Category: City of Denver

Press Release – For immediate release.

Press Contact: Marcia Verba, League of Women Voters Denver at mverba1@msn.com 303-629-0614

Denver Municipal Run-Off Election Forums

7 Candidate and 1 Ballot Issue Forums

Denver Decides, a consortium composed of the League of Women Voters of Denver, Inter-Neighborhood

Cooperation, Historic Denver, and Denver 8 TV, will once again hold candidate and ballot issue forums, this

time for the Municipal Run-Off election on June 4. The forums will be held in the Sharp Auditorium at the

Denver Art Museum on Tuesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 23. They will also be taped for later viewing on

Denver 8 TV and available to be streamed through the Denver Decides website.

Election Day Tuesday, June 4

Ballots will be mailed on May 20

Tuesday, May 21

6:00 p.m. Clerk and Recorder – Paul Lopez and Peg Perl

6:45 p.m. Council District 1 – Amanda Sandoval and Mike Somma

7:30 p.m. Council District 3 – Veronica Barela and Jamie Torres

8:15 p.m. Council District 5 – Amanda Sawyer and Mary Beth Susman

Thursday, May 23

5:00 p.m. Mayor – Jamie Giellis and Michael Hancock

6:00 p.m. Council District 9 – Albus Brooks and Candi CdeBaca

7:30 p.m. Council District 10 – Chris Hinds and Wayne New

8:15 p.m. Initiative Ordinance 302 – Let Denver Vote (Olympics)

This has proven to be an exciting election season. Join us for these two informative evenings before you vote.

Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parking is available on the street or in Cultural Center Garage – access 12th Ave.

between Broadway and Bannock. Enter building and proceed to Lower Level via stairs or elevator to Sharp Auditorium

DenverDecides.org

Denver Decides: A Community Partnership for Accessible, Transparent Elections

Just passing along a friendly reminder that residential street sweeping begins Tuesday, April 2 and runs through November. In the past, Denver’s street sweepers have removed phosphorous, copper, lead, zinc, chloride and mercury off our streets, which is why it’s so important for residents to move their vehicle on street sweeping day. It helps keep all that crud out of Denver’s waterways!

When residents move their vehicles, crews can sweep all the way to the curb line and provide the best service possible. Residents are urged to follow the red and white signs posted on the block for street sweeping parking restrictions to avoid getting a $50 ticket. Even if it appears a sweeper has cleaned the street, it’s still important to not park during the restricted times posted, as the sweeper may need to return to the area to make another pass.

For those who need help remembering street sweeping day, there are some tools out there! Denver residents can sign-up for text and email reminders online at www.pocketgov.com. For those who aren’t tech savvy, they can call 311 to request “no parking” calendar stickers.

For more information on Denver’s street sweeping program, please visit www.denvergov.org/streetsweeping.

Sincerely,

DPW Public Information Office

I hope you can join Cherry Creek Business Alliance for our rescheduled Cherry Creek Election Forum.  Please share this invitation with your neighborhood organizations.  All are welcome! We’ll have a panel discussion with the 3 candidates running to represent Council District 10 and a presentation from the No on 300 campaign.  We’ll also have No on 300 Yard Signs available at the event.

Thank you for your help spreading the word!  I hope to see you on April 4th!  – Bethany

Get Ready for the May Municipal Elections!
7 Candidate and Ballot Issue Forums

Denver Decides, a consortium composed of the League of Women Voters of Denver, Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, Historic Denver, and Denver 8 TV, will once again hold candidate and ballot issue forums for the upcoming May 7 election. The forums will be held in the community and also taped for later viewing on Denver 8 TV or streamed through the Denver Decides website.

