Design of downtown center park is out of sequence

Cross Currents

We stminster City Council has approved a major contract of $310,660 with DTJ Design, Inc. to design and produce construction documents for the main park area in the New Downtown development. at part is the “good e “bad news” is they got the cart in front of the horse. is amount is on top of $280,566 already spent with this rm on preliminary work. e council is yet to come to grips with lowering the density and/or reducing the number of apartment buildings in the New

Downtown plan. Until they make any decisions on eliminating any future buildings or rearranging the layout, it seems premature to spend a lot of money on designing this park.

It could be larger or have a different con guration depending on the decisions council makes on the whole lingering density issue. Given the existing density, probable additional apartment construction and pulling in residents north of 92nd Avenue, a larger park space is certainly justi ed. e public has made themselves clear going back to the 2021 mayor/council campaign and election in wanting less density (fewer buildings or fewer oors of buildings).

I don’t understand the hold-up. It is pretty simple to decide. Let’s remember that the City of West- minster owns all of the remaining vacant land in the New Downtown Plan. Plus, less apartments means less water resources needed. It should be a “no-brainer.”

City seeks input on future uses of Sheridan Green Elementary

As previously announced, Jefferson County Schools is closing 16 schools at the end of the school year which just ended. ree of the schools are within Westminster including Sheridan Green Elementary.

When the city transferred the land to the school district to build the school, the deed had a reverter clause which stated that if the school district ever ceased using the property for a school, the facility and land would revert to the City of Westminster. Who would have ever guessed that the reverter clause would come into play? e existing zoning allows general community services such as public safety facilities, schools and institutions of higher learning, child care facilities, places of worship, community centers, hospitals, municipal facilities and cemeteries. So, what should the city do with this nice windfall facility? Given its size, there could be multiple uses in di erent parts of the building. Here is some food for thought to get your creative juices going: How about an enlarged archival history center? Or o ces for non-pro t

Built in 1988, the 46,518 square foot building which sits on almost seven acres will soon be the property of the City of Westminster.

SEE CHRISTOPHER, P13