Volume 37, Edition 10

Message From the President

Greetings Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Members and Friends,

It is the first Monday of the month, and that means Urban Dweller--Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' monthly e-newsletter--is now available online.  Here is the latest from YOUR registered neighborhood organization and community advocate.

THAT WAS A GREAT CELEBRATION:  To all who supported the Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods 50th Anniversary Celebration, I want to express my profound appreciation.  Your generosity, as well as the tremendous support from the many corners of Denver, made this event even more successful and special.  Here are few highlights from the festivities:

• Several C.H.U.N. alumni were in attendance.  A special acknowledgment goes out to Rhonda Knop, Dan Paulsen, Ed Thomas and (former District 10 First Lady Connie Thomas), David Cook, Councilman Chris Hinds, Senator Lois Court, Ean Tafoya, Alison Torvik, Randle Loeb, Chris Chiari and many others for joining us for the festivities. 
• City dignitaries in attendance included the following: Mayor Michael B. Hancock; District Attorney Beth McCann; State Senator Lois Court; State Senator Angela Williams; State Senator Robert Rodriquez; State Representative Chris Hansen; State Representative Alec Garnett; Councilperson Chris Hinds; Councilperson Debbie Ortega; Councilperson Robin Kneich; and Councilperson Paul Kashmann.
• Both the Denver City Council and the Office of the Mayor issued proclamations celebrating C.H.U.N.'s 50th Anniversary.  Mayor Hancock also declared September 18 Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Day in Denver. 
• With a guest list exceeding 350 people, more than 20 sponsors, hundreds of silent auction items, and boundless enthusiasm, C.H.U.N. raised more than $30,000 to support our mission and impact in the Greater Capitol Hill community. As one attendee and neighborhood advocate wrote, "...Congratulations on a great celebration of the 50th Anniversary of C.H.U.N., getting the Mayor's proclamation and gold coin. That's big!  It was a lovely..."  She's right, this event was a big deal.

IT TAKES A TEAM:  A shout-out goes to Molly Williams and Zander Oklar for their leadership and guidance throughout the event planning process.  They, along with other planning committee members Karen Pelligren, Margie Valdez, Nichole Racelis, Shirley Howson, Peggy Randall, Vickie Berkley, Mark Cossin, Amy Alleman, Boris Jonica, Dmitrii Zavarotny, Gwen Ehrlich, and Sarah Wells, demonstrated the essence of C.H.U.N.'s renewed vision and collaborative culture.  Community engagement and nonprofit board governance is not easy.  However, the C.H.U.N. board makes the work meaningful and fun. 

A NEW WAY FORWARD:  Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods has much to celebrate beyond its 50th Anniversary.  As many of you know, just two and a half years ago the organization grappled with systemic operational, financial, and cultural struggles. Today, the organization is no longer in debt, membership has increased by 300 percent, and community engagement are at all-time highs.  The organization has refined its operations and enhanced its internal culture, too.  As I mentioned during my remarks at the C.H.U.N. 50th Anniversary, "Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods is back."  We also announced three new community initiatives:

• One Little Kindness: One Little Kindness—conceptualized in partnership with C.H.U.N. member and small business owner Mark Whistler—will be the first, RNO-driven kindness campaign promoting greater kindness, community cohesiveness, and neighborliness through both word and deed within C.H.U.N.’s geographic boundaries. One little act of kindness each day can change Denver’s neighborhoods for the better.
• Community S.E.E.D. Awards:  The Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' S.E.E.D. Award Program will encourage civic entrepreneurship and community engagement by providing financial support for projects that align with C.H.U.N.’s mission and values. Funding priorities include: Smart, solutions-oriented development; Enrichment through educational programming and other lifelong learning opportunities; Environmental sustainability and combating climate change at the neighborhood level; and Diversity efforts that foster a more equitable, just community. 
• Deliver on the decades-old vision for Historic Tears-McFarlane House and Community Center: The historic Tears-McFarlane Mansion was built in 1899 and is recognized as an architectural jewel in Denver. The mansion and adjoining annex building have been the home of C.H.U.N. since 2005. After a century of intensive use, even though C.H.U.N. has leveraged several state historic fund grants for restoration, there is still years of deferred maintenance and needed repairs. C.H.U.N., in partnership with City Street Investors, will soon initiate the formal rezoning process that will us to revitalize and restore the property—creating a stream of funding for C.H.U.N. initiatives and creating an economically viable and sustainable place for the community to gather. The investments we hope to make in this property will serve the greater Capitol Hill community for decades to come and revitalize a community asset that the original owners intended to be a central gathering place for residents and neighbors.

