Migrants Overwhelming Mile High City And Mayor

Migrants Overwhelming Mile High City And Mayor

Mayor Cuts Service, Hours At Parks & Recreation, DMV, Plans More; The Mayor, City Are Prioritizing Migrants Over Them

by Glen Richardson

Slighting Streets: Denver’s East Sixth Ave. Parkway — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — and the city’s 15 other parkways will no longer be cared for by Parks & Recreation.

Given the callous title of “coldhearted” after refusing to ban homeless camp sweeps in cold temperatures, merciless Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is winning a new title, “cutthroat.”

With 40,000 migrants — almost 5% of the city’s entire population — having arrived here from Venezuela and other places in the world in the last 12 months, Johnston has announced enormous cuts to city services, hours due to the burden of migrants, and its stress on city resources. Furthermore, he warns. “This is the first phase of cuts and the city aims for reductions across many departments.”

DMV Decelerates: DMV is no longer processing vehicle registration renewals in person, only online. Only new registrations are currently being processed in person.

Homeless Growth

The migrant burden, of course, is on top of the more than 4,000 homeless people either sleeping on city streets or in shelters. Denver now ranks as having the nation’s fifth-largest homeless population.

Moreover, Denver ranks third nationally in the increase of homelessness in a single year. Sadder still, the Mile High City ranks second in the country with the largest upsurge — at 116% — in the number of homeless families with children.

Adding it up: The homeless population grew 32% in the 12-month period at the end of 2023. At least 311 homeless people died in Denver last year, more than any other year.

Fading Flower Beds

Drab Denver Deed: Mayor’s decision not to plant the city’s annual flower beds — roughly 545 citywide — is about to turn the Mile High City drab, including at Wash Park.

Due to the city’s surging migrant burden, Johnston is initially reducing hours and serv­ices at Denver Parks & Recreation and

Denver Motor Ve

Destitute In Denver: Denver’s homeless pop­ulation, or people without housing, grew 32% in the 12-month period at the end of 2023.

hicles (DMV). He emphasizes, moreover, that the initial reductions are just the first phase of cuts and that the city’s intentions are to make equal slashes “across many departments.”

Cuts in services, hours at Parks & Recreation are already underway. For many if not most citizens and visitors to Denver, the most appalling is the decision not to plant the city’s annual flower beds. The Mile High City normally plants roughly 545 beds each year. The distressing decision will eliminate all of them unless the plots are planted by volunteers.

For generations the city’s flower beds have been a way of cultivating community. Among those that will be missed the most: The two at Wash Park — one a ­replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Garden. Likewise, the decision crushes the colorful gardens at City Park; plus, the perennial flower beds on 7th Ave. Parkway. The verdict will also abolish Alamo Placita Park’s formal garden that has always beautified the drive along Speer Blvd. near Downing St.

City Workers Impact

Reduction in days and hours at Parks & Recreation are already underway, but do not involve layoffs of current employees. However, hourly workers can expect fewer hours, and on-call and seasonal workers will be most impacted.

Regional Centers that were open seven days a week will only be open for six days a week. Those open six days a week, will stay open for the same number of days, but the hours of operation will be reduced. Summer Recreation Programming in Denver will be re­duced by 25% across the program.

As for the seasonal workers, the mayor ad­mits that some seasonal workers have been with the city for 20 years. Declaring he’s not hiding the fact that the decision will matter to a lot of city employees that are on the frontlines, “It’s a plan for shared sacrifice,” he says. Adding, “This is what good people do in hard situations.”

Downturns At DMV

The DMV has also started making changes to services and hours. They are no longer taking vehicle registrations in person. Everything has been moved to online.

In addition to no longer processing vehicle registration renewals in person, DMV is taking them online, through the mail, or at kiosks. New registrations, however, are still being processed in person.

Sites have started rotating weekly DMV closures. Only DMV’s central spot at Tremont is staying open permanently. The city’s satellite spots are rotating, closing one week at a time.

Destitute In Denver: Denver’s homeless pop­ulation, or people without housing, grew 32% in the 12-month period at the end of 2023.

