Author Archives: SOS Denver

Appraisal Of Park Hill Golf Course July 26 2018

Posted on by
Reply

Attached is an appraisal commissioned by the city in the summer of 2018 in connection with its need to pay compensation to Clayton Early Learning [the then land owner] and Arcis [the then golf course operator] for damages resulting from the city’s stormwater detention project in the NE corner of the PHGC land.  Here are some takeaways from the appraisal:

  1. The encumbered value of the land prior to the “taking” pursuant to the condemnation agreement between Clayton and the city was $2,941,648 which was slightly lower than the $3.1 million appraisal commissioned by Clayton in 2015 [page 8]
  2. The appraised amount of the compensation damages was $415,300 [page 8] excluding the cost of returning the land to a golf course at the end of the project
  3. Therefore the $6 million paid by the city to Westside in connection with the November 2019 “Settlement Agreement” apparently included (a) $415,300 to settle the condemnation “takings” claims made in the two lawsuits and (b) $5,584,700 for the hypothetical cost of returning the land to a golf course at the end of the stormwater detention project which Westside will never do.

REAL PROPERTY APPRAISAL REPORT – Appraisal (Final) Park Hill Golf Course – Nelson 7-23-18

Denver Wants to Fix a Legacy of Environmental Racism

Posted on by
Reply

By Veronica Penney  New York Times September 30 2020

Globeville Landing Park, a newly redesigned green space northeast of the Denver city center.Credit…Kevin Mohatt for The New York Times

DENVER — In most American cities, white residents live near parks, trees and baseball fields, while communities of color are left with concrete and the heat that comes with it. Now, in a push that could provide a road map for other cities, officials in Denver are working to rectify that historical inequity.

The effort, one of a handful around the country, has been bolstered by an environmental tax that added tens of millions of dollars to the city budget. It involves purchasing land for new parks, repairing derelict playgrounds, adding recreation centers and planting trees in areas where shade is sparse.

Correcting decades of discriminatory municipal planning is especially important as climate change heats up American cities. Adding green space, researchers have found, can help residents cope with rising heat and brings all sorts of side benefits, like filtering air pollution or boosting residents’ mental health.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

PDF HERE  Denver Wants to Fix a Legacy of Environmental Racism – The New York Times

The Heat Is On— Trust For Public Land

Posted on by
Reply

The summer of 2020 is predicted to be the hottest ever recorded. Meanwhile, as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge nationwide, city officials are closing public beaches and pools and limiting the capacity of cooling centers. This is putting even more pressure on public parks, which were already in high demand as one of the few places where people can escape the confines of home.

Parks—especially those that are densely wooded and deep green—can counter urban temperatures exacerbated by heat-trapping buildings, pavement, and concrete. Given the increased importance of parks during this public health emergency, The Trust for Public Land analyzed park data from across the country to determine who does and doesn’t have access to this vital public resource—and uncovered some troubling findings.

City Council Denies Park Hill Golf Course To Ballot

Posted on by
Reply

The Denver City Council on Monday killed a proposal that would have let city voters decide the fate of a former golf course in Northeast Park Hill.

Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca sponsored the failed initiative, which arose from a fight for the future of the defunct Park Hill Golf Club. The valuable land, owned by developer Westside Investment Partners, equates to 155 acres of grass and trees along Colorado Boulevard between 35th and 40th avenues.  The bill is being sent back to committee