Park Hill Golf Course Miracle

by Charles Bonniwell | Feb 19, 2025 | Main Articles

155 Acres Will Be A Permanent Park
Wellington Webb Hailed As A Hero

by Charles C. Bonniwell

Victor: Former Mayor Wellington Webb help­ed lead the years-long struggle to keep the old Park Hill Golf Course as Open Space and not a dense mixed-use development.

Coming Soon: The old Park Hill Golf Course will be converted into a regional park to open this summer.

A decades long battle on whether the 155 acres which comprised the old Park Hill Golf Course would be a permanent park and open space or paved over for a dense mixed-use development has finally reached a conclusion. The Park Hill residents overwhelmingly appeared wanting an open space park but aligned against them was a developer (Westside Investment Partners) who stood to make tens of millions of dollars from development with the strong backing and power of the mayor, City Council, and all of the agencies of city government. It appeared inevitable that the development would occur notwithstanding what the residents earnestly wanted. Citizens almost never win this type of battle yet this time it was different.

Opposing the developer/government jug­­gernaut was an underfunded rag tag res­idents group by the name of Save Open Space Denver (SOS) in conjunction with former Denver mayor (1991 to 2003) and Park Hill resident Wellington Webb. Notwithstanding the David versus Goliath nature of the battle, on January 15 the present Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced that the city had engaged in a land swap whereby Westside Investments would be given 144 acres of empty industrial zoned property near the Denver International Airport for the 155 acres of the old Park Hill Golf Course. The swap ensures that the Park Hill acreage would be a city park, the fourth largest in the City and County of Denver and the largest acquisition of park land in the city’s history. It makes certain that the entire greater Park Hill neighborhood will continue to be one of the gems of Denver. The tale of this miraculous victory by the residents over their own government and a powerful developer is one of the most heartwarming tales of 21st century Denver.

Park Hill

What is today the Greater Park Hill neighborhood began in 1887 when the German Baron von Winkler sought to subdivide 32 acres of land east of Colorado Boulevard for an upscale re

Clayton College Campus: The Clayton College campus was designed by Maurice Briscoe and Henry Hewitt in the Italian Renaissance Revival-style with sandstone masonry.

sidential neighborhood. The Silver Crash of 1893 greatly hindered his plans. In 1898 he committed suicide with the poison strychnine and a gun, but his dream of development would slowly be fulfilled.

Today, Park Hill, sometimes referred to as Greater Park Hill, has approximately 30,000 residents divided into three distinct neighborhoods running up Colorado Boulevard. It starts with South Park Hill running from 17th Avenue and ending at 23rd Avenue. It is predominately white, affluent,

Location: The new park will be at the south­west corner of the Northeast Park Hill neighborhood along Colorado Boulevard.

and contains some of the most beautiful homes in all of Denver. Next is North Park Hill which runs from 23rd Avenue up to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly 32nd Avenue). It is generally affluent but less than South Park Hill and is more evenly split between black and white residents. Further north is Northeast Park Hill which runs from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to 53rd Avenue. It is largest of the three neighborhoods in size, but smallest in population and the least affluent. At one time Northeast Park Hill had an overwhelming black population. In recent years Hispanic and white residents have been increasingly moving in.

The Estate

The Park Hill Golf Course property is on the southwest corner of Northeast Park Hill starting on Colorado Boulevard and just north of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The story of the golf course goes back to 1889 when a successful businessman, George Washington Clayton, was found dead slumped over his desk. With his wife and child having predeceased him, he left his fortune and property to the city of Denver for the purpose of an orphanage for white boys born in Colorado from respectable families. Racism, class division, and corruption would be a constant theme regarding his estate and Park Hill. The estate was valued at $2 million dollars in 1889 which is equivalent to $75 million today and his estate included numerou

Jackpot Winner: Charlotte Brantley as CEO of the Early Learning Center came out as the big monetary winner regarding the old Park Hill Golf Course. She sold on behalf of the Early Learning Center/Clayton Trust a conservation easement on the Park Hill Golf Course but then turned around and sold the land to Westside for $24 million as if no conservation easement existed.

s real estate properties.

