by Mark Smiley | Feb 26, 2015 | Main Articles
Planning Board Approves Development; Showdown Is March 31 Before City Council
by Glen Richardson
A storm is brewing in Denver’s Crestmoor neighborhood. Up in arms over the latest development proposed at the Mt. Gilead Church property, residents from Crestmoor, Lowry and surrounding neighborhoods packed Eisenhower Chapel Jan. 6 hoping to ward off a zoning change proposed by Metropolitan Homes. Then during a Feb. 1 snowstorm, many demonstrated in front of the church property. Finally on Feb. 10 Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman facilitated a meeting between neighborhood leaders and Metropolitan Homes to see if the parties could find common ground. The developer did make concessions but did not alter plans for density and other issues.
Peter Kudla, founder of Metropolitan Homes, is seeking the zoning change so he can build a 120-unit, three-story apartment complex on the 2.3-acre site at Cedar and Monaco. The change in zoning would increase the density from 2.6 units per acre or about one home on each one-third acre to a density of 52 units per acre. Before it was finally dropped, the Alpert-Eisen development proposed for the same property eight years ago and widely covered by the Chronicle (July and August 2007) ended up being about 56 units.
The Denver Planning Board on Jan. 21 voted to approve the zoning change in the neighborhood of single-family homes despite opponents outnumbering supporters during the six-hour hearing. Planning Board members did express uneasiness about the proposal but said they were not allowed to consider potential problems to traffic due to inadequate parking or safety issues. If the rezoning passes the City Council’s Neighborhood & Planning Committee, first reading by the full City Council was scheduled for March 2 (no public testimony is allowed) followed by a second reading and public hearing set for March 31, 5:30 p.m.
Density, Parking Issues
Kudla purchased the property in October of last year for $1.8 million. The majority of residents in attendance at Eisenhower Chapel argued that the proposed increase in density would have a profound impact on the amount of traffic within the Crestmoor and Lowry residential neighborhoods. “The project will provide inadequate parking. The city allows fewer parking spaces in areas with good transportation options. We don’t have that option here,” declared one attendee. “Auto traffic will increase and more commuters will use side streets around Crestmoor Park as they try to avoid traffic congestion at Alameda and Monaco. Also, Crestmoor Park is used a great deal by children and families,” added another.
Residents also noted that the proposed zoning (S-MU-3 or a multi-unit three-story) does not limit the number of units a developer can put on a property. “Once the zoning is changed, if the zoning transfers with the sale of the property the new owner can do any number of units without seeking input or approval from residents,” one person warned.
Several of those in attendance noted the area is zoned for single-family homes and there is no compelling need to change the zoning. “Crestmoor is formally designated as an Area of Stability within Blueprint Denver, not an Area of Change,” someone else pointed out.
The church property itself also became a point of contention. A resident living next to Crestmoor Park in the patio homes behind Mt. Gilead Church argued in favor of the proposed development, suggesting the church was an eyesore. Another Crestmoor resident said, however, that the church had historic significance and should be registered as a historic place.
Feb. 10 Face-off
At the Feb. 10 meeting representatives from the Englewood-based development company refused to reduce the density of their proposed apartments. The developer has decided to allow additional parking and fewer two-bedroom units, but insists on building a 120-unit complex. Kudla now says they would build 50 two-bedroom and 70 one-bedroom units. Furthermore Kudla representatives said they would not consider building any kind of for-sale product including condos, townhomes or patio homes.
“We participated in good faith and were eager to negotiate,” attendees at the Feb. 10 meeting told the Chronicle. “We hoped that leaders from Metropolitan Homes would come to the table willing to offer neighbors a more appropriate project, but unfortunately they would not alter their plans for the proposed density and are not willing to consider anything but rentals.”
