Neighborhood Gazette — February 2016

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Rain Barrels: Colorado Common Sense

2016 Neighborhood Dining

Things We Love to Buy in the Winter

see page 2

see pages 7-10

see page 12

Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD

Wheat Ridge | Edgewater | FEBRUARY 16 – MARCH 15, 2016

Three-Lane 38th Avenue Plans Move Forward in Workshop By J. Patrick O’Leary

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bout 125 stakeholders and residents worked toward a consensus on streetscape designs for the West 38th Avenue corridor at a two-hour-long “Cre8 Your 38” public meeting, held in the gymnasium of the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center the evening of Feb. 11. “We presented the top six designs from the first round, identifying common elements: three lanes of travel (two lanes with a center turning lane), trees, safe and wide sidewalks,” said Maureen Harper, Wheat Ridge Public Information Officer. “We discussed in more detail options relating to bike lanes, parking, width of sidewalks and width of amenity zones, and how to accommodate wider sidewalks and amenity zones,” she said. Also discussed were options for how to accommodate wider sidewalks and amenity zones, included obtaining additional right-of-way, moving curbs, or retrofitting the existing sidewalk. Designers will use feedback from the workshop to create a refined streetscape design concept (or concepts) to be presented at the final public meeting, scheduled for March 10 at the Wheat Ridge Rec Center, from 6 to 8 p.m.

“Cre8 Your 38” was designed to give residents and business owners the opportunity to discuss design elements, create models of what 38th Avenue could look like, and develop a shared vision for the streetscape of 38th Avenue. The end result will be a community-developed streetscape design that includes enough detail to ensure that the plan is accurately priced and can be used to create a plan for the city to use. Overwhelming public participation at the initial Jan. 14 meeting at the Rec Center conference room resulted in city officials holding a second public meeting Jan. 21 and offering an online survey from Jan. 22 through 25 for those turned away at the door or unable to attend. Reacting to allegations of impropriety at the initial meeting – including inclusion of nonresidents and steering participants away from four-lane designs – City Council held a special meeting Jan. 20 to take public comment and question city staff. Twenty four people spoke and four letters were read into the record. Council concluded the two-and-a-half-hour meeting by resolving to fine-tune parking and transportation, require participants to provide their home Continued on page 2

Sledding Ordinance Changed, Now What? By Silvana Vukadin-Hoitt

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o far it’s been a mild winter here in the metro area, but with one of the snowiest months still ahead, inquiring minds want to know: where do you go for some oldfashioned sledding in Wheat Ridge? A simple search on Yelp is filled with plenty of suggestions, including the hill north of Everitt Middle School, a popular local attraction for years. Beyond that, every serious sledder keeps their secrets. Until recently though, it was technically prohibited to engage in sledding activity on city park property, which was often also prime sledding territory. Due to an obscure ordinance passed some decades ago, probably as a preventative measure to preclude injuries while sledding, sledding at a city park meant breaking the law. Good news. In November of 2015 the City of Wheat Ridge unanimously passed Ordinance 1587, amending Section 17-54 of the Code of Laws. This granted authorization to the Director of Parks and Recreation “to permit sledding at specific locations and under specific conditions,” which means: Legal sledding. Sledders of Wheat Ridge, rejoice! Guy Nahmiach, local realtor and Chairman of the Commission for Parks and Recreation Wheat Ridge is thrilled that the city moved forward by amending the ordinance. "I remember tobogganing as a kid and it was so much fun!” he said. “Sledding is one

more activity where community building and use of our parks can come together." He stated that there could always be more engagement and community centered activities during the winter months and said he felt that tobogganing and sledding would be an excellent family oriented activity to support. Certainly, when the winter doldrums hit and everyone is stuck in the house because it's too cold or snowy outside the idea of grabbing a contraption of some sort and heading out to the nearest snow covered hill is attractive. And now that it's legal, why not organize events around it. A competition perhaps, with sponsorship from area businesses, schools and local outreach organizations would certainly foster community and also boost outdoor activity, something that parents and children can enjoy together. Nahmiach, who has thought about this quite a bit, envisions toboggan building events with the whole family getting in on the action. There could be tournaments and competitions with prizes going out to the fastest sled or the most creative designs. Add on a chili cook off and a hot chocolate stand and you've got yourself a community party on a snowy hillside practically outside your door. As with all such adventures and undertakings, suggestions and volunteers are always welcome. To find out more about how to engage your tobogganing inner child, contact Guy Nahmiach at 303-999-5789 or at guy@nostalgichomes.com.

A FEW HARDY SOULS ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY AFTERNOON recently in Crown Hill park. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow February 2, signifying the return of an early spring. PHOTO DANIELLE NAHMIACH

No Butcher In Revised Plan Pitched for Fruitdale School By Nancy Hahn

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heat Ridge City Council gave the go-ahead to pursue a private-public partnership to redevelop the historic Fruitdale School into a 16-unit apartment building at its February 8 meeting, following public comment and presentation by city staff. However, the October proposal to include an artisanal meat production and apprenticeship program and an associated small retail storefront in the building along with 13 residences has been scrapped. Jim Hartman of Hartman/Ely Investments presented an updated proposal for the Fruitdale School at Wheat Ridge City Council’s January 11 meeting. After receiving revised information and taking public comment, council voted 7-1 on February 8 to supporting the redevelopment, with Councilman Larry Matthews objecting. Fruitdale School on West 44th Avenue was designed by architect Temple Buell and built in 1926. Buell designed the Cherry Creek Mall, the Paramount Theater, and

schools across Colorado after World War I lung damage caused him to relocate from Chicago. Many of his designs included developing shapes and patterns through ingenious use of bricks, which can be seen in Fruitdale School. The school, in need of repair, was closed after the Norma Anderson Preschool was built in 2007. In 2014, there was a proposal to renovate this building to be used, again, as a school. This proposal was withdrawn, because the building needed a great deal of renovation. The cost of renovating to the code requirements for schools was beyond the reach of the funding. At the January meeting, Hartman/Ely Investments presented its current plan, which will include two- and three-bedroom apartments. Most will be rented at market rate, while five would be affordable housing. The presentation included design details ranging from tree varieties for the Fruitdale orchard to exposed masonry and plaster on some interior walls to unique multiContinued on page 2

THE TEMPLE BUELL-DESIGNED FRUITDALE SCHOOL will be redeveloped into a 16-unit apartment building, provided Wheat Ridge can help finance the project. PHOTO: NANCY HAHN


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