October 20, 2015
Honorable Mayor Michael Hancock
Honorable Denver City Council Members
Happy Haynes, Executive Director, Denver Parks & Recreation
Members of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Re: Resolution for Public Process on Red Rocks Parks Historic Preservation Review
Dear Mayor Hancock, Distinguished Members of City Council, Director Haynes and Members of the Park & Recreation Advisory Board:
Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, Denver’s association of Registered Neighborhood Organizations from neighborhoods throughout Denver, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year.. Founded in 1975, INC’s mission is to advocate for Denver citizens by bringing together, informing and empowering Denver neighborhood organizations to actively engage in addressing city issues.
At the monthly Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation Delegate meeting on Saturday, October 10, 2015, the following Resolution was passed by a vote of 30 in favor, 0 opposed an 2 abstentions.
Resolution for Public Process for Red Rocks Parks Historic Preservation Review
WHEREAS in 2014 the Denver Parks and Recreation Manager approved a concept for a 7,500 square foot building to house the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, presented by Comfort Dental, adjacent to the historic Pueblo Trading Post at Red Rocks Park without public input, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommendation, or historic preservation review,
WHEREAS the City has put the project on hold until a fall 2015 public process and committee reviews are completed,
WHEREAS the proposal addresses a number of complex, policy-related issues:
1. the proposed building location is within the Pueblo Trading Post Denver Historic
Landmark area, (1994);
2. the building will house a museum collection for a non-profit not directly related to the
city or to park uses;
3. the non-profit has strong corporate sponsorship, raising issues of commercialism
within the park;
4. The proposed building, estimated at 7500 square feet, would occupy at least 3000
square feet of parkland open space within a designated Denver park;
5. although the entire park was designated a National Historic Landmark in July 2015 by
the Secretary of the Interior, that designation does not provide local review and
protection. If additional sites within the park are considered for the Hall of Fame, those
proposals would not be protected by Denver Landmark Commission review. Only the
Pueblo Trading Post and Amphitheatre areas are Denver Historic Landmarks.
WHEREAS Denver INC believes that a public process scheduled for late October into December 2015 that is intended to resolve this decision is inadequate because:
1. to date, no publicity for this proposal has occurred;
2. Denver residents and neighborhood organizations need more than the mandated
minimum 30-day notice of a public meeting to research, understand, and analyze such a complex proposal;
3. the timing of a late October-December public process traditionally often limits public participation;
4. Denver Parks and Recreation has a new Manager as of 9/21/15;
5. the proposal raises the policy questions outlined above that warrant discussion beyond public meetings, such as with a sub-committee or Task Force.
BE IT RESOLVED that Denver INC requests that Denver Parks and Recreation postpone the public process until 2016 allowing time for a thorough review of all issues and policies, and for meaningful neighborhood discussion. Denver INC welcomes formal speakers, both supporting and questioning the proposal, and discussion at a monthly Delegates meeting.
We would greatly appreciate your urgent consideration of the issues and suggestion described above.
Respectfully,
Larry Ambrose
President, Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation
Cc: INC Executive Committee