At that meeting Kudla representatives told the neighborhood group they will proceed with their application for a zoning change before the Denver City Council. The Crestmoor group says, however, the developers do not have the zoning that entitled them to build the project. “We can stop them if neighborhood residents tell City Council members that they don’t want this project. We think we can do much better than a 120-unit apartment complex.” They admit, nevertheless, that the March 31 hearing is critical and urge community members to attend and speak up.
by Mark Smiley | Feb 26, 2015 | Main Articles
by Glen Richardson
Perhaps the biggest fight in the upcoming Denver municipal election is in the 4th Council District where Councilwoman Peggy Lehman is term limited. While there are five candidates for the council seat, it appears to be coming down between two women, Halisi Vinson and Kendra Black, who represent dramatically different interests. To date the other candidates have not raised sufficient funds to get a strong political message out.
The 4th District is the southeast portion of the city from East IIiff Avenue on the north down to Belleview Avenue, and includes the neighborhoods of Wellshire, University Hills, Goldsmith, Hampden, Hampden South, Kennedy and Southmoor Park. (See map on Page 19.)
Black is viewed by Webb supporters as a candidate being wholly under the control of real estate developers and initiators of the destruction of the Hentzell Park natural area in the District that raised an uproar by citizens.
Halisi Vinson on the other hand is being backed by park advocates including former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb. The former mayor sent a blistering e-mail to interested parties throughout the 4th District and elsewhere declaring in the opening sentence: “First they took our park and now they want to buy a council seat.” (See the full letter on Page 3.)
He goes on to note, “What residents of District 4 need to be aware of is that Halisi’s opponent is taking thousands for her campaign from those who took the park. They even rejected your signatures calling for a public vote on taking the park land, which has been officially called a park since 1955.”
The e-mail has set off a firestorm of debate not only in the 4th District but across the city.
Black was the co-chair of the highly controversial 15 member oversight committee appointed to oversee the funds of the $466 million bond issue approved by voters in November 2012. Critics accused Black and her fellow committee members as being little more than “a rubber stamp for the district’s spending plans” according to the website Chalkbeat Colorado.
Among Black’s numerous endorsers and money contributors are Lisa Dannemiller, the disgraced Denver Park Manager who orchestrated the destruction of the Hentzell Park Natural Area for Mayor Michael Hancock. She oversaw the removal of longtime park advocates from the Park Advisory Board who opposed the mayor’s plans.
Another higher controversial contributor is Marcus Pachner. A lobbyist and political fixture, Pachner was paid by the International Risk Group to help smooth over the selling of 80 acres of Lowry Vista open space to the developer for $10 for massive mixed use development that outraged citizens in the 5th District. The appearance of Pachner on the money donation list of Black has drawn the ire of park advocates in the 5th District.
Additional endorsers include wealthy attorney Steve Farber whose law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP is widely despised by good government advocates but represents many of Colorado’s most powerful real estate developers, and CRL Associates another influential Denver lobbying firm for developers.
Webb admirer and park advocate Trish Abbott said, “Ms. Black’s endorsers include a rogue’s gallery of some of the greediest individuals in all of Denver. If she gets in office she will let them destroy the district so it will be unrecognizable in four years.” Webb noted in his e-mail, “ïf they get away with this, the rich and powerful will try to take other parks and buy our council seats.”
Another park advocate Richard Witholder urged District voters to go to Black’s website and review the Issues section where she refers to herself in the third person as in “We are fiscally responsible.” The fact she uses the royal “We” tells you everything you need to know about her.
She went on to note, “With Kendra Black you can say goodbye to any parks and open space in the District that the developers can grab along with massive high rises in local residential neighborhoods. Just look what they have done to Cherry Creek North, Lowry and Crestmoor. These fat cats and neighborhood busters are not giving her all this money for nothing.”
Other Vinson supporters note that Black appears to have little or no business experience other than her assertion of “witnessing my husband’s 25 years in small business.”
Webb in turn noted that Vinson is a fierce advocate for parks who has an MBA and 30 years of corporate and venture capital experience. Vinson states, “I will be dedicated to making sure that we maintain what we love about Denver, like our open spaces and parks, in the midst of change.” She is a member of the Hampden Heights Civic Association. She is married to Ric Crawley a former firefighter and city employee.
