by Valley Gadfly | Nov 21, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
Don we now our gay apparel for holiday merrymaking. This is the season to be jolly: Fa la la la, la, la, la, la. Now garish tinsel! Now latkes! Now cider and punch! On cocoa! On toasty holiday drinks! This is not the season for subtlety. This is the season for good old-fashioned family fun, whether festive Christmas lights or eight nights of lights.
The music to Deck the Halls is believed to be Welsh in origin and reputed to have come from a tune called “Nos Galan” dating back to the 16th century.
Here are our holiday jingle, mingle and mix choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to fill the season with joy and deck out the blazing Yule before us:
3 Catch the Valley’s all-time family-fave holiday production, Colorado Ballet’s Nutcracker featuring dazzling costumes and onstage blizzards. Shows are at the Ellie, Nov. 29-Dec. 27. Information: 303-837-8888.
3 Dash over to Sixth Avenue United Church to view and buy ceramics and jewelry at the Denver Potters Show, Dec. 4-7. Information: 303-377-5535.
3 The hot cider and cookies will be delightful during Paulino Gardens Christmas Open House, Dec. 5-7. There’s great gift ideas plus daily drawings for poinsettias and gift certificates. Information: 303-429-8062.
3 View “When Wishes Come True,” the Arts at Denver holiday show with an Encore reception Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m. Information: 303-722-0422.
3 Enjoy Colorado Hebrew Chorale’s Hanukkah Concert with candle lighting and food at Four Mile Park Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-0815.
3 Feast in The Weber at the Inn at Cherry Creek featuring special Christmas (Dec. 24-25) and New Year’s Eve menus. Information: 303-377-8577.
3 Slip into the Roaring ’20s and flap into the New Year at the White Rose Gala in the Ellie, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Information: 303-321-4304.
3 For a crackling New Year’s Eve take in the spectacular fireworks along the 16th Street Mall, 9 p.m. and midnight. Information: 303-534-6161.
3 Celebrate the season in Victorian fashion with the family during A Colorado Christmas at Four Mile Historic Park, Dec. 14, 12-4 p.m. Holiday-themed activities include traditional games plus arts and crafts. Learn the history of Christmas in the Cherry Creek Valley while visiting Father Christmas. There will be roasting chestnuts and families can help decorate the Four Mile Tree. Information: 720-865-0800.
The air is crisper, Jingle Bells can be heard on the streets, holiday wreaths top buildings and the Valley’s business districts are twinkling with festive lights. From the rich history anchored in the holiday hustle and bustle on Larimer Square, to the glow of frosty window displays in Cherry Creek, the season is always a rich mix of holiday life.
Cherry Creek and the Mall were once the crown jewel for holiday shopping. Will holiday magic miraculously brighten the district’s construction-damaged image?
Enjoy the month in merry measure, while I tell of Yule time treasure: Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men, and Batteries not included! As you take pleasure in hot buttered rum, don’t forget to share with loved ones. Nor be surprised if Deck the Halls sneaks its way into your head. ’Tis the season to jingle, mingle and mix: Fa la la la, la, la, la, la.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Nov 21, 2014 | Main Articles
Buchanan’s Planning Board Process Called ‘Corrupt, Consultant-Dominated, Unlawful Cesspool’ In Lawsuit
by Glen Richardson
In a blockbuster lawsuit filed October 14 in Denver District Court residents in Denver’s Crestmoor and Lowry neighborhoods have taken legal action to “reform a corrupt, consultant-dominated, unlawful process” regarding rezoning in the City and County of Denver. In particular the residents are outraged by the rezoning of a block of 70 acres of land previously called the Buckley Annex and now referred to as Boulevard One. It was once a part of the old Lowry Air Force Base and the site at one time of the Air Force Finance Center.
Residents in vario
us east Denver neighborhoods are challenging the Denver Planning Board’s October 1 rezoning decision because it did not follow the criteria set forth in Denver’s Zoning Code. In an attempt to hide from court review the actions of the Planning Board, the City, after being served with the lawsuit, quickly withdrew one of its two zoning proposals “for further consideration.”