Federal judge Moses Hallett was made the executor of the estate and charged with creating the orphanage. In 1903 he was accused of mismanaging estate funds, including using assets for his own purposes, and illegally

paying himself from estate funds. Nonetheless, under his tutelage the construction of the orphanage was completed by 1910 to be called Clayton College for Boys and turned it over to the city in 1911.

The Golf Course

The estate became the George W. Clayton Trust with the City and County of ­Denver as the sole Trustee. The orphanage was hous­ed i

Ceremony: Mayor Mike Johnston brings up to the podium the victorious former Mayor Wellington Webb at a January 15, 2025, press conference announcing the land swap and creating a regional park at the old Park Hill Golf Course.

n beautifully constructed buildings and called Clayton College for Boys. Across Colo­rado Boulevard from the buildings at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was a 155-acre dairy used to help teach the orphans agricultural skills. The dairy farm operation ceased and in 1932 the land became the Park Hill Golf Course under a lease agreement with an operator.

The City and County of Denver as the sole Trustee proved to be no less corrupt than federal judge Moses Hallet. The city managers of the estate were found to be selling trust properties to friends and business associates at far below fair market prices and other acts of self-dealing. In 1982 the city was replaced by a foundation called the Clayton Foundation with no assets and a volunteer board to be the sole trustee of the Clayton Trust.

The orphanage was closed in 1957 due to the lack of boys fitting the restrictive provisions. In 1969 the Colorado Supreme Court court amended the provisions of the trust to eliminate the restrictions with regard to race, gender, and family background. In 1991 the Clayton Foundation became the Early Learning Center for the purpose of as­sisting low-income families with children from birth to three years old. In 1995 it became associated with the federal Head Start program. Critics have declared the program to be little more than a federally supported day care center whose main beneficiaries were the overwhelmingly white female teachers and administrators who paid themselves handsome salaries along with generous perks and pensions. It was ruefully noted that the Early Learning Center was as racially segregated as Clayton College for Boys with the white female teachers serving almost exclusively black and Hispanic families with no white male boys in the mix.

Like the managers and trustees before them, the white female teachers and administrators led by CEO and president Charlotte Brantley, were accused of attempting to convert the assets of the trust (the Park Hill Golf Course land) for their own benefit.

Marketing The Property

The 155 acres is located on the southwest corner of Northeast Park Hill. In the 1950s and 1960s real estate agents and bankers started a real estate stampede known as “white flight” by going door-to-door telling white residents that they needed to sell as soon as possible because blacks from Five Points were increasingly moving in causing property values to plummet.

Eventually many of Denver’s black political leaders came from Park Hill including Denver’s first black mayor Wellington Webb. In 1997, in order to prevent the land from being sold to developers to meet the money desired by the Early Learning Center, Webb arranged a deal whereby the city paid two million dollars to the Early Learning Center in return for a conservation easement on the land, whereby it was to remain a golf course or open space.

The Early Learning Center quickly blew through the 2 million dollars and soon hunted for more funding. In 2011 Micheal Hancock became the second black mayor of Denver, but unlike Webb had no interest in parks and open space and was almost universally deemed to be in the back pocket of developers. Neither the Hancock Administration nor Early Learning Center seemed to care that the property had a conservation easement for open space on it which the citizens wanted to keep. The Early Learning Center’s Brantley started talking about envisioning the 155 acres, but no mention of returning to the taxpayers the money it had taken.

In 2017, a convoluted agreement was drawn up with the city buying the land for $20 million and indicating the Early Learning Center would jointly develop the property. The agreement was so convoluted that the City Council balked.

Wellington Webb wrote: “In 2017 the Denver city administration and the landowner, Clayton Trust [managed by the Early Learning Center] , thought they would be able to terminate the conservation easement between themselves simply with a wink and a nod and city council approval. Had it not been for Arcis Golf, the company that operated the golf course crying foul, termination of that agreement would have flown under the radar, tucked into a measure for a vote by Denver City Council to approve the sale and development of that 155-acre, tree-filled green space.”