A review of the Candidate Financial Dis-closure Statements for “Halisi Vinson for Denver” show the largest contributors to her campaign to date are Christopher Dinkel, a Denver immigration lawyer, for $940; The Holt Group, a Denver law firm, for $1,000 as well as Mary Holt for $1,000 and Ty Holt for $500. Keith Kegley a Los Angeles IT entrepreneur for $1,000; Arthur Suazo a principal in Hudson Pacific, a commercial real estate firm in Los Angeles, for $1,000; and Crews of California, an airport gift shop in Las Vegas, for $1,000.
Black graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, as did Vinson’s son.
The supporters of Black, including Jeff Allen the COO of the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce, argue that Black has broad support and “she represents many diverse interests and she wants to represent all Denverites to make the city a better place to live in and work.”
Another supporter of Black, former Denver City Councilman Ed Thomas, noted that “real estate developers are important stakeholders in Denver and they deserve advocates like Kendra Black on the City Council to represent theirs as well as other business interests.”
A third supporter who did not want to be identified by name went on to declare, “What right does Wellington Webb have to tell us in the 4th District how to vote? Black has lived in this district most of her life and Webb has never lived within the District’s boundaries ever. He just wants to control everything.”
Both Black and Vinson have sought the endorsement of the AFL-CIO labor union which has not endorsed any candidate in the 4th District to date.
Given the wealth and influence of supporters of Kendra Black observers view her as the odds-on favorite for the council seat, but Vinson appears to be gaining a surprising amount of grassroots support according to activists in the 4th District who see a possible upset in the making.
The first round of the Denver municipal election is scheduled for May 5 and if no candidate gets a majority of the votes a runoff between the top two candidates will be held on June 2.
by Mark Smiley | Feb 26, 2015 | Glendale City News
by Marco Cummings
Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
For the Glendale Raptors, a new season in the Pacific Rugby Premiership (PRP) is well underway. But with four road games to start the team’s current campaign, many of Glendale’s rugby fans may find themselves acclimating to the 2015 version of their favorite team.
Like any sports team, the Raptors have not been immune to the inevitability of player movement. No less than 10 players from last season’s roster will not be joining the Raptors in 2015. Of note, three veterans have announced their retirement from the game, including back Mike Graham, forward Mike Kenyon and lock Casey Rock.
“There becomes a point in any sportsman’s career where you’ve got to make that decision. Age plays a factor, injury plays a factor, and lifestyle changes play a factor,” Raptors head coach Andre Snyman explained. “We’re unfortunate to lose those important veterans on the team, they were all a part of that.”
A devastating knee injury ended Rock’s playing career, but it hasn’t knocked him out of the sport. He’s staying on with the team to assist in coaching the forwards.
Added Snyman, “It’s great to see guys like Casey still be active and part of the club.”
The Raptors will also be missing another key piece from the team’s run to the PRP championship game last season in Justin Pauga. The 29-year-old CSU product made the offseason jump to the Raptors’ local PRP rival, the Denver Barbarians (nicknamed the Barbos).
“That was a bit out of the blue; it was unexpected,” Snyman said of the move. “It was disappointing because he was a star and a key player to what we were doing.”
Conversely, Glendale has snatched away their own player from Denver. The Raptors have added former Barbos back Iniki Fa’amusili, a 22-year-old with five seasons of competitive experience.
It should make the match between the Raptors and Barbos on March 7 at Infinity Park one to circle on the calendars.
“There’s always been rivalry between the Barbos and Glendale even before I arrived at the club four years ago,” Snyman elaborated. “It’s good because it’s easy to get the players motivated. It’s a bad thing sometimes because we’re always trying to build bridges between the two clubs. Hopefully the attitudes have changed to the point where we can all promote rugby.”