In addition the Lowry Redevelopment Authority (LRA) withdrew its C-MX-5 zoning application in an attempt to avoid judicial review of its actions. LRA is a quasi-governmental joint venture set up by the cities of Denver and Aurora to oversee the redevelopment of the Lowry Air Force Base. LRA once enjoyed broad support in the community but ever since the giveaway of open space land, called Lowry Vista, to a developer for $10 in a byzantine set of transactions, it is now viewed by many as every bit as corrupt and incompetent as Brad Buchanan and the Planning Board.
The complaint points out that LRA Executive Director Monty Force had “his own personal conflict of interest, with an LRA employment agreement that rewarded him financially for high density development on the Buckley Annex site.”
In the complaint it is alleged that LRA “hand-picked a group of people it believed shares its agenda for high density development and labeled the group its “Community Advisory Committee” contending these hand-picked supporters could speak for the interests of residents in surrounding neighborhoods.” Using that committee LRA then pushed through a badly tainted General Development Plan (GDP) notwithstanding widespread opposition throughout the affected neighborhoods.
As detailed in the homeowners’ complaint, Plaintiffs challenge the procedure Buchanan, who is the paid head of the Denver Community Planning & Development Department (CPD), and the Planning Board used to consider the rezoning Text Amendment for the Buckley Annex/Boulevard One parcel. The rezoning decision resulted in the adoption of a high-density framework with five-story buildings with minimal or no setbacks.
In addition, through the lawsuit, Plaintiffs seek to reform the “corrupt process” Buchanan and his Planning Board used in considering additional zoning changes to the Buckley Annex parcel and throughout Denver to prevent “future flawed zoning decisions that harm neighborhoods and residents.” Plaintiffs, however, are not challenging the four single family and row house zoning decisions, and that construction is underway.
Residents in Lowry’s surrounding stable residential neighborhoods with strong property values — Park Heights, Mayfair Park, Montclair, Crestmoor, Hilltop and Virginia Vale — do not want to see the Buckley parcel become a ghetto of new, high-density mixed-use buildings that create a traffic and parking nightmare for surrounding residents due to the lack of effective mass transit. Traffic jams already occur along Monaco Parkway, Quebec and Alameda. LRA wants to jam 800-plus residential units and an additional 150,000 square feet of retail and commercial space into the Buckley parcel. If approved, the development is projected to add an estimated 10,000 new car trips per day to the surrounding streets and neighborhoods.
Betrayal By Buchanan
In the lawsuit Plaintiffs claim Buchanan, the CPD and the Planning Board exceeded their jurisdiction and abused its responsibility, based on the evidence in the record of the October 2014 quasi-judicial hearing. Among other things, the lawsuit says that Buchanan and Planning Board members admitted on the record that they lacked time to read and consider the public comments submitted in writing before the hearing, and recognized that the process was flawed.
Even more scandalous, Buchanan allowed Board Member Jim Bershof to participate in the deliberations and influence the votes of the other members even though he has a financial interest in the Lowry Text Amendment. He also voted on the decision despite the fact he and his company OZ Architecture is advocating a zoning change f
or the Mt. Gilead Church property across Monaco Parkway from the Buckley Annex parcel. The proposed change at the church property is based in part on the limited setbacks, tall building heights, and high-density reflected in Buckley Annex/Boulevard One.
It was apparently on the advice from and the rationale of representatives in the City Attorney’s office that Bershof failed to disclose the details about his role with the Mt. Gilead Church application. According to the lawsuit Bershof’s voting on the decision, and his failure to recuse himself violated both the Denver Municipal Code and the City’s ethics rules.
We-They Showdown
Defendants in the lawsuit, in addition to Buchanan and board member Jim Bershof, are other members: Andy Baldyga, Shannon Gifford, Renee Martinez-Stone, Brittany Morris Saunders, Joel Noble, Susan Pearce, Arleen Taniwaki, Julie Underdahl, Frank Schultz and Chris Smith. The City and County of Denver is also named as a defendant. Plaintiffs are Chris O’Connor, David Mitzner, William O’Rourke and John Fischer. The plaintiffs’ attorney is area resident Greg Kerwin who is with the internationally renowned law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
O’Connor, president of the Lowry United Neighborhoods, and one of the plaintiffs, tells the Chronicle that like many others, “I am tired of our city leaders — elected purportedly to represent residents of Denver — adopt Hancock’s mantra that we must turn Denver into a world class city without asking how we will move or park people, or considering what existing taxpayers and existing neighborhoods want.” Furthermore, she adds, they haven’t considered whether our less-than-world-class fledgling transit network can realistically support this vertical vision?
