Summer Youth Employment

We received notice from the Mayor's Office for Education and Children
that the application for Summer Youth Employment has been posted at:

http://www.milehigh.com/employment/youthservices


Applications will be accepted in person starting February 22, 2010.
For additional information please contact Nancy Gilder, MOEC (Nancy.Gilder@denvergov.org)

HB 1042

I want to alert you to an attempt by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to further weaken public participation in the regulation of air pollution in Colorado. I urge your to contact your representatives to oppose HB 1042. More detail is provided below.

letter to Representative Judd,

HB 1042, and in particular the provision that would alter the existing startup notification requirement for significant sources of air pollution, represents a setback in Colorado for both public participation in government decision-making and in protecting public health. With our rapidly growing population, air pollution poses one of the greatest public health challenges to the state. Public involvement is an important tool in addressing this problem in two specific ways. First, public input can help hold regulators accountable when developing new air pollution rules and policies. Second, public input provides an outside check to help ensure that individual projects are complying with all local, state and federal laws to reduce air pollution impacts on the community. HB 1042 undermines this second benefit of public involvement.



In the past year I have worked with community members throughout Colorado on projects that would be affected by HB 1042. Communities and individuals rely upon the start-up notice as a cue to decide whether remaining legal deficiencies in an air pollution permit warrant the pursuit of administrative or court challenges. Without this notice, those seeking to participate would face a difficult choice. On one hand, appeals and court challenges could be filed in a preemptive fashion, limiting any chance of forging a solution directly with the permittee and CPDHE. On the other hand, if they wait until notice of startup after the facility has commenced operation to appeal or file suit, they face an enhanced burden on appeal or in court. Administrators and judges are reluctant, even where there are legal violations, to issue orders that would alter the status quo.



CPDHE's purported need for this provision lies in a perceived paperwork problem for the agency. CPDHE wants to avoid the need to receive startup notification amendments due to construction and operational delays after the initial notice was filed. This paperwork burden, however, is outweighed substantially by the benefit these notices provide to communities and individuals impacted by the permit process and/or the proposed additional air pollution associated with a project.



Colorado already has some of the weakest public participation requirements for air pollution permitting. In fact, a majority of all projects require no specific notice to the public that a permit has been applied for by a company, or any opportunity for public comment. The legislature should be looking to enhance opportunities for public participation; it should reject attempts like HB 1402 to further limit public involvement.

Fundraiser for the Bruce Randolph First Annual Prom!

Casino, Spaghetti Dinner & Karaoke!

When: March 12, 2010 at 6:00pm
Where: Bruce Randolph
3955 Steele Street Denver, 80205
Why: Fundraiser for the Bruce Randolph First Annual Prom!

Tickets: $7.00 includes one dinner and 10tix
*Additional tix can be purchase for .25¢
Games for adults and children will include:
• Poker
• Bingo
• Black jack
• Gold fish
• Slap jack
& many more!!

16th Street Plan: Public Input Opportunities THIS WEEK

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE WORKSHOPS

Open House #1
Wednesday, February 24th
4:30 - 6:30 pm 11:30 – 1:30 pm
The Tattered Cover Bookstore – LoDo
1628 16th Street (16th and Wynkoop)
Denver, CO 80202

Open House #2

Thursday, February 25th

Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

Room Tower Court A

1550 Court Place (16th and Court)

Denver, CO 80202

Overview

Since its opening in 1982, the 16th Street Mall has met and exceeded all of the objectives of its original grand vision. On average, 55,000 people use the free MallRide shuttles every day. Longwoods studies have consistently rated the Mall as the #1 "visitor attraction in the metro area". In order to ensure it's success and continual evolution, the 16th Street Plan was created in 2008.

The 16th Street Plan will holistically reevaluate the Mall’s design and land use patterns so this critical landmark remains the vibrant spine of Downtown Denver. The Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) with the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID), Regional Transportation District (RTD), the City and County of Denver and a 25-member steering committee are overseeing the 16th Street Plan, the long-term planning process for the 16th Street Mall.

The 16th Street Plan: A Vision for the Future is a 18- to 24-month comprehensive study containing a strong public participation component. The 16th Street Plan will include the following:

• A careful analysis of the Mall’s current conditions, its strengths and weaknesses
• Recommendations for short-term actions to reduce maintenance expenditures
• A comprehensive reinvestment plan and management plan
• An implementation strategy, which includes the identification of funding sources for capital improvements and ongoing maintenance

he 16th Street Plan began with a public meeting on April 8th, 2008 and a Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Services Panel report in May 2008. The steering committee began its regular meetings in summer 2007. Click here for a recap of the steering and technical committees' accomplishments in 2008 and a review of their work plan for 2009.

Denver City Council unanimously approves new bike ordinances and the launch of Denver Bike Sharing

BikeDenver is pleased to report that Denver’s City Council approved a bill to amend many sections of the Revised Municipal Code related to bicycling at their November 23 meeting.

The new ordinances take effect on Friday, November 27th. Councilwoman Carla Madison (pictured right) championed the effort to amend City traffic laws related to bicycles to partially conform with new state law, allow speed-restricted riding on sidewalks for the limited purpose of parking, and eliminate obsolete language associated with licensing. Madison says: “It’s good policy to have state and city law aligned, and it’ll be nice to see people be able to legally ride to park their bike.” Madison also proposed an amendment approved by the City Council on November 16th that provides a legal way for bicyclists to cross at Cleveland Triangle at the East end of the 16th Street Mall. The amendment states that: “bicycles may be operated on designated routes at any time on that portion of the 16th Street pedestrian and transit mall between the north-west curb line of Cleveland Place and Broadway.”

