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August 21, 2014 VO LUME 1 26 | IS S UE 4 | 7 5 ¢
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
LittletonIndependent.net
A publication of
Bow Mar faces key deadline on mall
WEST IS THE BEST
Trustees face tax question tied to annexation of Southwest Plaza By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Kids from LIttleton Public Schools enjoyed cooling down with blue popsicles as they marched in the Grand Parade during Western Welcome Week’s Festival Day on Aug. 16. For more coverage, turn to pages 16 and 17. Photo by Jennifer Smith
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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper embraces Desiree Davis on Aug. 16 at the dedication of Clarity Commons, a peaceful park-like space honoring her daughter Claire, who lost her life eight days after being shot by classmate Karl Pierson on Dec. 13, 2013. Photos by Deborah Grigsby Smith
A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO.
Park opens to honor life of slain Arapahoe High student Claire Davis
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P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
By Deborah Grigsby Smith
Less than five month ago, Clarity Commons was just an idea, but on Aug. 16, what would have been Claire Davis’ 18th birthday, more than 1,000 of her friends and family gathered on the campus of Arapahoe High School to honor her life with a gift. The serene park-like space is designed to reach out to those who may be hurting inside, much like Davis reached out to classmate Karl Pierson, the student gunman who shot her Dec. 13, 2013. The spacious park, located on the campus of Arapahoe High School where Davis was a senior, features beautiful mature trees, berms that reduce noise, a paved walkway, benches, and a large granite pillar engraved with her image and Clarity continues on Page 13
A large granite pillar located in the center of Clarity Commons celebrates the life and love of Claire Davis, the Arapahoe High School senior who lost her life after being shot by classmate Karl Pierson in December 2013. The pillar was unveiled by her parents, Michael and Desiree Davis, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper at a special campus dedication Aug. 16.
To meet county deadlines, the Town of Bow Mar Board of Trustees has to vote on Aug. 25, its next regular meeting, on whether to hold a sales-tax election that could facilitate annexation of Southwest Plaza this year, or wait until 2015. “Time is flying by,” said Mayor Rick Pilgrim during a special meeting on Aug. 13. Board members could wait until 2015 to ask voters to approve a sales tax that would be charged only at the mall should the annexation succeed. But if they go forward this year, it could save a lot of time and effort if the vote fails, effectively nipping the annexation in the bud. Town Attorney Jack Reutzel told the board that he’s waiting on some key documents from General Growth Properties, including a proposed intergovernmental agreement that will lay out how Jefferson County and Bow Mar would contract for the county to continue to provide services at the mall and along Bowles Avenue, which the town would have to acquire in order to accomplish the “flagpole” annexation. Neither has Reutzel seen an official zoning application, which would have to be approved by the trustees before annexation could take place. The trustees have said they won’t approve residential uses on the site, a condition that residents have demanded. “We want to maintain voting control, that’s why we want no new residential,” said Mayor Rick Pilgrim. “It’s not because we’re being elitist, it’s because at some point we could lose control of our own destiny.” That runs counter to the existing Jefferson County plan for the site, which envisions future mixed-use redevelopment. Trustee Marsha Dennis, the town’s finance commissioner, said she is also waiting for information from GGP — the mall’s financial data. She’s not expecting it until Aug. 25 because, she said, GGP told her it’s proprietary information. The town itself has to accomplish a couple things before annexation can occur. It needs a comprehensive plan and a plan that outlines a vision for three miles west of the mall should it pursue further annexation in the future. Both documents are required by the state. In the meantime, the trustees have been meeting with committees that include residents and researching legal and finance issues, communications and land use. “What we discovered is that we need an expert,” said Dennis. “We feel that’s the only way the residents are going to feel comfortable.” To that end, she was set to hire a Mall continues on Page 13