by Valley Gadfly | Aug 23, 2024 | Main Articles
Glendale’s Sammy Sullivan Stars In Paris Games; Women’s Elite Rugby Picks Denver As First Pro Site
by Glen Richardson
We Won: Sammy Sullivan, who lives in Glendale, reacts as she joins her Olympic teammates after winning bronze at the Paris Olympics.
Boundless Playground: Infinity Park is one of the only rugby-specific stadiums in the U.S., and the country’s first municipality- owned stadium.
Glendale, America’s rugby haven and its moniker as RugbyTown USA, is in the spotlight’s beam again as the U.S. earned its first-ever medal in women’s rugby at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
After never finishing an Olympic rugby competition better than fifth, the U.S. women took home the bronze medal after a thrilling 14-12 comeback victory against Australia, the gold medalists in 2016. In Tokyo, the U.S. was knocked out before the medal round by Great Britain. The Americans got payback in Paris, eliminating Great Britain in the quarterfinals.
The U.S. team included Sammy Sullivan. a star Colorado rugby player for Glendale’s Gray Wolves. Now Denver — and possibly Glendale — is getting a new team in the Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) league. The league is targeting next year (2025) for its inaugural season. The revelation coincides with the U.S. winning its first-ever Olympic medal. If WER does launch here, it would be the first fully professional women’s sports team in metro Denver.
Glendale Rugby Boom
Biding Time: First lady Jill Biden, left, speaks with Glendale’s Olympic women’s rugby player Sammy Sullivan, in Eaubonne, France.
American rugby got its start in 2007 with the building of the Infinity Park Stadium in Glendale. It is one of the only rugby-specific stadiums in the country, and the first municipality-owned stadium of its kind in the country. Infinity Park hosts oodles of different rugby events, matches, and activities. Glendale also offers a variety of youth rugby, including spring after school rugby, and summer flag rugby. There’s also a high-altitude training center, considered one of the finest rugby training facilities in the country.
Glendale’s Mayor Mike Dunafon — who played a stint with the Denver Broncos —launched Infinity Park and rugby for what he describes as “its camaraderie and sportsmanship.” The decision was his commitment to the community.
The strong performance in Paris will be impactful for Glendale, the Mile High City, and the sport as a whole. After this summer’s bronze-medal win, USA Rugby announced that Michelle Kang — owner of the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and London City Lionesses women’s soccer clubs — will gift $4 million over the course of four years to the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team. Enrollment in the sport has climbed in the U.S. ever since rugby sevens became an Olympic sport in 2016. Look for the game to soar in 2025.
Sullivan Stars
Tournament Town: Rugby tournament play has long been a staple at Infinity Park. The RugbyTown 7s tournament features the U.S. Armed Forces. AP Photo by George Walker IV
A shining star on the world stage, Sammy Sullivan — who lived in Glendale — was a key player in the Olympic games, leading the U.S. women’s rugby team to several victories to begin the Paris Olympics.
She plays for the Colorado Gray Wolves, as well as the U.S. women’s rugby team. The team was originally established in 1981 as the Harlequin Olde Girls before aligning with the City of Glendale in 2007 and becoming the Glendale Raptors Merlins. In 2020 the team became an independent club, run and operated by the players. The team still plays at Glendale’s Infinity Park. Sullivan started playing rugby at West Point and holds the rank of Army Captain. She’s originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Sullivan did not attend the opening ceremony ride down the River Seine because women’s rugby played shortly afterward. Instead, she built Legos. Her Olympic Lego project features iconic Paris sites including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
While in France for the Summer Games, Sullivan met first lady Jill Biden and former Philadelphia Eagles center Jayson Kelce and his wife Kylie.
