by Mark Smiley | Sep 5, 2017 | Main Articles
Some Exotic Dancers Feel They Are Being Badly Exploited By Class Action Attorneys Here In Colorado And Across The Country
by Mark Smiley
In a series of class action lawsuits filed in various states, lawyers for exotic dancers claim nightclubs are taking financial advantage of the women regarding employment status. But after recent settlements, some of the putative plaintiff dancers feel that it is the lawyers who are exploiting them, banking millions of dollars while giving the dancers less than what they would make in a single night’s work.
The claims by the dancers are in line with plaintiffs in other class action cases in the United States in which the only substantial beneficiary of the lawsuits are the contingency lawyers themselves. Lawrence Schonbrun in the American Thinker called it “The Class Action Racket.”
He points to the plaintiffs’ lawyers in the Ford Explorer SUV class action cases where the lawyers banked $25 million in attorney fees while the plaintiffs received a $500 coupon toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle with only 148 plaintiffs bothering to obtain a coupon. Thus all the class plaintiffs combined in that case actually received a total of $74,000 compared to the $25 million bonanza raked in by their attorneys.
In the Bank of Boston class action lawsuit the class members had as a result of the settlement their bank accounts credited with between $2.19 and $8.76 but then had their accounts debited up to $9.00 by the plaintiffs’ lawyers to cover the costs of the litigation. For this dubious benefit for their clients the plaintiffs’ lawyers collected $8.5 million.
Stripper Lawsuits
Plaintiff lawyers in Nevada and Michigan brought lawsuits on behalf of exotic dancers claiming that the strip clubs were violating labor laws regarding classifying the dancers as independent contractors and not employees and not meeting federal minimum wage requirements.
According to the Las Vegas Sun after over a decade of litigation plaintiffs’ lawyers on behalf of a class action of 28,000 dancers and former dancers agreed to a settlement of $6.55 million regarding 64 nightclubs across the country operated by Déjà vu Consulting Inc. The Sun indicated only $935,000 was available to be divided up among dancers who opt for cash payments. Most were to receive only credits against rental and other fees charged by the clubs. The article did not disclose how much in costs of litigation will be taken out and how much the plaintiffs’ attorneys will receive. It is however estimated that the lawyers would take in millions in cash.
Similar class action lawsuits have been filed in Denver by Mari Newman of Killmer, Lane & Newman, LLP. That law firm is best known for losing the lawsuit on behalf of University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill against the University of Colorado for wrongful termination.
Newman has brought separate lawsuits against PT’s Showclub in Denver and Shotgun Willie’s in Glendale (which advertises in the Chronicle). The initial hurdle for any class action appears to be the fact that the exotic dancers agreed to take any controversy, dispute or claim to binding arbitration held pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act.
Newman takes the position that the exotic dancers are too uneducated and lack the business savvy to understand a provision regarding binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act.
Extraordinary Contingency Fee
The Chronicle has obtained a copy of a Retainer Agreement prepared by Killmer, Lane & Newman, LLP signed by an exotic dancer for a case against PT’s Showclub. While plaintiff’s attorneys normally limit themselves to one-third of what is recovered, Newman is apparently demanding 40 percent of the total recovery as well as all costs. Some experts indicate that in their opinion the strippers are the ones being fleeced by their own class action attorneys as has happened in some other class action lawsuits attorneys.
In the “Plaintiffs’ Motion to Defer Consideration and Briefing of. Or Deny, Defendants’ Motion to Compel Arbitration” filed in the lawsuit in federal court Mari Newman declared:
“They [strippers] generally lack formal education and are at the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy. Defendants knew the Plaintiffs lacked the power, resources, and experience to negotiate fair treatment, and used this knowledge to exploit Plaintiffs . . . .”
Experts indicate that if Mari Newman and her firm believe this to be true, how would the dancers have any capacity to enter into a fair and equitable contingency fee agreement with their attorneys? In addition, how would they be able to knowledgably know whether to accept a proposed settlement agreement that doesn’t just enrich the class action plaintiff lawyers? The Motion would appear to be strong evidence against the attorneys should they ever be sued by the dancers for their actions relating to the lawsuit.
