In a stunning civil lawsuit filed in United States District Court in Denver the powerful and highly politically connected Andrew S. Armatas is accused of sexual assault by a former judicial assistant. Armatas was originally appointed to the bench in 1990 by Mayor Federico Peña and was made the chief presiding judge in 1995 by Mayor Wellington Webb. He retired as chief presiding judge in 2013 but thereafter filled in when other judges were absent.
Judge Touchy Feely: Andrew S. Armatas (photo from 2000) who was the chief presiding judge for Denver County Courts for over a decade and a half has been accused of sexual assault in a blockbuster lawsuit filed in Federal District Court, at left. Armatas is a current member of the five person Denver Ethics Board.
Armatas is an active member of the five member Denver’s Ethics Commission having been appointed in 2013 by Mayor Michael Hancock who has faced various allegations of sexual misconduct himself while in office.
The Lawsuit
The Complaint in the case captioned Rebecca Norris v. City and County of Denver Case No. 20 CV 1226 was filed on May 1, 2020, and lays out a litany of alleged misdeeds by the judge regarding various women at the courthouse one of whom indicated that Armatas was known as Judge “Touchy Feely.”
The lawsuit alleges job discrimination and retaliation under federal and state law with Ms. Norris being fired in January 2019. She was hired in 2007 as a judicial assistant in Denver County Court and received Employee of the Year Award twice. She asserts she was fired in retaliation for her accusations against Judge Armatas, accusations she says the City ignored for more than two years.
According to the lawsuit, Norris claims she first complained about Judge Armatas in the summer of 2016. The lawsuit says she was working in an empty courtroom when Judge Armatas walked in and sat “uncomfortably close” to her. It also says Judge Armatas said to her, “You look like you like to get dirty. You look like you could get wild.” The Complaint declares “Judge Armatas then immediately made unwelcomed physical advances toward (Norris), kissing her and touching her breasts prompting her to scream at him to get away from her and demanding that he leave, whereupon Judge Armatas quickly left the courtroom.” The lawsuit says Norris informed her immediate supervisor that same day what had happened.
The Termination Letter
While efforts to reach Judge Armatas by the Chronicle have not been successful, his side of the story is at least partially laid out in the City’s Termination Letter to Ms. Norris of which the Chronicle has obtained a copy. The termination letter states Norris’ supervisor denies being told anything. It says Norris told inconsistent stories about what happened with the Judge and changed the date of the alleged incident after she learned the Judge was out of state that day. The termination letter says, “The evidence is clear that you made false allegations of a very serious nature against a judge in order to avoid discipline. The accusation that you told your supervisor immediately after the assault occurred and she did nothing in response is untrue and disturbing. You have betrayed the trust of the County Court with your dishonesty and false reporting.”
The Termination Letter asserts that Norris only brought up the allegations after she was under investigation for inappropriate comments to a co-worker. The Complaint, however, asserts that Judge Barry Schwartz confirmed that Norris advised him of the alleged assault before the disciplinary investigation. In the Com-plaint there are various other individuals identified who Norris told about the alleged assault on or about time the alleged assault occurred.
Norris’ attorney Kenneth Padilla responded that “This is a classic example of victim blaming. My client reported the sexual assault to her supervisor by phone immediately and her supervisor told her to take the day off. Furthermore, it was not documented by the city whatsoever. So reconstructing it three years later is very difficult. . . . Telling them they don’t have the right date, or you don’t remember everything. This happens frequently in sexual assault cases, they try to victimize the victim.”
Denver Ethics Board
In a bit of irony Judge Armatas was appointed to the Denver Ethics Board in 2013 by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock with his most recent term ending in 2021. Hancock was accused of sexually harassing a female police officer assigned to his security detail and the City paid a significant settlement in the case, but Hancock managed to avoid any discipline. Cases of sexual harassment are handled by the Office of Human Resources who developed a new sexual harassment training program for other city officials but cleared Hancock of any wrongdoing. It has been asserted that in the City and County of Denver there is one set of rules for the powerful like Mayor Hancock and former Chief Presiding Judge Armatas and another for everyday employees.
Birds Of A Feather: Denver Mayor Michael Hancock who has been accused of sexually harassing a female member of his police detail as well as being a john for a prostitution house in Denver, appointed Judge Armatas to the Denver Ethics Board in 2013 and reappointed him in 2017.
