Commerce City Sentinel Express March 14, 2024

State Rep. Hernandez speaks on significance of Chicana/o license plate

BY JACKIE RAMIREZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

After two previous unsuccessful attempts, a license plate celebrating Chicana/o heritage is a step closer to reality.

State Sen. Julie Gonzales and Rep. Tim Hernandez saw the approval of the “Creating the Chicano Special License Plate” bill in the House Finance Committee. It still has a way to go, however, with a review in the House Appropriations Committee before moving to the Senate.

Similar e orts were rejected in 2016 and 2018.

Hernandez was moved to see support from the Chicano community in Colorado as they reached the minimum requirement of 3,000 signatures in just 48 hours after an-

nouncing the bill.

“Realistically, we were really inspired to bring it because we know that it speaks to a couple of di erent things. It speaks to Chicano heritage that is very deep in the state of Colorado,” Hernandez said.

“( e bill) did die in 2016 and 2018,” Hernandez said, “largely because of a Republican-controlled Senate. Senator Julie Gonzalez and I really started to talk about it last year when I won the vacancy because we’re both really deep advocates for the northwest side of Denver, which historically had cruisers down Federal Boulevard and on 38th Avenue.”

Not only does the license plate design highlight a history that might go unnoticed, he said, but it creates opportunities for those who are interested in preserving and celebrat-

ing their Chicano heritage as well as investing in up-and-coming generations of Chicanos in Colorado.

“It’s born out of a place in a community that is bigger than me and Julie and (former House sponsor) Joe (Salazar),” Hernandez said. “We really just tried to be voices and advocates for people.”

According to Exploratorium, a public learning laboratory in California of science, art, and culture, “Chicano” or “Chicana” is used to describe someone who “is native of, or descends from Mexico and who lives in the United States.” Others use it to express political beliefs that stem from “pride in a shared cultural, ethnic, and community identity,” according to Exploratorium.

Debate over industrial rezoning heats up in Commerce City

BY LONDON LYLE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

What was once a pig farm and looks like an ordinary parking lot at 6601 Colorado Blvd. caused quite a stir at the Commerce City Council meeting on Monday, March 4.  e land is not permitted for an outdoor vehicle storage lot, a use that is not in compliance with its zoning designation. Because the land was a pig farm for over 100 years (predating the existence of Commerce City), it was zoned as agricultural land and light industrial use, but it is no longer used as such. It’s now surrounded by industrial zones in Commerce City.  Greenwood Village-based civil engineering rm Galloway & Company Inc. created a limited liability company and bought the land two years ago as part of a strategy to rezone and develop the land into a 32,000-square-foot warehouse and o ce space. eir proposal, given in a video presentation to the city council, claims that their plan is in alignment with the city’s master plan for economic growth and industrial expansion and aims to enhance aesthetics while creating jobs and bringing increased tax revenue.

At the public hearing on Monday, Galloway sought to pass an ordinance rezoning the property from an agricultural to a mediumintensity industrial district. An approved zone ordinance change would allow for outdoor storage and bring its current use into compliance.

Rep. Tim Hernandez was chosen to fill a vacancy in the House’s District 4 in 2023.

COURTESY

SEE PLATES, P4

County seeks Healthy Farmers Markets input

Adams County is looking for feedback and opinions regarding the series of farmers markets they helped o er in 2023. Information from an online survey, located at https://bit.ly/4879uzr, will help determine how the markets will operate in 2024.

In 2023, the Adams County Health Department and Human Services partnered to provide Healthy Farmers Markets for residents. e departments are planning to provide those again in 2024, and they’d like to hear from you.

e county helped schedule the markets on Tuesdays and urs-

days at the Anythink Library Wright Farms and Huron Street branches. e survey asks about location preferences, dates and timing preferences and what kinds of o erings and other services should be o ered.

Adams City ‘84 alums seeking missing classmates

Adam City’s class of 1984 is scheduled to host its 40th class reunion at 5 p.m. Aug. 30 at the 30/70 Sports Bar and Grill, 18856 W. 120th Ave. in Westminster.

Organizers are trying to contact a few remaining missing graduates. If you attended ACHS with the class of 1984 or have a family member who did, please get in

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As a leading lottery app in other countries, Tulotero has a proven track record of success. Over the years, TuLotero has awarded countless prizes to lucky winners, turning dreams into reality and changing lives in the process. Their commitment to excellence and innovation has made them a trusted name in the industry, with millions of satisfied users worldwide.

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touch with Susan Zale Vanness (303) 513-1333 or vannessrealty@ comcast.net or Tracey Snyder (303) 921-2114 tjsnyder07.ts@ gmail.com

Alliance Business Assistance Center grants available e Alliance Business Assistance Center is excited to announce that 2024 business grants are now available to support your business endeavors. Sta at the center can assist residents by helping to identify grants that align with their business goals and industry, providing guidance through the application process, ensuring that they have the best chance of success and providing other valuable resources for local business. To get started, visit our website at https://businessinthornton.com/ local-business/small-businesssupport-programs/business-nancial-assistance.