As a practical matter, it would appear the vast majority of the dancers at a nightclub like Shotgun Willie’s do have formal education, often into college and beyond and based on what they make at clubs like Shotgun Willie’s, they are far from the “bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy.”
Lawyers Held In Low Regard
At Shotgun Willie’s the opinion among at least some of the dancers of Ms. Newman and similar class action lawyers was relatively low. One dancer who goes by the stage name “Harper” stated for the record, “Honestly, from my perspective, I actually respect those lawyers a lot less than my fellow dancers, because I think they are making a less honest living than I am.”
Harper is a classical syphony harpist and has a master’s degree.
She also indicated that the somewhat paltry settlements for the dancers while vastly enriching the lawyers have become increasingly known. “The lawyers make all the money and those are the only people profiting.”
“Anytime the lawyers walk away with millions and all the entertainers for dozens of clubs split cash of less than a million, yeah, I’d say they [the class action attorneys] are bottom feeders,” said Michele Poague, the Manager of Human Resources at Shotgun Willie’s referring to other lawsuits.
“I think the attorneys are simply money hungry,” said Aumbree Whitmarsh, a former dancer who is now a manager at Shotgun Willie’s.
It appears that in various settlements in other states the dancers at the end do not become employees but retain their independent contractor status notwithstanding the fact that the original claims were that the same was illegal and exploitative.
The lawsuits filed in Colorado by Ms. Newman are expected to last for years if the prior lawsuits across the country are any indication.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 30, 2017 | Main Articles
The Department Directed By Brad Buchanan Is A fiasco And Failure Auditor’s Report States
Hancock Attacks City Auditor Tim O’Brien Claiming He ‘Misrepresented Audit Findings’
by Glen Richardson
City Auditor Timothy O’Brien hit a massive nerve in the Hancock Administration when he elected to do a routine audit of the Community Planning and Development’s Building Permit process. It was the 17th audit of Denver city operations by the City Auditor this year alone but the backlash from the Mayor’s office was extraordinary.
In his press release the City Auditor stated, “Long wait times and disorganized filing systems are delaying the issuance of building permits as intensive development continues in Denver.”
The Mayor’s office then sent a scathing letter attacking O’Brien declaring “your office issued a press release that politicized, dramatized and in some cases misrepresented the audit findings.”
The Mayor then declared, “The result of pushing out this promotion with no recognition of the improvements and innovations implemented and underway is that the employees are needlessly undermined.”
Reason For Mayor’s Reaction
The extreme reaction of a usually somnolent Denver Mayor Michael Hancock can only be understood say insiders by understanding that the Planning Department is run by the highly controversial Executive Director Brad Buchanan. He is accused by neighborhood leaders of selling out the citizens 
and neighborhoods of Denver in favor of high density developers and having a history of alleged ethical improprieties.
They cite the deliberate refusal to consider the impact of parking and
traffic concerns in the approval process in order to create greater profitability for developers. Buchanan’s quixotic interpretation of a minor change in the City’s planning code regarding small lots set off a micro unit development explosion. In a highly unusual slap at Buchanan, the City Council earlier this year rejected his proposed pro developer compromise and adopted one proposed by community groups.
Buchanan’s Incompetence
The City Auditor’s claim that Buchanan is simply incompetent in undertaking the mundane tasks of his Planning Department set Buchanan “off the deep end” according to sources within the Planning Department. Tensions are rising with the scale of new developments as cranky contractors and irritated do-it-yourselfers wait in line for hours to get permit approval to hammer, hang drywall, do masonry, carpentry and installation.
Brad Buchanan lives on a 1,500 acre ranch on Kiowa Creek an hour fro
m Denver and his purported lack of a strong work ethic and long commu
tes are said to hinder the Planning Department’s ability to keep pace with needed improvements.
The audit found lines to file construction permits with the department began hours before the office opens, and people have had to spend hours waiting to get help. Long wait times and disorganized filing systems are delaying the issuance of building permits as intensive development continues throughout the city. “A booming population means booming construction, and with that, a high demand for construction permits,” CPA O’Brien concludes.