Pro Women’s Rugby
Sammy Shines: Glendale’s Sammy Sullivan was a key player in the Olympic games. She led the U.S. women’s rugby team to several victories to begin the Paris Olympics. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) has announced that Denver, along with Boston and Chicago, will be the first cities to host a professional women’s rugby team. Goal is to have 30 players on each team when the inaugural season gets underway in the spring of 2025. The announcement coincides with the U.S. winning its first-ever Olympic medal in Paris. The league hopes to have six to eight teams for its inaugural season. Matthew Payne, director of the Denver Sports Commission — an affiliate of the Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Visit Denver — responded that the Mile High City is thrilled to be a founding city
“Denver has a lot of history in women’s rugby, and recently they’ve had some success with the Women’s Premier League and have won quite a few of the national championships,” said Jessica Hammond-Graf, president of the WER. “And so, we felt like bringing that energy and the continued history of women’s rugby to the area would just really make sense.” WER has the intention to start with 6-8 teams, and then looks to build toward a strategic expansion plan during the next 10 years. The league’s founding players will be announced following a selection in January.
WER is supported financially by private investors, including members of the rugby community, sports-focused venture capital, and former Procter & Gamble executive Deb Henretta. WER is adding to its roster of investors in its current capital round, which is on track to close by years end. WER prides itself in putting founding teams in markets that have a strong foundation and grassroots efforts in both the rugby and women’s sports. Team names and stadium details for all markets will be announced later.
Childs Play: Children from in and around the Denver metro area participate in rugby sports training programs at Infinity Park.
Colorado History
The nation’s first recorded competitive women’s rugby team hails from Colorado. In 1971, both the University of Colorado and Colorado State University were formed and they played their first match in 1972. The first women’s college championships were also held in Colorado.
During 1973 another Colorado team — the Scarlet Harlots — was organized, followed in 1974 by the Denver Blues. By 1974, there were approximately 29 women’s teams in the U.S. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, women’s rugby continued to grow with a majority of those teams adopting the names of colleges and universities.
Until 1990, very few rosters of women’s collegiate rugby teams were entirely undergraduate students of the university; most college teams were made up of graduate students, alumni, and local residents. Then in 2007, following the opening of Infinity Park in Glendale, tournament rugby has been a staple, with the venue hosting some of the largest and most prestigious competitions in the country.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 23, 2024 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
The city’s plans for residential trash, recycling, and compost services still lack strategy and responsiveness to residents, according to the recent follow-up report from Denver Auditor Timothy O’Brien.
“We’ve continued to hear from a lot of residents in the past 18 months who have concerns about their trash and recycling pickup, as well as the implementation of composting services,” Auditor O’Brien said. “There’s still work to do to achieve ideals of efficient pickups and environmental benefit.”
The auditor looked at the city’s residential trash, recycling, and compost services ahead of the implementation of the volume-based pricing program in November 2022. They found understaffing, old and unreliable trucks, and lack of strategy for the new program.
The auditor made nine recommendations in the original audit. But during the follow-up work they found the division fully implemented only three of them. Five other recommendations that addressed significant risks were not implemented. And one recommendation related to replacing the city’s aging trucks was partially implemented.
The remaining risks center on strategy, data, and resident satisfaction.
More than 18 months into the volume-based pricing program — which shifts the cost of weekly trash pickup to residents based on how much they throw away but make
s recycling and compost included at no extra charge — the Solid Waste Management Division still lacks a strategic plan that identifies specific objectives, goals, and needs for delivering services to residents.
Managers said plans to develop a strategic plan are ongoing. Division leaders acknowledged the importance of a comprehensive strategy, but still do not have one to guide their day-to-day operations or set long-term goals.
Additionally, key recommendations still need work for tracking data for efficient routes and responsiveness to resident service requests.
The city’s new routing software is intended to collect data like maps of pickup points and monitoring of stops. But the system was neither fully operational at the time of follow-up, nor was the software referenced in the draft procedure on how to adjust collection routes.
And although the division has a dashboard to track operations and metrics like tonnage and route completion, there are still inconsistencies in how it tracks open and closed cases from residents who report missed pickups through 3-1-1 and other platforms. As a result, the division does not have an accurate picture of its response to residents’ service requests.