It will be one of four home games for the Raptors in March, which includes weekend contests against PRP opponents Olympic Club, Old Mission Beach Athletic Club and last season’s champions, San Francisco Golden Gate.
When it comes to player movement however, Glendale’s cupboards will be far from bare this season, with a new influx of incoming veteran recruits as well as players freshly coming up from the collegiate ranks.
Most impressive to Snyman has been the addition of USA Eagles pool players, props Ben Tarr and Nick Wallace.
“It’s no wonder they are Eagles,” commented Snyman. “[Tarr] and [Wallace] are really solid players.”
Another player that has impressed the coaches in training is 6-foot-1 Australian center Dan Flemming, a player which Snyman is “excited” to see in action during league play.
All in all, nearly 20 new players hope to be in the mix for selection this season.
Added Snyman, “The new players have really put their heads up and they’re trying to make a difference.”
Like every year since Infinity Park was first built, numerous sponsors have helped turn Glendale into RugbyTown USA. Of course, it all started with the stadium actually being built.
As Jennifer Julian Mathers, Marketing Manager of Turner Construction explained, “Turner Construction has a long-standing relationship with the City of Glendale and is honored to continue our partnership by sponsoring the Glendale Raptors and the Infinity Park Stadium. As the General Contractor of the stadium, sports center and event center, it has been a pleasure watching this project grow from a vision to a reality and beyond.”
Turner Construction is just one of the sponsors the Raptors have secured for the 2015 PRP season, a list headlined by companies which includes Butler Rents, 1st Bank, Alphagraphics and Xfinity by Comcast.
“A great deal of energy and civic pride has been generated as a result of this beautiful facility in the heart of Glendale and the resulting excitement about the sport of rugby,” added Geoff Graham, president of Alphagraphics. “Alphagraphics is honored to be involved with Infinity Park in a relationship that is as much a partnership as it is a sponsorship. Never before has our involvement in this business community provided us with so many lucrative business opportunities and relationships.”
Sponsors have not only been impressed by the facilities that Glendale has provided, but also the fan base that fills the stands during home matches.
“Each season I learn more about this great game and am continually in awe of the dedicated and growing fan base,” said Barb Wyatt, owner of Butler Rental Company. “It’s such an exciting time for the sport and with the approaching 2016 Olympics in Rio, we know the game is just getting started in the U.S. Butler Rents is proud to endorse the Glendale Raptors Rugby Football Club. Best of luck Raptors in the Spring PRP Season.”
The excitement and anticipation for the 2015 season is reciprocated by those within the club.
“We’re very fortunate to have all the sponsors on board and help in any way they can. We’d like to thank them to allow us to participate in a sport that we all love,” Snyman concluded.
by Mark Smiley | Feb 26, 2015 | Feature Story Bottom Left
Last month I wrote about how to recognize if you are dating someone or in a relationship that you are forcing in order to make it work. I received a lot of response from people who said that article hit home with them and it made many of you think about your current situations. The first step to finding wellness in your life is actually identifying that there is a problem. The next step is figuring out how to eliminate whatever is adversely affecting you, in this case, who you’re dating or in a relationship with. The key is to do it in a productive manner that won’t put you in a hole deeper than you’re already in.
This month’s column is about the dreaded breakup or taking out the trash, if you will. Some of you may think using the term “taking out the trash” may be a bit harsh when it comes to severing ties with someone but, of course, I disagree. First, what is trash? Well, good ol’ dictionary.com defines trash as anything useless, worthless or rubbish. I don’t know about you but if you’ve come to the realization that the person you are choosing to be with is no longer contributing to your life in a productive manner and he/she is stunting your growth and health then indeed they are useless, worthless or rubbish to you and you need to take out the trash.
Sometimes it takes years to figure out if something or someone is trash in your life. Denial is a huge factor when it comes to identifying trash. Because remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Sometimes trash is obvious and you know to throw it away immediately because it’s rotten or it stinks. Other times trash is a lot less obvious; you know what I’m talking about because we all have a tendency to hold on to things “just in case.”
