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January 1, 2015 VOLU M E 70 | I S S UE 8 | 5 0 ¢
WestminsterWindow.com
A D A M S C O U N T Y A N D J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O A publication of
Going downtown Planning development among year’s top stories By Ashley Reimers From voters denying tax increases for schools, to the launch of Orion, plus a plan approval for the former Westminster mall site, 2014 was a busy year. Below is a list of the top 10 stories of 2014 in no particular order.
Voters in two districts deny ballot measures Voters in both the Adams 12 Five Star School District and Adams County School District 50 voted down ballot measures that would have made various improvements in the districts and for the students. Adams 12 voters denied a $15 million mill levy override and a $220 million bond. The mill levy override would have provided teachers and students with updated text books, technology and instructional materials and invested more dollars in curriculum. Teachers would have also received additional training and support to enhance student learning. The bond would have
Construction continues at the site of the former Westminster mall. On Nov. 10 city council approved the rezoning of the site and adopted the new Westminster Downtown Specific Plan. Photo by Ashley Reimers
POSTAL ADDRESS
been used to make a major dent in the growth issues the district is facing. In District 50, voters voted against a $2.5 million mill levy override and a $20 million bond. The mill levy override would have been used in expanding and upgrading vocational training, expanding STEM education, keeping qualified teachers and staff, funding arts, music and theater and providing enough money to minimize future cuts. Bond dollars would have been used to maintain and replace leaking roofs, low-functioning heating and cooling systems and faulty plumbing.
City council approves downtown plan
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
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After a 6-1 vote, city council approved the re-zoning of the former mall site and approved the Westminster Downtown Specific Plan, SPD, which will transform the area into a high-density, urban development with residential, commercial, retail and other uses. Mac Cummins, city planning manager, said the SPD merges the concepts of regulatory zoning requirements with the negotiated design concepts of the city’s standard Planned Unit Development zoning into one zoning category. “The SPD makes the process of development reviews approval more efficient, less costly and more expeditious,” he said. “The Westminster Downtown Specific Plan provides the regulatory framework for implementing city council’s vision of a new downtown.” Goals of the Westminster downtown area include eventually becoming the visual and physical center of Westminster, creating an urban district with active door and window openings to streets, plazas and green spaces and encouraging a pedestrianoriented environment.
Legacy performs at Rose Parade P L EA S E R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
A group of 190 students prepared for months to perform in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1 in Pasadena,
California. The band was notified in October 2013 of the honor and ever since then has been busy spending hours practicing and more hours raising money for the trip. Performing in parade isn’t just something every band has the opportunity to do. There was an extensive application process including interviews, pass news coverage, and video clips of past marching shows. Letters of recommendation from around the county from people who’ve seen the band perform were also a must for applying. Clay Stansberry, Director of Bands at Legacy said he’s proud of the work his students have put in preparing for the parade. “We’re the only high school from the Western United States to be chosen for the parade, so we’re actually representing all of Colorado and all of the western part of the country,” he said. “It’s a great accomplishment for the students.”
Voters elect first District 4, 5 commissioners
Democrat Steve O’Dorisio and Republican Jan Pawlowski will be the first Adams County commissioners to serve the newly created District 4 and District 5. They will be sworn in Jan. 13. Voters approved in 2012 a ballot measure to increase the number of elected commissioners from three to five. Members on the board will be residents in their districts but are to be elected by the voters of the entire county. O’Dorisio lives in the Welby neighborhood and served four years with the Adams County District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor. He served seven years on the Adams County Planning Commission. Pawlowski served eight years as the mayor of Brighton and six years prior to that as a council member. For the past 30 years, she has owned and operated Varsity Sports in Brighton.
Chamber hires new CEO
The Metro North Chamber of Commerce hired Angela Habben
Angela Habben was hired as the new Metro North Chamber of Commerce CEO and president. Courtesy photo to serve as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer. She started in late September. She has worked most recently as vice president and relationship manager for Vectra Wealth Management at Vectra Bank Colorado. She has spent the last 36 years in the banking industry in various capacities. Habben is only the third CEO at MNCC in the last 20 years. She replaces Deborah Obermeyer, who resigned in May. Habben’s first project as CEO is developing and implementing a growth plan for the chamber. She will be focusing on how the chamber can add more value to memberships. “When we considered her experience, her skills and her personality, it was clear to us that we had an ideal candidate,” said chamber chair Jennifer Alderfer. “Someone who could come to
work on her first day and immediately begin the pursuit of the chamber’s mission,”
Gay marriage allowed in Colorado Rebecca Brinkman and Margaret Burd of Thornton filed the first lawsuit in the state challenging the ban on same-gender marriage. They filed the suit in 2013 right after the Adams County Clerk and Recorder office denied their application for a marriage license. The lawsuit said the ban on gay marriages violated the federal Civil Rights Act of 1871. Their lawsuit was consolidated with a similar lawsuit filed by eight other couples in Denver and was heard by Adams County District Court Judge Scott Crabtree. Downtown continues on Page 2