by Mark Smiley | May 26, 2015 | General Featured
Architect And Friends Of Crestmoor Present
Citizen-Initiated Plans, Design For 2.3 Acre Site
In politics or business, as in sports, a critical strategy for success is the concept of “protecting your home turf.” No one likes being manipulated into making choices that are bad for them or their neighbors. Friends of Crestmoor Park — fighting a developer seeking to build apartments on a 2.3 acre site at Cedar and Monaco — went on the offensive May 6 unveiling their own site plans for the property.
Architect Niccolo Casewit of Environment Productions, LLC, presented four alternate designs for the Crestmoor church site at 195 S. Monaco Parkway before a packed community meeting in Fisher Hall at the BMH-BJ Synagogue. Using designs made from Lego pieces flown in from the Billund, Denmark-based construction toy manufacturer’s headquarters, attendees were asked to pick their preference from the different site designs.
Metropolitan Homes, the developer who purchased the site zoned for single-family homes, originally planned to build at least 120 units on the site. Founder Peter Kudla’s latest proposal is for a three-story, 50-unit apartment complex on the northeast part of the church site plus 25 three-story townhomes facing South Locust St. and East Cedar Ave. The zoning he seeks, however, would not limit the number of units. Architect Casewit told the assembled residents that, “the zoning (S-MU3) must be stopped. We think 50 units is maximum for the site.”
Winning Site Design
The winning design chosen by attendees was a single-family model with backyard flats or carriage houses. That site design includes 13 single-family homes, five of which would have carriage houses or backyard flats for a home office or living space for an adult child or parent. The single-family homes with carriage houses would require a zoning change.
The second most popular choice was a site designed with five single-family homes plus a community garden and/or pocket park. A site design with all townhomes that would also require a zoning change was the third most popular. The clear loser was the architect’s large hybrid design that did not win a single first-place vote. It is somewhat similar to what Metropolitan Homes is proposing, showing an apartment complex plus townhomes on the site.
Each of the four models attendees voted on provided a diverse number of units that could fit on the site. The architect actually plotted all the units along with required fire lanes, open space, etc.
Showdown June 8
Friends of Crestmoor Park have shown a willingness to work with Metropolitan Homes and invited them to see the citizen-initiated designs on May 6. However on the same day — possibly under political pressure — the City scheduled a Planning Board hearing for Lowry’s Boulevard One development directly across the street and opposed by Crestmoor. As expected, the Planning Board voted 6 to 0 to approve the project’s proposed zoning changes. Friends of Crestmoor say the project is “inappropriate immediately adjacent to Crestmoor Park.”
Kudla, his lawyers and lobbyists were notably absent at the May 6 Crestmoor meeting. “We wonder why they chose not to come?” asked Friends of Crestmoor volunteer Katie McCrimmon. “Nonetheless, we are still planning to reach out to them to see if they’d like a briefing on the potential designs for the site,” she added. John Fischer of Crestmoor Filing 1, however, has since reported that he was told by a spokesperson for the developer that it doesn’t plan to meet with Crestmoor, “because they don’t plan to make any changes to their proposal.” To that Katie McCrimmon responded, “They keep telling people that they are compromising with the neighbors, but how can you compromise with the community if you refuse to meet with them or even attend a public meeting to which they’ve been invited?”
The final City Council Public Hearing and vote on the Crestmoor project is scheduled for June 8, 5:30 p.m. in Room 451 of the City & County Building, 1437 Bannock St. The last time a vote was scheduled (March) Metropolitan Homes went back to the City and engineered a last-minute delay of that hearing. The City Planning staff, however, did not accept the developer’s proposed waivers and conditions.
by Mark Smiley | May 26, 2015 | Travel
by Councilman Charlie Brown
For the last eight seasons, Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown has planted thousands of tomato seeds in March and nurtured the plants to distribute free to residents and city officials in early May. He grows them in his basement and office, where they eventually end up in his office windows on Exposition Avenue and are often confused with a newly legalized plant.