Savings Vs. Spending

According to the mayor, the cuts to Parks & Recreation and DMV will save roughly $5 million. Denver has also already “paused” new applications submitted by businesses and families for public events, special occasions, and tournaments.

Since December 2022, Denver has spent $42 million supporting migrants. The state of Colorado recently awarded the city $3.5 million in reimbursements, and the Department of Homeland Security has approved up to another $9 million for the city

Countless citizens continue to criticize the city, suggesting the Mile High City and the mayor are prioritizing migrants over them.

School Influx Soars

It’s not only the city of Denver that has been affected by rising migrant counts, so has Denver Public Schools (DPS).

More than 6,000 new migrants have enrolled in DPS schools since this summer. Currently the district is enrolling about 100 new students a week and the number isn’t slackening off.

DPS officials say at least 25 schools have 50 or more new students.

 

City’s Public Golf Courses Are At A Perilous Crossroads

City’s Public Golf Courses Are At A Perilous Crossroads

Audit Finds City’s Public Courses Still Aren’t Up To Par; Parks & Recreation ­Cutbacks Increase Chances For Closures

by Glen Richardson

Wellshire Golf Clinic: Jack Nicklaus held a golf clinic on Wellshire’s driving range in 1977 in connection with Golf Digest Magazine.

Challenging Course: Kennedy Golf Course offers terrific views and challenging play at every skill level. Fairways and greens are difficult yet friendly.

Donald Ross Design: Wellshire Golf Course is the only public course West of the Mississippi that is a Donald Ross design.

Denver’s public golf courses’ distinctive locations — particularly the Wellshire Golf Course on S. Colorado Blvd. and the Kennedy Golf Course on E. Hampden Ave. — have made the Mile High City an all-seasons, out­door-lover’s playground, and golf one of the city’s best ways to enjoy the outdoors.

In recent years, however, Denver Parks & Recreation — that runs the local courses — has become the number one enemy of the Valley’s local players, always a putt short of doing their job. Denver Auditor Timothy M. O’Brien, CPA, who has tried to caddie the staff managing local courses, again reports Denver’s public courses aren’t up to par.

Declining to improve customer experience for golfers, instead simply manipulating amenities and services to an ever-declining revenue stream, is threating to spiral local courses out of solvency.

Ignoring Action Plan

This year O’Brien’s approach shot has never been stronger: “I remain concerned about the future of city golf courses,” Auditor O’Brien declares.

To provide a better customer experience for golfers, Denver Golf — what O’Brien terms the Park & Rec group managing public courses — “should improve customer service, maximize revenue, update strategy documentation, improve its capital planning and financial monitoring.”

O’Brien says he is disappointed Denver Golf has chosen to disagree with ­strategy and action plan recommendations that would increase transparency, hold the Denver Golf enterprise more accountable to the city and public, and improve ­organizational efficiency and effectiveness, O’Brien explains.

Problems Persist

The auditor does say some Denver golf courses are looking better since the last time auditors assessed them, but the city still lacks a long-term plan to fix problems proactively and effectively. That’s according to a follow-up report released by Auditor O’Brien, showing partial improvement to golf course aesthetics and safety, but limited big-picture improvement due to managers’ disagreements with audit ­recommendations.

“Some of the rusty nails are gone, but the bigger problem remains,” Auditor O’Brien says. “I hope new leadership in the parks department will reconsider the value of making a plan for maintaining the city’s public golf courses for the benefit of all players.”

Our 2021 audit found safety and aesthetic issues at several city golf courses, such as exposed rusty nails and graffiti. We also found issues with the credit card system. We recommended managers take a big-picture look at addressing issues over time, rather than an ad-hoc response to maintenance and planning. “Unfortunately, they disagreed with all of our recommendations for a strategic plan. They called goals and timelines an unnecessary hinderance,” he relates.

Cool Complex: Kennedy Golf Course in Southeast Denver offers something for everyone, from a round of golf, to a range practice, or a game of putt-putt.

