Message from CHUN's President Dear Neighbors and Friends, Thank you for visiting Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' latest edition of the Urban Dweller. May was a time to celebrate Denver graduates as they embark on the next phase of their academic journeys. The month was an opportunity to gather with friends and family to enjoy the [unofficial] beginning of Summer. We are also excited to report a number of exciting developments:
Indeed, Capitol Hill and Denver are flourishing. Wishing you all the best in June. Warmly, Travis Leiker President, Board of Delegates Ten Reasons to Visit the People's Fair The People's Fair is this weekend, June 1-3. There are many reasons you should go - the best people-watching, for example, but if you need more reasons, here they are:
Business Member of the Month This month we are recognizing Edward Jones - Barbara H. de Jong, CFP, Financial Advisor. From her offices situated within CHUN's boundaries, Barbara works closely with her clients and helps them meet their long term financial goals. Barbara has been a long-time supporter of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods and was active in the Alamo Placita neighborhood for a number of years. She is a leader in the community and is spearheading an effort to bring more women into the financial services sector. We are grateful to have her support. To join others like Barbara, visit: www.chundenver.org/membership Community Engagement Report
Cool Off at Sweet Couie's CHUN's Congress Park representatives are partnering with Sweet Couie’s Ice Cream at 12th and Madison to host an event on Wednesday, July 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. There will be a drawing at the event for a gift certificate for a free Sweet Couie’s ice cream social for a group of four. You must be present to win. We also are planning to have live music. Sweet Couie's has some of the best ice cream around, and they have been a great addition to the Congress Park Neighborhood. Help Us Calm the Traffic Thank you Councilman Wayne New and Verizon!Save the Date: Upcoming EventsThere are some other upcoming events that CHUN is involved in and/or will benefit from. And YOU are invited. Please put these dates on your calendar:
Music Under the Stars at Cheesman Park  The Denver Municipal Band, Concert Band will present a 7 p.m. concert on Friday, July 6, 2018. The concert will be given in the North Meadow area. We would appreciate your assistance promoting this concert. The concert is given in conjunction with Denver Parks and Recreation, Cheesman Park West Association, East Cheesman Neighbors Association, and Friends and Neighbors for Cheesman Park. This is the fourth concert of the 2018 Denver Parks Summer Concert Series. Please join us at all the concerts. They are free and a wonderful way to experience the many parks in Denver's parks system. Parks Alcohol Policy Continues the Review Process This just in from Denver Department of Parks & Recreation: Thank you for sharing and participating in the Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) survey this past April! The feedback we heard from more than 4,000 respondents is being taken into consideration as the draft policy is created. The survey findings can be found online at denvergov.org/ParkRules. For most of the questions asked in the survey, more than 50% of respondents agree with the proposed changes. This was the case both overall, and when divided out into three major age groups (40 and under; 41 to 60; and 61+). Additionally, frequent questions DPR received during this public outreach process were recorded and compiled in the attached FAQ that is also available at denvergov.org/ParkRules. DPR is taking all outreach results into consideration as a draft policy is being created. Please note that the preliminary timeline has been pushed back about one month, with a public hearing in front of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board tentatively scheduled for July 11. This policy change will also be presented to the Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure City Council Committee (LUTI) in June. Any updates to this schedule will be posted on www.denvergov.org/ParkRules. Current Public Hearing/Council Committee Schedule: - June 19, 2018: LUTI presentation to City Council Committee (agendas posted here as they are created) - July 11, 2018: PRAB Public Hearing (public comments are welcome, and an agenda will be available in early July at denvergov.org/ParkRules. This date should be announced on the DPR website as well). These schedules may change. Once finalized, meeting details will be posted online. Both meetings are open to the public. "Smart Ash" Cartoon Engages to Fight the Ash Borer In preparation for the inevitable arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Denver, the City Forester has become The SmartAsh, an animated superhero developed to help illustrate the variety of treatment options available to ash tree owners. Inspired and voiced by Denver’s own City Forester, Rob Davis, The SmartAsh animation series launched last week and today, the full-length video is available along with each episode and related information at: beasmartash.org/the-smart-ash/. The Be A Smart Ash campaign seeks to ensure Denver is prepared for the impending infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer, a metallic-green insect that has destroyed ash trees in 32 states and parts of Canada. EAB is a direct threat to the Denver metro area’s 1.45 million ash trees which make up nearly 20 percent of the city’s urban forest. It was spotted in Boulder three years ago. Be A Smart Ash encourages Denver residents to take action by identifying ash trees on their property and making a plan for treating, replacing or removing them. With the attention-grabbing slogan, the campaign recently received two national awards from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and Ragan Communications. Residents can become Smart Ashes by visiting BeASmartAsh.org for information on:
