Letters to the Editor
Traffic Is Out Of Control
Dear Editor,
I read with much angst the article entitled, “Slow Down” in the March issue.
It was so true, the point about the city not planning appropriately for the increased traffic on existing neighborhoods. It’s no wonder when the mayor and governor keep encouraging people and businesses to move here. It’s out of control now, so this is the end result.
Speeding cars are one thing, but what about those pesky cyclists who take up a whole lane of traffic and don’t ride to the side or in the bike lanes? This is very annoying, and frustrating to drivers. After all, they need to obey the rules, too.
I hope these issues can be resolved somehow, but it is all about common sense, which some people can’t seem to understand.
Rosemary J. McManis, Park Hill
Walking and Biking Now Dangerous
To the Editor:
Thank you for your March article covering challenges with traffic congestion and violations in Park Hill. The focus on speeding, swerving into bike lanes, and other violations is important. However, with the increased volume of vehicles that now flow through Park Hill, there would still be challenges to address even if everyone followed all the rules.
Crossing Montview Boulevard is a particular hazard for pedestrians and cyclists. Many are children who must cross Montview to get to Park Hill Elementary or the Smiley Campus. From Colorado Boulevard to Monaco Parkway there is only one traffic light at Elm and a crosswalk at Dahlia. This means there is nothing to stop traffic for 13 blocks from Elm to Monaco. You can wait a long time before it is safe to dash across the street. Southbound cyclists who do travel to Elm to safely cross Montview end up on a one way northbound street, and so must immediately turn left and proceed to Fairfax. Few children take that extra step.
I contacted a city traffic engineer about this issue over a year ago. He said they would “assess,” but I never heard back from him. We like to think our community is walkable or bikeable but the sad truth is that the current situation on Montview makes this impractical and dangerous for many routine trips to school.
It is definitely time to address this issue by adding a crosswalk, traffic light, or some other way to allow folks to safely cross Montview between Elm and Monaco.
Alicia Cronquist, Park Hill
The Oldest Rule In Real Estate
I agree, in part, with Tom LaRocque in his March letter about adverse historic designation. A seller couldn’t care less about a property after the sale. When neighbors attempt historic protection of the building after the fact, the buyer can only feel bushwhacked. City Council then has to arbitrate a mess that one party is not going to be happy with; not a politician’s dream either.
This is precisely why Historic Park Hill is taking the long, laborious and expensive route of reaching out to the proposed Park Hill historic district, about 700 properties, up front. Hosting informational get-togethers on each block, going door to door, writing articles and an informational website are all part of insuring that a substantial majority of neighbors know what a landmark district is all about, its benefits now and in the future, and declare their support.
I also agree it takes especially insane people with skills that are no longer taught or dumpsters full of cash to undertake the renovation of a property. Luckily the Historic Park Hill district is about 80 percent intact architecturally and functionally. This is due to the resident families having lovingly cared for and maintained their properties for decades, some for generations. Does a property need updating? Fine. That’s not a problem in a historic district.
Having raised a couple millennials, I have observed that the last thing they want to cope with is inconvenience. So paying in the sevens for a project is a non-starter for that market.
Historic preservation is not to blame for the property that Mr. LaRocque wrote about on East 22nd Avenue not selling. Nor are the “youngsters” whose lives move at the speed of Twitter and are more interested in experiences than things. If anything is to blame it’s the oldest rule of real estate: anything sells if it’s priced right.
George Dennis, Park Hill
Please Keep Fido On His Leash
Dear Park Hill residents,
The weather has provided an early spring it seems. People are out and about. Great to see folks and bikes and strollers, etc. We also have a large dog community and I notice an increased tendency to “walk” one’s dog OFF leash. I am writing to ask all owners to follow the law, and respect that not all people love dogs. That’s right, some actually fear them and worry a lot about any loose dog – yes, even yours, that “sweet lovely Labrador” that “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I have seen too many bad dog interactions, where one is off leash and the other is not.
I have had my own animal attacked by loose dogs on occasion in the past. This is NOT a light or frivolous issue. Please respect all of us, and the laws of our dense city neighborhood, and leash your dogs at all times. Thank you very much.
Andrew Sweet, Park Hill
Editor’s Note: We love your letters, and give preference to those that address an issue that has been covered in the newspaper, or a topic that is Park Hill or Denver-specific. Join the conversation and make your voices heard. Send letters to editor@greaterparkhill.org, and include your full name, and the neighborhood in which you live. Deadlines are the 15th of each month, for the following month’s issue. All past issues can be read at greaterparkhill.org.