CAPITOL HILL UNITED NEIGHBORHOODS
  • HOME
    • Mission
    • History
    • Board of Directors
    • Committees
    • Neighborhoods
    • Financials
    • Bylaws
    • Contact Us
  • ON THE ISSUES
    • Preserve the Past
    • Improve the Present
    • Plan for the Future
    • In Focus
    • Community Presentations
  • COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
    • Good Neighbor Awards
    • SEED Awards Program >
      • SEED Projects and Honorees
      • SEED Requirements and Priorities
    • Tears-McFarlane House
    • Social Media Boosts
    • Good Neighbor Agreements
  • Urban Dweller
  • MEDIA
    • Policy Positions and Press Releases
  • JOIN US
    • Membership Form
    • Member Directory
    • Manage Membership
    • Receive CHUN Emails
  • DONATE

Urban Dweller

VOLUME 38, EDITION 1

1/6/2020

 

Message From the President

Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

​
HAPPY NEW YEAR!  On behalf of the board of directors and team at Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (C.H.U.N.), I wish you a joyous 2020.  For more than 50 years now, CHUN has worked to shape, preserve, and improve the city we love and cherish.  Your advocacy, generosity, and kindness are so greatly appreciated.  I look forward to seeing you in person at this week's Annual Membership Meeting. Here are the details for your calendars:
  • Date: Thursday, January 9, 2020
  • Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm (Check-in begins at 5:45 pm)
  • Location: Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center, 1719 E 19th Ave, Denver, CO 80218 (Colorado Room North & South)
  • Getting there: Use Surgery/Admissions Entrance; *FREE* parking in the parking garage across the street from entrance; for public transit options, visit RTD-Denver.com  
  • Food: Complimentary refreshments will be provided. 
​My fellow board colleagues and I will present a recap of 2019 and our vision for the new year.  In addition, you will be able to hear more about our efforts to restore and revitalize the historic Tears-McFarlane Property and Community Center, financial forecasting, anticipated programs, and celebrate our Good Neighbor Awards recipients and inaugural SEED Awardees.  

In the meantime, Urban Dweller, CHUN's monthly e-newsletter, is now available online.  Check out the latest from your neighborhood organization and the broader community.

All the best,
Travis 

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

Member of the Month

Where would Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods be without our strong community partnerships?! This month we want to celebrate the important work of our partner organization Historic Denver.
​
Historic Denver, Inc. works to protect and promote Denver’s historic places. Founded in 1970, Historic Denver was born out of an extraordinary citizen effort to save the 1889 home of Titanics urvivor, Margaret “Molly” Brown, which the organization continues to operate as the Molly Brown House Museum.

Today, this nonprofit is one of the nation’s premier urban historic preservation organizations, and we cannot be more thankful for their hard work and dedication to historic treasures throughout Denver.

Join Historic Denver at: https://historicdenver.org/support-us/#join
Picture

Upcoming Events

Attend This Year's CHUN Annual Membership Meeting

Picture
CHUN's annual membership meeting is scheduled for January 9, 2020 at 6:30 pm.

Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center has graciously opened its doors for this meeting.  We encourage all current and prospective members to attend this important conversation. We will also review our current financial position, elect new at-large board members, and present our inaugural SEED Awards and Good Neighbor Awards. 
Membership: 
Are you new to Denver? Would you like to join your neighborhood organization? Has your membership lapsed? You can join CHUN the night of the annual membership meeting. 
Please note: You must be a current, dues paying member to vote in the delegate election and on other matters of business.

​
Agenda:
  • Check-In
  • Welcome and Introductions
  • Brief Overview of Mission & Vision
  • Operational Highlights
  • Financial Report
  • Programming Successes
  • Tears-McFarlane House & Community Center
  • Update Updates to Governance Documents
  • Election of 2020 At-Large Delegates
    (Delegate Statements are available at: https://www.chundenver.org/delegate-statements.html)
  • Inaugural SEED Award Presentation
  • 2020 Good Neighbor Awards
  • Announcement of Delegates Election
  • Networking
 
You can rsvp at: https://www.facebook.com/events/2400221750087782/

Urban Matters: Neighborhood Enrichment & Citizen Engagement
Picture
Join CHUN History Matters and Urban Planning for an enlightening discussion and presentation about current issues facing the Mile-High City. Details and formal agenda forthcoming.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods
1290 Williams St #102
​Denver, Colorado 80218

Denver Community Planning & Development:
Navigating Commercial and Multifamily Permitting

Join Denver's Community Planning & Development as they talk permits, codes, and ordinances relevant to the design and construction of commercial and multifamily projects in Denver.
January 8, 2020
​6-8 p.m.
West High School Auditorium
951 Elati St.
Denver, CO 80204
​ICC and AIA (HSW) continuing education credit provided. 
​Thank you to our sponsors Group 14 and ATS Rocky Mountain.

