Community Announcements
Call To Action For Cash On Colfax
The committee making recommendations for Denver’s likely November bond measure has slashed the $20 million request for extensive improvements along an eight-mile stretch of Colfax Avenue, to $6 million. In response, Hilarie Portell, executive director of the Colfax Mayfair Business Improvement District (BID), is urging residents to contact Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and council representatives immediately and ask the full $20 million funding proposal for the Colfax Corridor Pedestrian Improvements Project be restored and put before voters.
Portell said the $6 million would likely pay for basic improvements on Colfax, from Sheridan to Monaco. Nothing would be left for other planned improvements, including pedestrian walkways, crosswalks, trees and landscaping, trash cans, benches and bike racks. (The artist rendering above is the design for improvements at Colfax and Fairfax, for example.)
“Minimally viable is not what we need on Colfax – we’ve had minimally viable for years,” she said. “What is needed on Colfax today, with all the projected development, is to get it all done. It’s taken 30 years to get all four [Colfax Business Improvement Districts] together. Are we going to get passed over again?”
Tracey MacDermott, the board chair for GPHC, Inc., echoed Portell’s call to action, calling the $6 million in recommended funding a band-aid. “We need to get on the horn and call our elected representatives and say we want this, make it happen.”
Mayor Hancock’s email is 2017gobond@denvergov.org. City Councilman Chris Herndon, who represents Park Hill, can be reached at Christopher.Herndon@denvergov.org. Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman, whose district is just south of Park Hill, can be reached at MaryBeth.Susman@denvergov.org. Check out colfaxmayfairbid.com for details about the project.
Watershed Workshop Planned For Aug. 12
On Saturday, Aug. 12, Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. will host a free three-hour workshop designed for homeowners and business owners to better learn how to improve the quality of the watershed, including utilizing landscaping and gardening practices. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon, at 2823 Fairfax St. It is a part of the Sustainable and Resilient Watershed Series, an ongoing series of events and opportunities for Park Hill residents to make the neighborhood a model of sustainability. The workshop instructor is Tyler Dell of the Colorado Stormwater Center.
State Of The City In The ‘Hood
Mayor Michael B. Hancock will deliver the annual State of the City address in Park Hill at the Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center on Monday, July 10, from 11 a.m. to noon. The address is open to the public, and will identify the administration’s priorities and goals for the year ahead.
Following the speech, Hancock will host a free neighborhood cookout outside of the recreation center at Skyland Park from noon to 2 p.m. The barbecue grills will be staffed by the city firefighters, police and sheriff personnel, and staffers from the city’s Parks and Recreation and Human Services departments. Music will be provided by 107.1’s DJ K-Tone. There will be games, a Bike Village and pick-up basketball.
Weigh In On Housing Plan
The City and County of Denver is developing a comprehensive housing plan to align city investments to help residents facing a range of housing challenges, from people experiencing homelessness to those working to achieve or maintain homeownership.
The plan will include goals for development and preservation of affordable housing and recommendations aimed at promoting economic opportunity and the connection between housing, healthy living, and good-paying jobs. A public meeting was held on June 29 to discuss the plan, at North High School. If you were unable to attend, you can provide feedback and ideas at surveymonkey.com/r/DenverPublicSurvey