Bankruptcy
The Norris Complaint is not the first brush with notoriety for Judge Armatas. In March 1995 just two months after being raised to Chief Presiding Judge for Denver’s County Courts by former Mayor Wellington Webb he filed for federal bankruptcy under Chapter 7. He listed a mere $16,094 in assets, with and extraordinary $2,659,035 in liabilities. Patty Calhoun in her article in Westword (April 5, 1995) stated that Armatas’ explanation of the 1980s downturn in the real estate market leaves “a real odor in the court.”
The article notes that “when Mayor Wellington Webb asked Armatas to become the presiding judge, Armatas had to know that his bankruptcy filing was imminent. Rather than show judgment, though, he accepted the appointment.” The article goes on to note of the sealing of the divorce records of Armatas and federal tax liens filed against him
Allegations By Other Women
The federal Complaint by Norris set forth a myriad of other allegations by women working in the Denver County system which will be extremely embarrassing for Judge Armatas if allowed in the court proceedings. In July of 2018 Norris retained the services of Employment Matters, an outside consulting firm to help investigate her allegations and that of others. The Complaint states (underlines added):
“Nicole Coburn . . . who was employed by the [the City] as a courtroom clerk stated that Judge Armatas asked her out for drinks several times . . . that he asked for her phone number and that she gave it to him, thinking it was just to talk about work, but ‘then it got weird’; that he texted her on different occasions; that he asked her to meet him for drinks on weekends and after work; that she thought his behavior was creepy because he kept coming to her work area asking to go out with him and because ‘he’s so old.’ Judge Armatas was in his seventies and Ms. [Coburn] is in her thirties.”
“Stacie Beckwith, the Finance Manager for the Denver County Court, informed the Clerk and chief administrative officer of the Denver Count [sic] Court, Terrie Langham, that Judge Armatas had asked her out for coffee; that when she met him Judge Armatas asked her whether she had informed her husband about their meeting, that when she told Armatas that she told her husband everything, Judge Armatas responded that he didn’t tell his wife, touching her hand as she was holding her coffee cup in a way that she felt to be flirtatious and highly inappropriate . . . .”
“Connie Strehler, another Denver County clerk, stated that she worked in the adjoining courtroom that shared space for the courtroom clerks where Judge Armatas worked and that therefore, she had frequent contact with Judge Armatas. Also she said that after Judge Armatas retired, he filled in for her judge; that Judge Armatas always liked to hug female employees of the Denver County Court; that she did not appreciate Judge Armatas hugging her; . . . that Judge Armatas was known as Judge “Touchy Feely”; that Judge Armatas liked to hug a lot and that he hugged ‘the ladies.’ Not just her; and that on one occasion Judge Armatas caressed her hand, rubbing his hand on top of her hand, in a way she did not appreciate.”
The City has yet to file an Answer but a Scheduling and Planning Conference by phone has been set for August 12, 2020. The case has been assigned to recently appointed Federal District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico.
“Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.” — Frank Herbert
by Luke Schmaltz
In the midst of every crisis, there are those who rise to the occasion to meet the inherent challenges head-on. Today, such steadfast determination can be seen in the actions of frontline healthcare workers persevering through unprecedented circumstances.
Meanwhile, amid untold stress and confusion, there are scavenger-minded shysters who slink to the sidelines to wait for a distressed populace to reveal a new set of weaknesses upon which to prey.
A Climate Of Chaos
Fake Coronavirus test kits are being marketed to desperate consumers.
Currently, many people are preoccupied with the latest socially engineered concerns sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic. These include the health risks of becoming sick, how to prevent infection, what to do if you get sick and of course — the crippling panic that comes with the so-called impending collapse of the financial system. What makes these issues so dangerous is the deluge of misinformation and disinformation constantly spewed forth from just about every active media outlet. The ideological divide has somehow made politically motivated pundits the mouthpiece of what is largely a healthcare issue. The result is mass confusion, and the overarching revelation that the people “in charge” are incapable of agreeing on a clearly-defined set of fact-driven protocols.
The Trap Is Set
The ever-present “snake oil” has found a new online, electronic marketplace.
These circumstances have inspired a windfall of new frauds, swindles and rackets that are currently descending upon the unwitting and the confused like a swarm of electronic locusts. This pestilence is largely presenting itself through electronic channels — permeating the average victim’s technological bubble in the form of fraud-based phone calls, text messages, emails, social media posts and websites claiming to offer immediate solutions to abnormally urgent problems. Anxiety is winning over rationale, prompting desperate people to engage with offers and propositions that may seem too good to be true — because they are.
