by Charles Bonniwell | Apr 18, 2025 | Main Articles
City Council To Decide On June 30th Whether To Eliminate All Parking Requirements
by Charles C. Bonniwell
Parking Woes: Denverites may find it increasingly difficult to locate parking spaces around Denver if the City Council adopts a proposal to eliminate all parking requirements in the city.
The Denver Planning Commission has passed on a recommendation to the Denver City Council to let developers decide what, if any, parking will be provided for a project, and allow existing businesses and housing complexes to eliminate any and all existing parking requirements.
Denver has some of the least demanding parking requirements in the state with city ordinances requiring:
1 parking space per dwelling unit.
2 parking spaces per retail or office space.
4 parking spaces per thousand feet of a bar or restaurant space.
In comparison, the City of Glendale requires 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit, 4 per thousand feet of retail or office space and 11 per th
Flor Alvidrez: The Councilwoman for District 7 believes that by adopting the proposal for eliminating all parking requirements for Denver the city will be helping to fulfill its moral obligation to address climate change.
ousand feet of bar or restaurant space.
The Planning Board’s recommendation is strongly supported by Mayor Mike Johnston and various more progressive City Council members. “Let the market decide” is not a phrase often used by progressive politicians but is constantly invoked in this parking battle. Opponents have responded
Kevin Flynn: The District 2 Councilman worries the elimination of all parking requirements will result in fewer housing projects in Denver for families.
that, in fact, if “let the market decide” is a new guiding principle there is no reason for zoning laws or planning commissions to exist at all.
Rachel Marion, Denver Planning Board member, argued that doing away with all parking requirements would “open up a lot of creativity, development, and vibrancy downtown and in a number of spaces.”
One disputes that it would also result in far fewer empty parking spaces in various parts of the city and making it more difficult to drive to a Denver location. According to proponents of the proposal, such a result would be a positive and not a negative result of the proposal.
Progressives generally do not support the use of automobiles since, among other detriments, it increases the use of fossil fuels, which in turn increases global climate change. They argue individuals, if forced to, will walk, use bikes, or employ public transportation. City Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez has asserted, regarding the proposal, that Denver has a moral obligation to address climate change, and the proposal is one way to help address that obligation.
Not all members of Denver City Council are on board with eliminating all parking requirements. Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer has asserted that she has surveyed her constituents and concluded: “My residents don’t want this.”
Amanda Sawyer: The District 5 Councilwoman has stated her residents simply do not want the proposed elimination of all parking requirements for the City and County of Denver.
City Councilman Kevin Flynn noted that the proposal will limit new housing for families as parents with young children often depend on automobiles to take the entire family to a location.
The cost of providing a parking space is estimated to be $50,000 and thus developers generally seek to limit the number of spaces they need to provide. If possible, they prefer to cannibalize existing street parking but that may make it difficult not to clog up residential streets across the city.
In some residential streets, street signs have already appeared declaring parking on a particular street is restricted to “residents only.” Opponents of the proposal also fear that owners of apartment buildings. will see the proposal as an opportunity to build on lots for a cash infusion.
Colorado citizens living outside Denver are not immune from the desire by some to get rid of parking requirements. Last year, the Colorado Legislature passed a law HD 24-1304 which stopped local governments from enacting and enforcing minimum parking laws for apartments and other multi-family residential projects near high frequency bus and train lines in Colorado’s largest metro areas. It is anticipated that 15 home rule cities will file a lawsuit claiming that the law violates the state constitution regarding the powers of home rule cities in Colorado.
It has become clear that many politicians both locally and statewide view the use of automobiles by individuals as undesirable and it must be restricted to the greatest extent possible for the common good. Whether the citizens of Denver and Colorado concur has yet to be determined.
by Valley Gadfly | Apr 18, 2025 | Valley Gadfly
Valley Gadfly
Tra la la, it’s May. “That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray. It’s mad, it’s gay, a libelous display. That gorgeous holiday,” Lerner & Loewe composed for Camelot.
May is one of the best months of the year with flowers blooming, green grass, graduation parties, and proms happening. A poignant reflection on the transformative power of May.
Among the changing months, May is the sweetest, and fairest colors dressed. Here are our warm choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment for those big, bright, sunny days:
For a marvelous start to month, plan to attend the annual Hattitude Luncheon in DCPA’s Seawell Ballroom, May 1. The event funds women playwrights and directors, plus produces their innovative plays. Information: 303-892-4100.
Don’t forget Cinco de Mayo returns to Civic Center Park for a weekend of food, fun, and Latino culture May 3-4, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Information: 303-534-8342.
Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho headlines Ukefest’s 2025 concerts, workshops, and master classes at Swallow Hill Music, May 10. Information: 303-777-1003.
