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DETENTION POND PROPOSED FOR CITY PARK
By Rory Seeber Through previous neighborhood planning efforts, as well as assessments of rainfall and water flow trends in the area; storm water drainage has been identified as a significant challenge to north Denver. To assess the multi-basin, multi-community issue, the Urban Drainage Flood Control District (UDFCD) and the City & County of Denver began the Outfall Systems Plan (OSP) in 2015 with the goal of defining specific stormwater problem areas and developing watershed-wide solutions to mitigate flood hazards. In order to address flooding in the Skyland neighborhood (north of City Park to Martin Luther King Blvd. between York and Colorado Blvd.) and other neighborhoods downstream, including the lower Montclair basin (17th Ave., I-70, Downing & Steele) and upper Montclair basin (23rd & 40th Aves., Downing & Steele), the city is proposing a Detention Pond in City Park. The city has conducted more than 20 meetings with neighborhood & community organizations to discuss the problem. Originally such a pond was proposed for the Cole neighborhood (bordered by 40th/Walnut, MLK, Downing & York), but complaints by residents about the possibility of razing homes caused that plan to be abandoned. The Two Basin Drainage Project, focused on the I-70 East/Montclair & Park Hill basins, proposes that the 113acre pond be located on the City Park golf course at the site of the current clubhouse, parking lot and driving range. The rain run-off would be routed to the Platte River, though it is currently unclear if that would entail underground piping. As currently proposed, two systems of new storm drain pipes, detention ponds and open channels, with some green space, would connect to existing storm sew-
2 DENVER TO 16 PROVIDE HOUSING AND SERVICES TO 250 HOMELESS THROUGH SOCIAL IMPACT BOND
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Lauren, Patrick, Lydia & Jonathon are all smiles playing bocce ball in City Park. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH ers and ponds. They also would link up with new storm systems built for soon-to-open commuter rail lines and those planned by Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for the I-70 expansion project, which also would aid drainage north of the freeway. The City Park golf course parking lot, clubhouse, driving range and the first tee on the east side of the course between 23rd, 26th and York also fall into the proposed area for the detention pond. Where and when the build-
By Jacob Karp The City of Denver has announced its plan to alter the course of homelessness through an innovative new Social Impact Bond program, which will provide permanent housing and supportive services to at least 250 chronically homeless individuals throughout Denver over the next five years. Voted into effect in late January, the Social Impact Bond program employs a unique financing method that will use loans from philanthropic lenders to serve chronically homeless individuals who frequently use the city’s more expensive resources which include police, jail, court, detox and emergency medical services. Loans will be paid back to lenders based solely on positive outcomes of the program. Chronically homeless individuals are those who have demon-
ing and those areas would be replaced has yet to be determined. The first portion of the city’s project, the Globeville Landing outfall construction, could begin operation by late 2017, according to the CDOT agreement with the city, with the rest of the project completed by late 2019. The current flood mitigation scheme will not necessarcontinued on page 16
strated ongoing and habitual homelessness, with eligible participants of the program being identified as those with a record of at least 8 arrests over the past 3 years and a documented case of transiency (homelessness) at the time of their last arrest. In addition to homelessness, many of these individuals also battle mental illness, addiction and substance abuse. The Denver Crime Prevention and Control Commission estimates that a population of 250 chronically homeless individuals account for more than 1,500 arrests annually, collectively spending 14,000 nights in jail while also visiting detox facilities over 2,000 times each year. Providing these services continued on page 16
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