Bogus Services
People on Medicare or Medicaid, those with diabetes and individuals over 60 are particularly vulnerable to being targeted by scammers offering fake Covid-19 tests. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies reports that online advertisements and telephone solicitations are offering free testing — all the consumer has to do is provide personal information and health insurance details. Once divulged, the “vendor” disappears, and the scammers use the data provided to engineer identity theft and gain access to personal finances. Other predatory initiatives involve people contacting those in the above categories offering to help them with grocery shopping, retrieving prescriptions and other important errands with the stipulation that they provide their credit card information up front. The money disappears and the service is never rendered.
Bad Medicine
The IRS will only contact you by USPS mail.
Social media channels, email accounts and cell phone text messaging applications are being hijacked to deliver offers claiming to treat and cure the Coronavirus. Legitimate medical research professionals the world over have concluded that there is no definitive, 100% reliable cure and that no vaccine yet exists. Although there are treatments that have shown some promise and researchers are working to develop a way to inoculate against the virus — these efforts are still awaiting definitive results. In spite of the facts, scammers claiming to have the magic bullet that will execute fears of falling ill are bilking the easily-duped out of their money. These schemes feature snake oil in the form of tinctures, teas, essential oils, colloidal silver and other flim flam potions that will cure you of the disease and bolster your immune system.
Stimulus Check Liaisons
Many scams are targeting older folks and young people alike.
Young people and older folks alike — especially those who have been laid off from work or lost their jobs — are awaiting their share of the multi-trillion-dollar stimulus package which was recently passed by Congress. Scammers claiming to work for the IRS are contacting people via phone call, text message and email. They are offering to investigate the status of an individual’s stimulus check and to help usher the process along so the person can access the money sooner. Those who fall for the ruse are prompted to divulge their Social Security number and bank account information among other personal data which allows the scammers to steal their identities and what little money they may have in a savings account or other monetary fund.
It is very important to note that, according to www.irs.gov, “The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service … the IRS will call or come to a home or business when a taxpayer has an overdue tax bill, to secure a delinquent tax return or a delinquent employment tax payment …” Since stimulus checks are not a tax issue, no contact by the IRS other than through the mail should ever be expected. Also, these phishing scams are prevalent across social media, and merely clicking on them from a hardwired desktop computer can allow unauthorized access to your network, your passwords and ultimately to your money.
The pandemic has hatched a new batch of scams and fraudulent schemes.
What You Can Do
You can guard your personal information with hypervigilance and if you choose to engage with a company for any services, use caution and do some research to make sure they are legitimate. Better yet, you can choose to trust only those you know such as coworkers, relatives and neighbors when it comes to asking for help with day-to-day tasks. Meanwhile, you can also stay updated on newly-emerging scams by visiting www.StopFraudColorado.gov and help others by reporting any scams you encounter to the above department’s hotline at 1-800-222-4444 and to the Denver District Attorney Consumer Fraud Hotline at 720-913-9179. In short, there are currently no at-home tests and when there is a definite cure and a proven vaccine, they will be unavoidable headline news items and not secret elixirs from the online flim flam man. Plus, anyone you don’t know who is offering to assist you, is most likely aiming to do so by only helping you part with your money.
Tax Revenue To Drop $180 Million, Double ’09 Recession; Joblon Fears Cherry Creek’s BMC Eatery Ventures May Not Survive
by Glen Richardson
Construction that’s been a-boomin’ in Denver-Cherry Creek since 2013, fueled by a strong job market and a booming tech industry, is about to go bust. That’s the conclusion of an online panel discussion dissecting the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the metro economy.
From Boom To Bust: This DenverInfill photo of Block 162 in the heart of Denver’s Central Business District symbolizes city’s building boom. Projects such as this one on 15th St. between California and Welton are expected to be completed.
Hosted by BusinessDen — the Mile High City’s online homepage — a foursome of developers speaking at Assembly III made it clear that we’ve just seen a very abrupt end to the boom cycle.
Furthermore, the panel isn’t expecting a quick turnaround of the boom that stretched the boundaries of downtown and put a record number of cranes in the air. BMC Investments’ Matt Joblon, who has invested heavily in Cherry Creek, was blunt about what’s ahead: “I think we’re going pretty deep into a recession and I think it’s going to be drawn out, unfortunately,” Joblon cautioned. His reasoning: “You can’t put a global economy into a coma for two months and just turn it back on and expect things to go back to normal,” he asserted. “If you’re expecting that, you’re going to get punched in the face, really hard.”