Submit names for new park Commerce City is accepting recommendations for the o cial name of Oasis Park, one of two new parks. Based on these recommen-

dations, city sta will compile the list of names, and the Parks, Recreation, and Golf Advisory Board will recommend them to the City Council.

e Oasis Park site is located within the natural setting of Second Creek Open space, just west of the Bu alo Highlands neighborhood on the south side of E. 96th Avenue. e park has open space for informal recreation, relaxation, and community gatherings; a children’s playground with shade structures, public restrooms, an embankment slide, and an overlook plaza.

To learn more and submit your recommendation visit c3gov.com/ SCFOasis.

‘Taking No Chances’

e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, o er free, 10week programs to families of Adams County teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drug-resistance skills. Sessions are from 5:30 to 6;30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.

LEAP provides energy assistance to lower home heating costs.

LEAP proporciona asistencia de energía para bajar los gastos de calefacción.

Do you need help paying your utilities this winter? Colorado’s Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) may be for you. LEAP helps Colorado families, individuals, older adults and those with a disability to pay a part of their winter home heating costs.

Adams County’s young ‘I Voted’ sticker design winners discuss their artwork

BY JACKIE RAMIREZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

When Colorado voters opened their ballots for the March 5 presidential primary, they rst saw two stickers: “I voted,” in both English and Spanish, to show o their participation in this vital democratic

Inspiring adults to vote

process.  e designs are the result of a program that Adams County started in 2019, the “I Voted” Sticker Design Contest, in hopes of encouraging younger peopleto engage in the election process.

While kids may not be old enough to vote, they can still participate in government. ey can propose or keep an eye on a bill that matters to them, advocate for a candidate, or design a ballot sticker.

Five years ago, the contest was limited to only students, but recently it has opened up to anyone, regardless of age. e voting process for winning designs went from be-

ing exclusively chosen by election o cials to including the public in the decision.

Last year, with 36 entries for the contest,only four secured a spot on the 2023 and 2024 election ballots. One contest winner, Macy Gauna, made it onto the ballot with her sticker featuring mountains, the U.S. ag and the Adams County logo, after her seventh-grade social studies teacher presented the opportunity.

“What motivated me to enter the contest was that I like to make art, and it would be fun to participate in a contest and bring my art to others,” Gauna said.

Similar to Gauna, winner Diana

Diaz Terrasaz also participated after her sixth-grade art teacher gave them the assignment.

“I thought it was just a regular assignment, but when the teacher gave us instructions, I was amazed,” Diaz Terrasaz said of her eagle and ag creation. “It was really fun to draw, putting all of my creative ideas into the drawing.”

One of the rules for the design contest is to include “elements representative of Adams County, elections, and/or patriotism,” and all submissions must be non-partisan. Participants are encouraged to draw inspiration from Colorado or be symbolic of Adams County.

Here’s How to Play the Inspection Game on Both Sides of a Residential Transaction

A common strategy for winning a bidding war — and I’m seeing more bidding wars nowadays, including on our own listings — is to “waive inspection.”

Another is to waive appraisal objection, but I’ll deal with that in a future column.

There are three inspection fields in the state-mandated contract to buy and sell a home: inspection termination, inspection objection and inspection resolution

use other termination deadlines (such as for title, HOA documents, insurability, etc.) to terminate for an inspection issue identified later on.

In composing a contract to purchase a home, the buyer might decide to sweeten his or her offer by eliminating the inspection contingency. This is obviously attractive to the seller, but “buyer beware!”

First of all, realize that the buyer can exercise one or the other — inspection termination or inspection objection, but not both, even though deadlines can be entered for both. (Inspection resolution only applies if there’s an inspection objection.) If a buyer submits an inspection objection with a list of requested repairs, he can’t change his mind later on and decide to terminate. At that point, if the seller submits an inspection resolution agreeing to every demand you made, the buyer is bound (in my non-legal opinion) to sign it as a matter of good faith (which is embodied in the contract), and once both parties have signed it, they are “past inspection.”

That good faith provision of the contract (Section 28) says that both buyer and seller must act in good faith with respect to sections of the contract, including inspection, which have termination provisions, and the Colorado Real Estate Commission has instructed us that this means you can only use an opportunity to terminate if you are terminating pursuant to the stated provision.

In other words, while you can terminate for any reason (including buyer’s remorse) under the inspection termination provision, which merely states that the buyer has found the property’s condition unsatisfactory “in Buyer’s sole subjective discretion,” the buyer cannot

(Given the recent increases in home insurance costs, however, a buyer could reasonably defend terminating on insurability, which again is at buyer’s “sole subjective discretion,” without revealing that it was really buyer’s remorse, or because of a newly identified inspection issue.)