Recycle your Christmas tree through January 31st.

Picture
Last year, the City and County of Denver's Solid Waste Division collected over 21,500 trees for recycling. Let's do it again!This year, residents can set out their Christmas trees on one of their regular scheduled trash collection days between January 6 - 17. 

How It Works:
  1. Remove all decorations, lights, and the tree stand from your tree.
  2. Set your tree out for collection on one of your scheduled trash collection days between January 6 and 17. 
  3. Reclaim free mulch made from your tree at the annual Mulch Giveaway & compost Sale in May. 

Drop-off Sites:
Treecycle drop-off locations are available for residents not eligible for Denver Solid Waste Management collection services.

Drop-off sites are open through January 31, 2020.
  1. Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-Off
    7354 E Cherry Creek S Dr
    Denver, CO 80246

    TUES - FRI : 10 AM - 5 PM, SAT: 9 AM - 3 PM
  2. Havana Nursery
    10450 Smith Rd.
    Denver, CO 80239

    MON - FRI: 8 AM - 2 PM.
    CLOSED ON WEEKENDS.

​Please Remember:
  • ​Only natural, real trees are collected by Treecycle crews.
  • Set trees out by 7 a.m. on your scheduled trash collection day. 
  • Curb customers: Place your tree in the same location as your trash cart. Alley customers: place your tree behind your property.
  • Trees must be placed at least two feet away from collection carts, structures, and other obstacles. Do not place trees inside bags or collection carts.
  • Trees may also be dropped off at one of two Treecycle drop-off sites, open through January 31.

Additional Events:

  • Join the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Advocate Network - Wed, January 8, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
  • INC Transportation Committee - Thu, January 9, 6 pm – 8 pm
    Where: 
    1201 N Williams St., 19th Floor
    Denver, CO 80218
    Description: Our committee’s first-ever small panel discussion with a trio of long-serving RTD Board members discussing the agency’s current challenges and path forward. Pat Kennedy will be talking with us about the city’s snow plowing practices along with the 2020 street paving schedule, map, and key metrics. Nick Williams will share with us the future direction of bike and scooter sharing in the city, which is urgent in light of the end of B-Cycle this month. We will end our meeting with a preview of the new Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s 2020 priorities from Executive Director Eulois Cleckley.​
  • ​Warren Miller Film Screening for SafeHouse Denver - Fri, January 10, 6 pm – 9 pm
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Marade - January, 20, 9 am - 4 pm
    City Park to Civic Center Park

CHUN Meetings, Forums & Committees

​As CHUN continues to enhance its programming, the Board of Delegates has recently refined the names, scope, and vision for its primary committees. 
  • Urban Planning Committee: The Urban Planning Committee focuses on the critical zoning, transportation, land use, and licensing issues facing Capitol Hill and Denver.  In addition, the committee regularly engages in those substantive policy discussions that directly impact the quality of life in our neighborhoods-- parks and open space preservation, traffic issues, and safety to name a few. 
  • History Matters Committee: This committee's work will continue to emphasize the preservation of historic homes, buildings, and districts. However, CHUN has expanded its charge to include matters of cultural, historical significance and to be the voice that informs, educates and partners with our community, businesses and the City of Denver.
  • Parents & Families Committee: Coordinates and manages special events and awareness for parents and families, building programs relevant to a diverse, inclusive community with an emphasis on parent and family outreach. 
  • Climate Crisis Committee: Building awareness and facilitating community engagement; hosting special events and meetings; executing programs concerning climate change and environmental stewardship.

For a complete list of CHUN's committees, please visit the Committee Page and check the CHUN website for upcoming meetings and events. 
Be sure to join us for CHUN's January Board Meeting on January 23, 2020 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.

Committee Updates

History Matters:
The December meeting was hosted at the Patterson Inn. Patterson Inn - Chris Chiari gave an excellent tour of the Inn with a brief history of the building and his involvement. We are excited to see his updates to the ballroom and basement area in the coming months!

