Letters to the Editor
A Recipe For Stress
We are writing in regards to the news story about the plans for the Oneida Park Center redevelopment on page 1 of last month’s issue, and parking concerns for all new developments in Park Hill. We are all for fixing up places in Park Hill that need a facelift. What we are concerned about is the parking, and how it will affect the neighbors in the surrounding neighborhood.
We live in the 1500 block of Pontiac Street, where the Fiction Beer Company and Salon Joa are located. That is on Colfax and Pontiac. What a nightmare to live down the street from two businesses that do not have adequate parking.
Sherman Associates, a developer that built the apartment building Phoenix on the Fax where the brewery and busy salon are located, guaranteed us the small parking lot in back of the building was enough parking for everyone. What a joke that was.
Our block went from a quiet block where you could walk your dog to a busy street, like the ones in Capitol Hill that have cars parked bumper to bumper. Not only can we not get out of our driveway safely, we cannot walk our dogs in the street (we have no sidewalks) due to the parked cars and heavy traffic. The patrons and employees of these two businesses that park on our street make our home life very stressful. We cannot even get onto Colfax from our street safely because there are so many cars parked on Colfax.
We have talked to the owners of the beer company, and they do not care about the neighbors and the problems their business has created. We have also talked to Denver officials, with no help on these problems. So the moral of the story is the developers, the City & County of Denver, and the new owners of businesses do not care about the neighbors. They only care about the money in their pocket.
Kris and Gary Jackson,
Park Hill neighbors for 30 years
Let’s Reduce Our Footprint
I am excited to learn the news of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.’s acceptance into the Denver Sustainable Neighborhoods Program. Previously, I volunteered with the Congress Park Neighbors Green Team efforts (SNN application and inaugural Earth Day event) when living there last year, and learned of their acceptance into the program shortly before purchasing and moving to a home in Northeast Park Hill.
Although I was late to this effort and only recently become a GPHC member, I look forward to joining the challenge with all my neighbors. As I learned in Congress Park, this type of organizing is a easy way to educate oneself, meet your neighbors and work towards a vibrant and sustainable community. I am particularly interested in learning from/working with anyone concerned with issues of pedestrian and multimodal connectivity/infrastructure, urban agriculture or xeric landscapes.
Reducing our ecological footprint can take many forms, but for those interested in green roofs, solar energy or energy/water conservation, might I suggest that showing your support for the Denver Green Roof Ballot Initiative is one simple step. You can find the full legal text at this link: denvergreenroof.org/the-proposition/. Or contact me to add your signature to our growing list.
Nam Henderson, Park Hill
Not A Minute Too Soon
I recently signed a petition to make my Park Hill neighborhood one of the communities participating in the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program here in Denver. I think that now, more than ever, all individuals and communities should be committing to such goals. We have science that dictates a need for sustainable habits and practices, and we have a national government demonstrating a push against these practices.
As a public school teacher, even with my first graders, we read about and discuss the need for environmental stewardship, protection of animals, raising our voices, and showing greater kindness to all others. If 7-year olds are aware of and doing these things, we need to step up as adults, individually and as communities.
I’m grateful to live in one of Denver’s neighborhoods committed to sustainable status.
Linda Chase, Park Hill
Editor’s Note: Check out more about the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program on page 1. We love your letters, and give preference to those that address a topic that is Park Hill or Denver-specific. Send letters to editor@greaterparkhill.org, and include your full name. Deadlines are the 15th of each month, for the following month’s issue. Past issues can be read at greaterparkhill.org.