Let’s say that a buyer has waived inspection objection but not inspection termination. Both buyer and seller need to recognize that this does not mean that the buyer can’t get the seller to fix a serious issue. The buyer still has the right to inspect every conceivable component or feature of the property — even whether there’s an externality such as a noisy neighbor or construction project nearby. If he finds that there’s a major problem (such as a structural issue or sewer line collapse), the buyer’s agent can notify the listing agent that the buyer intends to terminate because of it and, guess what? The listing agent will explain to the seller that this issue exists and will have to be disclosed to a future buyer, likely convincing the seller to say, “I’ll fix that problem if you don’t terminate.”

Upon receiving a purchase contract which waives inspection objection but not termination, a good listing agent will warn his seller about this possibility, just as a good buyer’s agent might advise the buyer that waiving inspection objection isn’t as final as it may sound.

One way to make a contract which waives inspection objection but not termination more attractive to the seller is one that was included in the purchase contract on our own Arvada listing featured a couple weeks ago. The buyer included an earnest money deposit that was higher than the minimum specified in the MLS and stated under additional provisions that $10,000 of it would be non-refundable upon acceptance of the contract by the seller. I wouldn't advise this strategy without a detailed inspec-

tion (perhaps with a professional inspector) during a scheduled showing prior to submitting a contract with this provision. The buyer could still terminate but would be out $10,000, and it might reduce the incentive for the seller to say, “Hey, I’ll fix that!”

Another common provision in a competitive bidding situation is for the contract to limit the extent of demands to be included in buyer’s inspection objection. For example, “health and safety items only,” or “only issues requiring over $2,000 to mitigate or repair.”

In responding to a list of inspection objections, it’s increasingly common, especially among elderly sellers, to offer a financial concession or a price reduction instead of fixing certain items. One drawback of this approach, however, is that if the buyer is financing the purchase with a mortgage, the lender won’t want to see that a serious problem is not being addressed prior to closing. This is completely understandable. And it’s hard to keep that information from the lender without being guilty of mortgage fraud, which is a federal offense.

A strategy I favor in that case is to have the seller pre-pay for the repair at closing, with the title company writing a check payable to a vendor for the repair out of the seller’s proceeds from the transaction. Alternatively, the title company might escrow the money for said repair, giving the buyer an opportunity to shop for the best vendor.

Sometimes not all inspections can be completed by the objection deadline. The buyer could ask for an amendment to the contract changing the deadline, but there’s another, simpler solution that I have employed. Let’s say you don’t have the radon results prior to the objection deadline. I would insert in my buyer’s inspection objection the following sentence: “In the event that radon is determined by the inspector to be above the EPA action level, seller agrees to mitigate it using a licensed radon mitigation company.”

The purpose of inspections is to discover “hidden defects,” but sometimes a buyer will want to ask for something that wasn’t hidden at all, such as a

cracked driveway or old carpeting. My suggestion as the seller’s agent is to deny those requests outright, since they should have been (and probably were) taken into consideration when the buyer chose to submit their contract.

Now let’s say the seller submits an inspection resolution that ignores too many of the buyer’s demands. If both parties don’t sign a resolution prior to the resolution deadline, the contract automatically expires. Remember, this is a negotiation, just like the negotiation which got the home under contract. Either party, not just the seller, can write the inspection resolution, so the procedure for “countering” an unacceptable inspection resolution is to write another one, back and forth if necessary.

Getting a backup contract has a role to play in handling inspection demands. With a backup contract for the same price, my seller can share the buyer’s demands (plus the full inspection report) with the backup buyer and ask if they would accept the house as-in without those demands for repairs. This creates a no-lose situation for my seller. I can tell the buyer that our backup buyer will accept the house as-is if they terminate. The buyer will then likely withdraw their inspection objection, but if they decide to terminate, that has the same effect. Either way, it’s a win for my client, which is what I’m hired to get.

This long column reflects over two decades of experience dealing with inspection issues for both buyers and sellers — and I have not covered all the scenarios one might encounter. If nothing else, I hope this article convinces readers that having an experienced agent, such as those of us at Golden Real Estate, on your side in a real estate transaction is the best way to assure the optimal outcome for you.

Inspection Is Buyer’s Responsibility

Now and then I see an inspection objection which calls for the seller to hire a specialist, such as an engineer or electrician, to inspect this-or-that and to fix any problem discovered, but the contract specifically says that inspection is the responsibility and expense of the buyer.