October promises to be quite the busy month.  On October 8, the History Matters Committee will address a number of upcoming discussions related to historic preservation.  C.H.U.N. is co-sponsoring a community meeting to discuss the latest pertaining to the Warren Church/St. Francis Center on October 15th.  On October 31, the surrounding neighborhood is invited to the Tears-McFarlane House to participate in our Halloween Open House.  Stay tuned for more details about these events and other ways you can get involved.  

In the The American Notebooks, Hawthorne writes, "there is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.”  We wish all of our friends and neighbors a pleasant October. 

Travis Leiker
President | Board of Delegates
Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc.

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CHUN 50th Anniversary Event A Great Success!

Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN), one of Denver’s largest and longest-running registered neighborhood organizations (RNO), hosted its 50th anniversary celebration at the Denver Botanic Gardens on September 18, 2019.
In 1969 a group of concerned citizens rallied to prevent the proposed conversion of East 11th and 12th avenues into one-way streets.  ​Since then, CHUN has played a central role in addressing the most vexing issues facing the Mile-High City.
CHUN staff, board members. city leaders, friends, and neighbors came together for a lively evening featuring a wine tasting, light hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants, and a silent auction showcasing goods and services from local businesses throughout greater Capitol Hill. THANK YOU to all who attended, donated, and supported us!
Photo Credit(s): David Spiciarich, Pixel Pro Images

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Member of the Month

Special thanks to Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill for joining Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods. Locally owned, small businesses are critical to CHUN's efforts to shape the future of Capitol Hill and the Mile High City.

AMCH opened their doors in 2009 primarily as a medical marijuana dispensary. Over the passed 8 years they have grown into one of the largest single recreational and medicinal marijuana dispensaries inside of the Denver city limits.
To learn more about AMCH at https://amchdenver.com/.

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Upcoming Events

Please Join us for a Community Meeting

Learn more about the planned rehabilitation of Warren United Methodist Church into low-income housing by the St. Francis Center. Individual sleeping units will be available for people who are experiencing homelessness, are working or ready to work and would benefit from vocational services and case management. There will be communal bathrooms, laundry, kitchen and living spaces.

This will be a facilitated conversation with an opportunity for the St. Francis Center team to share information about where the project is to date and to answer questions. There will also be an opportunity to discuss the process for working toward a Good Neighbor Agreement.

Where: Warren United Methodist Church: 1630 E. 14th Ave. (enter on Gilpin St.)
When: Tuesday, October 15, 2019 from 7:00-8:30p.m.

This event is co-hosted by the St. Francis Center, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods and Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill
and will be facilitated by a professional facilitator provided by the City & County of Denver. We hope you can join us.

​Download the event flyer.

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Inaugural Trick-or-Treat Night and Open House at the Tears McFarlane Mansion.

Join Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods and the CHUN Parents Group in lively activities for all ages. There will be treats for both kids 🍭 and grownups 🍷!  If you live or work in the CHUN boundaries, come and check us out! 
Stay up to date on this event at our Facebook Event page.  More details to follow. 

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The Zombie Crawl is Back Spookier Than Ever

Put on your very best zombie-wear and take a very slow crawl down the Organ Trail(!) on Saturday, Oct 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 14th Annual Denver Zombie Crawl. The scary stroll will begin and end at Skyline Park at 1600 Arapahoe St., where most event activities will take place.
 