Election Day Tuesday, May 7
Ballots will be mailed on April 15

Tuesday, March 19 District 1 (Northwest), Auditor
6:00 p.m. Scheitler Rec Center, 5031 W 46th Ave, Denver, CO 80212

Wednesday, March 20 Districts 2 (Southwest) and 7 (Southwest-central); Ballot Issues
6:00 p.m. SWIC, 1000 S Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 (Sandos Hall)

Wednesday, March 27 Districts 4 (Southeast), 5 (East-central), 6 (Southeast)
6:00 p.m. Cook Park Rec Center, 7100 Cherry Creek S Dr., Denver, CO 80224

Thursday, March 28* District 9 (Northcentral Denver), Clerk and Recorder
6:00 p.m. Johnson Rec Center, 4809 Race St, Denver, CO 80216

Tuesday, April 2** District 10 (Central) and At-Large (city-wide)
6:00 p.m. Denver Art Museum (Sharp Auditorium)

Thursday, April 4 Districts 8 (Northeast) and 11 (Montbello/Green Valley Ranch)
6:00 p.m. Montbello Rec Center, 15555 E 53rd Ave, Denver, CO 80239

Saturday, April 13*** Mayoral Candidates, District 3 (West-central)
9:30 a.m. SWIC, 1000 S Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 (Sandos Hall)

*Please plan extra travel time due to heavy construction in the surrounding area.

**Street Parking or in Cultural Center Garage – access 12th Ave. between Broadway and Bannock. Enter building and proceed to Lower Level via stairs or elevator to Sharp Auditorium

***This event coincides with Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation’s monthly meeting.

The Public Hearing for “Game Plan for a Healthy City” (originally scheduled for 3/13/19) has been rescheduled to WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 at the regular Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) meeting.

The PRAB meeting on April 10, 2019, begins at 5:30pm. It is held at the Wellington Webb Municipal Building, located at 201 W. Colfax Ave., Room 4.F.6.

A copy of the “Game Plan for a Healthy City” is accessible through the City of Denver’s Denveright website. Review the plan directly via this link. The 3-Year Action Plan is also now available for review online. Please email parksandrecreation@denvergov.org with questions.

Last night, our board discussed Initiative 300, which is on the ballot for our election this May. The executive committee unanimously voted to take a ‘NO’ stance on this controversial initiative.
Please consider voting this May, and consider your neighborhood representatives’ position.
To read more, visit BALLOTPEDIA.

Location: Brookdale University Park, 2020 S. Monroe AGENDA: 8:30-9:00AM: Meet and Greet 9:00AM: Call to Order 9:00-9:10AM: Election of Vice-President, Treasurer, and two at-Large positions. 9:10-9:30AM: Approval of February Minutes and Committee reports 9:30-9:40AM: City Ordinance regarding camping, presented by Marley Bordovski, Director Prosecution and Code Enforcement, Denver City Attorney’s Office 9:40-10:00AM: Initiative 300, Right to Survive, Speaker to be announced 10:00-10:20AM:  Togetherdenver, Speaker to be announced 10:20AM: Around the City 11:00AM: AdjournPlease don’t forget to renew your dues. “RNO dues not paid by February 28 of each year, shall mean the RNO delegate(s) shall not be eligible to vote or run for office in the annual election”  INC By-laws Dues can be paid electronically via Pay Pal. It is not necessary to have a Pay Pal account. Please go to for further information. https://www.denverinc.org/membership/  Open to ALL Denver residents. For INC events and INC committee meetings, please visit http://www.denverinc.org/calendar-2/

Our other committees that are meeting soon INC Transportation March 14 2019 6:00 – 8:00 PM 1201 Williams St. 19th Floor Party room Sign up for email notifications HERE INC PARC March 19 2019 6:00 – 8:00 PM 2020 S. Monroe Arts and Crafts rm Sign up for email notifications HERE

by Tricia Schmid

Almost twenty years ago, the city of Denver adopted Denver Comprehensive Plan 2000 and Blueprint Denver. These plans outlined a 20 year vision for integrated land use and transportation. Well, 2020 is right around the corner and it is time for a new plan:  Comprehensive Plan 2040.

Comprehensive Denver 2040 is the culmination of a two-year outreach and planning effort (called Denveright). The plan outlines six main tenets in building the Denver of tomorrow:  a more inclusive city; authentic neighborhoods; safe, reliable and well connected transportation; a diverse and vibrant economy; an environmentally resilient city; and a healthy and active city. The vision outlined in Comprehensive Denver 2040 is further specified in four supplemental plans – Blueprint Denver; Game Plan for a Healthy City; Denver Moves: Transit and Denver Moves: Pedestrians and Trails.