Plaintiff Mitzner, a resident of Lowry since June 2000, says he believes “that the vast majority of east Denver residents do not want the City to allow a Cherry Creek type zone district in the midst of this east Denver residential area.”
John Fischer who is President of Crestmoor Park Home Owners Inc., First Filing, argues that Crestmoor should be “buffered from development, not diminished by it.” In a letter to the Denver Planning Board in April of last year he stated, “We oppose commercial development anywhere close to Crestmoor Park, a crown jewel of Denver and the centerpiece of our neighborhoods. It is crucial that we maintain the openness of the east side of the park along Monaco.” Longtime resident William O’Rourke lives in Park Heights, the first area built in Lowry. It is located on the southwest corner of Alameda & Quebec adjacent to the Buckley Annex.
INC Rolls Up Sleeves
Larry Ambrose, President of the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) — the umbrella group for all of Denver’s neighborhood associations — says they have been concerned about the process as a result of both the Buckley Annex and St. Anthony’s (South Sloan’s Lake) developments. He says the two developments have followed almost parallel processes, with similar facts and almost identical abuses of process.
“As a result of resolutions passed by INC in February of this year, the Planning Office Director Brad Buchanan first agreed to a public process involving the neighborhoods to review how open space is calculated. In subsequent meetings he agreed to put all aspects of how GDPs affect the zoning and planning process including addressing whether the formula for calculating open space is adequate, whether the applicants for GDPs should control the planning and public meeting process and even whether GDPs should come after zoning rather than before zoning as it did prior to the 2010 changes to the Denver Zoning Code.” This process with INC, Ambrose reveals, is going on now with Denver Planning at the table.
“Speaking as an individual and not for INC as the organization has not yet taken a formal position, unfortunately, two of the largest developments that will have long-term ramifications and negatively affect thousands of current residents are being put into place as a result of GDPs that slipped through as a result of the current flawed GDP ordinance. The most devastating effect of these flaws is to allow the Buckley Annex and Sloan’s Lake GDPs to serve as ‘backdoor’ zoning where these developer manipulated plans which are not adopted plans approved by City Council, have taken on the appearance of legitimacy.”
Mayor, LRA Ignore Concerns
In these instances Ambrose says, “the GDP processes have had the effect of dismissing the neighborhoods’ legitimate concerns, confusing residents into just what the process is and what process is due while receiving rubber-stamp approval from the City. I can say that INC has taken stances before in support of challenges to City actions through the judicial branch where legitimate concerns have been ignored by the Mayor, his agencies and City Council.”
Lowry’s O’Connor also notes that the LRA continues to say there have been 60 meetings and a comprehensive public process. But to say 60 meetings indicates consensus is misleading. “There was no consensus. The overwhelming public sentiment was that the new development needed to comply with original Lowry Design Guidelines and preserve the overall look and feel of Lowry.” She also points out that consultants have spun the story that this is a compromise, and that most participants in the process are happy. O’Connor says, however, that two surveys by Crestmoor and Lowry during 2013 indicate that is not the case.
She also remembers that residents from numerous Denver neighborhoods — not just Lowry — opposed developer IRG’s process in creating a General Development Plan as well as the 2010 rezoning of the 80 acre Lowry landfill parcel called Lowry Vista. “We pointed out the City’s failure to follow City Plans during that process. However, although we believed the City’s approvals were without basis, the actions went unchallenged in court,” recalls Lowry land use watchdog O’Connor. Nevertheless, Denver residents are finally challenging the actions by the Planning Board.
O’Connor asks: Are our leaders oblivious to the sentiment that most residents dread the thought that our neighborhoods are poised to go the way of Cherry Creek? The Urban Center Zoning in Cherry Creek’s newly approved zone district is to be applied to both the Quebec and Monaco “edges” of Buckley Annex. “No doubt this will lead to further up-zonings in other sections of Lowry,” she warns. The piecemeal nature of these Lowry rezonings is deliberate and serves to wear out the public that has already seen four parcels on Buckley Annex rezoned, and faces at least three more.
by Valley Gadfly | Oct 24, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
If we take the time to lay it on the line akin to the lyrics in the Guns ’N’ Roses song November Rain, we’ll be way too full to go walkin’ in the rain following Thanksgiving dinner. It is the Meal of the Year and never comes in a Limited Edition. By the time we’ve finished feasting we’ll have likely eaten an entire week’s grocery list.
