Wayne New’s News January 2016
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Councilman Wayne New | District 10
1437 Bannock Street, Office Room 493, Denver, Colorado 80202
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The Denver Art Museum presents a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the art of Andrew Wyeth and his son Jamie. Wyeth: Andrew and Jamie in the Studio is organized by the Denver Art Museum and will feature more than 100 works created in a variety of media, including pen and ink, graphite, charcoal, watercolor, dry brush, tempera, oil, and mixed media.
Councilman New shown here with his wife, Leslie, enjoyed the exhibition which will continue through February 7. Don’t miss this wonderful special event!
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Proposed Short Term
Rental Program Even though the rental of residential property for fewer than 30 days at a time is prohibited, it has become an unregulated common practice in many City areas as well as in many cities in the US and overseas. Over the past year Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman has chaired the City Council Neighborhoods and Planning Committee, evaluating Short Term Rental (STR) programs in other cities and addressing key operational issues. Some of the planned regulations are:
The City has recently launched a website (www.DenverGov.org/STR) with information on the proposed STR program and its process for public review. There will also be four Community Town Hall meetings to provide information and gather feedback from citizens. The closest ones for District 10 residents to participate in are:
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Marijuana Update
Over the past two years ending December 31, 2015 the City has had a 2 year transition period / moratorium on allowing any new marijuana licenses. Since there was not sufficient time for City Council to evaluate the present marijuana operations and any need for expansion, a 120 day extension of the transition period / moratorium was approved. To give an update on the present situation, here are some key facts:
Below is the breakdown of the number of facilities by City Council district. The Office of Marijuana Policy will be providing individual Council District maps to each Council office.
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As shown in the chart, the number of grow facilities are primarily located where industrial zoning exists, which is in north and northwest Denver for Districts 7, 8, and 9.
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If you would like to comment on this marijuana license moratorium and your concerns on community impact, please email the City at marijuanainfo@denvergov.org.
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City Council Homelessness Retreat
On December 11 Councilman Wayne New and Councilwoman Robin Kniech co-chaired a half day Denver City Council retreat to brief Council members on national trends in homelessness, Denver’s Road Home programs, information from other city efforts, and key issues that need to addressed for improvement.
Homelessness has become a major issue in our City. Visit Denver reported that visitor comments on convention experience referenced safety concerns with the panhandling and sidewalk sleeping by the homeless on the 16th Street Mall. Neighborhood homeowners and businesses close to Colfax are experiencing quality of life and business difficulties with homeless sleeping on private property, aggressive panhandling, using alleys and yards as bathrooms, blocking entrances, and drug dealing. The key issues identified were:
Meeting notes will be posted on the City Council website for your review. A second January meeting will be held to discuss improvements, which will be communicated to you and suggesting ways you can help.
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Public Works Street Maintenance Schedule Reminder
In February, the Public Works street paving schedule will be posted on the Public Works website. The paving plan and map will be listed for your review.
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Neighborhood Traffic Concerns
Two District 10 neighborhoods (7th Avenue Neighborhood Association and Alamo Placita Neighborhood Association) have met with Public Works Traffic Engineering and Denver Police to discuss possible methods to control traffic, reduce vehicular speed, improve pedestrian safety, and enforce City requirements. In both neighborhoods there have been major incidents related to DUI deaths and significant damage to on-street parked cars and neighborhood lawns.
Resident community meetings are scheduled to discuss mitigation ideas, such as intersection bulb outs, pedestrian crosswalk painting, reduced speed limits, and longer yellow caution lights. As nearby residential development density occurs, more and more cars will increase arterial street traffic, encouraging drivers to take short cuts through neighborhoods. Citizen safety is the City’s top priority, so ways to manage traffic and make our neighborhood safe for our residents and children must be found.
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Better Denver Bond Program –
Overview and Status In November, 2007 the voters approved a $575 Better Denver Bond Program for 380 current capital improvement projects. The Program focuses improvements in the following seven categories – Refurbishing Existing City Buildings; Cultural Facilities; Health and Human Services; Parks and Recreation; Public Safety; Streets, Transportation, and Public Works; and Libraries.
The Program is governed and professionally managed by a Bond Executive Committee (BEC), which oversees and provides program direction, policies, approvals and reporting. This committee includes members from the Mayor’s Office, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, the Department of Finance, City Council, and the City Attorney’s Office and is chaired by a Bond Implementation Manager (George Delaney, Chief Operating Officer for Public Works).
In addition to oversight, the primary mission of the BEC is to ensure that all projects approved by the voters are executed, and that any changes to project budgets or schedules are formally presented and vetted for approval, consistent with the ballot language and supporting ordinances. City Council continues to provide approval of all contracts implemented that are over $500,000 in value, which is consistent with the threshold for approval on all contracts in the City.
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Through September 2015, the program is 89% complete with completion of 339 projects and expenditures of $506 Million. The remaining projects will be completed by the end of 2017. Detailed documentation on all project work is being compiled and will begin to be posted on the City website in early 2016.
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Planning and Zoning at Your Fingertips
The City Community Planning and Development Department has created new easily accessible applications on the DenverGov website which allows anyone to quickly look up approved major development projects all over the city. The map displays information about projects involving new construction that have received site development plan approval – including PDFs of the approved plans themselves, with ALL the details.
The Completed Plans page now includes several ways to find small area plans, general development plans, assessments and studies by location using a new interactive GIS map; by statistical neighborhood; or by plan name using type-specific drop-down menus on the Completed Plans page. The Rezonings – Map Amendments page has been reconfigured in several ways to better present information on changes to the city’s zoning map. If you need assistance, please call Melissa Horn at my office.
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Police District Contact Information and Advisory Meetings
The Denver Police Department has three police districts within portions of the boundaries of our District as follows:
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Public Restroom Pilot Program in Capitol Hill
This February the City will take the first step in addressing the need for publicly accessible restrooms by placing a portable unit north of Colfax on a trial basis. The restroom will be located on Clarkson between Police District 6 and the Fillmore Auditorium. This 3 restroom unit will be staffed at all times during the 12 hours of daily operation with the proposed hours of operation being 1 PM to 1 AM. It will be removed nightly for cleaning. It will be easily accessible to individuals and visitors on Colfax and from the Fillmore Auditorium, preventing the restroom use in alleys and neighborhoods. If this program is successful, other City areas will be considered.
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Denver Inaugurates New Special Events Office (OSE)
Have you ever wondered how many special events are now held in Cheesman Park? Or if Denver issues film permits? Established in January of 2015, the OSE coordinates special events and film productions on Denver property. Working directly with event organizers and film crews, the OSE guides them through the City’s permitting agencies to ensure safe, compliant and fun events. The OSE also issues Denver’s film permits.
What is a special event you ask? We define it as temporary in nature, taking place on city property like a park or a street and requiring permits or permission from more than one city agency. Want to know more about special events taking place in district 10? Check out the OSE’s online calendar or our interactive events map on Denver’s online resource app, Pocketgov.com!
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Upcoming Events
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CURIOUS THEATRE – “SEX WITH
STRANGERS”
January 15 – February 20
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CHERRY CREEK THEATRE – “GLASS MENAGERIE”
March 4 – 27
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“I HEART FRIDAYS IN CHERRY CREEK NORTH”
Cherry Creek North and the American Heart Association partner to bring you a month-long celebration of heart healthy.
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DENVER RESTAURANT WEEK
February 26 – March 6
Participating restaurants will offer a
multi-course dinner for just $30.
Reservations now accepted.
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Community Organizations
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