Similarly, the auditor recommended the division develop a process for annual performance reviews of trash, recycling, and compost services. The department has not yet finalized its review process or created an annual review, nor does it plan to pursue feedback on resident satisfaction through surveys or an analysis of environmental costs.
“The trash, recycling, and compost program is one that impacts almost every person who lives in Denver,” Auditor O’Brien said. “I would like to see more improvement on behalf of the people we serve.”
Without sound data and information, the Solid Waste Management Division cannot make informed decisions that impact the viability of the city’s volume-based pricing program and cannot ensure the fees it collects for residents’ trash pickup will achieve the city’s goal to increase Denver’s waste diversion rate.
One area where the divis
ion did take some action is addressing its aging fleet of trucks. At the time of the audit, nearly half of the vehicles in the division’s fleet were within a couple of years of the end of their estimated remaining life. The average estimated useful life for waste collection trucks is eight years, but the city was still using one truck that was 18 years old.
Since then, staff have worked on options for purchasing or leasing trucks, including plans to lease 25 new trucks every two years. However, they have not actually started leasing new vehicles. Division leaders still do not know if they will be able to replace the fleet due to backlogs and budget cuts.
“Denver’s trucks are old and cost more and more to maintain,” Auditor O’Brien said. “I’m glad to see a plan for replacement, but waiting longer due to budget constraints will likely drain even more of the city’s budget.”
The division did take action to address some of the staffing concerns we identified. In 2022, there was a 21% vacancy rate among drivers. Since then, the division performed a staffing analysis. As of May 2024, staff said 84% of positions are filled.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 18, 2024 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
On July 2, 2024, the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce hosted a private fireworks viewing party in the spectacular Try Club at Infinity Park. Nearly 275 guests converged on the facility to enjoy a true VIP experience.
For the third year in a row, the City of Glendale launched the fireworks from the South end of Infinity Park which, as Glendale City Manager Chuck Line calls it, a more intimate experience. The city capped attendance at 4,000 inside the stadium to allow for more room for guests to spread out and offer a relaxed atmosphere. An additional estimated 9,000 people viewed the show from the south park.
“The fireworks proximity to the people and playing the movie [Independence Day] beforehand enhanced the experience, and we foresee doing this for many years to come,” said Line. “Guests inside the park cheered when they destroyed the aliens in the movie and then 15 minutes later we blew off the fireworks. I loved that we were able to provide this for the community. It was a very patriotic 
night.”
Line is already thinking about next year. “Next year will be even better and go to another level,” said Line. “We may allow more people into the stadium and a different movie will be played.”
While the fireworks are not blown as high in the sky as years past, the view from the field where spectators are allowed in with their own picnic, is spectacular. Line admits that viewing from surrounding neighborhoods has diminished but it makes for an easier setup and tear down. Managing the street closures and crowds is more expedited as well. Traffic was cleared after the show within 30 minutes. “Police and public works do a phenomenal job,” said Line. “A lot of preparation goes into this show and they executed flawlessly.”
As far as the private party
for chamber members, they were treated to BBQ from Six Capital Brewing, bottomless popcorn courtesy of the Bull & Bush Brewery, a photo booth from Wild Pearl Photo Booth Co. sponsored by The Alchemy Group, lawn games on the terrace, and a prize wheel with many goodies from Chamber members.
Guests were also treated to bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. “Nothing Bundt Cakes have been a strong supporter of our Chamber and the community at large throu
gh the years”, said Jeff Allen, COO, Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce. “The bundt cakes were a wonderful addition to our already spectacular VIP party. An event I would say is one of the best ever in our 25 year history.”
Chamber members had access to the air-conditioned Try Club and conference room and the entire concourse where they played cornhole, ladder toss, putt putt golf, networked while enjoying a libation from Scrum Enterprises, and, of course, watched the fireworks.