Projects currently being built will obviously get finished, according to the panel, but after that it’s from full throttle to sudden stop. “When I can go out and buy a distressed asset at half the price I can build it new, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s going to happen,” Rhys Duggan, president-CEO of Revesco Properties, explicitly explained.
City Crunch
The nationwide financial crisis created by the pandemic and policymakers is doubly grim for Denver. In terms of vulnerability, the City is ranked the nation’s third worst, just behind Detroit. Denver is one of the cities that relies heavily on sales taxes, meaning the closure of restaurants and retail outlets will create an immediate reduction in city revenue. The city’s financial staff expects city tax collections to shrink by an estimated $180 million. The shortfall equates to a 12% drop in tax revenue — roughly double the hit caused by the 2009 recession.
Apartments Anxious: Broe’s Country Club Towers is symbolic of Denver’s apartment buildup. One of the country’s top three apartment builders, Denver could face a disaster as recession historically hits apartments hard.
The fact is Denver’s stay-at-home mandate has cramped consumer spending, crippled restaurants and shops, canceled the city’s tourism industry, and essentially vacated DIA. As a result, tax collections from local and online retail stores, restaurants, bars, marijuana dispensaries, hotel stays, car rentals and jet fuel taxes are quickly drying up.
Another big worry is the city’s massive buildup of new apartments. Denver has been among the top three apartment builders in the country, adding more than 15,000 new units per year. History has shown that recessions hit apartments hard. People stop filling units immediately. Vacancy spikes and rent falls. This could be a disaster scenario for Denver since developers were continuing to add tens of thousands of units as 2020 was getting underway.
A New Ballgame
Finishing Up In Creek: Construction is being completed at the former Inn At Cherry Creek by developer Matt Joblon. He predicts the Clayton St. hotel-social club will be the last hotel or other new project to be built in the district anytime soon.
A survey conducted by the Colorado Restaurant Assn. indicated that if eateries weren’t able to open until mid-May, 11% would close permanently. If not opened until the end of May, upwards of 20% might close permanently. Joblon is even less optimistic, predicting that 30% of restaurateurs and retailers will not open again. “That’s going to create massive retail vacancy and unemployment right there,” he told the panel. Joblon adds that as things start to open again, Cherry Creek’s high-end restaurants — including those BMC has invested in — might not be able to survive.
The Valley’s hotel industry is expected to fare even worse. Currently building a new hotel in RiNo that’s scheduled for opening next spring, panel member Andrew Feinstein — managing partner of Exdo Properties — had this to say about the hotel outlook: “The good news is we are on time, and the bad news is that we are on time,” he declared. “It’s going to be a whole new ballgame delivering a hotel with a restaurant and bar in May 2021, but I’m glad it’s May of 2021 and not May of 2020.”
Later Is Better: Panelist Andrew Feinstein of Exdo Properties is glad this new hotel on Walnut St. won’t open until May of 2021. Exdo is developing the yet to be named Sage Hospitality Hotel along with Walnut Development partners.
Joblon’s BMC Investments is currently building a hotel and social club on Clayton St. in Cherry Creek, but isn’t expecting additional hotels or other new projects to be built in the district. Thus plans for a hotel at the shuttered Bombay Clay Oven site on Cherry Creek’s Steele St. is unlikely. A pair of developers paid $2 million for the site but a San Francisco firm set to lease the project pulled construction plans when the pandemic hit.
Also in question is the redevelopment of the east side of Clayton St. across from Joblon’s hotel. Broe Real Estate planned to begin a makeover of the eastside of the street this spring. Transformation plans included demolishing two existing structures and replacing them with an eight-story building. Another seven-story building was to be built at an existing parking garage site.
Hotels Hemorrhaging
Virus Closes Palace: Denver’s legendary-ritzy Brown Palace hotel that opened in 1892 hadn’t closed until hit by the pandemic. Most hotels have been forced to close including downtown’s Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt.
Denver’s hotel and hospitality sector has been among the Valley’s hardest hit by the pandemics. Owners and investors are reeling, as occupancy dropped to zero and most shut down. Closures included the legendary-ritzy Brown Palace that opened in 1892, and hadn’t closed until now. The city-state’s largest hotel, the Gaylord Rockies Resort also closed, its $80 million, 317-room expansion postponed to stave off money losses. Downtown’s Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt also closed as did the JW Marriott and Halcyon in Cherry Creek. Occupancy isn’t likely to come back until at least the fourth quarter of 2020.