“Being a Chicano is about consciousness,” Hernandez said. “It’s about the consciousness of understanding our heritage, but the willingness to be able to do something about it, to ght for change in our communities, for justice in our schools, for our communities to have housing and safety systems that work for us. Being a Chicano, Chicana, Chicane, or Chicanex person means that you have a willingness to not just be conscious of our history but a willingness to do something about it, to advocate for our communities of today.”

With Hernandez and Gonzalez, it was important for them to give back to their communities with the approval of this bill, Hernandez said, adding that he approached this work as a community organizer and as a teacher.

“For every 100 Latino students in ninth grade in the state of Colorado, only 67 will graduate high school. Only 28 of us will enroll in college and only 10 will graduate,” Hernandez said, referring to a statistic from the University of Northern Colorado. “It’s really important to me as a teacher to make sure that we have a policy that works directly on issues that students like mine are directly impacted by.”

He said attending a Chicano and La Raza youth leadership program

hosted by Servicios de la Raza when he was 14 was life-changing. e impact led Hernandez to advocate for support of future programs and current work that is already helping the community. e license plate will establish opportunities for funding and expansion of youth leadership, youth violence prevention, and ethnic studies programs, as well as “facilitate access to higher education and increase the cultural and economic well-being of the Chicano community in Colorado.”

Hernandez and Gonzalez also

took into consideration the sourcing and manufacturing of the license plates. Hernandez’s and Gonzalez’s desire to not manufacture the plates in prison led to a community-wide conversation.

“Ultimately, the folks that were inside at the license plate tag plant, who worked at jobs and made the plates, asked us to keep the manufacturing there because it gave them a sense of purpose,” he said. e inclusivity they sought in the bill did not stop there; it also extended to the artistic design of the

license plate.

“It was really important to us that we had a community drive process with the designs,” Hernandez said. “We convened an artist collective of over 20 di erent Chicano artists where the youngest was 14 and the oldest was 82.”

e bill will make its way to its next committee hearings, then on to the Senate, which could take place next month. If the bill is approved, the license plates will be available to Colorado drivers beginning January 2025.

Brighton: 75 S. 13th Avenue Obituaries, Arrangements and Resources Online at taborfuneralhome.com

PADILLA Bennietio “Benny” Padilla

June 21, 1930 - February 27, 2024

allieventcenter.com

Obituary: Bennietio Padilla, age 93, of Commerce City, passed away on February 27, 2024. He was born in Sapio New Mexico on June 21, 1930, to Manual and Eleanor Padilla. Bennietio proudly served in the military, with strong ties to his military associations. He was dedicated to his career and worshipped at Saint Augustine.

Rodriguez, grandchildren Walter Jr. Padilla, Anthony Padilla, Lisa Albert, Amy (Ross) Moody, Gerold Rodriguez, partner Norma Garcia, her sons Jimmy and Robert Gonzales.

Bennietio was preceded in death by his parents Manual and Eleanor Padilla, brothers Tito, Matias, Corcino Padilla, sister Eva Gallegos, daughter Rosemary Margaret Albert, and granddaughter Tiera Lee Trujillo.

He is survived by his sons Walter Padilla, Benny Padilla, daughters Marylou Padilla, Darlene (Gary) Zurek, Annalee (Louie)

In lieu of owers, contributions can be made in memory of Bennietio Padilla.

The proposed license plate design

COURTESY

Adams 14 superintendent Loria embraces bilingual literacy among students, families

BY ROSSANA LONGO BETTER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

roughout its tumultuous history, the Adams 14 School District has had a tough road to follow. Nearly 85% of its students live in poverty and it has the highest percentage of Englishlanguage learners in the state.

But the district, where performance was once considered “average,” went through a drastic change in 2011 when assessment criteria shifted, marking it as the lowest-performing in Colorado. Amid strong sanctions and dissolution orders, the community resisted and emphasized the need for fair assessments that consider factors such as poverty and English-language learning among students.

La Ciudad sat down with Adams 14 Superintendent Dr. Karla Loria to discuss these challenges. Loria, an educator with 32 years of experience, earned her doctorate of education from the University of Houston with an emphasis on leadership and administration. e former Chief Academic Ofcer for the Clark County, Nevada, School District came in as Adams 14 superintendent in 2021, when the district was navigating the third year of a four-year state-imposed plan to elevate student performance. In October of 2023, Loria received an EdTech All-Star Award given to select leaders in the industry who have demonstrated superlative care and dedication to helping students and educators succeed.

ways to measure success, but at the end of the day it’s that our students are growing academically, in our students growing emotionally. We want to see the child is more than just a test score. It is not only whether you’re learning math or not. Of course, our main focus is to ensure that our students are prepared academically, for the future, but also emo-

This question and answer session has been edited to fit the space.