The event features an annual costume contest - competitors must check in at the on-site registration tent by 2:30 p.m. New this year is the Organ Trail Ghoul’d Rush - a crazy-scary contest for zombies and ghouls alike. Grab a group of up to six friends and compete for prizes through a series of Ghoul’d Rush challenges.
 
ATTENTION ALL ZOMBIES: fake and replica prop weapons of any type are prohibited at the Denver Zombie Crawl.

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Other events in Capitol Hill & around Denver

• ​Great American Beer Festival - October 3-5th
• National Fire Safety Week Public Observance - Oct. 10th​​
• Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure-Denver - Oct. 11th with additional dates throughout October
• Ghosts of Capitol Hill Tour - Oct. 12th and every Thurs., Fri. & Sat. in October
• STSP: Seventh Avenue Stroll ~Denver - Oct. 16th​

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​CHUN Meetings, Forums & Committees

Upcoming CHUN Committee Meetings

• History Matters Committee: Spearheading the historic preservation and character within CHUN boundaries; monitor landmark designation; facilitate community activation; author position statements on behalf of organization; make recommendations to Board. The Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods History Matters Subcommittee meets the second Tuesday of every other month.
  Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 7:00 PM
  Tears-McFarlane House / Capitol Hill Community Center
  1290 N. Williams St., Denver, Colorado 80218
• Urban Planning Committee: Overseeing matters pertaining to zoning, transit, community, development, licensing, placemaking, density; author position statements on behalf of organization; make recommendations to Board. The Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Urban Planning Committee generally meets on the first Wednesday of every other month in the Community Room at the Tears McFarlane House.
  Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  Tears-McFarlane House / Capitol Hill Community Center
  1290 N. Williams St., Denver, Colorado 80218

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​October 2! Conversation with Council members Candi CdeBaca & Chris Hinds

You are invited to a conversation with your newly-elected council representatives, Candi CdeBaca (District 9) and Chris Hinds (District 10).

The event will be held at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center, Colorado Room North, 1719 E. 19th Ave. (Please use the Surgery Entrance.) Learn more on the official Facebook event page.

A big thank you to the food and beverage donors, the neighborhood organizations sponsoring the event, and of course Councilwoman CdeBaca and Councilman Hinds!!

This event is co-sponsored by:

• Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods
• City Park West Neighborhood Association
• Colfax Ave BID
• Curtis Park Neighbors
• Enterprise Hill
• Humboldt St. Neighborhood Association
• Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill
• Old San Raphael Neighborhood Organization
• 100 Park Ave. Community
• Swallow Hill Neighborhood Association
• Uptown on the Hill
• Uptown Healthcare District Urban Design Forum

Complimentary appetizers & beverages provided by:

• The District
• The Goods
• French for Sugar
• Liberati Restaurant & Brewery
• Link Coffee Bar
• Marczyk Fine Foods
• WalkDenver​

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Top Neighborhood News Stories

​Denver Park Trust launched to support city’s park system

Lindsley Park will be one of the nonprofit’s first projects. (Libby Flood)

A recently launched nonprofit wants Denver to join the ranks of cities with park foundations that help raise money and keep an eye on the public spaces.

Denver Park Trust, a joint venture by Denver City Councilwoman Kendra Black and Frank Rowe, a member of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, launched last month with an annual budget of $250,000.

“What we’re set up to do is to act as a nonprofit support organization for new parks and improved park amenities,” Rowe said. “Our vision is to acquire land for new parks in high-density and high-need neighborhoods. We’ll also work on providing ‘gap funding’ for projects within parks.”
​Read the full article.

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Tasty Colfax Vision Zero Pop-Up Traffic Calming Demonstration

On July 23, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, the Bluebird District, and WalkDenver co-hosted a temporary Vision Zero traffic calming demonstration event during the 11th Annual Tasty Colfax event. The Tasty Colfax is an annual restaurant and pub crawl through the eclectic business, entertainment, and arts districts on E Colfax Ave between York and Colorado Blvd. The extended block party fuses urban energy with small town community, and includes live music and fine art.