“When that happens,” Brown said, “I always remind folks that tomato plants are not a cash crop.”
The second year his efforts proved so popular that constituents started calling in April wanting to know when they could pick up “their” tomato plants. The “The Tomato Plant Entitlement Program” was hatched.
This year was his biggest yet, with more than 800 plants and 15 varieties handed out. And it will be the last year to do so, since along with five other Denver council members, he is term-limited in July. He has represented 52,000 residents in south Denver for more than 14 years.
Brown calculates he has distributed some 6,000 tomato plants during the last eight years which, if urban gardeners followed his tip sheet for growing in Denver’s fickle climate, produced 20,000 pounds of America’s favorite gardening crop. And with this era ending, he wanted to share how he got started — not with politics, but with gardening.
The love affair began decades ago.
My first gardening memories can be traced back to my grandparents’ small farm five miles east of Durham, N.C. When we were about 10-years-old, my Mom would take my twin brother and me there to spend the weekend helping them with farm chores.
Saturday mornings started early. A rooster’s cock-a-doodle-doo would send us dashing off to the hen house to gather fresh brown eggs for breakfast. That was the easy start of a long day working in the heat and humidity and the sandy clay soils of North Carolina’s Piedmont region. We milked cows, fed the pigs and chickens, and tackled the dreaded hoeing and weeding.
I would do things that city folks have trouble understanding, including wringing a chicken’s neck for Sunday supper and watching it run around the barnyard with no head; and plowing long rows of crops with a large, tail-swishing beast six feet in front of me who, surprisingly, respected my commands of “whoa mule!” I loved every minute of it, especially the gardening.
The southern climate allowed for early planting and harvesting. It’s hard for Denver gardeners to fathom that by late June we were already “bringing in” potatoes, broccoli, spinach, beets, onions, field peas, squash, butter beans, string beans, green peppers and, my favorite, tomatoes. Okra, turnip greens, cantaloupe, watermelon and corn would soon follow. Most crops would be “put up” in canning jars or, later, a small Sears & Roebuck freezer.
As I look back on those days I realize just how much my grandparents taught me. My grandmother was an early naturalist, who loved birds, wildlife and gardening. “Gardening teaches you patience,” she said. She reminded us not to keep all the fish we caught from the scummy farm pond but return some for ‘another day’ long before the concept of “catch and release.” My grandfather was a hard task master. If he would catch us leaning on our hoe to catch a quick break he would yell out: “You have to hoe to the end of the row,” a work ethic that’s sometimes hard for youngsters to comprehend.
Thanks to the influence of my grandparents, I’ve planted a garden each spring for more than 40 years. It gets in your blood. When it hails in Denver everyone is concerned about their cars and roofs. But like all farmers, ranchers and urban gardeners, our concern is about, in the words of Kenny Rogers, “our crops in the field.”
by Mark Smiley | May 22, 2015 | Glendale City News
Avenging last year’s loss to San Francisco Golden Gate, the Glendale Raptors scored first and held off the defending champions to win their first Pacific Rugby Premiership title at Infinity Park Stadium May16. In a repeat of the finals here last year, the hosting Raptors this time lived up to their promise with a 25-11 victory.
In the 2014 finals San Francisco edged Glendale 39-38. San Francisco won here again in March as part of a series split between the two teams during regular season. The Raptors defeated Golden Gate in San Francisco on Valentine’s Day.
Fullback Max Statler slipped a tackler and the Raptors went up 7-0 in the first five minutes of this year’s showdown match. Earning two penalties, Golden Gate drew the game within a point at 7-6. After stealing a lineout deep in Golden Gate territory, Preston Bryant slipped a tackle and scored a try to give the Raptors a 12-6 halftime edge.
