SEE BOX

basic toiletries and toys.

The custom-made box is weatherproof and animal proof, Forlines said.

The attached metal basket on top is for seasonal fruits and vegetables in the spring and summer, he said. On the side of the box, there is a bulletin board for people to place announcements.

To help ensure the box stays stocked, Forlines said there is an online sign-up sheet asking residents to volunteer for a week in which they will stock the box at least once and clean it if needed.

“It’s always been the goal to have it as self-sustaining as possible, so if I can get volunteers to help, that’s great,” he said. “My vision is to empower others to take as much ownership as they feel comfortable, especially around kids. I think it’s great for kids to get involved and help out.”

The neighborhood group is also looking for contributions and donations from local programs and businesses, Forlines said.

“I think school supplies and kids activities and crafts would be something that could go well, because I think it really gives the kids something to participate in,” he said.

Creating the box

The process of establishing the community box began earlier this year after Forlines discovered the City of Englewood’s Neighborhood Improvement Grant was available.

The grant allows neighborhood groups to apply for up to $3,000 for a neighborhood project, according to the city’s website. It is offered as part of the city’s Neighborhood Resources Program, which aims to build strong and inclusive neighborhoods in Englewood.

The Belleview Park Neighbors received $2,500 for the community sharing box, Forlines said. After getting the funding, Forlines said it was diffi cult to fi nd a pre-made animalproof box that wasn’t too expensive.

“I ended up fi nding a metal shop in Cañon City that is actually part of the Department of Corrections,” he said, explaining he thinks the prisoner working program with the metal shop was involved in the box’s creation.

To solidify the box in the park, Englewood’s parks department poured the concrete foundation for it, Forlines said.

“It was really a big team effort,” he said, explaining he also worked directly with Madeline Hinkfuss, the city’s neighborhood resources coordinator.

To celebrate the opening of the community box, the group recently held a ceremonial opening with some local families, Forlines said.

“People were excited,” he said. “We’re already seeing people taking ownership of it, and kids getting really excited about contributing.”

He said his 3-year-old daughter helped unload the groceries they got into a wagon, which she pulled across the park to stock the community box.

“We really love the neighborhood and are really pleasantly pleased with how supportive the city is,” he said.

Establishing Belleview Park Neighbors

Forlines inquired about creating a neighborhood group around fall 2020 after himself and his family moved to the city, leading to the creation of the Belleview Park Neighbors group.

He describes the neighborhood group as a fl exible coalition that he hopes more people will join.

“It’s less effort than I think people think it is,” he said. “I just encourage people to get involved at their comfort level.”

An ongoing initiative for the Belleview Park Neighbors is its “Family Contact List” which is focused on connecting families with children to organize playdates and activities.

The group has also held events like a pumpkin carving and a children’s talent show, helping introduce neighbors to one another, he said.

Forlines expressed gratitude to the city for its support, such as sending out newsletters for events for free.

“The way the city helps, really, has been a lifeline to keep people connected and then to help kickstart that connection again,” Forlines said. “I feel empowered and connected to the city with the generous resources that they’re — they’ve been able to help.”

Overall, Forlines hopes the community sharing box will help build stronger connections between neighbors.

“I think this can help bond people in that way, in a sense of giving and sharing,” he said. “It’s understanding that we do need each other and this is just a little reminder of that.”

Getting involved

Those interested in volunteering to stock and clean the community sharing box can sign up online at bit.ly/communitybox.

To stay updated on what the neighborhood group is doing, residents can visit its webpage at engaged.englewoodco.gov/ belleview-park-neighbors. Residents can also contact Forlines by emailing belleviewparkneighbors@gmail. com.

Interested in starting an Englewood neighborhood group? Find out how to organize one by visiting the city’s website: bit.ly/ NeighborhoodGroup.

The community sharing box has a bulletin board for people to share announcements on. COURTESY OF ANDREW FORLINES

A return to authentic.

The Schweiger Ranch Austrian Christmas.

Saturday, December 3rd, 11-5 pm.

Welcome all to this free event, celebrating Austrian food and drink, holiday lights, Santa Claus and real reindeer. Inspired by the genuine holiday traditions of the Austrian immigrants who settled Schweiger Ranch. “Frohe Weihnachten!”

10822 S. Havana Street, Lone Tree.

Just east of I-25, south of RidgeGate Parkway.

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Veterans Day

All County o ces will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday. Visit arapahoegov.com/calendar

The Passive House is the fi rst in Colorado.

COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Local duplex becomes state’s fi rst multifamily certifi ed Passive House

BY KYLE COOKE, JEREMY MOORE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

After Seth Riseman’s Louisville home burned down in the Marshall Fire, he struggled to make a decision on what to do going forward — sell the lot and move on, or stay put and rebuild in a neighborhood he loves?

The second option won out in the end, and like many of the victims of the Marshall Fire, which destroyed over 1,000 structures in Boulder County last year, Riseman is hoping to rebuild his home in a way that makes it more energy-effi cient and fi re-resistant.

Riseman recently attended a private tour of a unique home in Englewood — it’s the fi rst multifamily, certifi ed Passive House in Colorado. Building to Passive House standards is considered building to the gold-standard of energy-effi cient buildings. A home must meet strict criteria in order to be certifi ed as a Passive House.

“I’d like to do the passive home, but it depends on getting a builder who can build it,” Riseman said.

The multi-family home on South Ogden Street in Englewood is a duplex; each unit has four bedrooms and fi ve baths. The homes are each 2,854 square feet. They’re listed for $1,475,000.

“Comfort, durability and effi ciency are achieved through an air-tight building envelope, super insulation, and continuously ventilated indoor air,” the listing reads.

Though expensive — the median list price in September in Englewood was $569,000 — the future owners of these duplex units will save some money on the back end, as Passive House buildings allow for heating and cooling related energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical building stock and over 75% compared with average new builds.

There are some more affordable options to reach Passive House standards. Andrew Michler, the owner of the fi rst certifi ed Passive House in Colorado, recently teamed up with architect Rob Harrison to create the “Restore Passive House.” The duo designed the home especially for Marshall Fire victims and say it can be built for $550,000 (that price includes incentives from the Colorado Energy Offi ce and/or Xcel Energy).

“Building the principles of Passive Houses into every single building that’s built today should be a thing,” said Peter Stuart, a certifi ed Passive House builder and realtor who listed the Englewood duplex.

Stuart said we’re at a potential turning point when it comes to building energy-effi cient homes.

“Every car has seat belts, and at one point in time people argued whether or not seat belts were necessary — we’re at that point in the construction world,” he said.

However, high construction prices combined with underinsured Marshall Fire victims has resulted in a slow, frustrating rebuilding process in Boulder County. To date, only about 10% of victims have received a permit to start rebuilding. Still, a record number of those people — more than 40%, according to Boulder County offi cials — are building to standards that qualify them for energy rebates and incentives.

If customer demand makes it so that more builders and contractors are interested in building to Passive House standards, then Riseman is hopeful that these energy-effi cient homes will become more accessible.

As for Stuart, meeting those standards is a “no-brainer.”

THANK YOU!

November is National Adoption Month

Arapahoe County would like to send a big thank you to all the families who have opened up their hearts and homes to adoption. You can thank them too! O er a kind word of support, a simple note to say thank you, a small gesture to show how much you appreciate the adoptive families in your community.

PUBLIC HEALTH