Councilman Chris Nevitt chaired the City Council Greenprint Committee that worked on the bill. Nevitt was pleased with the outcome, saying: “This is step one of what I hope will be many more steps that we can take to make Denver a more bike-friendly city.” BikeDenver Executive Director Piep van Heuven added: “It’s very important that Denver’s laws mirror those recently adopted on the State level that ensure key protections for bicyclists like 3-Feet to Pass. Synchronizing City code with Colorado’s Bicycle Safety Law will make riding a bike in Denver and operating motor vehicles around bikes in Denver safer for all of us. We’re also pleased to see City Council so actively involved in the effort to make Denver a safe, convenient and fun place to ride a bike.”

BikeDenver worked for months with stakeholders and councilmembers including Madison and members of the City Council Greenprint Committee to suggest ordinance revisions that would bring Denver in line with State and National standards. BikeDenver’s van Heuven said: “It was great to see so many interested parties at the table and on the same page.” Groups and offices involved in the effort included representatives from the Downtown Denver Partnership, the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, Denver City Attorney’s Office, Denver Bike Sharing, Greenprint Denver, Denver Police Department, and the Department of Public Works.

Key Changes to Denver’s Bike Ordinances:

Three Feet to Pass: Language was included to mirror State law requiring that drivers of vehicles provide at least a three-foot separation between the right side of the driver’s vehicle, including all mirrors and projections, and the left side of the bicycle at all times.

Right to Ride on Roadways: Language requiring bicyclists to ride on adjacent pathways if available was eliminated from the City code. This makes it legal to ride a bike on any Denver roadway, including Speer Boulevard.

Riding to the Right & Bicyclist’s Judgment: Language was amended to allow bicyclists to use their best judgment on how near to the right side of the roadway they should ride. This will encourage bicyclists with differing levels of ability in variable road conditions to ride their bike in the manner that is most safe for the bicyclist.

Riding on Sidewalks for the Purpose of Parking: Denver law will now allow bicyclists to ride on the sidewalk not in excess of 6 miles per hour if they are within one block of the location where they plan to park their bike.

Lamps & Reflectors: Front and rear light requirements were amended to match state requirements. Front (white) lights must be visible to 500 feet. Rear (red) reflectors must be visible for 600 feet when illuminated by motor vehicle head lamps.

Next Steps:

Some of the new State laws haven’t been included in Denver’s City Code yet. BikeDenver anticipates that these items, still under review, will be brought forward in the near future. Two of the key items are the provision for motorists that allows them to cross the center line when safe to provide the required three-foot passing distance and language specific to bicyclists riding in the left lane on a multi-lane one-way street.

Denver Posts Fourth and Final Public Review Draft of New Zoning Code and Map!

We are pleased to let you know that the fourth and final public review draft of the New Denver Zoning Code and map has been posted on the New Code website: http://www.newcodedenver.org. This draft reflects the substantial input we’ve received from the Denver community since the release of Draft #3 last fall. We have listened to the thousands of you who have attended our listening sessions and office hours, e-mailed us, called us and met with us since Draft #3 was posted – and we have heard you.

The fourth and final draft of the new code represents our best efforts to integrate this input with the community values and priorities identified in Blueprint Denver. The result is a new Denver Zoning Code that creates value and economic opportunity for all Denver property owners by preserving the character of our established neighborhoods and allowing flexibility and innovation in our new and changing areas.

Updates and improvements incorporated in Draft #4 include:

· Clearer and more flexible approach to nonconforming uses and structures

· New alternatives that provide more flexibility in meeting build-to and ground story activation requirements

· Clearer standards for large-scale and convenience retail development

· Reinstatement and improvement of the residential bulk plane (which was removed in Draft #3), resulting in support of solar objectives and the ability to shape buildings that fit their contexts.

· Reformatting of the use tables in each context to provide more information and make it easier and faster to find.

We Are Still Listening

Staff from Denver Community Planning and Development will hold a fourth round of “New Code Office Hours” in early February, offering residents and property owners the opportunity for one-on-one meetings tailored to their specific questions. Later in February, the Denver Planning Board will hold a formal public hearing on the fourth and final draft of the new zoning code. This schedule provides a full month for public review of Draft #4 prior to the public hearing. For more information on the next steps in the new code adoption schedule, click on this link: http://www.newcodedenver.org/postfiles/draftcode4/New%20Code%20Draft%204%20Posting.pdf .

Thank you for your ongoing interest and involvement in the New Code Denver effort.

URGENT INFO FROM DENVER POLICE DEPT: Motor VehicleThefts

Last week the DPD arrested a person who is the primary suspect in several “theft from motor vehicle” cases in the Denver area. Our property crimes detectives strongly believe that this person may be connected to other cases in the downtown area that currently are under investigation. In order to make these connections stronger, our detectives are requesting your help.

The property crimes detectives want to identify and talk with people who fall into the following category:

● Victims of theft, including theft from motor vehicle, where the item/items taken included women’s clothing.

If you fit the above-described category, please call Sgt. Scott Brungardt (District 6 Investigations) at [720-913-2820] during normal business hours. It does not matter that you decided to forego filing a report with the DPD – they still want to talk with you. If you already have filed a report, either through an officer or on-line, please provide the case number if possible. When speaking with the detectives, please be as detailed as possible when describing the items taken from you. For example, please provide information such as manufacturer, color, size, new/worn, tags/markings, unique features (i.e. a hole in the knee), etc.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Officer Stigler (720-641-1280) or Officer Mattos (720-641-1282).