Six-Month Backlog
Auditors found no defined organizational system and increased time wasted by staff searching for needed documents. Approved plans for archiving are backlogged by at least six months. Moreover, they found that although customer feedbac
k is provided and tracked, there is little or no management process for addressing the issues from customers. Furthermore, “Best practices, standardized by federal executive orders, have not been implemented.”
An audit of Planning’s Development Services division revealed inefficiencies in the permit intake process resulted in an average wait time of more than 1.5 hours for submission of a commercial or residential building permit. When compared to reported wait times in Aurora, Colorado Springs and San Diego, the division exceeds the average of 30 to 45 minutes.
The development services division also lacks a defined periodic review process of building permit fees, which are intended to partially or fully cover operational costs. Additionally, the division staff reported the City typically charges less for permits than surrounding municipalities. “This may shift some cost to the taxpayers,” the audit warns.
Rejects Technical Help
How has the City Planning Department staff responded so f
ar to the issues identified by the City Auditor’s Office to resolve key issues?
The Department responsible for implementing visionary city planning and ensuring safe, responsible and sustainable building throughout Denver has gone into its customary slowdown syndrome. It has agreed to address the long lines by training staff, but not until the end of next year (2018).
The department also says it will begin putting together a system to update its paper filing system through organization and the use of digital storage. The department also says it will try to develop a management process to act in response to the issues being reported from customer feedback. Officials also suggest they will review the fee process the audit indicates is possibly shifting department expenditures to Denver taxpayers.
Ironically Buchanan and the Planning Department refused to work collaboratively with Technology Services, the central information technology department for the City and County of Denver. That was the final recommendation made by the City Auditor. The recommendation would have ensured that former division employee access to the internal system Accela had been revoked. Although there apparently is a secondary internal failsafe to prevent former employees from logging into the system, it is still the agency’s responsibility to notify TS of terminated employees to revoke permissions.
Mayor’s Quandary
Critics indicate that Mayor Hancock has little understanding of how Denver’s various departments actually function. The normal reaction of a Mayor in Denver to an adverse audit report from the City Auditor would be to sit down with the head of a particular department and see how improvements could be made to address the concerns raised in the audit.
But Michael Hancock is not an ordinary Mayor. He was elected primarily due to the support of Pat Hamill and other developers who have funded and run his campaigns. They put Brad Buchanan into his position of Executive Director and depend upon him and his Planning Department for most, if not all, of the real estate schemes that they want implemented.
Thus any criticism of Buchanan and his Department, no matter how mundane, from a trusted source such as the City Auditor’s office must be meet with fierce and absolute resistance. Mayor Hancock certainly signed the letter to O’Brien but few in the city government believe he wrote it or even understood much of its content. According to some the Mayor’s letter has been a public relations disaster as it has brought unwanted attention to Buchanan and his Planning Department at a time when they want to avoid public scrutiny to the greatest extent possible.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 24, 2017 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
Chuck Bonniwell, the Publisher of the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, and his wife Julie Hayden, an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter formerly with Channel 7 and Fox 31 News, have taken over the critical afternoon drive time slot (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) for 710 KNUS radio. They have replaced longtime radio icon Steve Kelly and Krista Kafer, a semi-regular columnist for The Denver Post.
Kelly is retiring from radio work and reportedly has acquired a home in Florida. Kafer has indicated that she is looking into other openings both in and outside of radio.
Bonniwell and Hayden already do a top-rated Saturday morning show for KNUS, Weekend Wake Up with Chuck and Julie, which will continue. Thus Bonniwell and Hayden will be doing three hours of live radio on 710 KNUS six days a week.
The timing of the show is fortuitous as Hayden just won the third Emmy award of her television career on Saturday, July 15, 2017, for a story she did for KDVR television last year about the death of a baby due to neglect at a child care center. Hayden announced several month
s ago she was leaving KDVR television after 30 years in the business in order to help with her daughter’s cable television programs as well as take on independent programs.
