Park Roads & Parking Lots Remain Closed?

To prevent overcrowding and to encourage social-distancing, many Denver parks saw internal park road and parking closures during the summer.

Denver Parks & Recreation is now gathering feedback about the road and parking lot closures within Denver parks. Park officials are trying to balance a lot of factors about keeping some parks car-free (or mostly car-free) long after the pandemic is gone, including the fact that not everyone can walk or bike to nature and recreation.

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 DPR needs to hear community input on. This could impact decisions about how and whether road closures should continue. Click here to complete the survey.

It will close on November 30th, 2020.

Survey: Decide How Denver Parks & Recreation Will Grow!

Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR) has another survey that is open to anyone who utilizes Denver parks, trails, open space, and facilities. The feedback could be used to further develop DPR's Strategic Acquisition Plan. Click here to complete the Denver Parks Strategic Acquisition Plan Survey. It closes on November 20th, 2020.

The Strategic Acquisition Plan is being developed to help grow and maintain an equitable, sustainable, and resilient parks and recreation system. With the passage of Measure 2A and the establishment of the Parks Legacy Fund in November 2018, DPR has a dedicated source of funds for park, trail, and facility improvements, including acquisition.

More details about the plan, including public meetings, surveys, and contact information, please visit its section on the DPR Park & Facility Projects page.

City Park Playground Construction is Underway!

Elevate Denver has provided an update to the City Park Playground project, which seeks to replace the existing playground with one that is envisioned to be "a regional 'destination' playground". The new playground would eliminate safety concerns or potential hazards such as cracked surface areas and warped decking that can cause injuries. Additionally, a custom play tower will be constructed, continuing to build castle themes on the original playground's Denver Cityscape mural. A custom "dragon play" cave-like feature is also included in the renderings.

For more details on the project, its schedule, and more concept art, view the attached City Park Playground Project Summary document:

Modeling a Safe Outdoor Space for The Unhoused

Colorado Village Collaborative has pursued a vision to help Denver's homeless stay safe from the virus. Early in October, a replica of the proposed "Temporary Safe Outdoor Spaces" (or SOS) was set up at Denver's Belong Church. Although the event is over, a webinar on Safe Outdoor Spaces is available on Colorado Village Cooperative's Facebook page.

The flyer, embedded below, explains what one would expect for these outdoor spaces.

Featured Zoning News

Tears-McFarlane Rezoning Approved by Denver City Council!

After more than three years of exhaustive planning, visioning, and garnering community input, the Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods board and I are proud to announce Denver City Council **unanimously approved** the rezoning of the historic Tears-McFarlane property located at 1290 Williams Street on Monday, October 26, 2020.

The rezoning allows us to remove the current aging annex and replace it with an updated single-story structure that will house a neighborhood-friendly café for all Capitol Hill residents in the immediate surrounding area. We will be able to meet with our neighbors and friends in a pristine setting that is within walking, biking, or rolling distance from our homes or neighborhood workplace. Many favorably recall when there was such a café on site in the early 1980s.

As many of us know, all homes, and especially older historic homes, need maintenance and restoration. The stunning architecture of the Tears-McFarlane house is iconic and a historic landmark. The newly approved rezoning will not change the home, except for much-needed paint, structural work, and added amenities. Revenues from the new café will be used to keep the home updated and help fund CHUN's invaluable community programs.

CHUN always knew there would be opposition to the rezoning, and we addressed those concerns in a Good Neighbor Agreement. For nearly 50 years, the property was intended to serve as a community asset where neighbors gather, meet to discuss issues, and collaborate to shape the future of Capitol Hill. This rezoning allows us to deliver this vision for decades to come.

The next phase of project planning and permitting is expected to begin in early 2021.

A rendering of a revitalized Tears-McFarlane House, by City Street Investors

Why Can't All of Denver Have Accessory Dwelling Units?

There is wide interest throughout the city to allow homeowners to create Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as Carriage Houses. Zoning regulations currently allow one ADU per lot in 25% of Denver. To find out whether you can have an ADU, visit the Accessory Dwelling Units map provided by Denver.gov.

Even in areas not zoned for ADUs, a homeowner can pay a $1,000 filing fee to ask city council for a rezoning. "Such requests are generally approved by city council, with members often pointing to the Blueprint Denver they adopted last year," writes Donna Bryson in the Denverite article.