Only Applied Three

“Making a strategic plan and setting goals is management 101,” Auditor O’Brien notes. “It is both helpful and necessary if you want to use resources effectively and avoid leaving graffiti and safety hazards to sit for years at a time.”

Denver Golf managers fully implemented just three of our recommendations, partially implemented one, and did not implement five more. They disagreed with four others and took no action — those were related to strategic planning and documentation related to priorities and goals.

Notable improvements included several repairs at the Kennedy Golf Course: the club­house has been repainted and its molding fixed; dangerous storm shelters have been removed; the restaurant’s walls have been patched; old tables and rusting railings have been replaced; the damaged branch of a cottonwood tree on Hole 6 has been removed; cart paths have been repaved; and starter desks have been replaced. However, other issues Golf could have worked on include repairs at the Wellshire golf courses, which are still incomplete after three years. At Wellshire, we noted the bar and restroom near Hole 5 was not painted and now shows signs of possible structural damage.

Long Term Planning

 Wellshire Attraction: In recent years many say Wellshire’s Event Center has become a bigger attraction than golf.

“Strategic long-term planning could help address lengthy turnaround for important maintenance projects,” Auditor O’Brien believes. Denver Golf’s lack of a strategic plan and documented organizational priorities and goals may prevent it from proactively shaping the future of its operations and addressing challenges before they arise. “With a big-picture plan, managers could create time­lines and schedules for course mainten­ance and avoid three-year waits for repairs.”

Golf managers did make some notable up­dates to their technology, improving golfer experience for bookings and check-in. By implementing some of our recommendations, Denver Golf made its member check-in and cashiering process quicker and easier for its customers. Denver Golf successfully eliminated duplicate accounts in the golfer loyalty database. It also integrated credit cards into its point-of-sale system and is now working with a new vendor.

Due to factors outside of its control, Golf still is not charging nonrefundable prebooking fees, possibly missing out on revenue when golfers do not show up for their tee times. But once issues with data protection for credit card transactions over the phone are resolved, we expect Golf to implement this recommended improvement.

Infinity Park Offers Something For Everyone

Infinity Park Offers Something For Everyone

by Laura Lieff

Home Team Support: Infinity Park has become a destination that people of all ages look forward to visiting as they enjoy cheering on their home team.

Since opening its gates in 2007, Infinity Park has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors. The first and only municipally-owned rugby-specific stadium in the United States, Infinity Park spans 16 acres (in­cluding an eight-acre green open space), features a state-of-the-art gym, a full-sized outdoor training pitch, and a stadium with a seating capacity of 4,000. It is also home to a recreation center and an event center, as well as the American Raptors rugby team.

Located in the heart of Glendale, Infinity Park was built on a bold vision to center the future of the city around the growing sport of rugby. Featuring a multi-purpose indoor/outdoor sports complex, Infinity Park has earned the designation of RugbyTown USA. Along with serving as the American Raptors’ head­quarters, Infinity Park has hosted several different international men’s and women’s rugby ­matches in­cluding the 2008 North America 4, the 2009 and 2010 Churchill Cups, the 2009 Americas Rugby Cham­pi­on­ship, the 2019 Pacific Nations Cup, and all three 2023 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers for the United States men’s national rugby team. The venue was also the United States stop on the 2018- 2019 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series and is home to the annual RugbyTown 7s tournament.

Local Destination

Beyond rugby, Infinity Park has become a destination that people of all ages look forward to visiting. “We see families, groups of friends, rugby fans, and community mem­bers who want to spend time outside and cheer on their home team on a beautiful week­end afternoon,” says Glendale City Manager Chuck Line. “Watching Infinity Park become the heart of our city has been very rewarding.”

Another aspect that sets Infinity Park apart is the local feel it brings to hosted events and provides for the community. Be­cause of the park’s expansive space and Glen­dale’s welcoming mindset, local recrea­tional leagues, youth leagues, and residents always have a place to practice and compete, gather and interact, or simply hang out.

Local Destination: With a seating capacity of 4,000, Infinity Park continues to draw large crowds for all types of events.