​The Colfax & Madison intersection is home to an increasing number of popular restaurants, bars, and other neighborhood destinations and has seen a corresponding increase in pedestrian traffic in recent years. Anyone familiar with trying to navigate Colfax outside of a car knows how difficult and at times dangerous it can be. A lack of safe places to cross mean many people have to cross Colfax where there is no protection for anyone on foot or bike or go too far out of their way to reach a safer crossing point. With a Bus Rapid Transit project being planned for Colfax that would include adding more safe crossing locations, the pop-up traffic calming demonstration was a great opportunity to re-imagine Colfax as a more people-friendly street in the future.

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Share your thoughts with the Denver ​Annual Commuter Survey

Building a more equitable, safe, and sustainable transportation network is a top goal for the City and County of Denver. As we have committed to improving our transportation system, we are interested in knowing how you travel and how we could serve you better.  
https://www.denvergov.org/…/transportation-mobi…/survey.html

All information will be anonymous and analyzed collectively. Please contact TDM@denvergov.org with any questions.
This survey will be open through November 1, 2019. 

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​Colleagues reject councilwoman’s pitch to require super-majority approval of hostile landmark requests

Tom’s Diner is located at 601 E. Colfax Ave. (Thomas Gounley)

A Denver councilwoman’s proposal that would have made it harder for the city to designate a building as a landmark against the owner’s wishes failed to gain traction with her colleagues.

On Tuesday, members of council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 4-2 to reject a delay proposed by Councilwoman Kendra Black that would have allowed rules to be written to require a super-majority of council members, instead of a simple majority, to approve so-called owner-opposed or hostile landmark requests.

In other words, if all 13 council members were present for a vote, Black proposed requiring that 10 of them support the designation, instead of the seven currently required.
Read the full article at businessden.com

​​Related articles: 

• Should it be harder to label a building historic when its owner disagrees?
• ​Denver leaders reconsider historic landmark law after Tom's Diner controversy​

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Council passes rules updates on criteria, collaboration

New, improved landmark ordinance takes effect Nov. 1 !
After more than a year of work, the package of proposed updates to the rules that govern Denver's Landmark Preservation Program were unanimously approved by the Denver City Council at its meeting Monday, September 30.

The changes will take effect starting November 1, 2019. 

• Read the press release
• Read a summary of the proposal (PDF)
• See the red-line draft of the ordinance update (PDF)

City planners and a volunteer task force began developing an update to the landmark ordinance changes in March of 2018, meeting monthly for about a year. Over the summer, public events were held throughout the city to give community members a chance to learn about and weigh in on the proposed changes. 

Two of the changes involve an update to landmark designation criteria to include culture and an update to the demolition review process. 

• Diversifying designations through cultural significance
• Facilitating collaboration through an improved demolition review process

This information provided by Denver's Community Planning & Development - Landmark Preservation.

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​Also In The News

​Business in Capitol Hill

• Macy's Cherry Creek store among 100 to receive upgrades
• ​Gym OrangeTheory filling former Hapa Sushi spot in Cherry Creek​
• Shake Shack to open in Cherry Creek
• Pura Vida's former space in Cherry Creek being converted to offices
• British pastry purveyor adding Cherry Creek location
• Ritual Social House to bring Sicilian-style pizza to Capitol Hill
• Golden Triangle food hall Broadway Market sees its first departures
• Review: Fortune Wok to Table, a hidden gem in Cherry Creek, is best enjoyed at lunch
• Cherry Creek mall general manager leaving after 23 years to run local BID
• Longtime mall manager hired as CEO of Cherry Creek North
• Cherry Creek Athletic Club sells to national chain​
  

Denver8TV Keeps You In The Know
Your City Now has all the week's news for you in under 5 minutes!

• For-profit detention centers
• East Colfax plan
• A carbon tax
• Redeveloping Loretto Heights
• Plus, the next #IAmDenver events.

Tune in every week to keep up!
Follow @Denver8TV to learn more.