“Everything has come together perfectly for me,” stated Hayden. “You really don’t want to be an on-air television reporter forever. No matter how well you take care of yourself at some point it becomes clear you are working with people less than half your age. I was able get out winning another Emmy, while at the same time having great opportunities in independent television, radio and the Chronicle.”
For his part Bonniwell views the drive time slot at 710 KNUS as an extraordinary adventure which may have a limited shelf life. “I have a full-time job running the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle and I have a separate law practice,” said Bonniwell. “Also, Julie and I didn’t have Rev [their 6-year-old son] so he could be a latchkey child. Having a hit radio show on Saturday morning is just fine. Doing radio full-time is not what I had contemplated, but the opportunity was presented to us and so we agreed to ride the wave for a little while anyway.”
710 KNUS came to dominate the talk radio world in Denver, after longtime radio legend Peter Boyles came to the station four years ago, after being fired by 630 KHOW as a result of a minor altercation with his longtime producer Greg Hollenback. KNUS has a smaller radio signal than its major competitors 850 KOA, 630 KHOW and 560 KLZ.
But the star power that Boyles brought over to the station has totally altered the talk radio landscape, in part because more and more listeners utilize their computer or mobile device to pick up shows. Boyles was recently the subject of a highly positive piece on his career by Mike Roberts in Westword.
Bonniwell and Hayden had a popular Saturday morning show on 850 KOA for several years until they were let go as part of a massive nationwide cost-cutting plan to save Clear Channel Radio (now iHeartRadio) from having to go into bankruptcy. The national radio giant which owns hundreds of stations had crippling indebtedness imposed on it as part of the acquisition of it by Bain Capital Partners (Mitt Romney’s old firm) and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $26.7 billion in November of 2006. iHeartRadio lost $300 million last year.
Salem Corporation which owns 710 KNUS also owns stations across the country but is a much smaller enterprise and is, according to SEC filings, profitable.
What is it like for a married couple to do a radio program together six days a week? “Luckily we have a great time together on and off air,” noted Hayden.
Bonniwell weighed in, “We have an enormous amount of fun and I think it comes across on air. We are there to entertain our listeners. I have my opinions, Julie has hers, our guests have theirs and the listeners and callers have theirs. We don’t pretend to have any corner on truth and any and all opinions are welcome. If Julie and I took ourselves and our opinions too seriously it could be contentious, but luckily we don’t … at least most of the time.”
by Mark Smiley | Jul 24, 2017 | Main Articles
Defiant Neighborhood Advocates Demand Action, Final City Council Vote Scheduled August 14
by Glen Richardson
Colfax Avenue is one the oldest and most prominent streets in all of Denver and was originally called “Golden Road” and then “Grand Avenue.” In 1868 in order to curry favor from the powerful Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Schuler Colfax, the city renamed the street “Colfax Avenue.” The renaming doesn’t appear to have helped much as there is no record of Schuyler Colfax ever doing anything for the city of Denver.
For a half century, there is no major commercial street that has been more ignored and non-funded than Colfax Avenue by the City and County of Denver. The street technically runs 26.5 miles through the cities of Aurora, Denver, Lakewood and Golden. But the stretch that is particularly denigrated is the eight miles running east from Sheridan Boulevard near Sloan’s Lake to Monaco Boulevard. The Denver Police Department is accused of dumping all of Denver’s social ills on this corridor including drugs and prostitution.
Bond Program
But notwithstanding that non-help, the eight-mile stretch has once again starte
d to prosper. The mayor of Denver and the City Council have been mapping out what to include in the proposal of its massive almost billion-dollar bond issue to be presented to the voters in November. The Colfax Corridor was allocated a somewhat pitiful $20 million for improvements, but that is better than the usual nothing. The money would go to make the corridor more walkable and pedestrian friendly allowing more of a m
ixed use main street feel.
Another $55 million was to be shoveled to the always greedy RTD for Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) from Broadway to Yosemite. Colfax east of Monaco will also get paved and have improvements related to BRT.