Blueprint Denver outlines a framework for the city’s policies regarding growth, land use and transportation. It “guides were new jobs and homes should go, how our transportation system will improve, how to strengthen our neighborhoods and were and how we invest in our communities with new infrastructure and amenities.” This plan does not specify actual codes or policies but rather it outlines an overall citywide plan by identifying future growth areas, neighborhood contexts and descriptions, and recommendations for transit, pedestrian and bike mobility and safety. The vision outlined in Blueprint Denver will be used as the basis for small area plans that will be developed as part of a Neighborhood Planning Initiative.

Game Plan for a Heathy City states that “parks and public spaces are vital elements of urban infrastructure”. The plan outlines recommendations for making parks and recreation centers accessible to all residents, ensuring a resilient and environmentally sustainable park system in response to climate change (including stormwater/water use and energy conservation recommendations), and operating and managing a park and recreation system with long-term fiscal viability.

Denver Moves: Transit and Denver Moves: Pedestrians and Trails discuss moving people around the city via bus, rail, car, bicycle, and a person’s own two feet. The Transit plan is the city’s first ever transit plan and is in response to the fact that traffic has risen exponentially over the past few years with the rapid growth of Denver. The Transit plan outlines ways to improve the city’s infrastructure and transit system to more effectively move people around and through the city. The Pedestrians and Trails plan calls for improving sidewalks, street crossing and trails.

So, if you are like me, you might be asking yourself right about now, what does this mean for our neighborhood and its environs? Blueprint Denver has identified Cherry Creek North as a Regional/Urban Center. The city estimates that Regional Centers throughout Denver will account for 30% of new households and 50% of new jobs by 2040. As a Regional/Urban Center, the focus is on larger scale mixed use development with multi-unit residential; high levels of pedestrian and bicycle use and good access to high capacity transit with minimal reliance on cars. Open space should be integrated into streetscape with plazas in various locations. We have already begun to see the transformation of Cherry Creek North into a Regional/Urban Center.  Country Club is designated both as Urban and Urban Edge.  The one issue that may be problematic in the future is the designation of the University corridor between 1st and 4th Avenues (currently part of the Cherry Creek North Business Improvements District) as Urban Center which allows for multi-story buildings.  

Denver Moves: Transit identifies First Avenue/Speer Boulevard as a high capacity transit corridor (full Bus Rapid Transit and/or Rail). Full Bus Rapid Transit is a rubber tired transit mode similar to rail that has the flexibility to operate in a combination of transit lanes and mixed traffic. The plan recognizes that when establishing a high capacity transit corridor, trade-offs might need to be made. These trade-offs could include removal of a general purpose travel lane so that it might be dedicated “Transit Only”. The plan stipulates that when a trade-off needs to be made, transit reliability and access will be given priority. University Avenue is identified as a Medium-Capacity Transit Corridor (rapid bus to full BRT). Sixth Avenue is identified as a Speed and Reliability Corridor (enhanced bus). Plans for transit priority signals and dedicated transit lanes at key locations are included in this corridor. What this actually means for Speer Boulevard/First Avenue, University Avenue and Sixth Avenue remains to be seen, but the city has for some time been actively discussing the removal of the plant bed median along the section of First Avenue that runs through Cherry Creek North. The CCHN Board will remain vigilant!

Meanwhile, if you would like to read more, you may access the plans online at https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denveright.html. This is the second draft of plans for review (the first drafts were available for review last year). Feedback for the Comprehensive Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver and Game Plan for a Healthy City is due by February 27th. You may access a feedback form online.  The Denver Moves: Transit and Denver Moves: Pedestrians and Trails plans do not require council approval and therefore are being finalized in the next several weeks.

Denver Community Planning and Development is hosting TWO upcoming events for homeowners and residential contractors – one this Sunday at the Garden and Home Show and a second in March at the Decker Public Library. These forums are great places to send residents who have zoning questions, want to learn more about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or other home projects, or have questions about permits or contractors. Each event will include a presentation from our code experts and ample opportunity for Q&A.

Please share the two dates below with your residents and neighbors, in newsletters, and on social. Graphics are attached.