The damage left in the Emerald Ash Borer’s path has cost communities billions of dollars. Based on this widespread destruction, the Denver City Forester has been proactively battling the EAB for the past several years by replacing small ash trees on city-maintained land along with implementing a rigorous treatment schedule for some of the city’s large, historic ash trees. Since 2016, more than 12,700 park and right-of-way ash trees have been protected from the EAB, and nearly 5,000 more non-ash trees have been planted, thanks to the Be A Smart Ash campaign. While the Office of the City Forester, a division of Denver Parks and Recreation, cares for ash trees on city property, including parks, residents are responsible for caring for ash trees on their private property. Administering treatment, tree removal and replacement can be dangerous work, so it’s highly recommended to work with a reputable tree care professional no matter which course of action is chosen to battle EAB. Denver residents who have room in the public right-of-way adjacent to their property may be eligible for a free replacement tree. Applications can be found at www.BeASmartAsh.org. City Looking for Your Input on Our Next Police Chief A series of public meetings to get citizen input on what the city should be looking for in a new chief of police is scheduled. Current Chief Robert White has announced he is stepping down. The mayor has appointed a Police Chief Search Committee and also established an email address to hear your thoughts - OurNextChief@denvergov.org. The first two meetings have already been held. Other meetings are scheduled in other parts of Denver:
Committee ReportsHistoric Preservation Committee Real estate agent Ann Atkinson discussed the status of her listing of 6 properties within the CHUN boundaries. The committee is particularly interested in the properties at 1401 and 1457 Ogden, which are very attractive 2‐story early‐20th‐century structures which the committee members hope can be protected from demolition. They are not designated landmarks or in a historic district. Ann said that one prospective buyer is very interested in re‐using the structures. Karen Utke discussed with the committee her efforts to research the historic and architectural aspects of the Dennis Mullen Mansion at 860 Emerson and the rest of the 800 block of Emerson and to develop an application for landmark designation. Some committee members offered to help her. Michael Henry told the committee that the Allen True murals, which had been removed several years ago from Tammen Hall at the former Children’s Hospital at 19th and Ogden, will be returned to Tammen Hall when the renovation by MGL Partners has concluded in about a year. Tammen, which was designated a landmark through the efforts of CHUN, will be reused as rental apartments for seniors. The murals will be placed in a community room on the first floor, where they can be seen by the public. John Olson of Historic Denver, Inc., described the controversy over proposals by 2 development companies, Urban Villages and Larimer Associates, to build a 40‐story tower on the Lawrence Street side of the Larimer Square Historic District and a 12‐story building on the Market Street side. The Larimer Square Historic District was the first historic district established in Denver. For these new buildings to be allowed, City Council would need to amend the ordinance which designated the district. John said this would be a major change and would set a bad precedent to bypass any review by the Landmark Preservation Commission. The owner of Larimer Square says that it cannot afford major repair costs that are necessary and that income from the new towers would pay for those. However, it could likely obtain tax credits for renovation expenses. The development proposals are currently on hold at the developers’ request, because they have asked a panel of “experts” to study the proposals. John asked that CHUN be vigilant and be prepared to take a position later. Committee member Jude Aiello described her continuing efforts to study a possible community garden along the Park Avenue Historic District. She said that a good location would be the large square just south of 17th Avenue on the southwest corner near Marion Street. Committee member Brad Cameron told of a recent discussion he had with the lawyers who own the law office at 851 Clarkson Street about a number of developers who propose to develop apartments or townhouses on the parking lot behind and to the south of the building, built in approximately 1901, which is not a designated landmark. The next meeting of the committee will be on Monday June 25 at 7 p.m. at Castle Marne. Zoning, Land Use, Transportation and Licensing Committee The committee did not meet this month. Next meeting scheduled for June 6th, 7 p.m. 19th floor at 1201 Williams St. Agenda items include:
News about and from around the CHUN Neighborhoods Not available online yet, but of great interest to people in our neighborhoods is the news that "Life on Capitol Hill," our community newspaper, has been sold to a local media organization, Colorado Community Media (CCM), along with its sister publication, "The Washington Park Profile." CCM is owned by Jerry Healey, and his wife. They own 18 weekly papers in the metro area, mostly in the suburbs. "Community journalism tells the inspirational and positive stories that bring us together and, sometimes, the watchdog stories needed to bring about change," Healey wrote in the June LOCH. We saw these stories in local media this month and thought they had interesting and important information:
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