​Construction & Development ​​

• Rezoning deal could make way for new skyscrapers on Denver’s Sherman Street if developers agree to build affordable housing​
• ​Nightclub owner adds to real estate holdings along Lincoln
• Multifamily developer scoops up prime Cherry Creek land near OneRepublic frontman's project
• 100 apartments planned as developer pays $10.5M for Cherry Creek site
• Demolition planned in Cherry Creek North to make room for 2 new office buildings
• 12-story hotel proposed at edge of Cherry Creek
• Development proposal calls for Denver Diner to be replaced by bank branch
• Plans call for demolition, two new structures along Clayton in Cherry Creek

Transportation & Mobility

• RTD’s Commuter Train Operators Are Making Fewer Serious Mistakes (And Getting Paid More) This Year
• RTD board votes to fill its vacant Civic Center lot with a National Medal of Honor Museum park
• Your Ideas To Fix RTD: Cheaper, Faster, More Frequent Bus And Train Service
• Traffic Is Awful And Yet RTD's Ridership Is Down.  How Would You Make It Better?
• The Report That RTD Uses To Judge Its Own Success Is Here
  
• City council members vote to remove scooters from Denver sidewalks
• 2 percent of Denver B-cycle's fleet will soon be electric
• New Denver law lets e-scooters go everywhere bikes go​​
• Colorado non-profit gets blind cyclists riding

​​In Other News

• Mayor Hancock and City Council want to increase Denver's minimum wage to $15 by 2021
• City Park Golf Course won't reopen until spring 2020 - or later
• Native critters and vegetation don't like how the South Platte River flows, so Denver wants to turn back time
• Hi, my name is ___, the Denver Zoo's new lion cub, and I came out to society today.
• ​History Colorado launches first podcast with episode on 1975 same-sex marriage license
• The Denver Art Museum has a very-big-deal Monet exhibit this year and this is what you need to know about it
• A beetle that burrows into spruce trees has infected Denver city parks
• Cherry Creek homeowner drops lawsuit over short-term rental license denial
• 117-year-old City Park mansion sells for $3.65M to law firm
• Cheesman Park nonprofit wants to close its charitable homes elsewhere. The church next door is set to house the working poor.
• In bloom:  Denver Botanic Gardens CEO grows greener, smarter institution
• Hundreds come together for black women's rights
• ​Which Denver schools have the most experienced teachers? A new report slices the data
• ​How the 2020 Census Could Impact Colorado

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

Terra Firma Investment
Rosen Properties
SafeHouse Denver
Folk Artisans
Friends and Neighbors for Cheesman Park
Capitol Convenience
CCNNA
St. Charles Town Company
The Residences at Capitol Heights
Paradise Cleaners
Racines Restaurant
Colorado Vincentian Volunteers
Historic Denver, Inc.
Angelo's Taverna
​Cheesman Park Advocacy Group
subculture
The Parlour - Capitol Hill  
Tandem Bar
Human Services Consultants  
Argonaut Wine & Liquor 
Unbridle
​Good Chemistry

​Denver Health​
Humphries Poli Architects
Secret Sauce F&B (Steuben's & Ace Eat Serve)
The Goods Restaurant
Table 6
The Bank of Denver
Barbara H de Jong, CFP, Edwards Jones
St Paul Health Center
First Bank
Steubens Food Service
Assistance League Denver
Axis Pilates
Investigations Law Group
​Humboldt Street Neighborhood Assoc.
Good Chemistry 
Nob Hill Inn 
Park Tavern Restaurant 
Humphries Poli Architects 
​Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill  
​Adagio Bed and Breakfast 
Pete's Restaurants ​
​And Many More ... !

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ABOUT THE EDITOR: Karen Pellegrin ​is has been appointed as editor of the CHUN Urban Dweller and a member of the board for West Capitol Hill (neighborhood 4).  In her day job, Karen is a senior web administrator for the City and County of Denver and the city's digital accessibility coordinator, helping to manage the www.denvergov.org website and the city's web accessibility efforts.  In her free time, Karen spends time in one of the wonderful Cap Hill parks, riding her bike along the Cap Hill neighborhood streets, or hiking and camping in the mountains nearby.

If you have something to share with your Cap Hill neighbors, please submit your news and stories to: dweller@chundenver.org