The metro Denver market contains 44,437 rooms across 318 hotels. Another 1,263 keys were delivered during the last 12 months, the largest increase in hotel rooms in Denver’s history. Hoteliers must now grapple with finding a GPS to get them back on the road safely as they begin to accelerate. Unlike in previous years, high speeds could spell disaster unless they make smooth, sensible decisions.
The road ahead will also be challenging for city-state car dealers as Colorado’s first quarter car registrations through March 2020 declined 22.1%. Moreover, Colorado Automobile Dealers Assn. President Tim Jackson is predicting up to a 60% decline, or more, over the next couple of quarters as the impact of the virus impacts travel and the economy.
“We are kept keen on the grindstone of pain and necessity.” — H.G. Wells, The Time Machine
by Luke Schmaltz
The recent government-mandated closure of non-essential businesses derailed the economy like an F-5 tornado blindsiding a freight train, a manmade construct forced to bend to the unflinching will of nature.
The current fiscal catastrophe is — as some economists are predicting — the harbinger of an impending recession or perhaps even worse. Regardless, some Denver businesses owners and entrepreneurs are determined to adapt to these incredible circumstances and find a way to survive.
Wings To Go: Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the takeout-only model has proven to be viable for businesses such as Fire on the Mountain in Wash Park and Sloans Lake.
Many national brands across various industries are thriving like never before. Some include Zoom (video conferencing platform), Tushy (portable bidet maker), Drizly (delivery of adult beverages), Cleancult (organic cleaning products), GrubHub (restaurant delivery) and many more. Similarly, many local businesses are shifting direction to keep their sails unfurled amid chaotic tradewinds. While some have reconfigured operations, others have simply been in the right place at the right time.
It’s no secret that businesses such as grocery stores, liquor stores, marijuana dispensaries and gun vendors have multiplied their sales exponentially over the past month. Less surprising, however, are dine-in restaurants doing takeout only, custom clothiers, local breweries and bicycle repair shops who have found new revenue streams.
Ramping Up Takeout
The dine-in aspect of food service is widely employed because table service facilitates higher ticket averages than to-go orders. Yet, the takeout-only model has proven to be viable for fast food brands and independent restaurateurs alike. While most establishments without a takeout dimension to their business model are shuttered, a few holdouts have managed to pare down operations, shift focus and continue serving a populace that shows no sign of losing its taste for professionally-prepared cuisine.
While the upheaval is nothing short of devastating for most, Fire on the Mountain has managed to harness the inertia of a disaster for life-saving revenues. Manager Craig “Cheech” Oberlink explains how FOTM’s current solvency is based on a deep-rooted connection to the community, “The neighborhoods we are in are super-supportive and family-centric.” Both FOTM Denver establishments are leveraging their “ready to go-centric” offerings for takeout-only service. Rather than dilute their revenues by accessing GrubHub or UberEats, they have opted to keep the revenue stream in-house. Staff members are the delivery drivers, bringing hot wings and brand favorite Vegan Mac-and-Cheese-Balls to loyal customers. As Highlands employee Aaron Howell puts it, “I feel that I am doing important work by feeding people and they [FOTM] create a culture that facilitates that.”
Fire on the Mountain treats people well and fosters loyal employees and patrons.
Although FOTM has had to pare down, those left with jobs such as Howell are grateful. “They have done so much for me that I am willing to lean into this crisis, help out
however I can. I feel the same way about them as I feel about my own family. Everyone has to pick up an oar and row the boat.” Meanwhile Oberlink — an industry veteran — remains cautiously optimistic, “It feels good to keep people employed and to see the neighborhood support the restaurant. A lot of places can’t stay open so we feel super lucky.” Sales are not what they were a month ago, yet FOTM seems to have struck an affable nerve within the community. Oberlink recounts a recent morning, “I showed up to work and there was a big heart cut out of cardboard taped to our door that said ‘Stay Strong.’”
Good Neighbors
Esters Pub is grateful to serve a reciprocal community.
The notion of appreciative patrons is apparent, as Esters Neighborhood Pubs are feeling the crunch but not the cold shoulder. Owner Paul Sullivan explains, “The community and our neighborhood have been absolutely amazing in supporting us and continuing to call in orders. There’ve been so many touching moments from customers including dropping off face masks for our coworkers, randomly buying lunch for front line workers, multiple tips of over 100%, buying large gift cards just to support the restaurant and the list goes on. It has made me realize that Esters and this community is so much more than the dollars and cents of the situation. Even though this pandemic has been terrible for a lot of people, I am humbled and grateful for the amount of kindness I have been witnessing.”
