EDGEWATER MAYOR Important: 2020 Census Information Page 4
ASK THE EXPERT A Probate Carol (Or, ‘You’ve Died. Now What?’) Page 9
NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY History Of Jeffco: James Baugh Page 12
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| SLOAN’S LAKE | WEST COLFAX | TWO CREEKS | WEST HIGHLAND February 12 – March 16, 2020 • ngazette.com • FREE
$200K Investment Expands 40 West ArtLine n By
Ken Lutes
T
he long-term vision of 40 West ArtLine becoming the longest continuous arts experience in the state of Colorado recently received a significant boost toward that goal. According to a January 2020 West Colfax Community Association newsfeed, local developer Riverpoint Partners CEO Reid Davis has committed “$200,000 in new murals at Lamar Station Apartments located along the 40 West ArtLine.” The apartment complex of nine buildings sits on Lamar St. just south of West Colfax and includes 138 newly renovated units. Davis said that this investment in murals will benefit the residents as well as those who enjoy the ArtLine. “We’ve been watching the West Colfax area evolve over the last decade,” said Davis. “Because of the progress and potential here, we’ve made substantial investments in the corridor during the past two years. We want to breathe new life into this rental community and make it a joy to come home to for its residents.” Continued on page 11
ARTIST TIMOTHY FLOOD CREATED THE AFFIRMATION STATION at Lamar Station Plaza. Push the button to hear an affirming statement, such as “All that you seek is already inside you.” PHOTO BY KEN LUTES
How Green Are Edgewater’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions? n By
A
Mike McKibbin
first-ever greenhouse gas emissions study found the City of Edgewater emits higher amounts of those gases than New York City, mostly due to the age of its houses and fast-casual restaurants. The 2017 inventory found 45,526 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents were emitted in Edgewater. That is enough to make eight, 27-cubic-foot blocks each year, according to the city’s recently adopted sustainability plan. “Per capita, Edgewater generates less than many comparable communities in Colorado, largely due to the lack of industry within the community,” the plan added, “but it exceeds that of New York City residents in greenhouse gas creation.” The three largest contributor categories and focus areas for reduction are transportation and mobile sources and residential energy (31% each) and commercial energy (25%). The inventory was overseen by Melissa Baldridge, an award-winning sustainability professional in Denver. Baldridge is a certified energy manager, a LEED accredited professional and is completing a master’s degree in sustainability at Harvard University. In an interview, Baldridge noted Edgewater’s commercial emissions are almost as large as its residential emissions. “But only about 10% of the buildings in Edgewater are commercial,” she said. “That’s largely because there are a lot of fastcasual restaurants that use a lot of electricity for cooking and refrigeration. And there are big box stores, too. But still, that’s using a whole lot more energy by a magnitude of almost ten times” national averages. Baldridge also noted the city has many aging homes, with a 1960 median year of
construction. “As homes age, they are not as energy efficient as they were unless they are overhauled,” she said. In a January presentation at an Edgewater Sustainability Seminar, Baldridge noted that means energy use by Edgewater homes is 2-3 times worse than those built under new construction codes “on a good day.” Baldridge explained the inventory focused on the community-at-large and city operations. Emissions came from
purchased electricity, stationary combustion equipment, motor vehicles, potable water and wastewater treatment and solid waste. The inventory found city-owned cars and trucks traveled 185,088 miles in 2017 and averaged only 7 miles per gallon. While Baldridge said that the self-reported figure might be somewhat inaccurate, it’s still low compared to other municipalities. “Emissions are tied to miles per gallon and diesel, which most of the trucks run on, is a real carbon-intensive fuel” prone to more emissions, she added.
Among the suggested steps Baldridge’s presentation noted the city could take to reduce its emissions were to work with Xcel's Partners in Energy program to encourage home energy audits, maintain and add sidewalks and bike lanes, advocate for nearby light rail stops, hold Nest thermostat giveaways and help install them, hold tree giveaways and incentivize solar installations through grants and property tax credits. Others were to look at Boulder's Smart Continued on page 2
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Sustainability In the Kitchen, Classroom And City Hall: Lilly Steirer n By
J. Patrick O’Leary
Y
ou may have heard that Edgewater resident Lilly Steirer now serves on the city’s new Sustainability Board. The idea of sustainability may be new to many of us, but for Lilly it has always been a part of life. “My life is very saturated in sustainability efforts between my work with teaching cooking, volunteering for the city and family life. “Growing up in eastern Washington, my parents raised us with a strong connection to the land as they were and still are avid composters and mulch gardeners. We also took our recyclable materials to a facility long before they had a curbside service option in my hometown. “When we camped we would go huckleberry picking and my dad in particular was interested in foraging items such as asparagus. We ate straight from the garden in the summer and they stored food for the rest of the year. “We didn’t talk about being environmentalists or discussed concerns about climate LILLY STEIRER SPEAKS AT BEA JOHNchange, they simply demonstrated joy around being in harmony with nature and the Continued on page 2
SON’S ZERO WASTE TALK on Oct. 13, 2019. PHOTO: LEE STIFFLER-MEYER