Statler Extends Lead
Less than a minute into the second half Golden Gate scored but missed a straightforward conversion to leave them again trailing by a point, 12-11. Glendale added to the lead with a 40-meter kick extending the score to 15-11. Going wide the Raptors sprung Dustin Croy down the right sideline. The winger found Statler streaking inside to extend the lead to 20-11.
A run by Hanco Germishuys moved Glendale to within meters of the goal. Preston Bryant followed with a scoring run giving Glendale a 25-11 lead with 12 minutes to play. The 18-year-old Germishuys, who came into the game as a substitute, “Made a massive impact with all his carries and tackles,” observed Team Captain Zach Fenoglio following the game. “Hanco is an extremely talented young player and definitely deserves a lot of credit in helping us get the win.”
Turnover Stops Threat
With the clock ticking late in the game and San Francisco threatening, Dustin Croy forced a turnover. Despite playing the final minutes with a Glendale player in the sin bin the score remained unchanged at 25-11. Preston Bryant and Maxwell Statler shared Player of the Match honors.
“It definitely didn’t disappoint in the sense that both sides came out wanting to win a championship,” suggested Fenoglio post game. “I was really proud of how the boys fought to get the W.”
Added Raptors scrum half Mose Timoteo, “My thoughts were that it was going to be tough, but the guys were up to the challenge. When we were warming up, guys were ready and the coach mentioned it was our best warm-up of the season.”
The championship was the first for Glendale, but the second for the 38-year-old Timoteo, who joined the Raptors after captaining San Francisco in last year’s final.
“We started off well,” said Raptors Head Coach Andre Snyman. “We’ve always been saying that we wanted to get on the scoreboard first and that’s what happened. I think our patience was most impressive. We kept the ball and our defense played well.” The coach’s bottom line: “I honestly believe all 23 guys played really well. There were some good ball carries and a heroic defensive attitude. I can’t single anyone out, it was a team effort,” he concluded.
by Mark Smiley | May 22, 2015 | Editorials
If there is any group of individuals who feels under siege in this country it is police officers. They are under attack from the mayors of cities from Denver to Baltimore. The President of the United States appears actively hostile to them at times while the U.S. Department of Justice appears ever ready to take over local police departments. When a local Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby declared that she will do justice for Freddie Gray by prosecuting, if not persecuting, every police officer who came in contact with him the day he died, no police officer can feel safe from a vengeful city hall.
Part of the problem police officers have is more and more videos cropping up showing what appears to be police brutality, or even worse, in some cases murder. Moreover, police trying to arrest individuals legitimately, filming their activities is both illegal and dumb. Mandatory body cameras will help diminish the filing of false charges against police officers and hopefully change the attitude and actions of the small percentage of officers who believe they are above the law.
The police across the country need to undertake a sustained public relations campaign or the hostility and animus leveled at them by many in the public will only get worse. At one time the police could count on strong support from middle class individuals, but that is all going away as the Greatest Generation dies off and the Baby Boomer Generation and those that have come after feel no such connectedness to law enforcement.
The vast number of citizens’ only contact with police is a result of traffic enforcement. If a town’s traffic enforcement is corrupt, as it is in Denver, Campo, Mountain View, Morrison, Nunn and Manzanola, then the residents of those towns and people traveling through lose respect for law enforcement. Towns with crooked traffic enforcement tend also to have crooked or at least highly suspect police and sheriff activities.
The Denver Post recently had an illuminating editorial in which it urged the state to limit the amount a town’s budget can come from traffic enforcement to 20 percent. Each of the towns listed above would be drastically affected by the proposed law with of course the exception of Denver whose corrupt traffic enforcement was not addressed or noted in the editorial.
The city of Glendale was once the town in Colorado most noted for its corrupt traffic enforcement. When the town was formally incorporated in 1952 it had little town revenues. To bring in money the mayor would get into his Cadillac with some members of the city council and head out to Colorado Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive in search of innocent motorists. When the mayor spotted what he considered a traffic violation he would put a light on top of the roof and hunt down and ticket the motorist.
