Monthly Archives: March 2010

Public Works wants to remind all you parking-ticket scofflaws (and you know who you are) that boot and tow fines in Denver will be increasing effective tomorrow. As of April 1, the fees for receiving a parking boot and tow will be increased from $50 to $100 each. These fees have not been increased for 21 years.

A vehicle may receive a boot after it has accumulated three unpaid parking tickets. If the boot fee and the outstanding citations are not paid, the vehicle will be towed after 72 hours. These fines apply to all boots issued by Right Of Way Enforcement and all tows requested by Right Of Way Enforcement.

So don’t get the boot — pay your parking fines on time.

The Census count is well underway; if you haven’t filled out your Census form yet, take a few minutes to fill out the form and mail it in. It only takes 10 minutes, and a decade’s worth of funding decisions depend on the outcome. Last week, Mayor Hickenlooper led a special “Take 10″ event (as in, “take 10 minutes to fill out your census form”), and the response was very good.

If you have questions, visit the city’s Census Page at http://www.denvergov.org/Census2010.

The process of shaping Denver’s new zoning code takes another big step forward next month. The Denver Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed code and map on April 21, setting the stage for City Council review and adoption in May and June as planned.

The Planning Board hearing will take place at 1 p.m. in the Webb Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave. in fourth floor conference room 4.F.6. The public is invited to attend and share comments. Please note that this hearing starts earlier than regularly scheduled Planning Board meetings. Those unable to attend will be able to view the hearing afterward on Denver TV8 and online.

The most recent draft of the New Code and map and a corresponding staff report will be available the day after tomorrow (i.e., on March 31) at http://www.newcodedenver.org. You’ll have three weeks to review these documents prior to the April 21 hearing.

Community Planning & Development staff will hold New Code Office Hours in conjunction with the hearing to answer specific questions from the public. If you plan to attend the New Code Office Hours, please reserve a time by registering at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MXCCQLN.

Following the hearing, the Planning Board will prepare a recommendation to forward to City Council. The full timetable for the remainder of the New Code adoption process is as follows:

• April 21, 2010 Planning Board public hearing, followed by Board recommendation to City Council
• April 28, 2010 Blueprint Denver Committee consideration of new code
• May 24, 2010 City Council – first reading of proposed zoning code ordinance
• June 21, 2010 City Council – public hearing and final consideration of proposed ordinance adopting the new code

Today’s Denver Post is chock full of news about District 9:

• Su Teatro opens on Santa Fe Drive: “Su Teatro raises its own game, turning the tragic journey of a Mexican farm worker (“La Carpa de los Rasquachis”) into a joyous musical celebration that’s surprisingly entertaining and friendly for political theater.”
• New composting program at Ana Marie Sandoval: “Two weeks ago, composting bins were added to the school’s cafeteria next to recycling and trash. With the help of parent volunteers, students are learning that their orange peels go into the green composting bins and not the black trash bins.”
• Clinica Tepeyac’s tortilla fundraiser on tap for April 16: “The one-of-a-kind event will help raise awareness and funds for the local health clinic. Established in 1994, Clínica Tepeyac provides basic health care and preventive health education to the metro area’s uninsured. Clínica Tepeyac staff assists thousands of men, women and children annually” Judy won the tortilla roll-off a few years ago; tickets for this year’s event are $25 and available at (303) 583-0150 or www.clinicatepeyac.org.

Courtland Hyser, the project head of the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods planning effort, forwards this report from last week’s kickoff meeting:

We had a great turnout, with about 140 people signing in, and from what I could tell even more than that in the audience. Based on the questions people asked at the meeting, and feedback from the breakout sessions, here are some of the major issues that folks are identifying:

• There has been a lot of focus on the future of the Arapahoe Square area. What are the appropriate densities and land uses? Should an Urban Renewal Area be established there?
• A desire for more parks and outdoor play areas, as well as better pedestrian and bike access to the Platte River
• A desire for more neighborhood-serving retail and services. Many residents report having to travel long distances for things like pharmacies, hardware stores, etc.
• Safety concerns include crime, drugs, and graffiti
• Many of the streets in this area could benefit from capital improvements: street trees, improved lighting, sidewalks, bike lanes, conversion of one-ways to two-way
• Some streets currently function as mobility barriers that discourage people from walking and biking. In particular, Broadway, Park, and 20th Ave are difficult streets to cross

Keep an eye on the project website for updates and news of the next public meeting (which probably will take place in mid-May).