Before that litigation was resolved the state legislature enacted a new law in which an impartial judge would have to rule that conditions had to have changed so that the purposes for easement no longer existed. The legislation appeared to save the land as open space but no. A Denver judge would later rule quixotically that the citizens had no standing to enforce the easement.

The Rise Of Opposition

But the initial contract to sell and subsequent lawsuit alerted Park Hill residents that Park Hill Golf Course land would be paved over for development unless they organized and fought back. SOS was formed with the help of two lawyers, Penfield Tate III and Woodsey Garnsey, soon to be joined by Webb.

In 2018 the golf course was closed and in 2019 Clayton Early Learning announced that it had agreed to sell the land to Westside Investment for $24 million, which shocked observers since the property was worth about $3 million with the conservation easement. It was assumed the fix was in with the Hancock Administration agreeing to lift the easement and approve any redevelopment.

Westside and the City then went on a full-bore public relations campaign to get the public behind the redevelopment. The city hired a firm to poll what the citizens wanted for the area which unsurprisingly came out with affordable housing. SOS was able to show that reality using a push poll, whereby the questions led the person being polled to the conclusion that the poller ­wanted. The city also set up the Park Hill Golf Course Area Visioning Process whereby city staff would meet up with various neighborhood groups to work through what they wanted to do with the land. The city staff, of course, were not honest brokers, which was demonstrated when they threw SOS out of the process saying that only those who wanted redevelopment could participate and not groups hoping to keep the property as an open space park.

SOS however continued to be proactive. It put on the November ballot Ordinance 301 which would require a citywide vote ap­proving the lifting of a conservation easement. Westside then also got Ordinance 302 on the ballot which required such a vote in all cases except Park Hill Golf Course. SOS crushed Westside at the polls with Ordinance 301 winning with over 60% of the vote and Ordinance 302 losing by the same margin.

Westside through generous campaign contributions directly and indirectly had control over a large majority of the 13-member City Council. Westside got its small area plan approved by an 11-2 margin. The City Council also hoped that a scheduled April 4 vote on lifting the conservation easement would be favorably influenced by the approved redevelopment plan.

With tens of millions at stake Westside threw in everything it could including the race card. Westside and the City proclaimed if the land was a park it would make the area far more attractive and “gentrify” the area. Gentrification was a code whereby affluent whites would buy up properties

Driving Force: Andy Klein, the founder and CEO of Westside Investment Partners employed every trick and artifice to turn Park Hill Golf Course into a mixed-use development but ultimately failed to overcome the Park Hill Residents desire for a park.

displacing blacks. It is the flipside of “white flight.” The Westside redevelopment plan provided significant affordable housing which would attract black buyers and keep the area with a majority of black residents.

Given the enormous resources Westside would pour into the racist flavored campaign, and how little SOS and the other neighborhood groups had to spend, it was assumed Westside would win. To the shock of many Westside lost badly with over 60% voting to keep the conservation easement.

The Stunning Swap

Wellington Webb and the neighborhood groups had stopped the redevelopment of Park Hill Golf Course by their incredible election victory but were not any closer to making it a park. Westside still owned the land subject to a conservation easement which allowed golf course operations as well as open space. In a pique of anger Westside fenced off the property and did minimal maintenance.

Westside also threatened to turn a part of the property into a multi-story Top Golf driving range serving alcohol with loud music. Mayor Hancock had declared that the city would never buy land for a park, as it was way too expensive for the city budget.

For open space advocates the long nightmare of Mayor Hancock was to be over in 2023, with the mayor term-limited out of office after 12 long years. But the leading candidates appeared no less unfriendly to parks and open space. While the two runoff candidates, Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough, agreed on very little but they did agree that the property should be redeveloped by Westside and not become a park.

It was therefore one last surprising turn of events concerning the Park Hill Golf Course when Johnston announced on January 15 of this year that Denver was acquiring the land for 144 acres of industrial zoned land close to the Denver International Airport to swap for the old Park Hill Golf Course. The 155 acres will become a regional park improved and maintained by Denver Parks and Recreation.