“Infinity Park serves as an entertainment anchor for Glendale and offers the community and beyond the opportunity to enjoy sporting events, movies, and music,” says Director of Infinity Park Operations, Kieran Nelson. “Also, since its inception, the park has garnered a reputation among the international rugby community as a world-class venue, and we could not be prouder to have earned that distinction.”

In addition to the family-friendly environ­ment and welcoming staff, spending time at Infinity Park is affordable as adult tickets for rugby games are $10 and admission for kids 12 and under is free. This spring, Glendale residents are looking forward to watching their home team return from South America to play in the professional SRA league.

Upcoming games will feature the following theme days:

April 7

For Military Appreciation Day, Glendale will show gratitude to our armed forces by offering camo koozies at the gate and op­por­­tunities to engage with various on-site military branches. Additionally, fans can nominate a hero to be honored during the match, making it a day to celebrate and recognize our military heroes.

April 14

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Day, Infinity Park is partnering with Howzit — a mental health awareness brand founded by former rugby players — by of­fer­ing a gate giveaway of stress balls. Engage with representatives from All Health Network, the Glendale Police Department, and Canine Partners of the Rockies, as Glendale promotes mental well-being and support with­in the community.

April 21

Social Spot: Spending a spring afternoon outside socializing with friends has become part of the park’s legacy.

Celebrate Colorado Day at Infinity Park with exciting promotions including a com­pli­mentary American Raptors Colorado key­chain, opportunities to interact with mas­cots from local college and sports teams, and delicious Colorado-themed food from our on-site food trucks, among other festivities.

April 28

For Autism Awareness Day, Firefly Autism will provide valuable resources and in­formation at Infinity Park. Receive a compli­mentary fidget spinner at the gate, and meet the adorable service dogs in training from Canine Partners of the Rockies. There will also be a quiet room for those needing a sensory break. Additionally, thanks to KultureCity, sensory bags will be available at all Infinity Park events, ensuring ­inclusivity and support for individuals with sensory sen­sitivities.

More events happening this summer include:

May 11: 2024 High School Boys and Girls Rugby Championships

June 10: Movie NightTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

June 24: Movie NightThe Marvels

July 2: Glendale Fireworks

July 8: Movie NightTrolls Band Together

July 22: Movie NightBarbie

August 23-25: RugbyTown 7s

For more information, or to view the Raptors’ schedule and ticket information, visit www.americanraptors.com/schedule-and-tickets.

University & 1st Ave. Traffic Is A Signal For Changes At Cherry Creek West Project

University & 1st Ave. Traffic Is A Signal For Changes At Cherry Creek West Project

District’s First Ever Data Driven Study Of BID’s Growth Exposes Rising Congestion, Slowing Business, And Declining Quality Of Life

by Glen Richardson

Creek Car Congestion: District’s growth has had biggest impact at 1st Ave. & University. New Cherry Creek West project will worsen traffic problem, BID’s data analysis forewarns. Photo by Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

One of the most dynamic business and residential areas in the Mile High City, development in Cherry Creek North has exceeded the 10-year forecast. The attraction of businesses and their office space needs, moreover, is accelerating the desire of certain businesses to relocate to the district from other areas of the city.

With the impressive growth has come traf­fic congestion, parking, and transporta­tion problems. The first ever data driven analysis of the Business Improvement District’s (BID) actual growth and development since 2012 has just been released. Study is being distributed to various RNO’s, neighborhood organizations, plus city agencies. Those with comments and concerns should contact their city councilman.

The analysis is the mastermind of retired longtime Cherry Creek resident volunteers David Steel, former President of Western Development Group; and Wayne New, former Denver District 10 City Councilman. The pair piloted the study because they care about the community and want to maintain the quality of life and success that all businesses and residents now enjoy. Furthermore, the business-residential leaders have more than 40 years of real estate experience in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Creek Data Analysis

Cherry Creek North’s growth has had the greatest traffic effect on 1st Ave., University, and surrounding neighborhood streets. The

Steel-New data analysis of the district emphasizes that fact and is key to recommendations they are making. Bottom line: The more difficult it becomes to move around the district, the less appealing it will become.