“I’m not going to throw away these 20 pair of old holey socks because I may need them someday,” when we know good and well they are just taking up room in the sock drawer and they will continue to until something is done about it. How about all that “stuff” stacking up in the basement or garage that you “need” when you know good and well it’s just glorified trash cluttering your home. Sometimes the hardest trash to throw out are the items that have been around for a while and have grown to be sentimental to you even though those things do nothing for your life in the present, nor will they in the future.
The same analogy goes for people. The obvious people who are rotten and stink up your life are fairly easy to rid yourself of, mostly because you’ve made up your mind that there is no room in your life for them. But what about the people you’re dating or in a relationship with who you have an emotional tie with or you see redeeming qualities in them but you know they’re not good for you? Should all trash be discarded equally or should more consideration be put into ending your connection with someone you want the best for? I say yes, yes, you should put more thoughtful effort into breaking up with someone whose only fault is living their life in a way that is not conducive to how you want to live yours.
We humans get so caught up in the blame game and projecting on to others how we would live our lives in hope the person that we’re with will start to see things our way. If you are, stop pointing fingers and attacking someone’s character because you want a reason to justify a breakup. Don’t try blowing things up and make it personal so anger can be your excuse to hang your hat on as to why things aren’t working. Here are a few different ways to look at, or phrase things when you’re trying to navigate the waters of a breakup and not sink your own ship, or theirs, while doing so.
- Rather than saying, “you will never get how I feel!,” understand they are not you, and they may never think like you, and that’s ok. Try saying this instead, “I understand we think differently, but instead of forcing how I think, or what I would do in a situation with you, I have decided it’s best for us to understand that we are both different and we need to be with more like minded individuals.”
- Rather than saying something personal or hurtful like, “you’re a bum and you will never amount to anything” try this; “You may be working hard according to your standards but I am at the point in my life where our work ethic is different and rather than me being upset with you about it I think it’s best I let you go, so we can both strive at our own pace.”
- Rather than saying, “I am tired of you lying about everything,” try saying, “It’s unfortunate that we are at the point in our relationship where we have to be dishonest with each other because it’s become easier to just lie rather than tell the truth, and I want you to be with someone who you feel comfortable expressing yourself to.”
I could keep going but I think you get the point. A breakup doesn’t have to be an undressing of another person’s actions or character. A breakup should be two people who care about the other person’s needs and plight in life. Just because being with someone isn’t working for you, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be perfectly compatible with someone else. All I want you to keep in mind is we are all people just trying to find our way in this world and not everyone is going to be right for you. Lead with your heart, stay true to what’s important to you, and most of all keep it classy.
A big thanks to all of you who have contacted me expressing interest in The Modern Dater Date Club that I am assembling for my readers. This is an exclusive dating club for serious daters who are tired of meeting flakes who are not serious about finding a true connection. As we speak I am planning group excursions for like-minded singles to get together in a no pressure environment that is conducive to having fun, being safe and enjoying the company of quality people. If you would like to find out more about the dating club you can contact me personally at themoderndater@gmail.com. And if you own a fun date-friendly business or restaurant and would like to be a part of the fun I encourage you to contact me as well.
Until next month, Sheik
by Mark Smiley | Feb 26, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left
I committed to Mrs. App and our CPA to have our financial documents ready before April 15. I’ll share a secret. I absolutely loathe gathering our financial information each year. I maintain meticulous records with financial software, however the corresponding documentation is a mess. There’s one weekend a year that my office looks as though I left a window open on a windy day and blew a stack of paper across my office. We’ll need to alert a search party if anyone ventures into my office. Come on. I’m not the only one. Right? I say the same thing when I start to compile my tax records each year as I do on each January 1, “This is THE year!” Well, maybe 2016 will be the year. So far, 2015 has been better than last in regard to document organization. It has been better because I deployed a few tools.