Mask Production
Equilibrium Clothing has shifted focus to serve local heroes.
Heroes in the trenches of the fight against COVID-19 work in essential capacities — most importantly in hospitals. By March 19, signs were pointing to the grim reality that the pandemic had the potential to catch the frontline off guard. On March 19, Deb Henriksen — owner/operator of Equillibrium Clothing — contacted an associate working as an ER nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital to gain an informed perspective. She quickly discovered that essential personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies were running dangerously low. Henriksen jumped into action and began making multiple-use masks from hemp and bamboo textiles she had on hand. The impetus was to deliver immediate support in a “sew-it-forward” gesture of community service bolstered by long-earned brand integrity. She furthered her efforts to support the Athena Mask Project — informed by her role as an online teacher at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD). Online sales of Equillibrium Face Masks have since spiked, and she pledges to continue giving away one mask to those in need for each sold and to donate 10% of revenue to sustainable initiatives. Henriksen attests, “The sales keep my work essential and going, I am very grateful for that. I know there are many people out of work, and I cannot say the same thing.” She also adds, “ I have been deeply touched by the appreciation of what I am doing from those who receive masks. It brings great joy in a time of sadness to help out others.”
Mockery Brewing offers craft beer convenience with curbside pickup.
Closing The Gap
Just as a beer can opens and the drinker pulls it to their lips, so too do libations at large have to make their way to the intended recipients. Yet, bars are shut down —interrupting the supply chain from producer to consumer by cutting out the all-important, confluence of social drinking. Local breweries are facing plummeting sales to the tune of 80%, yet stalwarts like Mockery Brewing forge forth — offering curbside pickup of crowlers and bottles of their 14 selections of beers. This is a trying time that has brought out the best in some people. Owner/Brewer Zach Rabun explains, “We have seen some truly generous tipping from a handful of customers. This is a great boon to both our bartenders and
overall morale. We have also had a lot of our suppliers reach out to see how they can reorganize to best support our needs.” As the social dynamics shift, Rabun and his staff remain flexible in order to accommodate their customers. “We set up an online portal to allow people to make pre-orders before stopping by the brewery, as well as request deliveries. This has kept everything running very smoothly and prevented lines from forming, thereby avoiding any social distancing issues. Since the majority of our sales are coming in the form of crowler orders, we have been able to offer our full selection of beers.”
Upcycle
All bicycle repair shops such as Totem Cyclery and Base Camp Cyclery are operating on an appointment-only basis. Yet, the stay-at-home decree has prompted desktop dynamos and cubicle curmudgeons alike to turn themselves into overnight athletes. Local bike shops are reporting record numbers of requests for repairs and upgrades. In the midst of mass death — lazy people are, alas, trying to get healthy. Specialized boutique tune-up shops are becoming Hipster Jiffy lubes and Yuppie Grease monkeys. This shift reveals the urge within many who make that New Year’s resolution to get in shape and lose that unnecessary weight to actually do it.
Base Camp Cyclery helps people get rolling again.
Perhaps in the pursuit of treating ourselves better, we can learn how to treat one another with the same respect, dignity and grace. A major shift is at work. The pandemic is local. To live through it as a community, we must eat well, be kind, breathe pure, drink locally and ride with purpose.
Healthcare Workers?: The pictures of two persons blocking the “Operation Gridlock” protestors became international news. They identified themselves as Covid-19 nurses at a local Denver hospital. Others have claimed they were allegedly workers at a strip club in Adams County.
Balancing Act: Governor Polis has a difficult job trying to balance safety from the Covid-19 virus with the economic well-being of the state. He has been giving regular press conferences on the Covid-19 pandemic in Colorado, from the Governor’s Mansion.
Commercial and social life is slowly opening up in the Cherry Creek Valley from downtown Denver to the dam. Governor Polis issued his stay at home order on March 26, 2020, which was largely obeyed, but on Sunday, April 19, 2020, a large rally attended by over 1,000 people protested the restriction at a rally at the State Capitol titled “Operation Gridlock.”
The next day Governor Polis declared that stay at home order would not continue past its revised ending date of April 26. Curbside delivery for retail could also open that day and other retail on May 1. Large businesses would be allowed to open May 4 at 50 percent capacity while restaurant, bars and clubs are anticipated to open mid-May with various restrictions.
Restaurants in the Cherry Creek Valley worry that the restrictions may be so onerous that they cannot make a profit, thus making it unwise to hire back workers until they understand what the regulations entail. David Peterson, owner of the Bull & Bush Brewery on Cherry Creek Drive South, stated that he does not expect restaurants to return to pre-pandemic revenue levels for at least a year, if then.