At the press conference the mayor recognized Penfield Tate and Woody Garnsey of SOS and brought up Wellington Webb to a hero’s welcome.

The residents had, against all odds, “beaten city hall.” Future generations of Park Hill residents will be the beneficiaries of the unbelievable fight and victory of Wellington Webb, SOS, and an intrepid band of fighter residents from the Park Hill neighborhood.

City To Charge $150 Per Year To Fix Sidewalks

by Valley Gadfly | Feb 19, 2025 | Main Articles

You Don’t Own Sidewalks At Homes, ­Businesses, But City Set To Charge You $150 Per Year For Repairs

by Glen Richardson

Stumbling Steps: Denver residents have stumbled along with broken sidewalks for years. Now the city will begin to fix them.

The Mile High City has found a fast path to get back on its feet. After stumbling along with broken sidewalks for years, this year the city is starting to charge homes and busi­nesses $150 per year to fix sidewalks, “Unfortunately,” Denver admits, “there are many sidewalks in need of repair and about 40% of our sidewalk network is either missing or too narrow.”

The fee applies to all property types, both housing and stores. Moreover, the city says property owners who don’t have a sidewalk along their property will still have to pay the fee.

Additional charges — yet to be determin­ed — will be added to properties with significantly more sidewalk frontage than the average property owner. The latest changes also mean property owners who live on private streets will be charged fees, even though they will continue to be responsible for their own upkeep.

All Properties Fee

Voter approved in November 2022, the city will use the fee to repair hazardous side­walks, reconstruct sidewalks that are deficient, and build sidewalks where they’re missing.

“Since everyone benefits from a complete sidewalk network,” city officials declared in a controversial decision that all Denver

property owners will have to pay the fee.

The $150 per year fee — that the city says could increase due to inflation — will be split into two payments, with each half appe

Sidewalk Supervisor: Newly appointed Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) appointee Amy Ford will direct sidewalk work.

aring on the property owner’s bi-annual stormwater bill. The average annual cost for sidewalk maintenance per capita in other major U.S. cities is between $30 and $60.

$40 Million Per Year

“Ordinance 307 will begin to fix or build functional sidewalks for the 40% of the city’s streets that are missing them,” according to Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure or DOTI.

DOTI — headed by Amy Ford, a ­Dallas consulting firm appointment of Mayor Mike Johnston — estimates the fee will bring in $40 million a year for sidewalks. The ordinance says the work should be done in nine years, but the city can take longer if that’s not possible. Back in 2022, the city estimated it could take nearly 30 years.

Most other cities charge for sidewalks by requiring property owners to pay a fee based on the linear footage of sidewalk directly in front of their property, meaning they are essentially charg

Paving The Way: The City of Denver is set to begin charging homes and businesses $150 per year to fix sidewalks.

ed per foot of sidewalk they are responsible for maintaining.

Large Lots Extra

Properties that have more than 230 feet of street bordering their property, such as those with corner-lots, will be charged an additional $3.50 per foot over 230 feet. At locations where sidewalks don’t currently exist, property owners will pay either the flat fee or flat fee with impact fee, based on the length of the public right of way where a future sidewalk will be constructed.

While the program’s original language called for the city to get the job done in nine years, part of the changes approved recognized that might not be possible, expanding the timeline to “soon thereafter.”

A city analysis in 1922 estimated Denver sidewalks would cost $2.8 to $7.3 billion, far more than the $40 million the city says it

Filling The Gap: Fixing or eliminating gaps in sidewalks improves the safety and comfort for pedestrians, cyclists, and other users.

will cost in 2025.

Rebates Obtainable

The sidewalk program also provides a way for property owners to apply for a rebate on their sidewalk fee based on income and household size.

Property owners already receiving the city’s instant rebate for solid waste management services will automatically receive the sidewalk rebate and will not need to re-apply.

More: Now homeowners only have to fill out one application to determine their eligibility for DOTI’s Solid Waste Service Rebate and Sidewalk Program Rebate. Trash rebate participants who receive a stormwater bill will automatically receive the sidewalk rebate.