Mrs. App always asks what takes so long to finish taxes. Candidly, estimating and completing the taxes is not the hard, time consuming part. I find that looking for supporting documentation is the biggest time consumption. Business mileage is always a fun exercise. It feels as though I’m playing Where’s Waldo while looking for a brightly colored post-it note with my mileage from January 1, 2014. Or worse, I track down my oil change receipts to estimate my January 1 mileage. This year, I used MileIQ (MileBug for Android or Windows) to track mileage. There isn’t a need to turn it on or off. It runs in the background. Enter the taxable rate and it’ll generate the necessary reports for your tax return. It’ll report on the meeting details, as well.
My uncle, a CPA, handles our taxes. I don’t pay him enough for us to be his client. He says that at least once a year, he’ll have a client come into his office with a shoebox of receipts. And I thought, who keeps shoeboxes? There’s a business for everything nowadays! Shoeboxed is a fee-based service that will organize documents, receipts and process into a cloud storage application, such as Evernote. For free, an iPhone app called OneReceipt can provide a similar service as Shoeboxed. I am a OneNote believer. If you are a PC (not Mac) user, most likely you have OneNote on your PC. Using the OneDrive (Microsoft’s cloud storage), OneNote can be viewed and accessed from your device or PC. I scan invoices, medical statements, and receipts into OneNote. Rather than finger through a file cabinet, I’ll search for the scanned image from my phone. This has made tax prep more organized and less time consuming. Think of OneNote as a large writing pad or journal. Create sections, just as you would in a journal, and then add documents to pages. For example, I have a section named Taxes – Auto. Within the pages of this section, I have scanned receipts for gas, oil changes, plate registration and maintenance. Rather than search through a physical folder, I have the documents in hand or on my PC.
We love deductions, right? Easily track deductions with a few tools: ItsDeductible, iDonatedIt and deductr. ItsDeductible and iDonatedIt track non-cash deductions (i.e. Goodwill), while deductr is a fee-based app with a larger offering. It’ll track mileage, expenses and time management. If you’re looking for free tax assistance, check out IRS2Go. After talking about taxes, we should start a Have You Hugged a CPA Today? Day.
Speaking of office messes, it’s entirely possible the tiny USB plug in for my wireless mouse is lost in the abyss, or maybe Baby App ate it. OK, don’t fret, Baby App is safe. He didn’t eat it. I did lose the plug-in, though. I’ve never been a fan of the keyboard mouse pad so I use Remote Mouse, which turns your phone into a mouse. The app needs to run on the laptop and mouse, as well as both devices need to be on the same wifi network. The mouse app is extremely smooth and easy to use. I’ll eventually find the USB plug-in.
For the LinkedIn users, try LinkedIn Connected. Each morning, the app sends an alert with that day’s updates, such as your contacts’ work anniversaries, birthdays and new jobs. This is a great way to view updates in a timely manner as you build and engage with your LinkedIn network.
Do you have a teenager at home? I would ask if you are a teenager, however I’m not certain a teenager knows what a newspaper is. The Glendale Sports Center at Infinity Park managed by the YMCA is hosting a Teen Entrepreneur Program. The program starts April 7 and runs for five consecutive Tuesday evenings. The two hour sessions will be taught by an entrepreneur that specializes in teaching teens how to create a business. At the conclusion of the program, the teens will present their businesses to a “Shark Tank” on May 21.
The cost of the program is $75. We’re looking for teens to be part of the program. Teens can sign up here: http://goo.gl/ c5ScFa. Unable to afford the $75? Please contact me at the email below to learn about available grants. We’re looking for local businesses to sponsor a teen (or two). Please contact me via email below. This is an amazing opportunity to give our local teens the knowledge they need to start their careers. Technology businesses have been a common theme according to the program instructor. What business will you create?
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses often have the same concerns: How do I increase my revenue and profit? How do I attract great talent? Am I easy to do business with? Is it simple to access my business information? If you’re a business that would like to learn how Box, GoPro, Groupon and FitBit have used NetSuite to answer these questions, then please contact Brian.