To read the full discussion between Rossana Longo Better and Adams 14 School Superintendent Carla Loria, visit our website at https:// coloradocommunitymedia. com/2024/03/07/adams14-superintendent-loriaembraces-bilingual-literacyamong-students-families/

Loria highlighted the “Trails to Literacy Initiative,” a free program that engages families in literacy and has shown that students are surpassing word goals in just a few months. Loria emphasized the importance of bilingualism and hopes to expand dual language programs from elementary through high school.

is election year could pose plenty of challenges as well. Loria expressed concern about moves to privatize public education and how students could be affected without critical public school oversight. She noted that the community has a role in protecting public education and she emphasized her commitment to defending the institution. is article has been edited for clarity and length.

Colorado Community Media:

In the heart of Adams County, where education meets adversity, the challenges faced by students in Adams 14 School District are profound. Dr. Loria, against the backdrop of some staggering statistics, could you shed light on the strategies or innovative approaches the district is employing to address the complex needs of students living in poverty or who are English language learners?

Dr. Karla Loria: (It’s been a) tumultuous history for us in Adams 14 and I want to quickly explain a little bit about how we got there.

It is important to note for our community …that Adams 14 is now, yes, considered one of the lowest districts as far as the performance of students in the state, but that was not always the case.

In 2011 the laws for the accountability system at the state level changed, and this accountability system uses the test scores that are given to students at the end of the year and other criteria like graduation rates, etc.

ey consider all that and then give a grade, for lack of a better term, or put every district and every school within a ranking based on the results of those tests. Before 2011, Adams 14 was an average district that was not the lowest or the highest. It was an average district.

When that law changed in 2011 the same assessments

were analyzed di erently and the thresholds of those assessments changed. All of a sudden Adams 14 found itself as the lowest-performing school district in the state. It was from one year to another and since then, there have been attempts to support the district, but more sanctions in the district.

To be quite frank, emotionally, when adults are working under that level of stress, knowing that from one year to another, we went from average to being the lowest in the state, they started acting with a little desperation, and some things that should have been done di erently were not done.

And that takes us to today, 14 years later, where we have been battling strong sanctions against the district, including an order from the state to dissolve the district as a result of this assessment or the scores of these assessments. We have been battling not only politically and legally the state but also we know that we can do better for students.

We can always do better academically.

Colorado Community Media: Re ecting on your initiatives like the Trails to Literacy Initiative, how do you measure success and what positive impacts have you observed within the Adams 14 community as a whole?

Loria: ere are so many

So we measure success by looking at the growth of our students academically, but we also measure success by the growth in helping our students cope with their social and emotional ability to cope with today’s situations that teenagers go through, that are so much more dicult than when I was a teen-

We have also o ered programs that support academics and literacy, which is incredibly important for us and for our families. at also brings families together around the rails to Literacy, which has allowed us to offer a program that is called Footsteps to Brilliance.

It is free for everyone in our community — we pay for it. We actually have the support of a philanthropist for this. is program o ers the community a series of books and games and interactive platforms through a smartphone or an iPad or a computer, or technological device.

And once the family can download the program, it doesn’t even need the internet for the students to engage in it. And the beautiful thing is number one, it is for everybody in our community, whether they have students or not, to be quite frank, for everybody from birth through 99 years old.

It is a series of high-quality books that are in both English and Spanish, and o ers opportunities for moms or parents or guardians to have books read aloud. Read aloud for infants so that the babies can get familiar with the books, and the stories and the songs that are there for the students.

But also once the child can interact with the computer, there are games about it. So if the child is as an infant listening to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or to the “ ree Little Pigs” or any of those rhymes that we grew up with. ey can also start interacting, creating their own books, answering questions and playing games that support literacy development.

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A legal newspaper of general circulation in Commerce City, Colorado, Commerce City Sentinel Express is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 143 S. 2nd Pl., Brighton CO 80601.

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Dr Loria said she is working to improve Commerce City school’s standards and resists e orts to disolve the district. COURTESY PHOTO

DEBATE

Oil re nery Suncor also wrote a letter of support for the proposal.

“What was once a pig farm has become a non-conforming parking lot. Our plan will enhance community perception of the area and improve public infrastructure. We are ready to proceed with our vision, roll up our sleeves and get to work,” a voiceover said in the Galloway video. “What do you say, Commerce City? Are you ready to put lipstick on this pig?”

Dalton Garret, a city planner with the Commerce City Planning Division, told the council that a neighborhood meeting on Sept. 8 with 14 individuals who live close to the parking lot expressed a number of concerns with the proposal. None of the 14 were in support of the project and mainly expressed concerns about increased truck tra c in the area.

A representative for Galloway assured council members that the zoning change would not have any adverse e ects on neighborhood tra c conditions, but he did not present unbiased data to back up that claim.

“I can’t see how this wouldn’t affect some of the major truck tra c that’s happening in the area,” Councilmember Sean Ford said, noting that he lives nearby and drives in the area every day.