Looking for tasty Italian American dishes plus Stone-Hearth pizza and baked goods? Try Pomodoro in the former Monaco Inn space. Sauces, dough, dressings, desserts made in-house with best ingredients, top service. Information: 303-320-1104
Attend Swallow Hill’s seven Wednesday summer concerts at Four Mile Park, June 4 to July 16. Rumours — Fleetwood Mac’s 11th studio album — is concert opener. Doors open 5:30 p.m., concerts 6:30 p.m. Bring the family. Information: 303-777-1003.
Enjoy the pop rock, blazing jazz, and improvisation of guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan entertaining at Dazzle, May 22, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
Music meets visual artistry and the sounds of Pink Floyd come alive in a stunning Laser Spectacular at the Paramount Theater May 24, 8 p.m. Information: 303-623-0106.
Grammy violinist Augustin Hedelich plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Symphony at Boettcher Hall, May 30-31, 8 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
Support new beginnings by attending the Storybook Ball Gala in the Art Museum’s Strum Grand Pavilion, May 16, 6-9 p.m. Funding will help Ronald McDonald Charities to renovate its Aurora House to serve more families. Attendees will enjoy cocktails, and dinner, plus a silent and live auction. Information: 303-832-2667.
You feel like singing. It seems like every May is like a new beginning. Glendale-Cherry Creek is alive with life, and all the birds are singing. The air is fresh, and flowers flourishing.
The bees are as happy as can be, and the birds are too. They seem to have so much to say, and so much to do. Eggs are hatching, babies are born, in this marvelous month of May.
With a warm wind blowing, we sink into spring with a mix of sunshine and showers. May is here with cheer and skies so clear, “Ne’er cast a cloud till May is out,” the saying goes.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com
by Peter Boyles | Apr 18, 2025 | Blasting with Boyles
OPINION
On all levels — local, national, and worldwide — tariffs seem to be the topic of conversations. And I cite you an example of how tariffs do work and can help. And also, how major corporations in our country, nationally and locally, totally misunderstand who their target audience and their target customer is.
Take you back in time.
In 1983 President Ronald Reagan intervened to protect Harley Davidson by imposing tariffs on imported motorcycles principally from Japanese manufacturers.
Harley Davidson the corporation had fallen into the hands of AMF, the bowling company. AMF was systemically destroying a product that began in 1912 in this country, had a great reputation, and people bought the bikes. In the early 1980s Harley Davidson was facing significant financial difficulties due to the Japanese manufacturers who were dumping, another term could be flooding, the U.S. market with cheaper motorcycles. You could indeed buy a large Japanese motorcycle cheaper in Denver, Colorado, than you could in Japan. They were in essence bayoneting the wounded.
The United States trade commission concluded that the Japanese motorcycles were harming domestic industry and recommended protective measures. Ronald Reagan, not Donald Trump, agreed to impose a tariff on big motorcycles imported from Japan. Anything over 700 ccs. Now watch this.
He raised the tariff from 4.4 percent to 49.4 percent. The tariff was designed to provide relief for Harley to get back on its feet and reverse the decline. Harley returns, regains market share, and the company invested in improvements and innovation. They also used the time to retune their factories, introduce new engines, and develop new technologies. Ronald Reagan protected this iconic corporation from foreign interests.
Would Harley Davidson be here today if Ronald Reagan hadn’t stepped in? I really don’t think so. Reagan saved Harley Davidson.
Now the fools that got their hands on the company after that decided to go woke. The board of directors brought in from Europe, the new CEO, Jochen Zeitz, declaring Harley Davidson would be woke the year after Bud Light decided it was going to be woke as well. The mecca of motorcycling is Sturgis. I was there when both things happened. The huge street bar owned by Bud Light was empty and the grumble was nobody’s going to drink that tranny beer. And much like George Bush learning nothing from what the Soviets were doing in Afghanistan, Harley Davidson pulls the same stunt. The target demo for these motorcycles is principally middle-aged men, veterans, conservatives, Trump supporters, and so the factory decided to go woke on them. The manufacturers are now in huge difficulty and much of it is because of woke policies and building electric motorcycles. And a company that always prided itself on “made in America” was like the rest of the multinationals, they were headed abroad.
Harley Davidson is more than just a motorcycle. It’s a culture. People got mad. The company faced a boycott over DEI efforts. Read the stories of John Deere and Tractor Supply, both of those corporations have now stepped away from DEI in favor of keeping customers, and Harley finally responds. The culture of Harley Davidson is more than just motorcycles. It is, as they say, a way of life.
And what the current board did was offensive to everybody up and down the line. Now they’ve slammed the brakes on woke policies after sparking outrage. They’re in search of a new CEO and board members have resigned.
It’s a microcosm of how things can work. What Donald Trump is doing was done once by Ronald Reagan. And nobody remembers that story. I’d like you to at least look at the accomplishments of Reagan in 1983, and the real question is can it be done again on a macro scale?
Ride fast, take a lot of chances. Make a lot of noise.
— Peter Boyles
by Mark Smiley | Apr 18, 2025 | Featured Stories & Advertisers
