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October 15, 2015 VO LUM E 1 1 | IS S UE 20
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ArvadaPress.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Good works don’t go unnoticed Creating a path toward home ownership PeaceJam Foundation made short list for Nobel Prize
By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Eighteen months ago, the nonprofit Arvada-based PeaceJam Foundation launched a campaign to inspire people
all over the world to create projects to help solve the most pressing issues facing humanity. This year, for their “One Billion Acts of Peace” campaign and international work to inspire peace, PeaceJam was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. “The most exciting thing was the huge outpouring of love and support that we received this past week, from so
many people who have been touched by PeaceJam over the past 20 years,” Dawn Engle, PeaceJam’s co-founder, said of the nomination. “They told us that PeaceJam was the foundation for who and what they have become today ... and that they are doing work to help others, and living
Works continues on Page 9
SUPER SCARECROW SATURDAY
Construction defects ordinance approved By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Kaitlin Sisneros, 3, smiles as she and her mom, Nicole Martinez, glue a button onto their decorated pumpkin at the annual Scarecrow Festival in Arvada. For more photos of the fun, turn to Page 12. Photo by Crystal Anderson
ELECTION GUIDE INSIDE! The 2015 Colorado Community Media candidate questionnaire election guide is located inside. Turn to Page 13 of this edition, and pull out information on all the candidates running for your city’s council race, as well as information on the Jeffco school board.
HELP US SALUTE OUR VETERANS Colorado Community Media wants to share with readers the stories of local residents’ service in the U.S. military in a special section that will publish in the papers of Nov. 12 and 13 saluting and honoring veterans. Servicemen and women — or members of their families — interested in submitting the history of their service to America may send information by email to newsdesk@coloradocommunitymedia.com Submissions must include the veteran’s full name, city or town of residence, dates of
service in the U.S. military, branch of service, military rank, medals and commendations, and a quote about why the individual served or the most meaningful aspect of his or her service. Contact information of the person submitting the information must also be included in case there are questions. For more information, email newsdesk@ coloradocommunitymedia.com or call Pat Smith at 303-566-4100. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Oct. 30.
Arvada has taken a step that officials believe will ease the way for first-time home buyers. On Oct. 5, the Arvada City Council passed an amendment to the city’s land development code that may help avert construction defects lawsuits and help first-time buyers purchase for-sale condominiums and townhomes in the city of Arvada. “For a lot of people, it’s easier to buy a condominium or apartment for their first home ownership,” said Mayor Marc Williams. “By having a plat note, it will help bring insurance costs down so these units are more attainable for buyers. We want to see those units getting built.” The amendment gives developers/ property owners the option of requesting a plat note — a note recorded with a respective plat (map) of the land — concerning construction defects claims. The note, if requested by the developer/landowner, would require mandatory arbitration of construction defect claims, instead of moving directly to a lawsuit. “I think the step Arvada has taken with the plat notes, the key piece being the binding arbitration, really does set up a critical piece in allowing the condominium piece to move forward,” said Mark Goldberg, president of Goldberg Properties and developer of the Park Place Olde Town rental apartment complex at Wadsworth Boulevard and Ralston Road. “It’s a better system and a less costly system to solving disputes.” Due to the current environment regarding construction defects, developers, on average, are spending up to an additional $30,000 per project in insurance costs alone to try to defend themselves if a lawsuit is filed, Goldberg said. “This is an especially important time for the city of Arvada in that we are about to open one of the greatest transit projects that we have ever seen in this region,” said Christine Jensen, an Arvada resident and manager of Cherry Creek Mortgage Co. during the Oct. 5 public hearing. “Today’s home buyers, I can tell you from experience, want transit-oriented development. They want multi-family. They want the ease of use of getting to the transit line and getting home. So these kinds of units — especially around the transit lines — are pretty critical that we get them built and that we get them built as quickly as possible.” Arvada is not the first municipality to pass a law like this. Lakewood passed an ordinance in 2014, which allows builders to fix the problems before litigation begins, and other municipalities, such as Littleton, Lone Tree, Parker and Aurora, have followed suit. “It’s important to have owner-occupied multi-family housing, townhomes and condominiums to attract first-time buyers who want to live in our community,” Williams said. To read a copy of the ordinance, visit http://bit.ly/1jjaR6A.