Last month the Colfax Corridor was, however, given the short straw once again when the proposed bonding money was cut back by Mayor Hancock’s staff from $20 million to a mere $6 million. This time however, the businesses in the form of BIDs a
nd nearby residents decided to fight back. They argued that without the original $20 million critical infrastructure would not be met and it eliminated items designed to make it a comfortable, walkable main street for the tens of thousands of Denver residents who live, work and go about their rounds there.
The enormous commotion raised by the Colfax Corridor advocates in fact worked, and the mayor’s staff restored the original amount in final recommendation to the City Council. But it isn’t over yet: City Council will make their final vote on August 14. If approved by the City Council and later by the voters in November it will be the first major public improvements on Colfax Avenue in 50 years.
All the city plans envision Colfax as a walkable, vibrant and safe main street that attracts people. Until now the reality hasn’t matched the vision because Colfax was designed and is maintained as a state highway. There are many lanes, the intersections are apart, with no landscaping or pedestrian lighting — all of this encourages motorists to speed. Colfax is now the city’s top crash corridor, with 10 pedestrian deaths in 2015-16.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the main street vision that has been on the books for so long,” says Hilarie Portell, executive director of the Colfax Mayfair BID. “If we make the area more comfortable and safe for people, we will attract more customers and more neighborhood-serving businesses.
Traffic, Flood Mayhem
The Mayfair BID is proposing a modest set of improvements, including enhanced pedestrian crossings, lighting, street trees and landscape, trash cans, bike racks and benches. These pedestrian-friendly improvements also reduce traffic speeds, promote stronger property values for businesses and homes, and create more local jobs and tax revenues for the city.
Parts of the Colfax Mayfair BID and adjacent neighborhoods are in the flood prone Upper Montclair Storm Water Basin. There is simply too much pavement and the old, small, underground pipes can’t handle heavy rainstorms. The Mayfair BID’s streetscape plans also include green space at intersections and 200 street trees. Fortunately these critical environmental upgrades have been restored to the bond package.
Portell’s point: These outcomes are precisely why the city has invested more than $40 million in Brighton Blvd. (20 blocks) and $37 million on South Broadway (17 blocks) in recent years. The current bond list also includes $23 million to improve five blocks of Washington St. north of I-70 and $16.7 million for a seven-block stretch of West 13th Ave. Apparently the Mayor has now found the additional $14 million for eight miles of our city’s iconic main street!
If Not Now, When?
It has taken 30 years for the four BIDs to organize, do the planning, accumulate funds for long-term maintenance costs and get the Colfax Pedestrian Improvement projects now on the bond list. Known as the Colfax Collaborative, the group is made up of four BIDS located along the corridor. They are from East to West the: Colfax Mayfair, Bluebird, Colfax Ave. and West Colfax. They continue working together on common challenges and opportunities on Colfax, including the safety and comfort of those living, working, shopping and socializing in each area.
Returning Colfax funding to the full $20 million supports the 15 neighborhoods representing 75,000 neighbors and six city council districts. Furthermore, it is projected to add 110,000 new jobs and as many as 25,000 new residents along the corridor in the coming years.
“Our BIDs are comprised of civic-minded business leaders who tax themselves more to make Colfax Ave. a better place for everyone,” adds Colfax Mayfair BID’s Jamie Harris. “As a group, we’ve already invested nearly $250,000 and have committed to spend millions on long-term maintenance. We are ready to partner with the city to bring Colfax to the next level as a truly great street.”
Councilman Chris Herndon adds: “This is an important investment in the character and usability of Colfax and one that I hope will have a ripple effect in encouraging reinvestment along the corridor and in the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Is Valley’s Main Drag At Turnaround Junction?
Colfax is a broad and bustling thoroughfare that in the past attracted hustlers and hipsters, not money and business. But despite the street’s hard-scrapped soul, construction projects keep popping up — especially on West Colfax. Could the Go Bond money be enough to cure its notorious hangover?
Colfax Ave., of course, is the official home office of Denver’s more than 10,000 city-county employees as well as the State Capitol building.