Normal Or Bygone Era?: It is not clear whether what was once a normal scene prior to the Covid-19 pandemic will ever return totally.
Jeff Allen, COO of the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce noted: “The problem is that the restrictions/regulations will be made by those who do not own and operate the businesses. Alternatively, those businesses with political connections will influence the decisions to benefit themselves and hinder their competitors.” Others fear once the most draconian restrictions are lifted, businesses will play fast and loose with the remaining constrictions and risk the re-spreading of the COVID-19 virus.
Nurse Or Stripper?
In a presidential election year, virtually any controversy quickly becomes political, and the COVID -19 Pandemic is no exception. At the aforementioned Operation Gridlock protest held on April 19, a man and a woman dressed in nurses’ scrubs blocked a crosswalk at 12th and Grant Street where protestors were trying to drive through. A freelance photographer took pictures that some people claimed were staged. The photographer, Alyson McCaren, denied the allegation by controversial Channel 9 anchor Kyle Clark whose reporting is generally viewed by some with great suspicion. The pictures went around the world and the two nurses/physician assistants were lionized in much of the world press.
Another Clark Hoax?: Controversial 9News Anchor Kyle Clark has been accused by some of possibly being part of a hoax to portray the counter protestors at the Capitol as healthcare workers.
The counter-protestors told a Westword representative that the two of them worked at a Denver hospital with COVID-19 patients. They indicated that they wanted the Operation Gridlock protestors to know that they were the ones on the front line fighting the pandemic. The man has been identified allegedly as a disc jockey at a strip club in Adams County, Colorado, and the female purportedly is his girlfriend and a stripper at that club as well as in Denver. The pair has also been purportedly involved in harassing recall Polis petitioners.
Regardless of who people were or were not, the political parties have lined up on either side of the debate. Democrats have stressed public safety and minimizing the spread of the virus with less regard to the immediate economic impact. Republicans have noted that severe economic impacts also have their health risks including increase in drug and alcohol abuse as well as spikes in suicide rates. It is unlikely either side will convince the other to see it their way.
Rally At Capitol: Over 1,000 protestors showed up at the Capitol on Sunday, April 19, 2020, to protest the strict economic lockdown by Governor Polis. The following day, the Governor announced a gradual lifting of the economic lockdown.
Long Term
The long-term questions are whether COVID-19 will return stronger than ever this fall without a vaccine being developed and what are the permanent economic consequences of suddenly shutting down a once booming economy. No one has an answer to those questions on which the lives and livelihoods of so many will depend.
Under the current Denver Zoning Code 11.12.2.1.B.2 (DZC), the number of people who can live together as a household (who are not related by blood) is limited to just two. While this does not include blood relatives or persons under 18, it places tangible parameters on what is commonly known as a “single-family home.”
Flop Houses Of Yesteryear: Rooming house dynamics of yore have come to the fore.
After a series of public hearings about how to best accommodate growth in Denver over the next 20 years, residents in several neighborhoods are voicing their displeasure with City Council’s proposal to update its residential use rules in order to increase density in neighborhoods.
A Civic Dilemma
As the housing crunch continues to tighten, community leaders and other influencers are looking for ways to address the needs of vulnerable populations who face difficulty finding viable housing but does not cost the city any government money. These include persons at risk of becoming homeless, college students, people overcoming addiction and special needs individuals who must reside near service facilities — among others.
The Group Living Project (a City of Denver initiative) seeks to update the DZC’s definition of “household” and regulatory policies which would extend from single family homes to assisted living facilities, shelters and group homes. This initiative aims to amend the current Group Living Code to “increase flexibility and housing options for residents, to streamline permitting processes for providers while fostering good relationships with neighbors, and to make it easier for those experiencing homelessness, trying to get sober or who have other special needs [to] access services with dignity.”
Proponents argue that the plan would allow Denver to address its affordability problem by building non-traditional housing. Critics say that while the city does have an affordability problem, fixing it should not come at the expense of current homeowners.
This policy proposal is a key element of Blueprint Denver 2019, a 300-page document that outlines the city’s plans to accommodate growth through 2040. While it is not regulatory in nature, the hefty document serves as a supplement to a similar plan passed in 2002 and is meant to guide local government decision making into the future.