Thus be thankful that if those clothes fit a little too snug it’s because we’ve had enough to eat. And cleaning up the mess just means we’ve been surrounded by friends.
Here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment that will translate into long-term memories filled with copious amounts of food and fun — Gobble, Gobble:
3 Get in the holiday mood during the Denver Assistance League lunches, brunches and boutique shopping events to raise funds and open the festive season in the Bosworth House, Nov. 5-9. Information: 303-322-5205.
3 Volunteer to participate in the annual Thanksgiving Outreach to feed the homeless downtown Nov. 8, noon-6 p.m. Information: 303-893-8363.
3 Enjoy a bit of holiday history during Living History Day at Four Mile Historic Park Nov. 9, noon-3 p.m. Pan for gold, sample a treat cooked on a wood stove, take a horse-drawn wagon ride. Information: 720-865-0800.
3 Rock into the season by viewing photos of the Legends Of Rock at the Robert Anderson Gallery, Nov. 14-Jan. 3. Information: 303-388-1332.
3 Go holiday styling to the VOA fashion lunch honoring Mariel’s Denise Snyder at the Pinnacle Club Nov. 14, 11 a.m. Information: 720-264-3333.
3 Celebrate a luscious Thanksgiving dinner with roasted turkey and six other choices at the Monaco Inn, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Information: 303-320-1104.
3 Here’s a brilliant idea, see stunning jewelry by Cartier on display in the Denver Art Museum, Nov. 16-March 15. Information: 720-865-5000.
3 Sample French wines, entrees and desserts plus music during Beaujolais & Beyond at McNichols Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. Information: 720-443-1763.
3 Viewing the dazzling decor during the annual L’Esprit de Noel holiday home tour and Marche de Noel is always a Valley holiday highlight. Presented by the Central City Opera Guild, this year’s event tours five homes in the Glenmoor Country Club Nov. 14-15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s a patron party in the clubhouse Nov. 13, 6-9 p.m. Tickets are available at all King Soopers. Information: 303-292-6500, ext. 114.
Out of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is particularly steeped in tradition. It is about remembering the kindness of strangers, unforgettable acts of generosity, hilarious tales of cooking misadventures. It’s nice to think back on memories that put a smile on our face: Mom’s stuffing, the elegant wine and above all lump-free mashed potatoes.
It is a time to enjoy festive tablecloths, decorations and irresistible aromas in a home filled with food and spices and particularly the laughter of family and friends.
Ah, those aromas: Turkey, cranberries, candied yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. But a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your good fortune. May you be blessed with family, friends and fond memories this Thanksgiving.
— Glen Richardson
by Valley Gadfly | Sep 29, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
This is the month of monstrous peril: Grave robbers, ghoulish experiments, scary costumed creatures and flickering jack-o’-lanterns. Halloween is outrageous and yet we love it. Like Frankenstein, through the gloom we see the “creatures” yellow eye open and its limbs begin to twitch. Each October we again become archetype mad scientists.
To enjoy Halloween you need a big imagination and a scary spirit. It captures something fundamental about our evil, suppressed rage and disturbing dark impulses.
Through troubling dreams of monster-haunted suspense, here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to fill you with fearful fun and fairy tale fantasies:
3 Select monstrous pumpkins while enjoying fantastic fall family fun at the Pumpkin Harvest Festival in Four Mile Historic Park Oct. 4-5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Make crafts, dance to live music. Information: 720-865-0800.
3 Feast on mega stereo systems and latest headphone technology at Audio Fest in the Marriott Tech Center Oct. 10-12. Information: audiofest.net.
3 See 13 exciting new art sculptures being installed this month along Havana Street — 6th Ave. to Dartmouth. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 Catch the regional premiere of the family life drama The Outgoing Tide at Lowry’s John Hand Theatre, Oct. 10-Nov. 5. Information: 303-562-3232.
3 Being unnerved by your car’s slipping or leaking transmission? Don’t be spooked, take it into locally owned AAMCO Transmission on West Alameda for a maintenance special to unmask problems. Information: 303-462-2626.
3 Transport your taste buds to India and enjoy the exotic and authentic flavors at Little India. Information: 303-871-9777 or 303-298-1939.