Over the years Glendale became rich with the coming of Target and other big boxes as well as many bars and restaurants along East Virginia Avenue. Its police force grew and grew but exploiting motorists along Colorado Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive continued on unabated. The police force also became known for its brutality, as a cross look to a police officer on Saturday night on East Virginia could end up in a beating.
When the Glendale Tea Party took over City Hall in 1998 they tried to put a stop to the corrupt traffic enforcement and excessive police brutality but it was not easy. They undertook a study that showed the traffic enforcement regimen actually cost money after the price of police time and administrative overhead, including the salary of the municipal judge, were factored in. The police chief balked, along with the municipal judge, at any changes. Eventually the city canned the police chief when he was overheard saying that a beating of a suspect was good for police morale and the municipal judge quit as his salary was cut. Today, you have to almost try to get a ticket in Glendale as most normal traffic violators are given just a warning unless the vehicular conduct is truly egregious. Colorado Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive are safer places to travel because of it and the police brutality has disappeared.
But don’t tell Denver. Its police officers routinely set up speed traps all over the city including along University Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive where the posted limit is far slower than a motorist would expect. Moreover, as the Denver City Auditor declared in his comprehensive report on photo radar, the only real purpose for the program appeared to be to generate money for the city. The corrupt traffic enforcement accompanies, as it did in Glendale, excessive brutality cases at the Denver jail and on the streets costing millions in lawsuits by Denver residents. When police officers see that their job is not simply to “Serve and Protect” but “Abuse and Exploit” it affects their attitude in all aspects of their job.
The Denver Mayor and City Council under the absolute control of real estate developers don’t make any money off the police so they by and large don’t care what is happening. But the rest of the state is getting sick of it. In this last legislative session, best remembered for partisan gridlock with a divided legislature, two competing bills passed in a year aimed at Denver.
H.B. 1098 bans photo radar enforcement and red light cameras altogether while S.B. 276 requires a citizens’ vote and strips federal highway funds from local governments that do not hold an election before 2017. Both bills are now on Governor Hickelooper’s desk who has stated that he “hate[s] those things [photo radar and red light cameras], everybody hates them” but he believed they saved lives. Of course he did not say why he had such a belief only that he so believed. Every study, including an independent study commissioned by the Chicago Tribune, determined the exact opposite.
The governor also declared that he believed photo radar and red light cameras should be a matter local governments should decide. By that statement he was not saying the citizens should get to decide as provided in S.B. 276, but rather the decision should be left to that elected and/or appointed official who can be bribed and bought as was the case in Chicago.
If he vetoes both bills his tepid popularity would take another substantial hit, but some say that he doesn’t really care as he is now term limited. In the end, perhaps the suggestion of Senate President Bill Cadman should prevail. He called for a statewide vote. It could be coupled in a companion vote on The Denver Post recommendation that limits revenues from traffic tickets to a percentage of a town’s budget. Imagine a state in which no city has the type of corrupt traffic enforcement policies which pollutes police agencies and the public perception of police officers. Apparently the governor can’t.
— Editorial Board
by Mark Smiley | Apr 27, 2015 | General Featured
Ben West Takes New York By Storm
He’s Composed 12 Concertos For The NY Philharmonic, Was In Annie On Broadway, Sang And Danced In Macy’s Parade
by Glen Richardson
One of the Cherry Creek Valley’s most promising young composers and musicians is taking New York by storm. Audiences at the prestigious Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center reveled in the latest imaginative composition by Ben West played during three New York Philharmonic concerts — two on March 4 and another on March 5 of this year. Instrumentation for the piece titled Rite of Passage includes two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and two bassoons. Also two horns, two trumpets, a tuba and timpani (kettledrum) plus strings were incorporated.