​The History Matters committee is committed to a 2020 goal of Education and Preservation through
connecting RNOs and neighbors with Historic Denver, Discover Denver and the City and their
resources for preservation. We invited ANnie Levinsky, ED of Historic Denver, to present the
committee with Historic Denver’s resources and ideas for preservation:
  • Pattern & Design Idea Book to identify specific characteristics of neighborhood
  • Resources for Design Overlay → Historic Districts → Individual Landmark Designation
  • Action Fund - up to $10k (25% raised by neighborhood) for research and application. Historic Denver manages the project for us.
  • Discover Denver - city-wide inventory of what we have at a basic level and a more detailed look at important properties.
​
Kevin Kelly, committee member, presented a Discover Denver report on 555 E 8th Ave. This report
was generated by Discover Denver after a survey of the neighborhood and will be used by the owner
of the property to apply for Historic Landmark Designation. We were very impressed with the report
and it inspired us to ask DD for more reports on our neighborhoods!

Jessica Caouette, committee chair, reported on her recent visit to Tammen Hall (gorgeous!) and a
concern raised by community members at that meeting re: Lafayette Place - a set of 7 condos on the
NW corner of 18th and Lafayette. The condos are owned by PSL except for one hold out individual.
Neighbors are concerned that PSL will demolish the building after purchasing the last unit in order to
improve the view of the new hospital. Historic Denver and this committee have no solutions going
forward. Jessica will connect with Uptown RNO to see if the hold-out owner needs support.
Next meeting February 11th, 2020 at 6:30pm - Location TBD (suggestions needed)
Inviting RNO leadership to learn from Discover Denver about surveys completed in our
neighborhoods.
​
Read the December Meeting Minutes


Top Neighborhood News Stories

Whole Foods wants to open a bar in Capitol Hill. ​Would you drink at the organic market?

The Whole Foods seemingly returning to Capitol Hill could have a bar on the property, according to an application filed with Denver’s city government.
The upscale grocer, which served locals at 900 E. 11th Ave. until closing in 2017, proposed a bar with a seating area and a patio, according to documents filed with the city’s business licensing department.

A public hearing on the liquor license will take place Feb. 3.

Read the full article on denverite.com.
Picture
The Capitol Hill Whole Foods has a fence around it. Nov. 6, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

​Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods
 encourages Whole Foods Market to engage with RNOs like CHUN. We also invite their team to our annual member meeting next week -- Jan 9 at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center (Colorado Room) at 6 pm -- to renew conversations with neighbors and residents.

CHUN is Rezoning the Tears-McFarlane House. Did you know it once had a cafe'?

Picture
Picture
Did you know Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods has owned the The Tears McFarlane House and Community Center since 2005? It's located at 1290 Williams Street.

For 120+ years, the property has been a private home, provided senior assistance services, housed nonprofits, and hosted a variety of talent shows and concerts at the north end of Cheesman Park, Denver. And, after digging through our archives, we discovered that the property had a café in the early 1980s!

CHUN's rezoning plan for the property includes bringing back a café and adding other neighborhood-friendly amenities for the local community to use and enjoy.

Follow our progress here on the CHUNDenver website or on our Facebook page.

East Central Area Plan : An Abridged Version From Councilman Hinds

Picture
A 270 page document is daunting and inaccessible to most constituents. Therefore, Councilman Hinds’ office has prepared an abridged navigational guide to the East Central Area Plan. This guide guide is not meant to be comprehensive, but it does flag all the chief concerns heard at RNO meetings, public sessions, and more. It is 29 pages of text and 13 maps with simple bullet points and short-hand. Each recommendation has a parenthetical citation guiding the reader to the appropriate page in the area plan where they can submit comments.
Download the Abridged Guide (PDF)

Tom’s Diner added to National Register of Historic Places, preserving its life on Colfax

The Colfax Avenue staple will be saved from a scrape some residents fought over the summer. In August, it looked like neighborhood activists had lost when they withdrew their own preservation bid effort. Owner Tom Messina said at the time that their attempt to list the building as historic was “stealing” his retirement.

But now, Messina is "thrilled."

​Read the full article on denverite.com
Picture

Happy Holidays from the Paint-A-Thon Staff & Volunteers!

Brothers Redevelopment Inc. is eagerly preparing for the 42nd Annual Paint-A-Thon season, which will run from March through September of 2020.  The Paint-A-Thon is a program that has utilized volunteers to paint the exterior of 7,450 homes over its history, each one absolutely Free of Charge to qualifying older adults and individuals with disabilities.  We are actively looking for homeowners in need of this valuable free service during our 2020 season!
 