Albeit the pending Cherry Creek West development is planned on Cherry Creek Shopping Center property, it will have a significant impact on 1st Ave. traffic and its efficient movement through Cherry Creek.

The proposed 1,918,170-sq.-ft. develop­ment will create the highest grouping of high-rise buildings in the Cherry Creek area. More important to 1st Ave., the seven-building development will create 1,922 vehicle trips during the evening (PM) peak hour. That’s at an intersection that has already reached its maximum vehicle capacity according to traffic standards.

Building Toward Gridlock

West End Traffic Trap: Despite being on Cherry Creek Shopping Center property, massive Cherry Creek West project will add to gridlock at the 1st Ave. & University intersection.

Cherry Creek West development vehicle trips will only add to the present 1st Ave. traffic movement problems. In addition, the East West Partner’s Large Development framework document estimates that 3,000 new jobs will be added, increasing the vehicle trip counts.

Using the 2013 national standard ratios to calculate Cherry Creek West vehicle trips per evening (PM) peak hour, the number of vehicle trips was determined to be 1,922 trips for all three building uses.

Three of the seven proposed buildings will be devoted to residential use and will be required to abide by the City’s affordable housing requirements, which would reserve 10% of the units for low to moderate income households. The framework description lists the residential buildings as having 598 units.

Project Cutback Proposed

To reduce the traffic impact from Cherry Creek West, the study recommends the following changes to the development plans:

Reduce the building heights from the pro­posed 12-13-stories to 8-stories, which would be consistent with Cherry Creek BID Zoning. Change the numbers of proposed office buildings from four to three, and change the number of proposed residential buildings from three to four.

Since community residential space is need­ed more due to the number of existing and new office space developments, new mixed-use development should emphasize residential use. Increasing the residential square-footage will have a dramatic reduction in traffic volumes generated by the project. The vehicle trip standard for office use is approximately three-times the standard for residential use, and the standard for retail use is five-times the level of residential traffic trips. An estimated 713 traffic trips per evening (PM) peak hour should assist in lessening the traffic impact on 1st Ave. and University.

Parking-Valet Service

Additionally, the study urges the continued support of Cherry Creek North’s BID Zoning. The pair say the 2014 rezoning process was a productive, cooperative process that greatly enhanced the previous BID zoning to allow and promote greater development within its boundaries. They emphasize, however, that it is important to recognize the rezoning requirement be maintained in order to minimize future growth and mobility problems.

Short term, the value of a BID Parking Benefit District should be studied. Such a district would tie the economic benefits of performance parking directly to improving the quality of life in the immediate area. Residents and businesses are more receptive to such a district as the revenues are reinvested in the neighborhood. Additionally, the value of a Parking Benefit District should be considered. They reduce traffic congestion while increasing local sales tax revenue.

With parking difficulties identified in Denver Moves Cherry Creek as a major problem, Steel and New also suggest a centraliz­ed BID area for a paid valet service should be organized and tested. It would provide a convenient one-stop spot for customers and residents using cars to park and shop in Cherry Creek. They also believe the 2013 Development & Traffic Study be maintained on a timely basis to project future growth and needs accurately. Lastly, they urge a professional planner-traffic engineer be engaged by BID to update the study.

Clayton-Sears Site

District Data Duo: First ever data driven analysis of BID’s growth was created by longtime resident volunteers. They are from left, David Steel, former President of Western Development Group, and Wayne New, former Denver District 10 City Coun­cilman.

The Clayton-Sears development — the other Cherry Creek west-end development about to begin construction — is also expected to impact 1st Ave. traffic.

The site will feature 126,000-sq.-ft. of new four-story buildings plus ground floor retail space. An 867,000-sq.-ft. eight-story apartment building with 25 residential condominiums is planned above the existing Clayton parking garage.

Vehicle trip counts and traffic flow for the Clayton-Sears development will also have impact on 1st Ave. traffic flow. The project, moreover, will impact traffic on 2nd Ave., Columbine Street, and Clayton Lane. Fortunately, a large percentage of the project is devoted to residential use which produces fewer vehicle trips than retail uses.