Galloway has conducted a trafc study that a rms there will be no increased tra c, Costner said, but Ford noted that the study “was prepared by people who work for Galloway” and would, therefore, be biased.

Ford also noted that despite the

possibility of potential clients who could use the space for o ce space and/or warehouse operations, there was not a known tenant at this time.

“How can you assure the city that it’s not going to have an adverse effect on the community when you don’t know who the end user will be?” he asked.

Councilmember Rocky Teter also noted that some of the aerial shots taken of the site weren’t up to date, as they were missing the singlefamily homes across the road on Colorado Boulevard, key residential areas that would be most a ected by the zoning change. Despite it being a newer housing development, using old photos “seems deceptive,” he said.

Before voting on such an ordi-

fect our taxes. It does a ect our children. It does a ect our lives,” she

Valdez noted that Galloway has not shared what the lot was going to be used for besides outdoor storage in the interim period after the zone change but before a business or company acquired it, and he was concerned about who the potential buyer might be.

“We’re already dealing with health issues from all the chemicals brought from big trucks that go back and forth through there, as it is right now,” she said. More trucking means more exposure to chemicals. We’re a ected by Suncor, we’re affected by every company that is here, and we’re never asked, ‘Hey, what do you think?’

nance, Teter said the council should be given more materials, including current photos, to be able to make an informed vote.

Jacqueline Valdez, who lives on Colorado Boulevard in one of the homes that would be most a ected, asked council members to vote no on the proposal. She noted that despite holding one neighborhood meeting in September, Galloway neglected to involve residents in any of the planning process. She also noted health and safety concerns because of additional semitrucks and tra c in the area, as well as potential buildings on the lot.

“All of a sudden, we have the threat of this development in our backyard. And it does a ect us. It does a ect our property. It does af-

“We’re already toxi ed by all these other companies that have come through that we had no choice on, including Suncor. How much more do we have to endure? How much more is Commerce City going to put on our little residents? How much more is our health going to decline?” …

Valdez also noted that children walk to school along Colorado Boulevard, and an increase in semi trucks and buses in the area poses an additional risk.

Galloway o cials were given a chance to revoke their application following Valdez’s emotional appeal, but they declined. However, city council members were swayed by her arguments and brought up points she made that hadn’t been previously discussed.

Members decided to move the vote to a later date. Eight members of the council voted to move it, and only one, councilmember Kristi Douglas, voted against it.

e city council will have another vote on the ordinance on March 18.

Commerce City council o cials reviewed a zoning change request from Galloway and Company Inc. to build a 32,000-square-foot warehouse and o ce space development for the land.

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Legals

City and County

Public Notice

NOTICE OF FILING OF PETITION FOR THE INCLUSION OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE CITY E-470 COMMERCIAL AREA GENERAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Pursuant to C.R.S 31-25-618, notice is hereby given that a petition for the inclusion of real property within the limits of the Commerce City E-470 Commercial Area General Improvement District (the “District”) has been filed by QuikTrip Corporation. The legal description of the real property proposed to be included within the boundaries of the District is described as follows:

COMMENCING AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SECTION 28;

THENCE S 89°42’38” W, ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 28, A DISTANCE OF 75.00 FEET TO A POINT ON THE WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF TOWER ROAD, BEING THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE DEPARTING SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE, CONTINUING S 89°42’38” W, ALONG SAID SOUTH LINE, A DISTANCE OF 1241.84 FEET TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1 RECORDED AT RECEPTION NO. C0291825 OF THE RECORDS OF THE ADAMS COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER, AND THE BEGINNING OF A NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE RIGHT; THENCE WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, AND SAID NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE RIGHT, THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 53°11’58”, HAVING A RADIUS OF 345.00 FEET, AN ARC LENGTH OF 320.33 FEET, AND A CHORD BEARING N 40°36’11” E, A CHORD DISTANCE OF 308.95 FEET; THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, N 67°12’00” E, A DISTANCE OF 90.10 FEET TO THE BEGINNING OF A NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE LEFT; THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1 AND SAID NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE LEFT THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 30°25’12”, HAVING A RADIUS OF 105.00 FEET, AN ARC LENGTH OF 55.75 FEET, AND A CHORD BEARING N 51°52’14” E, A CHORD DISTANCE OF 55.10 FEET; THENCE CONTINU-

ING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK

SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, N 36°46’01”

E, A DISTANCE OF 130.08 FEET TO THE BEGINNING OF A NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE RIGHT; THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK

SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, AND SAID NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE RIGHT THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 21°32’56”, HAVING A RADIUS OF 245.00 FEET, AN ARC LENGTH OF 92.14 FEET, AND A CHORD BEARING, N 47°10’25” E, A CHORD DISTANCE OF 91.60 FEET; THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK

SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, N 58°21’10”

E, 208.87 FEET TO THE BEGINNING OF A NON-TANGENT CURVE TO THE LEFT;

THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, AND SAID CURVE TO THE LEFT THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 48°32’45”, HAVING A RADIUS OF 155.00 FEET, AN ARC LENGTH OF 131.33 FEET, AND A CHORD BEARING N 33°56’09” E, A CHORD DISTANCE OF 127.44 FEET;

THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID EASTERLY LINE OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPARK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, N 09°52’09” E, A DISTANCE OF 50.77 FEET TO A POINT ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF EAST 81ST AVENUE;

THENCE WITH SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF EAST 81ST AVENUE, N 89°42’38” E, A DISTANCE OF 491.49 FEET TO A POINT ON THE WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF TOWER ROAD;

THENCE WITH SAID WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF TOWER ROAD, S 27°31’17”E, A DISTANCE OF 31.01 FEET TO AN ANGLE POINT IN SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE; THENCE CONTINUING WITH SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF TOWER ROAD, S 00°28’33” E, A DISTANCE OF 704.04 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. CONTAINING 14.59 ACRES (635,714 SQUARE FEET), MORE OR LESS;

On April 1, 2024 immediately following the Commerce City City Council Meeting, the Board of Directors of the District shall hold a hybrid public hearing in the City Council Chambers at 7887 East 60th Avenue, in Commerce City, Colorado, or virtually via Zoom Webinar , at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter (approximately 10:00 PM). Attendance and registration information can be found at www.c3gov.com/council or by phone or email requests submitted to the Board Secretary at 303-227-8791 or dgibson@c3gov.com. Advance registration for testifying is required. Any persons objecting to the inclusion of the property within the boundaries of the District shall appear at the hearing and show cause

why the petition should not be granted.

DATED: March 4, 2024

/s/Brittany Rodriguez

Ex Officio Assistant Secretary Commerce City E-470 Commercial Area

General Improvement District

Legal Notice No. CCX1304

First Publication: March 14, 2024

Last Publication: March 14, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to Commerce City Land Development Code Sec. 21-2110(4)(e), notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the City Council of Commerce City on April 1, 2024 at 6:00 p.m in a hybrid format, or as soon thereafter. Second reading will be anticipated on May 6, 2024. Persons wishing to testify in person will need to appear at the Council Chambers, Commerce City Civic Center, 7887 E 60th Avenue. Persons wishing to testify virtually must register in advance. Registration information can be found at https://www.c3gov.com/government/ city-council/virtual-meetings or by phone or email requests submitted to the City Clerk at 303-227-8791 or dgibson@ c3gov.com. The hearing will also be broadcast on Channel 8 in Commerce City and livestreamed at https://www. c3gov.com/video.

CUP23-0001 - Tom Wood, on behalf of Rocky Mountain Recycling Inc., is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to allow a Recycling Facility located at 6425 Brighton Boulevard, zoned I-3 (Heavy Intensity Industrial) consisting of approximately 1.23 acres.

CUP23-0002 - Tetra Tech, on behalf of Denver Water, is requesting a permit for a major extension of existing domestic water and sewage treatment systems, specifically for a water line approximately 1.5 miles in length and located primarily within E-470 and East 96th Avenue right of way.

PUDA23-0002 - Terracina Design, on behalf of 18494 104th LLC, is requesting approval of the Reunion PUD Zone Document Amendment No. 6 to modify allowed uses, including the addition of marijuana uses, creating setback requirements for a single medical marijuana center and retail marijuana store, and institute new and modified development standards for the 1.48-acre lot located at 18494 E. 104th Avenue.

Zoning Ordinance Z-993-24 - FT-Hwy 2 & Quebec, LLC is requesting a Zone Change from AG (Agricultural) to I-1 (Light Intensity Industrial), for the property located at 8050 Rosemary, consisting of approximately 2.4 acres.

BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE CITY COLORADO

ATTEST:

Brittany Rodriguez, Assistant City Clerk

Legal Notice No. CCX1303

First Publication: March 14, 2024

Last Publication: March 14, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

NOTICE OF VACANCY

ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NEXUS NORTH AT DIA METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 32-1-808, C.R.S., that two vacancies exist on the Board of Directors of the Nexus North at DIA Metropolitan District, Commerce City, County of Adams, State of Colorado. Qualified eligible electors of the Nexus North at DIA Metropolitan District who wish to be considered to fill a vacancy must file a letter of interest within ten days of the date of publication of this notice. A letter of interest may be filed on or before March 24, 2024, with the Board of Directors of the Nexus North at DIA Metropolitan District c/o Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colorado 80237.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIREC-