The old Denver post office building here has even attracted business. New York financial’s OnDeck Capital recently leased 72,000 sq. ft. The Fillmore Auditorium, the Ogden and Bluebird theaters, Twist & Shout and the Sie FilmCenter are all located along the strip. So is the McNichols Bldg. and Civic Center Park.
Furthermore, the street has always had “good bones” and wonderful neighborhoods, according to many BID officials, local businesses and residents the Chronicle asked about the street’s outlook. The $20 million in bond proceeds is but a fraction of what is needed for the Colfax Corridor’s lofty goals, but it is at least a start.
by Mark Smiley | Jun 23, 2017 | Main Articles
Ruby Hill Park Turned Into Music Venue
by Glen Richardson
Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration’s unceasing efforts to reduce parkland available to Denver residents and to monetize what remains was greatly enhanced by a scheme to turn Ruby Hill into an outdoor music venue throughout the year and convert adjoining Overland Park Golf course into a mega concert location for six weeks each summer.
The permanent Levitt Pavilion at Ruby Hill has been constructed at 1380 W. Florida Ave. near I-25 and Santa Fe along the Platte River. The first event is scheduled for July 20, 2017.
There are supposed to be 40 to 50 “free concerts” and 15 to 20 ticketed events. One resident noted: “There is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’ or a ‘free concert.’ Somebody is paying and somebody is making money. We know the city government is totally corrupt. The whole thing has the stench of a con job which we will learn about only later, if at all. I believe nothing the mayor or the members of the City Council say. Pockets are being lined throughout the city.”
The venue is projected to be about two and a half times bigger than Red Rocks Amphitheater, according to the Levitt website. The first free concert is Slim Cressna’s Auto Club. The first paid event ($40, $55 and $75) is the following night (July 21) when
UB40 legends Ali, Asto and Mickey, with special guests Matisyahu and Raging Fyah entertain. The next free concert is the Stone Foxes playing on July 23. Free August concerts are The Suffers on Aug. 3, John Fullbright on Aug. 4 followed by Gaby Moreno on Aug. 24. Levitt Pavilion’s first Beer Festival on Aug. 26 is expected to keep the “Rockin’ Ruby Hill Summer” hot as they’re adding a free concert by Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe considered as one of the best live bands on the planet. Denson now serves as the saxophonist in the Rolling Stones.
The just completed Pavilion itself is a metal mesh-clad building under-laid with a LED screen surrounding the stage. The stage is 43-ft. wide in the front, 30-ft. deep and 60-ft. wide in the back. The stage is large enough to hold the entire Colorado Symphony. The venue includes built-in food truck pads plus concessions. The venue’s official capacity is 7,500 concertgoers, with about 2,500 fitting within the main area where alcohol is allowed. But as executive director Chris Zacher reminds attendees, “The good thing about the venue is we have a movable fence line!”
Choir Of Concern
If huge crowds and the musical rebellion starting up at Levitt Pavilion isn’t enough to keep Denver’s south neighborhoods awake at night the City of Denver’s approval on June 20 for a three-day festival across the Platte River at the foot of Ruby Hill on the Overland Park Golf Course beginning in Sept. 2018 has even more detractors. That festival will be an annual event featuring musicians from a variety of genres on multiple stages, as well as food, art and culture. The private promoter of the admission-based music festival says it could host “between 60,000 and 200,000 people over three days.” The historic golf course is a quiet, countrified space just north of Evans Ave., east of South Santa Fe Blvd.’s rushing traffic and west of the Platte River. Many neighborhood residents had hoped to see it remain that way. Proponents, however, say “it will put Denver on the map and bring money into the neighborhood.”
Giant entertainment firm AEG pulled out and Superfly, the company behind both the Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., and Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco is the winner. They receive a five-year, six-week contract annually with the city and the golf course. The amount of time allows for setup, teardown and damage repair. The City Council approved contract is for five years at an annual rate of $200,000, with “additional monetary and non-monetary considerations,” to produce the annual three-day music festival at Overland Golf Course located in Council District 7.