Two Payments Yearly

The fee will appear on municipal stormwater bills. It will be divided into two payments for the first and second half of the year.

Whether a homeowner’s block has

Closed For Overhaul: With about 40% of Denver’s sidewalks either missing or too narrow, residents will see a lot of this sign.  Photo by Hart Van Danburg

proper sidewalks or not, property owners have to pay. Even if they don’t have a sidewalk along their property, they still have to pay. If they have a homeowner’s association that handles their stormwater bills, the HOA would handle the fee.

The program will build sidewalks to the current city standard. If a district has existing decorative or beyond-standard sidewalks, the city will repair or repave the side­walk to city standard, but not to the district’s beyond-standard sidewalk. Any changes to the district’s assessment to reflect a decreased need for sidewalk funding as a portion of their assessment would need to be handled according to the district’s budgetary rules.

Citizen Damage Reports

While DOTI says it stands up for the city’s new sidewalk program, people will be able to report major sidewalk damage on Denver’s Online Services Hub. DOTI will inspect and triage reports received and those that meet certain criteria will be placed on a spot repair program. Examples of sidewalk issues that may be addressed in the spot repair program include: a) Adjoining sections of sidewalk with an elevation difference greater than one inch; b) Adjoining sections of sidewalk with gaps greater than one inch; and c) Extensive raveling and major breaking.

Large properties — including Denver’s Department of Parks & Recreation and other government entities with big tracts of land — could face significantly higher bills if they have more than 230 linear feet of sidewalk running along their lots.

Once money starts flowing in from fees, DOTI will hire a concrete contractor to start making repairs. It will also hire a consultant to create a sidewalk master plan. All of that is mandated in the original law voters approved. Once fully built out, Denver’s sidewalk network will be approximately 3,489 miles, or about the distance from Denver to New York City and back again!

No Blarney: Dublin In Denver

by Valley Gadfly | Feb 19, 2025 | Main Articles

Parade, Good Luck Charms, And All Things Green To Add A Bit O’ Fun For St. Paddy’s Day On March 15

by Glen Richardson

Irish Trek: Bagpipers, bands, leprechauns, floats, and half a million people are expected for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 15 starting at Wynkoop St. and 19th Ave.

Bagpipers, bands, leprechauns, and floats, the Mile High City becomes Dublin for a day as the city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a wee bit early parade on Saturday, March 15. The actual holiday is Monday, March 17.

With green and glee, the parade has been running for more than 60 years. Nearly half a million people are expected to attend this year. The city paints a green strip down the parade path on Blake Street. Signage on the street is annually changed to Tooley Street in honor of Dale Tooley, Denver’s district attorney in the 1970s and 1980s.

The parade begins at the corner of 19th and Wynkoop, turns left on 17th Street to Blake St. then marches east on Blake and ends at 27th and Blake at the Coors Field parking lot. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will fill the streets of Denver on March 15th rain or shine.

Grand Marshal

Luck O’ The Irish: Wishing you all the luck o’ the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day. A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find, and lucky to have.

The 2025 Grand Marshal is Lisa Switzer! Lisa has been a Denver community member since xxxx and has had a storied career in the nonprofit world. From business development and operations to C-Level strategic planning,  her roles have one common thread – they are all mission-based supporting people and communities.

Presenting Sponsor

The parade is organized by volunteers formed and incorporated in 1986 as the Denver St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. The committee is a charitable organization whose members have a deep love for the Irish culture and enjoy sharing that sense of pride with Valley residents.

While people often assume the parade is presented by the City of Denver, this is the 19th year that Bellco Credit Union has been the parade’s presenting sponsor. Created in 1936, Bellco Credit Union has more than 368,000 members and over $8 billion in assets.

“The Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade represents a strong sense of community for us, and we’re proud to be a part of it.” says Senior Vice President & Chief Retail Officer John Rivera.

Viewing, Weather

Protein Pie: Originating from Ireland and England, Shepherd’s Pie with minced lamb or mutton is on the menu of most Irish Pubs. Pies with beef are called cottage pies.