The Chamber has a long history of hosting fireworks parties for its members and this year’s event at the Try Club was one of the most memorable and the third year in a row in the Try Club courtesy of the City of Glendale. For more information about the Chamber or to join to ensure an invitation for next year, visit www.ggchamber.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jul 18, 2024 | Main Articles
Denver’s Business District Becoming Neighborhoods; Another 1,837 Apartments Planned In The Coming Year
by Glen Richardson
Best Of Broadway: This nine-story medical building was renovated into studio and one-bedroom apartments. Fourteen units are for unhoused patients released from Denver Health.
If you’ve noticed some old buildings getting a new lease on life in Denver, you’re right. The Mile High City ranks among the nation’s top spots for apartment conversions, with about 300 apartments entering the market through adaptive reuse in 2023 — and there are six times more such apartments on the horizon.
In addition to generating more apartments, the trend is likely to bring more people and energy to downtown Denver, hard hit by the pandemic’s work-from-home deluge. Residential conversions are anticipated to bring people and new energy to downtown apart from the workday. If so, stores, restaurants, entertainment, and other amenities of a vibrant lifestyle will optimistically return.
RentCafe’s annual adaptive reuse report shows that apartment conversions are on the rise again in the U.S., having increased by 18% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Plot twist: While office conversions are usually the go-to for future projects, hotel conversions rocked the charts in 2023, hitting a record high. Yet, with 58,000 office projects in various development stages nationwide, office conversions are expected to take the lead again.
Mile High Style
Clarion Converted: Renamed Renewal Village, the 215-room Clarion Hotel is the largest Mile High hotel converted to apartments to date.
Denver is part of the trend, with around 1,000 new units projected to be created through repurposing former office spaces.
Denver ranks 8th among cities with the most conversions in 2023. Developers successfully transformed a school building into 190 apartments, and a 1956 office building located at 655 Broadway is now home to 110 new apartments.
Looking ahead, The Mile High City is a major player in future apartment conversions, with plans to bring 1,837 new apartments to life in the coming year. Office conversions prevail (1,002 units), while repurposed schools (420 units) and hotel conversions (261 units) are also set to expand Denver’s rental market. The remaining units will come from residential conversions.
Metro Area Trend
Street Art: The 10-story Art Institute building was converted into 192 apartments named Art Studios. Nichols Partnership was the hammer that shaped the new art piece.
In the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area, office conversions are expected to be the most popular, mainly due to the 1,000 projected units in the capital city. Following closely are hotel conversions (937 units), including 576 apartments expected to be retrofitted in Aurora.
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of converting an existing building for purposes other than those it was originally designed for. In this article, adaptive reuse is expressed as the conversion of an existing building into rental apartments. The RentCafe study is based on apartment data related to buildings containing at least 50 units.
Data, of course, is subject to change. New properties and markets may emerge, while some properties might not be completed or maintain the same status (other than completed) for several years. Additionally, various factors such as delays, sales, or project abandonment can prevent completion of some properties. Future projects encompass those currently undergoing conversion, as well as those in the planning and prospective redevelopment stages.
Long Local History
Creek Condos: This office building on Cook St. in Cherry Creek was converted into 44 condos named Catalonian at Cherry Creek in the late 1990s.
Conversion of old buildings has a long history in Denver. Marcel Arsenault, founder and CEO of Real Capital Solutions, did his first office-to-residential conversion in Cherry Creek in the late 1990s. The building’s offices were converted to 44 condos, now named Catalonian at Cherry Creek at 180 Cook Street. It was an old office building, and so the price was low. At the same time Cherry Creek residential values were high. Everybody wants to live in Cherry Creek; thus, it made sense for Arsenault to do residential
In 2006, 1600 Glenarm Place, a 31-story tower at 16th Street Mall, was turned into more than 300 units. In 2015 Nichols Partnership converted the former Hotel VQ next to Bronco’s stadium into Turntable Studios, a 13-story complex with 179 studio apartments. In 2022, the owner of Denver’s Petroleum Building filed plans to turn the office building into around 130 apartment units.