A Significant Change
The proposed amendment would increase the number of unrelated adults who can live together from two to eight in a property of up to 1,600 square feet in size. The provision would also allow another adult for every additional 200 square feet of finished floor area in larger properties. The breadth of proposed revisions to the DZC include more conservative recommendations of just four to six unrelated adults per property, yet all proponents of the amendment are championing the impending positive impact.
If the above parameters of eight adults in one home were amended into law, the new “household” definition would be applicable to 42% of single and two-unit properties. Similarly, nearly 58% of detached residences and duplexes could house up to nine unrelated adults and approximately 41% could house 11 or more adults unrelated by blood. While the new parameters would mildly affect “household” living in single-unit and multi-unit properties, they would greatly expand the potential for group living facilities — the number of which could rapidly increase — seemingly overnight. These could include properties that, after a quick remodel, could be repurposed into homeless
shelters, community corrections facilities (halfway houses), special care facilities, transitional housing, assisted living, nursing and hospice, co-ops, sober living, elderly care and student housing.
Questionable Motives
The Group Living Code Amendment is being proposed and supported by the Group Living Advisory Committee (GLAC). An insider of the group (wishing to remain unnamed) recently divulged that, curiously, over 75% of members and stakeholders in the GLAC have ties to for-profit group living businesses and organizations. Aside from household living, the above list of group living distinctions does one thing: it opens residential districts to dynamic, overlapping sectors of highly lucrative commerce. While increasing the number of people landlords can legally charge rent to, the amendments could potentially make Denver a prime target for corporate investors and foreign interests. The changes could cause yet another spike in residential property values, but then, as the rooming houses fill up, values could quickly decline due to lack of parking, noise, overcrowding, safety issues and sanitation concerns.
Tight Quarters: Would you pay $140 a week for this?
In recent years, measures similar to what the GLAC is proposing for Denver have been passed in Seattle, Atlanta, and Chicago. While Seattle’s housing crunch is well documented, perhaps it is not common knowledge that many homes in the city were bought by investors who divided up living rooms and garages to turn multi-bedroom homes into dormitory-like dwellings for up to 12 renters. In Atlanta, the loose definition of “household” is being exploited by outside and foreign investors who are turning neighborhoods into districts full of by-the-room renters with little stability and no protections. These units go for an average of $140 per week in properties with scant common areas and in many cases — one bathroom for the entire domicile. Meanwhile, a similar trend in Chicago dubbed “upzoning” has rendered an opposite effect city planners hoped it would have. In January of last year, Citylab .com reported: “A new study of zoning changes in Chicago finds that they led to higher, not lower, local home prices, while having no discernible impact on local housing supply.”
Follow The Money
Critics of GLAC assert that the GLAC’s plan was conceived via tunnel vision, because it contains various glaring instances of considerable oversight. The critics point out that the amendment includes no measures ensuring that new facilities are evenly spread throughout the city. It does not limit the opening of more facilities in communities that already have a concentration of such. It includes no stipulations for specific distances between facilities and it does not restrict for-profit homes in neighborhoods where no demand exists. For opponents, the bottom line remains that rental income on a single- family household unit could go from charging one family, to collecting week-to-week and month-to-month rent from eight to 12 residents. That’s a hefty incentive for landlords and investors in for-profit group living organizations.
Rules: Residential Use rules have pushed many low-income service providers to the outskirts of Denver.
“I just don’t see any positive things about it whatsoever,” said longtime Denver resident Jerry Doerksen. “There are already several houses in our area where four or more unrelated individuals are living together and the appearance of the home and yard reflects the lack of personal interest,” Doerksen said. “Four inhabitants, four cars. There is no enforcement of current code regulations, and it seems improbable that there would be any enforcement of regulations under the proposed plan.”
“Denver is a diverse city and the planners should take account of all the different characteristics of each neighborhood and the wishes of the residents,” one Washington Park resident who wished to remain anonymous told the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle in an emailed statement. “Further, Denver needs to assess all related impacts of such zoning changes.”
While Denver’s affordability issues live on, some homeowners see themselves as stuck in a no-win situation. They’re going to be forced to give up ownership of their property or their stake in a neighborhood, or both.
“Yes, there is a problem with the high cost of housing in Denver but it’s certainly not fair or appropriate to place the solution of the problem on the backs of homeowners who have chosen to live where they do in order to avert the very situations this proposal would create,” said Doerksen.
Whether the proposed amendment to the DZC will work is still a matter of speculation. At best, it could offer relief to the lack of affordable housing and at worst, it could convince reasonable people to not want to live In Denver at all. Either way, the GLAC is pushing to make group living property investors a lot of money.
