Talk of the Neighborhood
District 2 Police Report
“No Pants Man” Update
Sgt. G.P. Fuller provided an update on crimes that occurred in August in Park Hill. First up was an update on the man police have nicknamed “No Pants Man.” As first reported in last month’s issue of GPHN, women have seen this man in several parts of Park Hill since March, wearing extremely revealing shorts. The crotch of the shorts appears to have been removed and replaced with a mesh-like material. In recent weeks the exhibitionist has been spotted by several women wearing no pants at all. The encounters have occurred in broad daylight at numerous locations in Park Hill, including along 16th and 17th avenues between Bellaire and Clermont, near 19th and Elm, near Park Hill Elementary School and near the Museum of Nature and Science in City Park. Extra patrols are monitoring the area. “We desperately want to catch this guy; it seems he’s escalated where he’s walking around with no clothes at all,” said Fuller. Anyone who sees him is urged to immediately call 911.
Murder, Barricades, Burglaries
Sgt. Fuller also reported that numerous residential burglaries were reported in Park Hill in August. He advised residents to keep an eye on their property, as well as their neighbors’ property, and call 911 when seeing suspicious activity. In other business, the barricades at the intersection of 33rd and Hudson have been taken down. Police reported the barricades successfully thwarted gang shootings during the summer; however residents complained the barricades were bad for the neighborhood and for business. Finally, Sgt. Fuller reported police have no leads or suspects in the murder of Philip Lucero, a Park Hill resident and owner of a video production company who was shot and found dead on Aug. 24 inside his car at MLK Boulevard and Bellaire Street.
Bicycle Advisory Committee Update
Tracy Davis, representing Mayor Michael Hancock’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, provided an update on the city’s bicycle infrastructure, and asked residents’ opinions on what is working and what needs improvement in Park Hill. A new bike lane has recently been installed along 26th Avenue. Members of the audience indicated they think the lane is great, but that cyclists are still ignoring stop signs and stop lights. The city has also created bicycle lanes on both sides of 23rd Avenue, which has narrowed the road for cars and trucks. “Lanes will be narrower, but everyone will slow down because it will be narrower,” Davis said. However, since there is also street parking on either side of 23rd Avenue, some expressed concern about safety. One longtime neighborhood resident noted that 30 years ago the city installed a center turn lane to facilitate traffic flow and make it safer. “So now we’ll see cars stopping to make a left turn, and the traffic behind them will swing around into the bike lane so they wont have to stop. This is like back to the future.” Any plans to pave 23rd or 26th avenues to make the roadways safer for cyclists will fall into the city’s overall paving plan, Davis said. There was then much discussion about the fact that there is currently no safe route to traverse north-south through Park Hill. Dahlia Street is a designated bike route, but doesn’t have effective infrastructure and has bad alignment at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. “It’s just a nightmare,” said one audience member. Connecting Dahlia to the Sand Creek Greenway to the north would be great, said another. A third said there is also no safe north-south route that crosses Colfax safely to the south. Davis encouraged residents to submit their ideas, concerns and requests to her at TADdenver@yahoo.com.
Northeast Transportation Connection/Walk2Connect Update
Eric Herbst provided an update on the program designed to encourage people to get out of their cars, and instead ride their bikes, walk if they can, and take public transportation. Several upcoming events are planned, including a walking series in which participants walk one way to a destination, and then take the RTD back home.
Fiction Beer Company Update
At the request of GPHC board members, brewery owner Ryan Kilpatrick returned with a report about his outreach to neighbors of the business that he and his wife are opening at Colfax and Pontiac streets. The Kilpatricks initially updated the GPHC about the brewery during the August community meeting, seeking support for the business, which was scheduled to open in late September. “We have been welcomed in the neighborhood; the neighbors have been very receptive, saying what we need is a brewery, restaurant and coffee shop, and now we have a brewery,“ Kilpatrick said. The Kilpatricks have a signed letter of support from all the immediate neighbors with the exception of one, whom they’ve not been able to contact. The brewery has a large patio, and the Kilpatricks have designed it to include landscaping to help buffer the brewery from residential neighbors nearby. Kirkpatrick also provided some background about the name of the brewery, and said his expectation is that the brewery will not foster a raucous environment, but will be a family-friendly business that provides a good space for beer and conversation. ”My wife and I are big book dorks,” Kirkpatrick explained. The names of the beers are all inspired by works of literature – like The Great Gatsby – and the bar itself is literally built of books. Book clubs will be welcome to meet there, he said. The brewery will be open until 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. GPHC board member Getabecha Mekonnen wished the Kirkpatricks success in their venture, said in his opinion, “this is conscientious, well planned and good luck.”
GPHC Committee Reports
Education Chair Lynn Kalinauskas provided an update on Colorado’s TCAP student test scores, which were released in August. In Denver Public Schools, the scores were flat, she said, with little or no improvement.
Park Hill Home Tour Chair Nina Kuhl reported that more than 100 vendors signed up for the Sept. 28 Street Fair this year, including 15 food trucks. Five homes, and the historic Smiley school campus, were featured in this year’s home tour.
Property Use Chair Bernadette Kelly provided an update on the property at 1520 Grape St. Based on the developer’s revisions to the planned multi-use residential apartment building, a majority of the GPHC board voted to support his requested zoning change, which the Denver City Council must ultimately approve.
GPHC Executive Director Rebecca Born reported that the owner of a currently vacant parcel of land at 36th Avenue and Quebec Street has approached GPHC, with an expressed intention to rezone the property with plans to build a retirement community.
Parks Chair Dave Felice reported on the fallout from the August Chive Fest music festival in City Park. As a result of the loud music and obscenities, the citywide Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) would consider resolutions to call on the city to do a better job enforcing its noise ordinances for these types of events, and to do a better job working with neighbors who are impacted by the noise. Felice indicated he planned to vote in favor of the resolutions.