Nichols Partnership completed the 10-story, 192 apartment Art Studios — the former Art Institute of Colorado building — in the first quarter of 2023. Located in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, conversion of the building acquired in 2019 was delayed by the pandemic. Using leftover materials for the school, the rebuild honors the building’s history. Nichols Partnership also converted the five-story One Platte office building, at 1701 Platte St. Completed in the spring 2022, it’s now 90% leased, a testament to both the building and the Platte St. location.
Hotel Renovations
Turntable Trend: In 2015 the former Hotel VQ next to Bronco’s stadium was converted into Turntable Studios, a 13-story complex with 179 apartments.
Denver’s hotel conversions have virtually all been for the city’s homeless plus the migrant invasion. The earliest was in February, 2020 when a former Quality Inn & Suites on Quebec Street in Park Hill was converted into apartments known as Fusion Studios. The changeover provided transitional and long-term housing. At that time, the city required residents to pay up to 30% of their monthly income as rent.
With a new mayor and city council, Denver has been purchasing hotel housing — albeit mostly older properties and most often motels — at a record-setting pace. The tempo has been so fast neither the media nor citizens can keep pace. Here’s a sampling: New Directions, a former Best Western in the 4500 block of N. Quebec St. The city paid $25.95 million for the 194-unit property; Tamarac Family Shelter, previously an Embassy Suites on East Hampden Ave., Denver paid a combined $30.9 million for lease-purchase; Clarion Hotel is Denver’s largest to be converted to housing for the homeless. Renamed Renewal Village, the 215-room hotel was purchased in Jan. 2023 for $24 million — $10 million each from Denver and the Colorado Division of Housing, plus $3.6 million from Adams County.
by Mark Smiley | Jun 20, 2024 | Main Articles
Contingency Fee For Catastrophic Injury Is A Growing Segment Of Its Practice
by Mark Smiley
Partners: Jeff Springer (right) and Harvey Steinberg started the Law firm of Springer & Steinberg over 40 years ago.
Networking: Cielo Busch, Director of Legal Administration & Marketing for Springer & Steinberg (left), Megan Stephens, Colorado Athletic Club (middle), and Debbie Fitzgerald, Partner/Co-Founder at Fitzgerald Peterson, were among the attendees at the latest Business After Hours for the Glendale Chamber.
Springer & Steinberg is a law firm that started over 40 years ago and has spent most of its existence with offices in downtown Denver. Last year, the firm moved to an office building close to I-25 and Colorado Blvd., and after 11 months of permitting and construction, in June 2024 its new space is finished on the top floor of the building.
“Downtown has advantages when you’re a lawyer because you can be close to all the courthouses,” said Jeff Springer, partner at Springer & Steinberg. “It was great when I was a younger lawyer. The opportunity to be right next door to Glendale, even though we couldn’t find the right arrangement for us in Glendale, was attractive.”
Springer eluded to the difficulty of maneuvering downtown and hassling with parking as a reason potential clients would shy away from retaining their services. “Where we are now, you can get here and park, and you can easily maneuver through traffic,” said Springer. ”It is much more convenient.”
New Office: Springer & Steinberg moved from downtown to South Colorado Blvd. last year and moved into its new office space in June 2024. The firm is more conveniently located for potential clients.
Even though the firm is not technically in Glendale, Springer considers the firm a part of Glendale based on where they are
situated. “We have the benefits of Glendale and we get to visit everybody in Glendale, we get to the rugby pitch, and the event center,” said Springer. “For everybody in the firm, it is a real advantage. The location is terrific along with the views and access. We are very excited.”
Although close to Glendale, Springer felt the effects of not being within the city boundaries. “If we were in Glendale, we would have moved into this space six months ago. But, in Denver, you can’t get them to act and approve permits. It takes forever to get things done.”
Glendale has a reputation for being efficient and consumer and business friendly. “If you are deserving of one, you can get a permit in Glendale very quickly,” said Springer. “They want to make sure they get things built and built on time. For whatever reason, in Denver, it doesn’t work that way.”