We appreciate your willingness to post the attached Paint-A-Thon flyer on your community resource board.  I have also attached a copy of our 2020 Paint-A-Thon application.   Would you be willing to pass it along to an older adult or person with a disability you know who may be in need of this valuable free service from a trusted and longstanding non-profit organization?
 
Our application criteria are straightforward; applicants must be a homeowner living on a fixed income, age 60 or over, disabled at any age, live in a 1 or 1.5 story home, and whose home needs exterior painting.  Feel free to check us out at www.brothersredevelopment.org  If you would like to see a short video about the Paint-A-Thon volunteer experience, please click here
 
As a fellow advocate for older adults and persons with disabilities in your community, we greatly appreciate your assistance.  Thank you.
 
Have a safe and happy holiday season! 
 Jason Stutzman, Coordinator, Volunteer Department & Paint-A-Thon
Brothers Redevelopment, Inc.

Paint-A-Thon Application
Paint-A-Thon Flyer

Denver to Reduce Flood Risks with Stormwater Improvement Project that Starts at East Colfax Avenue and Jackson Street

Alternate Travel Routes Advised
Denver will start the new year right with a project to improve safety and reduce risks to people and property in an area of town that is known to flood. On January 6, weather permitting, the city will begin work to install a larger stormwater pipe along Jackson Street from the north side of Colfax Avenue to 14th Avenue, providing additional capacity to carry and drain stormwater for this area. Later in the year, the project heads east on 14th Street for about half a block.
 
The attached flyer shows the project limits in green. As funding becomes available, more work will be done to further mitigate the flood potential in the upper part of the Montclair Basin. Areas in blue on the attachment represent surface water depths greater than 12 inches that would be expected to occur in the 100-year storm, based on latest flood modeling.
 
The Montclair Drainage Basin is more than nine square miles and is Denver’s largest basin without a natural waterway to carry stormwater. Rain that falls in the drainage basin travels naturally in a northwesterly direction in pipes underground and on the surface in our streets, ultimately draining into the South Platte River. Many of the existing storm pipes relied upon to safely carry stormwater are significantly undersized and more than 100 years old. The result is significant, persistent flooding problems for homes and businesses during heavy rainstorms. The Montclair Basin has been identified as a priority basin for storm drainage and water quality improvements.
 
The Jackson Street Storm project that starts in 2020 is a continuation of past efforts.  In 2008, the city increased detention capacity at Ferril Lake in City Park, and in 2011 the city constructed a large storm drain in Jackson Street from City Park to the north edge of Colfax.  The construction project starting in 2020 will continue this system and work its way across East Colfax Avenue at Jackson Street from January into July, working north to south and maintaining a single lane of travel in each direction on Colfax.  Alternate travel routes are advised.  A variable message board will be placed at the project site to communicate to travelers in advance of work starting.  The entire project shown in green is expected to wrap up in March of 2021.

More details about the project and construction timelines can be found at www.denvergov.org. Search “Jackson Street Storm.”
More information about the upper reaches of the Montclair Basin can be found at www.denvergov.org/montclairbasin.  Flood tips and resources can be found at www.denvergov.org/flood.

Also In The News

  • Longtime family-owned gyro restaurant on Colfax Avenue shutters
  • ​​A look at the new laws kicking in starting on Jan. 1 in Colorado​
  • Denver has more dogs than children, and everything else we learned about Denver’s dog parks
  • ​Denver Water Will Start Removing All The Leftover Lead Pipes From Homes Next Year (2020)
  • ​We Don’t Waste takes over airport food recovery to feed the hungry and keep pretzel packets out of landfills
  • Watch Denver grow through these hand-drawn maps
  • From high in the Rockies to the South Platte, here’s where Denver gets its water
  • The First Avenue Hotel building has finally reopened as The Quayle apartments, and it’s full of local art
  • Denver Police start enforcing the red flag law now — here’s how
​Denver8TV Keeps You In The Know
Your City Now has all the week's news for you in under 5 minutes!
  • City Council votes on plastic bags
  • A hero is honored
  • Donations make the season brighter
  • Denver moves to improve homelessness efforts 
  • Plus, DPS is changing their curriculum.