West, a Colorado native who won’t turn 15 until this summer, is gaining a larger-than-life persona with his powerhouse pieces of music. As a multi-talented composer and musician he is proving to be a hit with multiple projects in New York and Denver, receiving rave reviews. Notably, in New York he has also appeared in the Camp Broadway production of Annie at the Palace Theatre plus singing and dancing with Kermit the Frog on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Locally he has played classical guitar with the Mile High Classical Ensemble, saxophone with the Soundhouse Funk Band plus performing as Fritz in the Nutcracker at the Vail Valley Academy.
Ben West had his first chance to participate in the Very Young Composer program at Vail in 2009, wrote Playbill — the New York magazine for theatergoers — of the youngster’s rapid rise as a gifted composer in its March issue. “Six years and 12 compositions later he is passionate about composing for classical and jazz ensembles. Ben is a musician in his own right, with 10 years of classical guitar training and six years of saxophone (Alto, Tenor and Baritone) lessons.” Of the seven young people selected to participate in the 2015 Philharmonic’s Young Composers program, West was the only non-New Yorker to have a composition selected.
Home Playground
The Chronicle first interviewed West after learning he had been asked and written music for none other than world-renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma at the Bravo Music Festival in Vail (Chronicle, Feb. 2014). The youngster, the Chronicle has learned is continuing to make a serious impact as a composer and musician after being invited to an intimate house concert in the Observatory Park neighborhood last month.
The event supporting The Playground’s new music creation and youth composition program included a special performance of West’s composition titled A Light At the End of the Tunnel initially performed by a string quartet of New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera musicians at the New York Chamber Music Festival last September. The piece was performed in the neighborhood concert here by the Playground’s string quartet consisting of Sarah Whitnah and Anna Morris, violin; Don Schumacher, viola and Richard vonFoerster, cello. They are artists-in-residence at DU’s Lamont School of Music, featuring the works of Colorado-based composers. The quartet also played Bela Bartok’s 6th, the final quartet written by Bartok (1939) before fleeing to the U.S. on the eve of World War II.
Conrad Kehn — founder of the DU-based Playground Ensemble — gave a multimedia presentation titled Evolution (Looking for God) during the home concert. Ben West takes private lessons from Kehn focusing on music theory plus classical and jazz composition mechanics. Kehn also happens to be one of two teaching artists for the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program.
Classical & Jazz Man
As a guitar man, West has performed with the Mile High Classical Ensemble plus in multiple Vail and Denver festivals. In Spain he has taken Master Classes with Roland Dyers at the Music Festival in Cardoba that each July becomes “guitar city.” Dyers is known for his extraordinary capacity for improvisation; this is unique among classical guitarists. West has also taken lessons at the Colorado Suzuki Institute and the Denver Suzuki Summit where he has studied with teachers such as Joe Pecoraro, Dave Madsen, Mir Ali, Kevin Hart, Seth Himmelhoch and Andrea Cannon.
West is the proud owner of a custom built Luthier guitar, one of perhaps 50 in Colorado. His grandparents gave the instrument to him as a bar mitzvah gift. A guitar built by a master Luthier can make the instrument feel like an extension of the musician’s hands. The late Jerry Garcia, Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Eric Clapton, play on Luthier instruments that were built for them.
As a jazz saxophonist he has performed with the Colorado Conservancy of the Jazz Arts and the Soundhouse Funk Band. West is a student at Kent Denver School known for its rich offerings in both performing and visual arts. He is a member of the Kent Denver Jazz Band. Downbeat Magazine ranks the R&B Ensemble at Kent the top high school pop, rock and blues band in the nation. Whether it is pieces of music he’s written or performances with or without a guitar or sax in hand, Valley music fans can expect to be treated to the talent of Ben West for years to come.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 24, 2015 | Travel
by Mark Smiley
Century 21 Plaza, located at 1390 S. Colorado Boulevard, opened in June 2013 with just a few stores anchoring it, including Sprint, Yogurtland and Mooyah Burgers. Now, it boasts successful stores such as Adams and Jane, Sleep Nation, Thai Pot Cafe and newly added Xfinity for a total of nine stores open and operational.