Since it started over 40 years ago, the law firm of Springer & Steinberg has broadened its skillset. Their lawyers can handle every kind of litigation imaginable such as criminal, personal injury, landlord tenant, construction, corporate, trademark, and copyright.
A rapidly growing aspect of the firm’s practice is contingency fee work for catastrophic injuries including serious automobile accidents. They also do transactional work. The firm has transactional lawyers who can form entities and corporations, handle wills and trusts, and probate. Springer & Steinberg can provide a full service because of the depth and breadth of the lawyers on staff. They are all experienced and skilled lawyers. “We don’t typically take lawyers right out of law school,” said Springer. “We want to see them get some experience and seasoning.”
Springer & Steinberg can provide people with full service and be their lawyer and also be a company’s lawyer. “If we represent a company, we can do everything from A to Z,” said Springer. “We can form them and help them when they operate. We can defend them in litigation, and pursue litigation on their behalf. And it’s the same thing for individuals. We can take care of families and oftentimes do.”
Experience: The Law firm of Springer & Steinberg has a fleet of experienced attorneys specializing in many different areas.
Springer & Steinberg has been known to take on unpopular cases as well. “My partner, Harver Steinberg, does a number of cases that are important from a constitutional standpoint, and yet some of the people we represent are not well received by parts of the community,” said Springer. “Yet, we have a duty to do good for everybody. The people on the top of the totem pole as well as the people on the bottom of the totem pole. That’s what we try to do.”
In addition, Springer & Steinberg has been the city attorneys for Glendale for over 20 years. “I have seen the city grow and develop from every perspective,” said Springer. “What the city does for its citizens and what it does for the people nearby and surrounding areas is absolutely incredible. The opportunities that one has in Glendale for entertainment, exercise, events, scenery, activities, is unmatched in my estimation.”
Springer adds that Glendale is a shining light in the metro area. “It is a tribute to all of the hard-working people in Glendale and its citizens who take an active role in what goes on in Glendale,” said Springer. He attributes much of Glendale’s success to its current Mayor, Mike Dunafon. “Mayor Dunafon is a true visionary,” said Springer. “He had a true vision of what Glendale could be. Through his hard work and efforts, he has made it happen.”
For more information on the firm or to schedule a consultation visit www.springersteinberg.com, or call 303-861-2800.
by Mark Smiley | Jun 20, 2024 | Main Articles
Largest Creek Development In History Set To Begin; To Cut Traffic, Slash Structure Size, Use, And Heights
by Wayne New & David Steel
Wayne New is a former Denver City Councilman. David Steel is the former CEO of Western Development.
Traffic Terror: 1st Ave., University, Steele, and Cherry Creek South Drive already have terrible traffic. Cherry Creek West project will add 10,000 vehicles per day.
Have you recently driven down Alameda, University, Steele, 1st Ave., or Cherry Creek South Drive and experienced the incredible traffic and congestion in the Cherry Creek area? Have you tried to cross 1st Ave. and feared that you could be hit by a car? You are not alone.
We believe in smart, well-designed development, but we all know that the unintended consequence of too much density without concurrent transportation planning is uncontrolled traffic. However, a Denver Moves Cherry Creek statement from City Planning and the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure reads: “DMCC recommends that an increase in density in Cherry Creek is needed to support higher frequency/more reliable transit, and allow for more local trips within Cherry Creek to be taken by walking/bicycling.”
They are putting the cart before the horse!
Choking Cherry Creek
What’s driving this large increase in Cherry Creek traffic? The problem begins with the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District’s (BID) 10-year, 150% density growth plan.
Additional causes are:
Safe Cross Streets: Major Cherry Creek North arterial streets — particularly 1st Ave. — have scarcity of safe pedestrian crossings despite shopping popularity.