3 Enjoy Colorado Symphony’s zany musical Spooktacular with costumed musicians at Boettcher Hall Oct. 26, 1 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
3 Sink your teeth into Colorado Ballet’s gothic horror drama Dracula playing at the Ellie Caulkins, Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Information: 303-339-1630.
3 Escape the Halloween funk for a night and take in the John Denver Tribute in the Buell Theatre at the DCPA Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Enjoy the music of John Adams and his nine-member band. The performance celebrates the Wilderness Act and features John Fielder’s wilderness photographs. He has chosen images to marry with 24 John Denver songs including Rocky Mountain High and Annie’s Song. Information: JohnFielder.com.
Most of us are fragile characters. Our ordinary thoughts can be grandiose and delusional. Truthfully we are often cowardly, fearful, spineless and weak. Yet during the Halloween season we are “galvanized” into sudden activity like a jolt of electricity. We develop a carnivorous appetite that is scary, stomach turning and spine chilling.
The shock is that this season can also be a quest to understand what life actually means. What makes human existence more than the low hum of an electrical connection?
Eek, this is the month when you can be “anything” you imagine. Maybe that is what this freakish, wacky season is all about: To remind us to be audacious, impulsive and daring and not get trapped in the everyday routine of our “normal” identity. Akin to Frankenstein inventing the safety match, this could be the time for striking successes.
— Glen Richardson
by Valley Gadfly | Aug 29, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
Hot, chic, typical, crazy, outrageous, amazing, innovative or tacky, fads and trends come and go and are the bookmarks of a certain time. As the hot weather slowly comes to a halt we’re feeling a bit contemplative about where to go and what to do. But autumn will fly by in a flash so take advantage of the crisp weather and fall foliage.
A fad, like food trucks, is a practice or interest that we follow for a period of time with exaggerated zeal. Strange as it may be, fads and trends reshape what we do.
So in the name of turning over a fall leaf, here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to keep you as trendy as the hottest, latest outrageous fad:
3 Beautiful flowers never go out of style and the Dahlia is among the prettiest. See large arrangements on display at the Dahlia Society Show at Paulino Gardens, Sept. 6-7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 303-429-8062.
3 For fab free fall fun take in the Cherry Creek East’s Jazz Concert in Pulaski Park Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m. Information: www.cherrycreekeast.org.
3 Zoom in on American West color photography at opening reception at Robert Anderson Gallery, Sept. 12, 5-8 p.m. Information: 303-871-0800.
3 To be safe attend the Public Safety Expo at South High’s parking lot with food and live music Sept. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Information: 720-210-4056.
3 Make a good night’s sleep more than a passing fad by trying better mattresses for a better price from the recently opened SleepNation in Century 21 Plaza on South Colorado Blvd. Information: 303-954-9435.
3 For fabulous weekend football brunch specials plus happy hour all day hang out at the Monaco Inn Restaurant. Information: 303-320-1104.
3 Hop, skip and jump with the kids as they crawl, trot and run the kid course at the Children’s Museum Sept. 21, 9 a.m. Information: 303-561-0104.
3 Start a trend by watching Latin, Mexican, & European films showing at CineLatino in the Sie FilmCenter Sept. 25-26. Information: 720-381-0813.
3 This month’s hottest, hippest stage show is Grace playing at the John Hand Theatre, Sept. 4-27. This is a darkly funny, often hilarious, deadly serious and provocative play. Basically the story is an exploration of human assumption about how God, goodness, faith and causality operate. Performances are Thursday through Sunday plus a show on Monday, Sept. 27th. Information: 303-999-9143.
Whether we want to admit it or not we latch onto fads in fashion, pop culture, technology, and yes, even fads in foods. Every month it seems there’s a new “it” something. Smartphones, today’s mega technology trend, will likely seem ridiculous to people in 15 years. We’ll probably just have chips on wristwatches or in our heads.
Every eatery serves the latest craze — desserts with bacon, catfish croquettes, kiwi cocktails. But soon the fad fades, and the flavor of the week will settle into obscurity.
For fall fun get lost in a corn maze, go for a hayride or take a hot-air balloon ride. How about renting a cabin in the mountains or tailgating at football games? The latest wacky fad is banning automobile parking on city streets. You see cars are just a passing fad. Then again I’m going to start writing letters again once the email fad passes.
— Glen Richardson