What does the future hold for ADUs? While homeowners generally go through individual rezoning to build ADUs, residents of Chaffee Park, with the assistance of Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval, are moving forward with a proposal to allow ADUs throughout the neighborhood. Other council members are adopting the same model to explore options for East Colfax. It's also possible that a council member or Community Planning and Development could initiate a citywide ADU rezoning proposal,

As Denver continues to grow, ADUs could be a popular and gentle approach to increasing density in existing lots without drastically changing the character and environment of the neighborhood.

Read on, in the full article on Denverite.

Denver OKs Change to Free Up Land for Managed Homeless Campsites

Former Chapter 59 Zone Districts affected by the temporary change.

Alayna Alvarez of Colorado Politics writes about progress made by City Council on addressing safety for the homeless affected by the pandemic.

For months, city leaders have fought and failed to establish a city-sanctioned campsite, or "Safe Outdoor Space", for people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Now, thanks to a bill sponsored by District 1 Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval, the Denver City Council has unanimously approved a temporary zoning change that frees up over 21% of city area land previously restricted for emergency uses for the purpose of city-sanctioned homeless encampments and outdoor expansions for restaurants and bars.

The council also approved transferring $450,000 to a fund to help support the campsites. Private donors have already contributed about $300,000 for the first encampment, covering its startup costs, tent supply, and 24-hour staff for six months.

Continue reading...

Zoning Out: Rethinking Housing in America

While not specific to our community here in Capitol Hill or Denver, this 20-minute podcast from NPR's KQED member station is an interesting and entertaining discussion about how single-family zoning has led to economic and racial discrimination; and later, redlining. They discuss hwo the Fair Housing Act, passed after Martin Luther King, Jr. died, has not rectified this disparity.

They dive deeply into exploring possible methods for increasing affordable housing through rezoning to multi-family uses, and the opposition to these ideas.

As discussions about zoning continue to draw the focus of our communities, from broad-scope guidelines like Blueprint Denver to narrower plans like the East-Central Area Plan, it's important that we learn about zoning history and the challenges other communities have faced in order to navigate through the consequences of a rapidly-growing and increasingly unaffordable Denver.

Listen Now

Upcoming Events

HOA Sustainability Scorecard Guidebook Presentation - 11/20

Content below submitted by CAP Management

For the past 12 months, CAP Management has been working with a wonderfully talented team of graduate students from CU Boulder's Masters of the Environment Program to produce the first ever HOA Sustainability Scorecard and Guidebook.

Please join us on Friday November 20th at 11:00am MST to learn about the design and development of the Scorecard, as well as how to implement in your HOA community. Whether you're a new Board Member, an industry professional, or a long-time community leader, we're confident you'll find value in this presentation.

Please come with your questions, thoughts, and ideas around sustainability in your community. Participation and audience engagement is encouraged!

This Is What Democracy Looks Like - Event Series by History Colorado

With the presidential election, the centennial of women's suffrage, 150 years since the 15th amendment, and a global pandemic, 2020 is set to be a historic year.

History Colorado is ready to meet the moment with a new exhibit called "This Is What Democracy Looks Like": a year-long, multi-venue series of programs and exhibitions exploring Democracy in the nation.

View and register for events in the series on History Colorado's website.

Also In The News

In Our Community

Arts, Culture, and Leisure

Business

Construction & Development

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.

Community COVID-19 Testing is expanded.
Expanded patio program preserves $287 Million for local restaurants.
CARES Act funding dedicated to reimburse businesses for patio-expansion costs.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science renovates their Space Odyssey exhibit.
Plus, more on Denver's response to COVID-19, community events, and zoning changes!

Tune in every week to keep up!

COVID-19 Updates

Civic Outreach, Legislation, & Politics

Mobility & Transportation

Debra Johnson begins history-making tenure as Denver’s first female transit chief

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

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 Associates
Crockett Psychological Associates, LLC
Denver Community Church
Denver Compost Collective
Denver Sweet
Ekman Design Studio
Ember Hostel
FirstBank
Florentine Condominium Association
Good Chemistry
Harm Reduction Action Center
Historic Denver, Inc
Irish Snug

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 ... !

The Urban Dweller