- Underutilized BID underground parking and limited on-street parking is creating parking and traffic problems in the neighborhoods;
- Increased Leetsdale/Colorado cut through traffic on 1st Ave. to downtown. At least 50% of 1st. Ave. traffic is from cars originating from Leetsdale, Colorado Blvd., and University;
- Reduced RTD bus services/limited routes — limited service reduces employee transportation;
- Lack of planned transit implementation on major arterial corridors — the 2012 Cherry Creek Area Plan stated “Cherry Creek has highest regional traffic volume” and called for transit services. The City has estimated that it will take 10 to 20 years to implement transit;
- Limited use of City transportation demand management strategies to reduce traffic — City strategies to reduce traffic have not been emphasized or enforced;
- Maximum Intersection Capacities — 10 of the 13 major Cherry Creek area intersections exceed the maximum traffic of 36,000 cars per day.
Adding Obstacles
Even with all of the above, the City will be allowing the rezoning of the largest development in Cherry Creek history. This Cherry Creek West Project development on the west side of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center poses the following issues which will have to be addressed:
- Scale: The approximate 1,600,000-sq. ft. (SF) development will be 45% greater in SF compared to the present Shopping Center;
- Building Height: Three (3) of the seven (7) buildings will be 13 stories in height and one building will be 11 stories. The average height of all buildings will be 10.5 stories;
- Vehicle Traffic: According to the developer, the number of vehicle trips onto 1st Ave. and University will increase traffic by 1,000 vehicle trips per PM Peak Hour or 10,000 per day;
- Traffic Flow: The flow of traffic will be difficult with the property having only four (4) entrances/exits that are: two (2) one-way only and 2 two-way with lights. The existing Shopping Center, which is 45% smaller, has seven (7) entrances/exits with four (4) two-way with lights;
- Construction Difficulties: The entire 13-acre property will require two (2) to three (3) story-depth underground for project infrastructure construction and parking. Those 10 years of project construction will create continuous 1st Ave. traffic issues.
What To Do Now
What can immediately be done to reduce traffic, since transit is 10 to 20 years in the future?
Establish a 75% residential use ratio for new development for next five years since residential construction creates the lowest level of new vehicle trips; Expand RTD route services to Cherry Creek; Implement specific Transportation Demand Management measures for all existing and new building developments, which will have the potential of reducing Cherry Creek traffic by 2,500 vehicle trips per PM Hour:
More: a) Require RTD Eco-Pass programs to increase bus usage; b) Require hourly parking or unbundled parking for all building users, including employees; c) Implement bicycle support amenities for all buildings.
Structure Size, Height
Implement and fund shuttle services from Cherry Creek to University / I-25, the Colorado Blvd / I-25, and Colorado / I-70 light rail stations to expedite service to the present transit network.
Propose to the City a Development Impact Fee Program to help fund Cherry Creek improvements — a plan which has created millions of dollars from developers in other cities.
Even with these Cherry Creek options and recommendations, the easiest and most effective solution for immediate traffic reduction is to address new building use, size, and heights. Therefore, reducing the total CCW new development square feet and height to eight (8) stories will have a significant reduction in vehicle trips.
Crosstown Bugs: Cherry Creek Dr. South has become a major thoroughfare for drivers crossing in either direction between University Ave. and Colorado Blvd.
Resident Support
What can residents do to help? Implementation of any of these recommendations falls under the purview of the various registered neighborhood organizations (RNO) and their respective Councilperson.
Each RNO should send a Position Statement to the City & County of Denver (Councilperson). If a Position Statement is not sent, then, in effect, the RNO is endorsing the CCW Project as submitted. Written resident comments can also be sent to your Councilperson.
All concerned organizations and residents should attend Planning Board and the City Council meetings to express their opinions. Approval of the submitted CCW rezoning will create traffic and congestion for the foreseeable future. RNOs and business organizations are the ones with the stature to make a formal submittal of objection.
About The Authors
If you have questions, please contact Wayne New at wayneindenver@gmail.com or David Steel at steelyard@msn.com.