Intersection Gridlock

How busy is the University Blvd. and 1st Ave. intersection? The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) says it averages more than 50,000 vehicles every day. Moreover, DRCOG says the stretch of University Blvd. just south of 1st Ave. tallies more than 45,000 cars daily.

Overwhelmed by the traffic, commuters driving through the intersection contacted Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber in Sept. of 2023. The intersection traffic was “driving them crazy,” they told the reporter who has been with Denver7 since 2006 and reported traffic for KOA Radio prior to that.

The intersection supports cars traveling in multiple directions, Luber was told by the Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI). Cars going through the intersection are turning in multiple directions and must also provide time for people to safely cross on foot, all in about the span of two minutes. Moreover, they emphasized the two minutes is divvied up between all the different movements at the intersection. The morning light timing, the city told Luber, is designed to allow for more traffic to flow heading into downtown and prevent backups on University Blvd. and Speer Blvd. It is just the opposite in the afternoons, with more time allotted for eastbound traffic out of downtown.

Link Provided To View BID’s First Ever Data Driven Analysis

The Chronicle has provided a link to the full data driven analysis of BID’s actual growth and development since 2012. Titled “Reinvesting in the Future,” it is a progress Report and Analysis on Cherry Creek Growth, Development, Traffic, and Impacts on 1st Ave. View the study at: glendalecherrycreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cherry-Creek-Analy sis-1-8-24.pdf.

Will New ADU Rezoning Laws Destroy Single Family Home Neighborhoods In Denver?

Will New ADU Rezoning Laws Destroy Single Family Home Neighborhoods In Denver?

by Heather Brecl

Over­development: Neighbors argue that Hale ­neighborhood is already stressed by over­development and apartments and does not need more ADUs.

Back To The Future: Denver City Council eliminated Accessory Dwelling Units in 1954. They have raised their ugly head again as seen here at a home in Washington Park.

As the real estate market heats up this Spring, residents in Denver’s Hale neighborhood fear that new proposed rezoning laws regarding ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) will further accelerate unwelcome change in the neighborhood they love. And the concerns don’t stop with those residing in Hale — their neighbors in Mayfair, Hilltop, and Crestmoor Park see the impending loosening of regulations as the opening of floodgates for a myriad of problems that will devalue the historic neighborhoods that they hold near and dear to their hearts.

ADUs are a secondary structure or apartment that shares the lot with a larger primary home. They are built to provide additional and separate space for extended family members or to create income as a rental to offset mortgage costs. Often, they are apartments built above a garage, but can also include a finished basement used as separate living quarters. According to the City and County of Denver, Denver Zoning Code no longer has minimum lot size requirements for ADUs, though the size of the property does affect the size of a detached ADU and where on the property it can be.

Controversial District 5 Denver City Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer, a former California resident and CU Boulder grad, (serving Cherry Creek, Country Club, Hale, Hilltop, Lowry, Montclair, Washington-Virginia Vale, and Mayfair) is sponsoring the ADU rezoning efforts. Sawyer is already in hot water with her District 5 constituents over so-called traffic calming measures at 7th and Williams, and other locations which are causing traffic accidents (see Chronicle October 2023 edition’s front page “7th and Williams Fiasco”), and even a recent fatality. Sawyer believes that making ADUs easier to build in Hale will answer some of the affordability challenges that Denver buyers face.

Proposed Rezoning: The areas highlighted in yellow and orange indicate lots subject to ADU redevelopment.

Members of the community in and around Hale see the addition of ADUs through a much different lens. According to residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, making ADUs a more accessible op­tion for all homeowners in the area will destroy the character of their neighborhood and create irreparable damage in addition to the growing pains that are already facing. They fear that ADUs will be used as rentals to offset housing costs, creating a flood of trouble. With the slew of retail, restaurant, and entertainment venues that have been built in the Hale neighborhood near 8th and Colorado in the past few years, along with thousands of new residents that moved into the 9th+CO development, parking and congestion of traffic is already extremely formidable.

