Herald
Englewood 8-30-2013
Englewood
August 30, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourenglewoodnews.com
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 93, Issue 28
City will appeal sex-offender ruling Federal judge tossed residency restrictions By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com Englewood announced Aug. 26 that it will appeal a decision by a federal judge, who found that the city’s restrictions on the residency of certain sex offenders are unconstitutional and are in conflict with the state’s “interest in uniform treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration of sex offenders
during and after state supervision.” Judge R. Brooke Jackson said Englewood’s restrictions essentially leave no place in the city for sex offenders to live, and that the rules push offenders into nearby cities. “We do not believe the state has addressed the issue of where a sexual offender may live, only that he or she must register with local police departments,” Englewood Mayor Randy Penn said in making the appeal announcement. “Registration isn’t enough. That doesn’t work, as the history of this case has shown. When the state (in a 2006 case) seeks to place a sexually vio-
lent predator across from a day care center, something is wrong. The state system is broken.” He said Englewood also intends to contact state legislators to propose legislation to ensure local governments are permitted to enact ordinances that reasonably protect the children of the city. City Attorney Dan Brotzman said the city has 30 days to file the appeal. He said communities such as Greenwood Village, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Commerce City and Greeley have adopted ordinances similar to Englewood’s, so the city will seek to have those cities and the Colo-
rado Municipal League join and assist in the appeal. Attorney Tom Rice represented Englewood in the federal-court case and will be the lead attorney in filing the appeal, Brotzman said. Brotzman said the estimated cost of the appeal will be about $25,000. He added that the appeal process is lengthy and the case could be in court for a year or more. Englewood passed the ordinance in 2006 when the state notified the city that a Appeal continues on Page 19
Downtown developer selected
Englewood could see retail, housing built on empty ground By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com
From left, Benjamin Aymami, Traci Jones, Bernadette Frausto and Doug Vega work at a table offering information on community resources, during a Community Accessing Resources Together event on Aug. 19 at Littleton’s Bemis Library. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Big green bus fights hunger South Metro Health Alliance takes resources on the road By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com Englewood resident Theresa O’Connor was just one of at least 65 people to visit the big green Hunger Free Colorado bus at Littleton’s Bemis Public Library Aug. 19 for help and information. O’Connor, who cares full time for her disabled husband, said she was there particularly to find out about dental care, but she found a lot more that was useful. Every little bit helps, she said. The Community Accessing Resources Together event, sponsored by the South Metro Health Alliance, shared information on how to get help with food and housing costs, medical and dental insurance and
‘Some people have been really touched.’ Traci Jones, of South Metro Health Alliance mental-health care, among other things. Benjamin Aymami from Cricket was there to explain how people receiving certain types of government aid are also eligible for help with their cell-phone bills, and Doug Bega from Hunger Free Colorado was helping people sign up for assistance with food and housing on the spot. “We’re really pleased with the turnout,” said Traci Jones of SMHA. “Some people
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have been really touched. We’ve had some people thanking us with tears in their eyes.” SMHA grew out of the work of the Littleton Immigrant Integration Initiative’s Health and Wellness Program, which brought together a wide range of healthcare providers starting in 2006. In 2011, the program earned a start-up grant of $175,000 from the Colorado Health Foundation. Today, it’s grown to include dozens of organizations that serve the uninsured and underinsured population of Arapahoe and Douglas counties, like TLC Meals on Wheels, Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network, Inter-Faith Community Services and Doctors Care. “Our vision is for the South Metro Health Alliance to be the convener of our community to address the changing landscape of health care,” reads SMHA’s website. “The SMHA will ensure that there is no ‘wrong door’ for people seeking care by helping health care providers understand the needs of the vulnerable patient population and the resources available to treat the whole person.” The group plans more mobile CART events, with the next one set for Sept. 23 at TLC Meals on Wheels, 7300 S. Clermont Drive in Centennial. “This feels like a small community, but some people don’t know about all of the resources that are out here,” said Bernadette Frausto of Doctors Care.
The Englewood Urban Renewal Authority board of directors voted unanimously Aug. 21 to start negotiations on a contract that could bring apartments and retail to downtown Englewood. The developer, Lakewood-based Medici Communities, has proposed a project on property that includes the Englewood Parkway/Broadway corner and the blocklong parking lot that faces the 3400 block of South Acoma Street. The Aug. 21 meeting was authority’s third session to evaluate two development proposals, one from Medici and one from Denver-based MGL Partners. At the Aug. 21 session, board member comments included some of their reasons for favoring the Medici proposal, including their belief that the company has a better parking plan and overall design concept. The Medici concept of the Broadway Lofts development is to construct an apartment and retail project on the site. The proposal would establish an 8,600-square-foot restaurant site on the corner of Broadway and Englewood Parkway. The five-story buildings along the parkway and threestory building along Acoma would contain 114 apartments. Less than half of the apartments would be rented at costs the local workforce could afford, and the remaining apartments would rent for market value. There would be a parking garage with 176 spaces, plus 32 surface parking spaces. The renewal authority owns the Acoma parking lot and about half the lot fronting on Broadway and Englewood Parkway. The city owns the other half of the frontage lot. The authority members are tentatively scheduled to meet with the city council Sept. 3 to discuss the proposal. This process to develop the Broadway/ Englewood Parkway land and the parking lot began early this year when the authority and the city council agreed to put out a request for proposal for development of the site. White said there were 45 requests for information about the site, but only three development proposals by the April deadline. He said one proposal was eliminated from further consideration because it didn’t meet EURA evaluation criteria. He said that, while the specific details of the final two proposals were different, both proposals would develop a project of mixed-use retail and residential development, which Downtown continues on Page 19