A couple of quick pieces of business this morning:

• The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) will hold a public meeting on Thursday, March 25, 2010, to provide an update on the project, to present the latest Wynkoop Plaza design schematics and to answer questions. The meeting will be helf from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the RTD Administrative Office, 1600 Blake Street, in Rooms T&D. If you want to see presentation materials from previous meetings you may have missed, go to the project Web site at www.denverunionstation.org.
• The slide show presentation from the kickoff meeting of the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods planning process is now online at the project website. I’m hoping to have an update from the kickoff meeting later this week.

It’s been a couple of weeks since the release of the Draft Environmental Evaluation (EE) for the Northwest Rail line of FasTracks — find it here, if you haven’t already seen it. On Thursday night, March 18, the NW Rail project team will be holding a workshop / info session / public comment session about the Draft EE. It’s the only one of the three workshops to take place at the Denver end of the line (the other two are scheduled for Longmont and Louisville, respectively).

This session runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and takes place at Hodgkins Elementary School, 3475 West 67th Avenue. It’s across the Adams County line, just west of Federal Boulevard. The project team will make a presentation and then take questions from the audience; there also will be an ongoing open house where you can view maps and other displays, get station information, and chat it up with RTD staff.

If you can’t get to the meeting, you can still read the document and submit a comment online. The comment period will remain open through March 29.

Denver community members with an interest in promoting voting and access to the ballot are encouraged to apply for membership on the ACCESO Spanish-Language Voter Advisory Board. This board assists the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Elections Division with elections outreach efforts to Denver ’s limited-English, Spanish-speaking citizens. Central goals include making voting materials more accessible, ensuring an adequate number of Spanish-speaking poll workers, and increasing voting participation.

The advisory board was formed in 2003 in response to the federal mandate to assist the city in reaching out to Denver ’s Spanish-speaking population with bilingual election materials and information. ACCESO (which means “access” in Spanish) has a six-year history of active commitment to its mission, and provides an invaluable service to the city and its limited-English-speaking voters. In early 2010 it was re-created through enactment of a city ordinance to give it permanence and a more formal structure.

Membership is voluntary and unpaid. Members are expected to attend monthly meetings and to participate in community outreach efforts. Thirteen to twenty-five members will sit on the board. Representation from a broad demographic range is sought to mirror the Denver Latino community. Applicants must be registered voters and should have a history of involvement with the Spanish-speaking community. Fluency in Spanish is especially welcomed. Applications will be reviewed by the ACCESO transition committee, and members will be appointed by the Clerk and Recorder.

Additional information about ACCESO and an application form may be found at www.denvergov.org/acceso, or call 720-865-4872 to request an application. Deadline to apply is Monday, March 29.

Grow Local Colorado is looking for volunteers to help develop and maintain a vegetable garden in Highland Gateway Park. To sign up, visit their website.

Under a stewardship agreement with Denver Parks and Rec, the all-volunteer Grow Local Colorado will be raising produce in six flower beds within Denver parks to demonstrate how easily fresh produce can be grown. After a successful pilot project in Civic Center Park last year, this program has been expended to six beds in four parks. All the harvested produce will be donated to local organizations that focus on feeding those in need, including Food Bank of the Rockies, EarthLinks, Gathering Place, GrowHaus, Lambuth Family Center, Mount Saint Vincent Home, Same Café, and Urban Peak.

Highland Gateway Park sits at the intersection of 20th and Central Streets, just across from the on/off ramps to I-25 and about two blocks from the Mile High United Way headquarters.

The Grow Local Colorado Campaign is a project of Transition Denver founded with the Living Earth Center, Denver Botanic Gardens and the Mile High Business Alliance. The goal of the campaign is to promote local food, local economy and local community. Visit their website to find information about organic gardening, sharing garden spaces, classes about sustainable living, the latest news about the local food movement, and other organizations that support the Grow Local campaign.