Englewood Herald 021722

Page 1

$1.00

Week of February 17, 2022

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

EnglewoodHerald.net

VOLUME 102 | ISSUE 1

Pandemic relief spending to go toward homeless, mental health County officials decide how to use federal dollars BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

3600 S. Galapago St. in Englewood, a small strip mall off Hampden Avenue, is the proposed site for 61 new for-sale condos and PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN carriage homes.

Zoning commission approves high-density housing on commercial site Plans call for 61 affordable units BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Englewood Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-1 Feb. 8 to recommend a new rezoning and development plan to the city council that seeks to build 61 new for-sale residential units on a 1.14acre site in what has historically been a commercial area of the city. The plans, put forward by Den-

ver-based developer Metropolitan Residential Advisors, will serve the “middle of the market,” according to CEO Peter Kudla, who spoke during the virtual public hearing. The proposed homes will be built at 3600 S. Galapago St., the site of a mostly vacant strip mall just south of Hampden Avenue. With prices expected to range from $275,000 to $475,000, Kudla said he believes the development will help fill a void in the city’s housing stock, which has seen little in the way of attainable housing for middle-class residents. The median home value in

INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 9 | VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | SPORTS: PAGE 14

Englewood is $530,000, according to developers, who also estimate that the median household income is $59,774. At that income, developers estimate that a household of one to two people could afford a home between $350,000 and $450,000, but not what is currently the median price in Englewood. “We’ve seen so many apartments come through and very little … opportunities for homeownership in Englewood,” said Michele Austin, the commission chair, who voiced support for the proposal shortly SEE ZONING, P5

Homelessness, housing, mental health and business support are among the main targets of dozens of millions in spending planned so far by Arapahoe County after receiving funds under the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The American Rescue Plan Act is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill signed into law in March 2021 with a goal to support the economic and public health recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the county said in a news release. The county has begun distributing the one-time bucket of federal funds it received in 2021, the Feb. 11 news release announced. “Arapahoe County will be the responsible steward for these funds by allocating them where they’re needed most across the community,” said Nancy Jackson, the chair of Arapahoe County’s elected leaders, the board of county commissioners. “We’ve already begun creating or expanding numerous programs and initiatives to address issues that fall outside of our normal budgetary limits and were exacerbated by COVID-related factors,” Jackson continued. Where dollars will go The county will distribute its SEE SPENDING, P6

REACHING READERS

Book clubs are no longer just confined to living rooms.

P12


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.