Links to Facebook events: February 17 | March 26

Denver Community Planning and Development invites you to learn about residential zoning and building codes

Join Denver’s residential code experts at the Garden and Home Show this Sunday, or at the Decker Public Library in March, for a presentation on Denver’s residential building and zoning codes. We’ll discuss the basics of pulling permits, hiring contractors or doing-it-yourself, and codes to consider when planning for common home projects, from fences to remodels to building a backyard cottage (an “accessory dwelling unit” or ADU). Your questions are important! We’ll have ample time for Q&A.

4 p.m., Sunday, February 17

Garden and Home Show at the Colorado Convention Center (look for the theater at the end of aisle 1200)

700 14th St., Denver

Visit www.coloradogardenfoundation.org for show hours and prices.

AND

6 p.m., Tuesday, March 26

Decker Public Library

1501 S. Logan St., Denver

Thank you,

Laura Swartz | Development Services Communications

Community Planning and Development | City and County of Denver

p: (720) 865.2947 c: (720) 584.9137 | laura.swartz@denvergov.org

DenverGov.org/DS | Twitter | Instagram | Take our Survey

City & County of Denver
Denver Department of Parks & Recreation
Notice of “Game Plan for a Healthy City” Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Parks and Recreation is seeking input on the second draft of the “Game Plan for a Healthy City”, and will host a public hearing prior to its final approval process at City Council. This long-range strategic plan is intended to help the city respond to challenges including growth, limited water resources, and changes in our climate. The plan proclaims easy access to parks and open space as a basic right for all residents, and establishes our city’s parks, facilities and recreational programs as essential for healthy environment, healthy residents, and a high quality of life for everyone. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will hear public comments on this draft on March 13, 2019 at 5:30 pm at the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, held at the Wellington Webb Municipal Building, located at 201 W. Colfax Ave., Room 4.F.6. A copy of the “Game Plan for a Healthy City” is on file with the Manager of Parks and Recreation and accessible through the City of Denver’s Denveright website. Review the plan directly via this link.

In an effort to give community members an opportunity to share their thoughts on Denver’s vision for growth over the next 20 years with Denver’s Planning Board, a stand-alone listening session with the board will be held Wednesday, February 27. The session will be focused on the current drafts of Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver, part of the Denveright family of plans that will help shape a more inclusive, connected and healthy city.

Planning Board Listening Session
4-7 p.m., Wednesday, February 27
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.G.2-4.F.6
201 W. Colfax Ave., Denver

The session will be broadcast live on Denver 8.
The listening session is not a formal hearing. The board will not vote or take any action in the meeting.

City planners will use the comments to make final edits to the plan drafts. Complete information on the meeting is available on the Denveright website. We encourage you to help us get the word out about the meeting using the links below.

• Denveright website news item
• Calendar item
• Newsletter content
• Twitter
• Nextdoor event

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Best, Alex

Alexandra Foster | Communications Program Manager

Community Planning and Development | City and County of Denver

p: (720) 865.2969 | alexandra.foster@denvergov.org

DenverGov.org/CPD | Twitter | Instagram | Take our Survey

Today we are providing you with an update on Denver’s Dockless Mobility Pilot Permit Program, which has been progressing since it launched in July 2018.

For the next few weeks, Denver Public Works will be gathering the public’s feedback to get their thoughts on the first six-months of the pilot through an online survey: http://bit.ly/DenBikeScooter. (This survey can also be found at denvergov.org/docklessmobility.) Comments received will help determine if adjustments should be made to the pilot program and inform the potential development of an ongoing program. The pilot will continue through the summer.

Currently, a maximum of 1,750 electric scooters and 1,000 electric bikes are permitted for use in the city through Denver’s Dockless Mobility Pilot Permit Program. Last week, Denver City Council passed an ordinance which changed the rules for where electric scooters can ride. Under the new law, electric scooters are now allowed to operate in bike lanes or streets with speed limits of 30mph or less. If either of those aren’t an option, electric scooters can operate on the sidewalk, travelling at a speed of 6mph or less.

For more information, please visit denvergov.org/docklessmobility.