The June 20 Overland Golf Course deal (City Council Bill 17-0678) was offered by District 8 Council member Chris Herndon and received unanimous approval. Wayne New was absent. Citizens briefed on the proposal say the festival will be modeled on the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco. That event drew 210,000 people last August.
Helene Orr, who lives on West Jewell Ave. across from the Overland Park course, says, “It wasn’t a real process to me. We aren’t in the contract. We can say ‘XYZ’ but how will we know?” Her worry: She believes the city intends to turn Overland Park into a permanent, large-event venue and notes that the Levitt Pavilion opening this month will already host 65-70 concerts per year. While Denver has more concert venues than say Austin or Nashville, it doesn’t have a Sixth Street or Music Row comparable to those cities. Valley music fans truthfully want Ruby Hill to become that location and so does the Mayor’s office and Parks & Recreation Department.
Listen To Tone
Area residents around Levitt Pavilion say they will be closely monitoring noise complaints and sound levels during both free and paid concerts beginning this month. Levitt officials say they hope to work with neighborhoods and make sound adjustments. The reassurances, however, aren’t likely to mollify neighbors opposed to the venue, especially once the fall school season begins.
In addition to the Valley’s music interests, there are supporters for next year’s mega concert on the Overland Golf Course. Rob Lovell and Rana Razzaque who live directly opposite the driving range — where the main stage would be built — argue, “This is progress.” It will be noisy for three days, but it will bring in world-class musicians. “A few large trucks are a small price to pay for a top-notch festival,” says Lovell. Razzaque believes the event will increase infrastructure into the area. Adds resident Paul Bodor, “I didn’t hear any downside that concerns me enough to cloud my enthusiasm.”
Before the Overland proposal was approved, the tone of the debate was less harmonious. “Parks are under attack all over the city and we have to band together to maintain our quality of life in Denver,” says parks activist Bridget Walsh. She has been critical of the Hancock administration’s use of City parks in the past. Mara Owen, president of the Overland Park Neighborhood Assn., says residents have been assured the golf course event would only go forward if community groups agreed it was a good idea. But Walsh adds: “Owen and I fear 200,000 people on a golf course will come to a no-good end.”
City Has The Brass
Denver put plenty of backspin o
n the proposal because with approval the city has scored an ace: The city will get between $1.5-$2 million from lease fees and seat taxes per year, more as attendance increases. District 7 City Councilman Jolon Clark calls the festival “an opportunity with an estimated $60 million economic impact.” Clark acknowledges that the money will go to the City’s general fund and not to the neighborhood. He adds, however, “I’ll fight to the death to secure the neighborhood a fair share.”
Adding to the City’s winning scoring game is Denver Parks & Recreation Executive Director Happy Haynes. She promised in a press release to “fulfill the guidelines set forth during the community input process.” Furthermore, she adds, the City will “hold the event organizers accountable to protecting that, which is valuable to our city, its residents and neighborhoods.”
Continuing public concerns and questions about the Overland Golf Course deal can be categorized into four main themes: 1) Concerns about impact to the golf course; 2) Concerns about impact to the neighborhood; 3) Benefits that would come to the golf course and surrounding area; and 4) Concerns regarding the contract length, local artists, affordability and revenue to the City. Despite the approval many residents say they have mistrust toward the city and wanted specific guarantees and accountability. Furthermore, residents remain uneasy about parking, trash, noise and community safety.
by Mark Smiley | Jun 23, 2017 | Main Articles
It’s The Latest And Greatest Rage In Lowry And Stapleton
by Julie Hayden
It’s no secret the Denver area has one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. But in the new homes in Lowry and Stapleton, the hottest “must have” amenity is a secret. A secret room, that is, a “panic room” or the now-preferred term — a “safe room.” And it’s no longer just for the highest of the high-end homes. Safe rooms are becoming much more mainstream in the Cherry Creek Valley.
Celebrities on the A-List have long invested in safe rooms. Top of the line bunkers offer much more than security from nuclear fallout or terrorist attacks. Some include everything from wine cellars, to Jacuzzis and storage for sports cars.