One Hale resident, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, has experienced first-hand the nightmare of having to find parking every night by her condo at 11th and Hale, even though she

In Hot Water Again: Councilwoman Aman­da Sawyer has stirred controversy once again by pushing the development of ADUs in the Hale neighborhood. Residents of other neighborhoods fear this is just the beginning of pernicious overdevelopment.

owns her own spot. The resident’s designated parking space is rarely available for her own use — recently she parked three blocks away and was robbed at gunpoint returning home from her car. With the congestion and over­development comes a new nine-acre devel­op­­ment site with housing that is going in where the old VA Hospital is. Residents have pointed out that there are multiple empty lots where development has stalled, and they have witnessed growing numbers of homeless people.

Many residents believe that the rezoning in Hale isn’t even needed in the neighborhood as there are enough vacant rentals available already. Many feel that most residents probably can’t afford to get a permit for an ADU let alone build it, so there is no reason to change the existing law for the ones who can. They propose that the passing of the measure is simply intended to create a snowball effect for Mayfair and Hilltop next. Of the 16,401 occupied housing units in Hale, 56.81% are owner-occupied, while 43.19% have renters living in them. (Source: point2homes.com). Councilwoman Sawyer confirmed that of those homeowners who qualify to have an ADU on their property, statistically only 1.5% choose to do so. This leads residents to wonder why the ­money and resources were spent to pass such a measure which affects so few.

Long-time Denver Realtor Denice Reich of Re/Max and area resident voiced grave concerns that the historic integrity of these neighborhoods is in danger with the proposed rezoning that she believes will follow suit in Hilltop and Crestmoor Park once fully approved in Hale. She noted that while the lots in Hale may be too small to fit the guidelines and setbacks required to build an ADU, the larger lots in the neighboring ­areas are prime territory for ADUs. She fears that what happened in Capitol Hill to a once stately neighborhood with some historic homes being preserved and others scraped and replaced with unsightly multi-family units could happen elsewhere if the legislation continues down this path.

Reich shared that in her experience in residential real estate property, home values drop with the increase of rental units and an

Neighborhood Champion: Denice ­Reich, Re/Max realtor, is one of the many voices fighting the rezoning efforts of Councilwo­man Amanda Sawyer.

increased transient population in the area. In addition, she cited her fear of increased traffic on 13th and 14th Avenues, decreased parking, increased population density, and clogging access for emergency services (especially fire). Furthermore, Reich proposes that there will be detrimental problems stemming from the construction of ADUs near property lines, especially because of the relaxed guidelines for setbacks such as loss of the tree canopy, more non-permeable land for water to flood off, and more noise and dust from construction.

While Councilwoman Sawyer’s Office stands by the results of their community sur­vey in which 58% for expressed support the rezoning for ADUs, while neighbors argue that the number lacks transparency and that the actual sample of those wanting the zoning changes is too small to represent how the overall community truly feels. According to the numbers provided by the Councilwoman’s Office, only 382 responses (representing 4% of the population in Hale) were received and only 212 were considered valid with a margin of error of 6.5%.

It remains to be seen what the overall im­pact of rezoning will actually be. As the landscape and city continues to change at rapid pace with both the construction of new residential homes and unending commercial development, the conversation continues to escalate leaving all sides seeking long-term solutions that will provide affordable and dependable futures.

The Hale ADU rezoning was passed on January 17, 2024, in a meeting of the Denver Planning Board and then again on February 6, 2024, during the meeting of the LUTI (Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure) Committee. It will be the subject of a final public hearing with the full City Council scheduled for March 26, 2024. The rezoning will apply to over 1,500 properties.

The public can follow the legislative process and view documents submitted for City Council review at denver.legistar.com or denvergov.org.

The Hangar Club: Denver’s Newest Indoor Golf Simulator Club

The Hangar Club: Denver’s Newest Indoor Golf Simulator Club

Lowry’s Latest Attraction Features A Full Menu And Bar And 10 Golf Simulator Bays

 by Mark Smiley

Bays Available: Guests can reserve a bay which fits up to eight people for $45 per hour.