Century 21 Plaza is named after the historic Century 21 Theater which was in this location from 1967 to 1990. When the theater closed in 1990 with a showing of the Last Emperor, so too did a chapter of Denver’s history. Twenty-five years have passed since the Century 21 Theater closed.
The plaza is already approximately 75 percent occupied which is no small feat considering the site features two buildings for a total of 32,055 total retail square feet. “We have been highly selective about the types and quality of our tenants,” said Doug Antonoff of Antonoff & Co. “We are delighted with both the specific tenants that have chosen our center and the tenant mix we have been able to achieve.” One of the attractions for new and existing businesses to locate here is the 138 parking spaces available.
Some businesses have moved from other locations and have thrived such as Thai Pot Café which has increased their sales since moving from their previous location which was two blocks south of its current location on Colorado Boulevard. Antonoff noted that Jersey Mike’s Subs will begin construction soon and more tenants would be announced soon.
One business that has taken the leap which did not have an existing storefront before moving in is Adams and Jane Home Collection. Adams and Jane has an assortment of furniture, lighting, pillows and other artifacts to complement a home.
For co-owner Amy Adams it was not an easy decision to open the store back in November 2014. “To open this place was nerve-racking. I worked out of my home since 1982 and to take the plunge and sign a lease was a big risk,” said Adams.
Before her design career, Adams worked as a real estate agent in Keystone until she moved to Denver in 1997. After struggling in the Denver market, she launched her design career by working with local home builders.
Adams has a knack for design and can walk into a room and decide what should be done in one hour or less. Her work consists of paint colors, rugs, wallpaper, and more. Each quote is specialized and is not a one size fits all situation. “There is no magic,” said Adams. “You have to have a good eye. A lot of designers use the same brands or colors in everything they do. I try to get into the home and look at lifestyle and if they have dogs, kids, etc.”
Adams offers one stop shopping for those wanting to redesign their existing home or needing help with a new home. She manages the entire project and clients write one check to Adams as she interacts with general and subcontractors.
Her decision to move to Century 21 Plaza rather than the more upscale Cherry Creek North, hinged on parking. The parking is ample in this shopping center and has attracted businesses that would otherwise look for alternative areas.
One such business is Sleep Nation. Owner Sean Sutton searched for office space in Denver for over a year until he decided on Century 21 Plaza. He opened his second store here in May 2014 after opening a store in Park Meadows in November 2011.
Sutton worked for Mattress Firm for five years, Mattress King for five years, and Mattress Firm for another two-year run before he and his wife opened up their first store. “My wife and I saw a need for a niche product in the industry,” said Sutton. “All of our beds are plant based. They consist of half natural oils and half polyurethane.”
As far as sales are concerned, Sutton would like to see more. Comparatively speaking though, the Colorado Boulevard store started out better than the Park Meadows store. Now, the two stores trade off month to month on which outperforms the other.
Direct competitors of Sleep Nation are Denver Mattress, Sleep Number, Mattress Firm and Urban Mattress. One thing Sutton boasts is the fact that he is one of the only locally-owned mattress companies in Colorado. “We are local and reasonably priced,” said Sutton. “We study sleep, not sales. We have a non-aggressive style and are not pushy. We really listen to what the customer wants.”
Sutton also talks about what the industry calls the “be back” rate where the customer indicates they will be back. What really happens is that customers test other mattresses at other stores and find what they need elsewhere. Sutton says that their rate is far higher than the competition because customers inevitably like the combination of comfort and price of Sleep Nation mattresses.
One thing is for sure, although it is a big risk for businesses like Adams and Jane Home Collection and Sleep Nation to lease a storefront, they are finding success at their locations in Century 21 Plaza.
For more information on Century 21 Plaza, visit www.century21denver.com. For Adams and Jane, visit www.adamsand janehomecollection.com and for Sleep Nation, visit www.mysleepnation.com.