Lady Gaga’s $23 million dollar Malibu mansion has horse stables, a bowling alley, guest cottage and a safe room off the master suite.
The Napa Valley estate of late comedian Robin Williams featured not one but three safe rooms.
These are not just bunkers for billionaires anymore. One local realtor talking about safe rooms says, “Oh, they’re definitely here in homes in the metro area.” You may not see “safe room” cited in the listing advertisement, but he says, “There are definitely homes in the Denver metro market that include safe rooms as part of home security.”
And certain contractors say “safe rooms” are all the rage in the Lowry and Stapleton areas.
Safe Room Remodel
One Stapleton resident tells us he just finished a remodel project that includes a safe room. The family has young children and he says the project started as a reading and relaxing room for his wife. But the husband saw a booth at a recent home show for Hidden Doors By Design and decided to expand the project into a hidden safe room.
The secret door looks like a regular bookshelf from one sid
e. But it’s actually fortified, weighs nearly 500 pounds and slides open on ball bearing rollers to reveal the hidden safe room, complete with security communication lines. He estimates the entire project cost $6,000.
“There’s only one thing, “ he jokes. “We just had a baby so my wife never has any time to relax and read in her special room. “Still, he adds, It gives us some peace of mind knowing the safe room is there to protect us should we ever need it.”
Hiding In Plain Sight
A key requirement for any safe room is that it be hidden. Peggy Reed, owner of Hidden Doors By Design in Broomfield says her business is booming. She founded the Denver area company in 2011 and says she’s seeing an increase in the number of homeowners who want a hidden door to conceal a secret room. “I think it’s people who are concerned about safety,” she says and adds, “There is also an increase in people who store their guns and other valuables in a safe but now want the safe hidden as well. “
Reed doesn’t want to reveal security secrets, but explains the doors are fortified with an internal steel structure and look just like a bookcase or drawers and can pass the closest scrutiny. The homeowner accesses the hidden safe room with a remote-control device, which can be concealed anywhere, even disguised as a plant.
Hidden Doors By Design handles exclusive high-end requests. “We have two hidden doors being installed in a $5 million home in the north metro area,” she says. But a growing number of clients have homes in neighborhoods like Lowry and Stapleton. “We sell hidden doors to customers all over the metro area,” Reed notes. The cost varies depending on the design but most of their doors sell for $3,000 to $4,000 dollars.
Popularity Skyrockets
Panic rooms have been a hot topic since the 2002 movie where actress Jodie Foster played a mother huddling with her daughter in a fortified room while burglars invaded their home. In recent years, safe room consultants’ websites boast business is skyrocketing, with more and more people requesting the added security of a safe room.
The actual design is limited only by the homeowners’ imagination and budget. But in general, a safe room is an ultra secure area inside your home where your family can safely retreat during a home invasion, while calling for help and waiting for police to arrive.
And it’s not just for home security. Glendale Deputy City Manager Chuck Line won’t name names, but says, “There are businesses in Glendale that have safe rooms, places where the staff can safely retreat during an invasion or robbery until police get on scene.”
Line explains Glendale does not have any specific requirements regarding safe rooms. “But they have to meet the basic building codes covering things like access and fire protection.” Line points out most safe room building plans don’t actually use the term “safe room” with an arrow pointing to the secure location. But he says a sharp observer looking at building blueprints might notice a room constructed with specific fortified materials. “That would indicate it’s probably a safe room,” Line says.
Peace Of Mind — Priceless
As safe rooms become more popular, they’re also becoming more affordable. Per the websites of safe room contractors, you could fortify a walk-in closet for a few thousand dollars. On the other end of the financial spectrum, you could spend millions of dollars for one of the most luxurious bunkers.
But at a minimum, most secure safe rooms include a steel reinforced, vault type door, ballistic or bullet proof construction materials, a ventilation system, security monitors, survival supplies and back-up communications and energy systems.
Reed says whether you’re looking at a remodeling project or buying a new home, there are safe room options at just about any price point. And the peace of mind is priceless.