TORS: NEXUS NORTH AT DIA METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ Icenogle Seaver Pogue A Professional Corporation

Legal Notice No. CCX1302

First Publication: March 14, 2024

Last Publication: March 14, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Metro Districts Budget Hearings

Public Notice

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING FOR THE NORTH METRO TASK FORCE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the Board of Governors of the North Metro Task Force, Adams County, Colorado, meeting the budget amendments for

Public Notices

the year 2023 will be presented. If you would like to request a copy of the proposed budget amendments, please call 720-523-6239 during business hours, which are Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Such proposed budget amendments for 2023 will be considered for adoption by the Board of Governors at a public hearing to be held at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 28th, 2024, at the Adams County Government Center, Conference Room 8101, 4430 S. Adams County Parkway, Brighton, Colorado 80601. Any interested elector may inspect the proposed budget and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption thereof.

North Metro Task Force

By: /s/ Kasandra Carleton Assistant Adams County Attorney

Legal Notice No. CCX1299

First Publication: March 14, 2024

Last Publication: March 14, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

FINAL SETTLEMENT

Project Title: Porteos –Dirt Export and Placement

Project Owners:

Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1

Project Location: City of Aurora, Colorado

The Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1 plans to accept the above titled project as substantially complete and for Final Settlement to Hudick Excavating Inc. after April 1, 2024. In accordance with the Contract Documents, the Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1 may withhold a portion of the remaining payment to be made to Hudick Excavating Inc., as

necessary, to protect the Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1 from loss on account of claims filed and failure of Hudick Excavating inc. to make payments properly to subcontractors or suppliers. Project suppliers and subcontractors of Hudick Excavating Inc. are hereby notified that unresolved outstanding claims must be certified and forwarded to:

Contact Person: Barney

Fix, P.E.

Address:5970 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. Greenwood Village, CO 80111

as soon as possible, but no later than March 25, 2024.

Legal Notice No. CCX1295

First Publication: February 29, 2024

Last Publication: March 14, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Non-Consecutive Publications

Public Notice

FINAL SETTLEMENT

Project Title: Porteos – PA-3 (Segment 6)

Project Owners: Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1

Project Location: City of Aurora, Colorado

The Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1 plans to accept the above titled project as substantially complete and for Final Settlement to Hudick Excavating Inc. after April 1, 2024. In accordance with the Contract Documents, the Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1 may withhold a portion of the remaining payment to be made to Hudick Excavating Inc., as necessary, to protect the Velocity Metropolitan District No. 1 from loss on account of claims filed and failure of Hudick Excavating inc. to make payments properly to subcontractors or suppliers. Project suppliers and subcontractors of Hudick

Excavating Inc. are hereby notified that unresolved outstanding claims must be certified and forwarded to:

Contact Person:Barney Fix, P.E.

Address: 5970 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. Greenwood Village, CO 80111

as soon as possible, but no later than March 25, 2024.

Legal Notice No. CCX1297

First Publication: February 29, 2024

Last Publication: March 14, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Non-consecutive publications

Public Notice

HM METRO DISTRICT

Harvest Road Streetscape and Medians and 56th Ave Streetscapes, Medians and Perimeter Park

Sealed Bids will be received by HM Metro District, hereinafter referred to as OWNER, at the office of the District Engineer, Merrick & Company, 5970 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, until 10:00 AM local time on April 12, 2024, for:

Harvest Road Streetscape and Medians and 56th Ave Streetscapes, Medians and Perimeter Park

This Contract provides for the construction of the following: Furnish all materials, equipment, appurtenances, tools, and labor for performing all operations to construct landscape improvements within Harvest Road Streetscapes and Medians, as well as 56th Ave Streetscapes, Medians and Perimeter Park. Approximately 1.5 miles of Landscape improvements along Harvest Road and 56th Ave, involve crusher fines path, site furnishing, plantings, and irrigation.

Copies of the Bidding Documents may be requested from the HM Metro District, at the email of the District Engineer, barney.fix@merrick.com, beginning March 14, 2024. NO PAYMENT REQUIRED. REPRODUCTIONS ARE PROHIBITED.

Bidders must be licensed Contractors in the State of Colorado.

Bids will be received providing unit price for items; however, the price given will be on a maximum not-to-exceed amount, as described in the Bidding Documents.

The Work is expected to be commenced within thirty (30) days after the Date of Contract.

Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid in the form specified in the Instructions to Bidders.

The Successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond, Labor and Material Payment Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and warranty bond for two-years after Substantial Completion, and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the Contract.

The OWNER reserves the right to award the contract by sections, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informalities and irregularities therein.

For further information, please contact Barney Fix at Merrick & Company at 303-751-0741.

Legal Notice No. CCX1305

First Publication: March 14, 2024

Last Publication: March 28, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express Non-Consecutive Publications ###