To catch the parade’s full performances — including dancing, music sets, etc. — the best spot is generally considered to be south of 20th Ave. on Blake St., which is also the most crowded with attendees arriving as early as 6 a.m. to stake out a spot.

If you hope to avoid larger crowds, a great place for prime viewing is at the end of the parade on Blake St. from 23rd to 27th Avenues.

Remember this is March — the 5th coldest month of the year in Denver — and weather is unpredictable. Temperatures be­gin the month with a normal low of 22 degrees and high of 50 degrees. The month ends with 30-degree low temps and highs at about 58 degrees.

Runnin’ O’ The Green

To stay in shape to run through the weekend’s Irish activities, participate in this year’s Runnin’ O’ The Green March 9 at Wash Park. Registration is at 8:30 a.m.

The 7K “Lucky 7” kicks off at 10 a.m. followed by the 2-mile “Leprechaun Leap” run-walk at 10:05 a.m.

Don’t run away, there’s a day filled with Irish fun, live music, and awards. A post-race Festival-Expo features Irish music & dancers. The event also includes a Beer Garden.

Classic Celtic Music

Music during St. Patrick’s Day this year in Denver features Celtic groups, acoustic bands, and Irish music bands. This year’s St. Paddy’s Parade (2025) is featuring several bands, including the Michael Collins Pipes & Drums, Nerea the Fiddler, Altan, and The Young Dubliners.

Young Dubs: Irish-American rock band The Young Dubliners entertain at Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall March 8, 8 p.m.

Irish-American rock band The Young Dub­liners entertain at Swallow Hill’s ­Daniels Hall March 8, 8 p.m. They’re followed March 9 by the traditional Irish band Altan playing at Lone Tree Arts Center, 7 p.m. Another must-see is jigs and reels band Gobs O’ Phun playing at Swallow Hill’s Tuft Theater on March 15, 8 p.m.

An additional St. Paddy’s Day highlight not to be missed is Celtic Awakening playing at the Newman Center March 15-16, 2:30 p.m. Irish tenor soloist Todd Teske entertains. Or, on a St. Paddy’s weekend evening, dress in green, white, and orange and dance a jig at Fortissimo Dueling Pianos on 14th St.

Irish Pub Grub

Yearning for a taste of Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year?

Send Family Over: The Irish Rover along South Broadway in the Historic Baker district is among the top traditional Irish Pubs remaining in Denver.

Denver’s Irish pubs — the traditional haunts for Irish cuisine and beer — continue to decline in numbers or maybe simply morphing into a different era. There are just a wee bit more than a dozen remaining in the Mile High City and several have closed their kitchens. Two of the largest — Fado across from Coors Field, and Maggie Smith’s in Centennial closed. Clancy’s Irish Pub — the Valley’s oldest and longest running Pub — relocated to Wheat Ridge.

Restaurants that offered holiday choices such as corned beef & cabbage on St. Paddy’s Day are also mostly gone. Cherry Creek North’s Cherry Cricket, nonetheless, still offers Corned Beef & Cabbage with Guinness or green beer. Glendale doesn’t have an Irish Pub. Bull & Bush is an English Pub, but it does serve pub classics like fish and chips.

For family dining, the Abby Tavern on East Colfax is easily the best choice. Owner Glen Eastwood spent more than 10 years managing Pubs (Fado & Chasey’s Bistro & Pub). Irish choices include fish & chips, Shepherd’s Pie, an Irish breakfast, plus a Reuben sandwich. Moreover, there are also plenty of American options including burgers.

Among the more traditional Irish Pubs, the two along South Broadway in the historic Baker district are good choices. The Irish Rover has tacos, burgers, and pizza for the kids in addition to fish & chips and shepherd’s pie. Just off Broadway on E. Ellsworth Ave., Dougherty’s Pub — with one of the best pub kitchens in town — boasts authentic Irish cuisine such as Belfast Chicken, Bangers & Mash, and Denver’s best Shepherd’s Pie. They also annually host one of the best St Patrick’s Day street-parties in Denver.