All the News About Denver’s Best Residential Community Since 1961 • Volume 57, Issue No. 9 • September 2018
Park Could Cost $1M or More; Developer To Chip In $650,000, Taxpayers To Foot The Rest By Cara DeGette GPHN Editor
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Home Tour Turns 40
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A Snapshot of Ballot Measures (Also, Will He Or Won’t He?) From Politics To Powwows: Events Happening In The ‘Hood
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-- Denver City Councilman Rafael Espinoza
In 2016, the city purchased the Xcel property for $50,000. However, the value of the land is estimated at closer to $1.5 million, which is the amount that Ben Maxwell, the principal of HM Capital, said he paid for a similar-sized property across the street. Under the terms of the contract, Maxwell will take ownership of the former Xcel property for a future development. The public park will now be built across the street, in the middle of Maxwell’s Park Hill Commons Project. During the council hearing, Gilmore, the deputy parks director, acknowledged
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“Much was made of this being a gift, and it is ... to the developer.”
‘How did that happen?’
Readers Weigh In On Gentrification, DPS, and Landmark Designation
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This flyer was created to promote the park on the west side of Fairfax. The city council voted to approve the park on the east side. Final design now goes back to the drawing board.
Denver taxpayers could now be on the hook for $350,000 or more for a public park within a private development project on Fairfax Street. The deal – approved Aug. 20 by the Denver City Council – is a sharp deviation from the city’s original rationale for promoting a controversial land swap deal that has created bitter rifts among Park Hill residents. For nearly two years, Deputy Parks Director Scott Gilmore and other parks officials have repeatedly insisted the city has no money to build a park on city land at the former Xcel substation on the west side of Fairfax Street, between 28th and 29th avenues. They, along with city Councilman Chris Herndon, have promoted the land swap deal as a way for the developer to foot the bill to build a small public park inside the Park Hill Commons residential and commercial project on the east side of the street. In exchange, the city would deed the former Xcel site to the developer. Now, according to the council-approved contract, the developer, HM Capital, will chip in $650,000 to help build the park. City taxpayers will pony up the remainder of the costs. Denver Parks and Recreation will be responsible for design, construc-
tion, operation and maintenance of the park. The scheduled start date for construction is Fall, 2019. During several hours of deliberations on Aug. 20, several city council members offered sharp criticism, as well as support. Councilman Rafael Espinoza called it a failure by city administrators to negotiate a better deal. “The math,” he said, “is in the developer’s favor.” “Much was made of this being a gift, and it is … to the developer,” Espinoza said. “The developer is not going to build this park, but [he] could have … we could have gotten it all.”
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Fairfax Land Swap Approved
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
At the Library: Body Art For The Brain
A Summer Of Cycling From Mountains To Plains
UPCOMING GPHC MEETINGS Thursday, Sep. 6 and Thursday, Oct. 4. All are welcome to attend. See page 4 for details.
PARK HILL CHARACTER
Tour Seven Homes and Check Out The Street Fair On Sept. 23 By Lana Cordes
Park Hill Home Tour Organizer
The 40th Annual Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair takes place on Sunday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour seven homes in Denver’s most architecturally diverse neighborhood and then enjoy a daylong free Street Fair on the parkway at Montview and Forest with vendors, live entertainment, food trucks, wine & beer, kids activities, and sustainability zone. Home Tour ticket sales are available online and in retail locations. Prices are $20 for adults (13+), $15 for seniors (65+), and $10 for children (7-12). Children 6 and under are free. Adult and senior ticket prices increase by $5 on the day of the event. The Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair benefits Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. (GPHC), a Registered Neighborhood Organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill; provides resources, information, and advocacy; and preserves quality of life and the history of the neighborhood.
Visit the Zone Join GPHC and our partners in the Sustainability Zone at the Street Fair, where we will have free giveaways, local sustainability partners talking about how you can reduce your ecological footprint, and three sustainability demonstrations at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. We’ll have information regarding greywater, beekeeping, sustainable transit, rain barrels, and other projects for you to learn about at no cost. In addition, the Denver
Water Truck will be at the Street Fair so bring your reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. Did you know it is both illegal and hazardous to dump your old electronics in the trash? New this year, bring your old, broken, or unwanted electronics to our Erecycling Event at 23rd and Oneida (look for the big trailer).
Rich In history The Home Tour began in 1978 when a local realtor organized a tour of Park Hill homes to showcase the rich history and diverse architecture of the neighborhood. The humble beginnings of Park Hill itself were established at the end of the 19th century. Over the course of several decades, development expanded into the neighborhood, with the most significant growth between the 1920s and the 1950s. The boundaries of the neighborhood are Colfax to the south, I-70 to the north, Colorado Boulevard to the west, and Quebec to the east. Park Hill is known for its diverse homes, ranging from historic Victorian to modest mid-century. Residents and visitors alike love the tree-lined streets and parkways, the meticulously maintained gardens, the charming strips of retail shops and restaurants, and the neighborhood’s central location. Check out pages 10-11 for a preview on what you’ll see at all seven homes on the tour this year, and visit www.parkhillhometour.org for tickets and more information.
It’s A Cinderella Story East Grad Payton Brown Heads To CU On Prestigious Chick Evans Scholarship For Golf Caddies Story and photos by Reid Neureiter Special to the GPHN
This fall, Park Hill resident and recent Denver East High School graduate Payton Brown made the drive to the University of Colorado on a full-ride sports-related scholarship. But Brown will not be playing basketball for the Buffs, or football, or any other Division I sport. Brown got his scholarship thanks to his prowess making it easier for others to play their sport: golf. Since he was 14, Brown has caddied at the Denver Country Club. He initially heard about caddying from a friend as a
way to earn money. Little did he know that it would ultimately become an avenue to attend college essentially for free, with full tuition costs and housing covered. Brown, who lives on 26th and Kearney Street, is a recipient of the Chick Evans Scholarship for Caddies. Born in 1890, Charles “Chick” Evans, was a legendary Chicago golfer in the early decades of the last century, winning the 1916 U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur tournaments. Not wanting to give up his amateur status, Evans elected to place his golf winnings in an escrow fund to pay for college educations of needy golf caddies. In 1928, Evans continued on page 12