GPHC MEETING SECONDS
Noted by Editor Erin Vanderberg
DISTRICT 2 POLICE REPORT
Officer Kevin Hines reminded community members about the new districts and precinct boundaries. Neighbors discussed concerns about impersonators pretending to be service providers burglarizing homes of the area’s elderly and a recent home invasion. A request was made that District 2 resume email notifications instead of relying solely upon social networking platform NextDoor to disseminate information. The non-emergency number for District 2 is 720-913-1000, and the district also maintains a Facebook page.
1-70 EAST PROJECT
Kirk Webb, I-70 East Project Manager, discussed the history and future timelines of the I-70 East Project. He explained the Preferred Alternative Collaborative Team (PACT) process that brought the project to where it is today. The PACT included stakeholder outreach; monthly community meetings; tours of other highway systems; town halls; and one-on-one briefings with community members and elected officials. He stated that the only consensus reached by the PACT volunteers, who included representation from all locales affected by the highway, was to keep I-70 on its current alignment.
Mr. Webb responded to questions about the size of the partial covered lower alternative, which will span 900 feet between Clayton and Columbine streets and 300 feet across the highway just east of Brighton Boulevard, connecting the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods with pedestrian access over the highway.
He answered questions about the new lowered highways drainage system, which he said is currently thought to require no pumping. He stated that the project would provide funding for Swansea Elementary air quality improvement efforts as a safety measure, though he said the tunneling of the highway is not expected to have a large impact on the school’s air quality. Rebecca White, the Local Government Liaison for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said that her department was working on creative options to make these overpasses vibrant spaces that are utilized by the community. Mr. Webb stated that preliminary soil samples were analyzed from the site and came back good.
Mr. Webb discussed the I-270/I-76 re-route concept. He stated that using the 2035 Denver Regional Council of Government’s data projections of road travel, the I-70 East Project deemed the re-route concept unfeasible, specifically in terms of the traffic patterns it would create for 46th Avenue. He stated that the re-route concept would not be analyzed in project’s final EIS (Environmental Impact Statement). He discussed the timeline for the project which includes: a supplemental DEIS (Draft EIS) in early 2014, with public hearings to follow; a final EIS in Fall 2014; Record of Decision in Winter 2014-15; and construction in 2016, pending funding availability.
NORTH DENVER CORNERSTONE COLLABORATIVE
Kelly Leid, Project Manager for the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative, discussed the collection of six projects along what Mayor Michael B. Hancock refers to as the ‘Corridor of Opportunity.’ The corridor is a 23-mile stretch from Union Station east to DIA. The collaborative is an umbrella project to leverage the opportunities and get input from all internal and external stakeholders so that the total benefit is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The six projects are: the National Western Stock Show; Interstate-70 reconstruction; RTD station development; Brighton Boulevard redevelopment; River North greenway and transportation improvements; and the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhood plans.
CITY LOOP
Scott Gilmore, Deputy Manager of Parks and Planning at Denver Parks & Recreation, discussed how the end of the wooden Dustin Redd playground’s lifespan prompted a playground design competition for the western side of City Park. He clarified that the new design will include a rebuild of the Dustin Redd playground, which honors a 5-year-old who drowned in Ferrel Lake in 1996 while attending a DPR summer day camp. Mr. Gilmore discussed the ReImagine Play Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which took place last year, and DPR’s resulting public outreach process, which included public forums, design displays in public facilities around the city, and public voting on the design submissions. He stated that the City Loop design won the popular vote. The City Loop design was a created by the design firms of Port Architecture + Urbanism (of Denver) and Indie Architecture (of Chicago) who are calling their collaborative office Port Indie. Mr. Gilmore stated that at this point in the process, the design is only 60 percent complete and can still be modified. He stated that DPR is currently working to raise the $5 million it will take to fund the new playground project (the RFP process was funded by the Colorado Health Foundation). He answered community questions concerning maintenance, design flaws, and tree preservation. In addition, there was adamant concern from members of the community that DPR use this opportunity to integrate the MLK statue into the playground’s overall concept. Mr. Gilmore said he would report back to the GPHC board on the plan for the statue.
ROOTS ELEMENTARY
Jon Hanover, founder of Roots Elementary, featured in the September issue of the GPHN, discussed his plans to bring a new elementary school, modeled after the best practices in school reform, to Holly Square. He stated that he wanted as much community input as possible to better understand what is needed and how he can work to make Roots Elementary the best public asset. Responding to a question from the community, he stated that construction of the school would require private funds, while the operation would be covered by public education dollars.
The GPHC Community Meeting also received updates from on the following events:
– Denver Area Youth Services (DAYS) Festival on Sun., Sept. 8;
– Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair, Sun., Sept. 22;
– Sunshine Harvest Festival, Sat., Sept. 28 at The Garden;
– GPHC/NEPHC Candidate Forum, Thurs., Oct. 10; and
– Quebec Alternatives Analysis, winter meeting 2013/14;
The next meeting of the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. is the Annual Meeting, which takes place Thursday, October 3 at 6:30pm at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Community members are welcome and encouraged to attend. The next regular GPHC Community Meeting will take place Thursday, November 7 at 6:30pm.
NO BOX THIS MONTH – NO SPACE