The Hangar Club, Denver’s newest indoor golf club, opened two months ago and is thriving in a fiercely competitive market. There are over 30 indoor facilities in Colorado and the Hangar Club hopes to be a step above the competition with its 22,000 square foot venue. They boast an elevated food menu, 36 televisions, a full bar, 10 large bays to practice golf, and state of the art technology.

The way that the Hangar Club separates itself from competitors, such as Local Drive, is “Our differentiation is really our staffing, the group of founders we put together, to make sure we put together the best experience in Colorado, and hopefully the Western United States, as far as indoor golf is concerned,” said Daren Schmidt, Founding Partner of the Hangar Club. “We wanted to give people the best possible experience inside of this building and we feel like we are doing it.”

“The technology is what we call the Ferrari of golf simulations,” said Schmidt. “If you look at any professional golfer or amateur golfer, or anybody that wants to become a great golfer, they use trackman.” Trackman was introduced to the golf world in 2003 and quickly gained popularity among professional golfers. Trackman utilizes Doppler technology to track and record the 3D characteristics of a sports ball in motion. It produces state-of-the-art hardware platforms and delivers improvements across tracking algorithms and front-end applications that are innovative.

The avid golfer can set up a profile and keep track of their swing and statistics. There are 260 courses to choose from in the simulators. “The amount of data this spits out is overwhelming,” said Schmidt. “What our pros do here is we condense the information you get. The average person coming in needs five data points.” The Hangar Club has two professionals on staff to help train and facilitate.

Lounge: Space is available to rent for corporate events, birthday parties, or any other event.

Schmidt and other investors, including James Love, who played professionally for 13 years, bought the property in June 2023 and spent $3.3 Million to renovate it. The hangar was originally built in 1942 and features vast amounts of natural light and open space due to its eight expansive steel beams and large windows used in the building’s original construction.

Menu: The Hangar Club features an elevated menu with finger foods, sandwiches, and pizzas.

Previously referred to as Building #376 (Armament Annex) and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, the building originally functioned as part of the armament school for the U.S. Army Air Corps and later the U.S. Air Force, the only one of its kind in the western United States. It trained thousands of armorers and bombardiers during World War II and the Korean War, including training on the Sperry bombsight and the top secret Norden bombsight, a key technology for winning the war.

Fast forward to today, Schmidt is proud to own a building on the base where his father was inducted into the Air Force. “I called dad who has now since retired and told him I’m buying this building in Lowry and he said that’s where I was inducted into the Air Force,” said Schmidt. “He remembered the building and was there when it was dirt roads and an Air Force base.”

Schmidt and the other investors are proud to be part of the fabric of the Lowry community. “We created a number of fillers we wanted associated with this, given that we own the real estate,” said Schmidt. “We are proud owners in the Lowry neighborhood. Community is number one and the beauty of the Lowry area is it is surrounded by other neighborhoods such as Cherry Creek and Mayfair. We wanted this to be a space where families could come, where avid golfers could come, and ultimately anybody and everybody who has either never played golf before or wants to be exposed to it, or the avid golfer to work on their game.”

From the avid golfer looking to perfect their skills to the casual friendly gathering of executives who want a different way to conduct business, Hangar Club combines work and play to provide an elevated experience and best-in-class service to all who walk through its doors.

Full Bar: The Hangar Club features a full bar and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.

Part of the elevated experience that the Hangar Club touts is the menu. “The whole concept was if you are going to be swinging a golf club, you don’t want a greasy cheeseburger and French fries,” said Schmidt. “We have great finger foods and sandwiches and tuna plates. We have everything from queso and guacamole and flatbreads. The intent was for people to have an elevated and premiere menu that you wouldn’t necessarily get at another simulator place.”

Hangar Club is located adjacent to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum at 7600 E. 1st Place in Denver. The club’s entrance is on the east side of the building. Surface and covered parking are both available.

The Hangar Club opens at 6 a.m. for members and to the public at 11 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. each day. During the week, a guest can reserve a bay for $45 per hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eight people can fit in each bay. Visit hangarclub.co for more information.