Sincerely,

DPW Public Information Office

Have you reviewed the Denveright Draft Plans yet? Hurry down to one of the 4 remaining Community Office Hours to ask questions about the plans and learn how to give feedback during the public review period (which closes Oct. 31st). Visit denvergov.org/Denveright and check the calendar for locations and days of office hours. These plans are YOUR plans and are aiming to create a more inclusive, connected and healthy city-make sure to check them out!
Organizations that would like more time to review and understand the plans can request an extension by emailing us at blueprint@denvergov.org.

Afor Chavez | Operations and Outreach Assistant
Community Planning and Development | City and County of Denver
p: (720) 865.2984 | afor.chavez@denvergov.org

With the November 2018 election quickly approaching, we wanted to update you on all of the questions that will be on the ballot at the state and municipal level. This memo is intended to give you a snapshot of the ballot content and the city agencies that may be affected. The memo also provides guidance on allowable election activities to you as elected officials. Please review the information below and feel free to contact Kirsten or me with any questions you may have on these.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BALLOT MEASURES

Each new generation brings fresh ideas and concepts to our world. Some truly beneficial visions become trends and a new way of life; other ill-conceived notions become thankfully just fads. When a concept involves economic gain, it spreads quickly and often without organization or consideration of unintended consequences. It is the job of government to provide proper guidelines to protect the public and the landscape of its jurisdiction…and to enforce those guidelines.

Short term rentals (STRs) are found in all parts of Denver, but there is a noticeably heavy concentration of them in the central neighborhoods of District 10. Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park and Congress Park have the most STRs but options exist in almost all District 10 neighborhoods. In the Country Club zip codes very few licenses have been issued.

On June 12, 2016, after two years of discussion, Denver City Council approved a measure to allow STRs only in primary residences. The rules took effect on July 1st and gave hosts until December 31, 2016 to obtain a business license with the city, pay the city’s 10.75 percent Lodger’s Tax and come into compliance with the new regulations. Enforcement of the new law began on January 1, 2017. Less than seven weeks into enforcement, the City and County of Denver is approaching 1,000 Short Term Rental licenses issued, or close to one-third of known STR properties in the city. Although more work needs to be done to license hosts, Denver is believed to be a leader in compliance rates, ahead of other municipalities including Austin, Nashville, Portland and San Francisco, in compliance rate and/or number of licenses issued. This is a work in progress with a “host” of moving targets.

During these early stages of STR enforcement, the city is primarily focused on compliance. Excise & Licenses will be sending more than 1,000 Notice of Violation letters to unlicensed operators by the end of February. Those operators will have 14 days to comply before fines are issued. Penalties for operating a STR without a license can be up to $999 per incident, or per day, in the most egregious circumstances.

Although a majority of rentals operate within the law, Denver accepts reports of unlicensed STRs or other complaints three ways: calls to 3-1-1, online reports on Pocketgov (https://www.denvergov.org/ pocketgov/#/report-a-problem) or via email (STR@denvergov.org). If you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood, please report it. The city also proactively tracks and monitors properties using Denver Police calls for service, 311 reports and through a third-party software company called Host Compliance.

Host Compliance scans and monitors all STR websites, including Airbnb, VRBO, Flipkey and others looking for compliance with the requirement that STR operators must list their business license number in their advertisement. Host Compliance uses various algorithms and old-fashioned detective work to provide the operator name and address to Excise & Licenses so the department can issue violations and citations to those hosts who are operating without a license. Citations are sent via mail and in the most problematic cases, a property can be “red-tagged” or physically posted of a violation.

As part of an effort to continually assess the program and make policy recommendations on STR enforcement, Excise & Licenses has convened an advisory committee consisting of hosts, non-hosts, neighborhood representatives and industry representatives. All STR Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public, and presentation materials and minutes can be found on the advisory committee website (https://www.denvergov.org/content/ denvergov/en/denver-business-licensing-center/business-licenses/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-advisory-committee.html). For more information on the city’s STR licensing requirements, please visit
www.Denvergov.org/ShortTermRentals.

The advancement of technology initiated the need for this STR program. The work of E&L in formulating the policies and procedures to govern this program should help manage this industry and maintain quality of life in our neighborhoods.