Tune in every week to keep up!
  • Denver recycling contractor won’t accept gift wrap
  • Denver police aren’t enforcing the camping ban while the city appeals a decision against it
  • Denver County Court judge says the city’s urban camping ban is unconstitutional
  • RTD Just Got A Bit Better At Telling You Where Your Ride Is
  • ​RTD mulls cutbacks amid driver shortage
  • ​Twenty-three children adopted in Denver during national celebration
  • Denver church joins national art movement on impact of gunfire
  • Capitol Hill gym blends technology and health
  • Uptown nonprofit aims to eliminate barriers for parents
  • Colfax Ave BID turns 30!
  • Denver’s government adds five solar panel fields to its clean energy cache
  • ​Fee for single-use plastic and paper bags passes first vote in Denver City Council
  • Denver is now a ‘serious’ violator of the Clean Air Act, and may be losing a tool that could help
  • There Aren't Enough Good Samaritans to Shovel Snow in Denver​

Picture
Picture

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

​​Adagio Bed and Breakfast 
​Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill  
​Denver Health​
​Good Chemistry
​Humboldt Street Neighborhood Assoc.
Alternative Medicine of Cap Hill
Althea Center For Engaged Spirituality
Angelo's Taverna
Argonaut Wine & Liquor 
Assistance League Denver
Atomic Provisions (Fat Sully's/Atomic Cowboy)
Axis Pilates
Bang Up to the Elephant
Barbara H de Jong, CFP, Edwards Jones
Barrington Condos
Capitol Convenience
Castle Lion Development, LLC
CCNNA
Colorado Vincentian Volunteers
Corner Beet
Cornerstone Apartments
Denver Community Church
Denver Health​
Denver Sweet
Ember Hostel
Empowerment Program
First Bank
Folk Artisans
Friends and Neighbors for Cheesman Park
​
Good Chemistry 
Historic Denver, Inc.
Human Services Consultants  
​
Humphries Poli Architects
Investigations Law Group
McCourt Mansion
Nob Hill Inn 
Paradise Cleaners
Park Tavern Restaurant 
Pete's Restaurants ​
Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center
Racines Restaurant
Rosen Properties
SafeHouse Denver
Sarkisian Oriental Rugs & Fine Art
Secret Sauce F&B (Steuben's & Ace Eat Serve)
Senior Housing Options
St Paul Health Center
St. Charles Town Company
Steubens Food Service
subculture
Table 6
Tandem Bar
TBD Foods
Terra Firma Investment
The Bank of Denver
The Center on Colfax
The Goods Restaurant
The Residences at Capitol Heights
The Parlour - Capitol Hill
Tryba Architects
Unbridle
Warwick Hotel
Your Mom's House​
​And Many More ... !

Comments are closed.
    Print Friendly and PDFPrint Friendly

    The Urban Dweller is published on the first, working Monday of each month. To submit your content via email, please click on the button below. Content is due by the 25th DAY ​of each month. 
    SUBMIT CONTENT

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016


    Categories

    All
    Business Leader
    Committee Update
    Historic Preservation
    Neighborhood Engagement
    People's Fair
    Presidents Message
    Public Hearings
    Public Safety
    Special Events


Picture
Denver City Council 
Denver Mayor
​Denver RNOs
Community Planning
City & County of Denver
Denver Recycles​​
Denver 311

211 Colorado
​Historic Denver
Capitol Hill History
Life on Capitol Hill
Denver Post

Denverite
​Colorado Sun

Denver Water
Denver Health
​​
​RTD

Denver Public Schools
Denver Public Library
​
Denver Police District 2 
Denver Police District 3
Denver Police District 6

Community Partners

Media | Membership | ​​Contact Us | Donate
© Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Photos used under Creative Commons from Paleokeittiö, shixart1985
  • HOME
    • Mission
    • History
    • Board of Directors
    • Committees
    • Neighborhoods
    • Financials
    • Bylaws
    • Contact Us
  • ON THE ISSUES
    • Preserve the Past
    • Improve the Present
    • Plan for the Future
    • In Focus
    • Community Presentations
  • COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
    • Good Neighbor Awards
    • SEED Awards Program >
      • SEED Projects and Honorees
      • SEED Requirements and Priorities
    • Tears-McFarlane House
    • Social Media Boosts
    • Good Neighbor Agreements
  • Urban Dweller
  • MEDIA
    • Policy Positions and Press Releases
  • JOIN US
    • Membership Form
    • Member Directory
    • Manage Membership
    • Receive CHUN Emails
  • DONATE