UPDATE PARK HILL GOLF COURSE AND RESOLUTION
Brad Cameron updated the complex Park Hill Golf Course situation, gave a history of the conservation easement signed by Mayor Webb and now being discounted. The proposed contract between Clayton College and the City would allow for a great deal of development in the park space
A developer wants the city to trade a parcel of land on the east side of Fairfax that had been touted as a future pocket park by DPR (this land appears on several lists of property owned by DPR; for a similar size parcel in the middle of the developer’s project across the street on the west side of Fairfax. It is unclear whether the developer would allow designation of the proposed land or whether DPR would maintain the “plaza” between two proposed restaurants as a true park. It has been acknowledged that should the developer acquire the parcel on the east, it would serve for future development. The neighbors object to this swap and want to retain the original parcel of land for a small community park as described by Executive Director Scott Gilmore in previous meetings with the RNO
INC PARC discussed the forthcoming major music festival proposed for Overland Golf Course. It is strongly supported by the Mayor and his appointees. INC’s delegates opposition to Admission-based Events on public park land resolution was adopted January 2011 and a reminder of that was emailed again March 24, 2017 to Mayor Hancock, City Council, DPR’s Happy Haynes and Director of Office of Special Events. It was brought up at the PRAB meeting by Executive Director Happy Haynes that she had never heard that INC objects to using public park land for admission based events. There was a short discussion wondering if DPR believes that a DPR public golf course is not considered “park land?”
LORETTA HEIGHTS
This resolution passed with the INC delegation. If acted upon this purchase could provide additional park land for an area under served and also help to provide relief for other regional parks.
POPUP PARK
pop-up park starts in June on 21st Street between Larimer and Lawrence streets. This appears to be further evidence that Denver requires more parks and open space for their residents. This will be in cooperation with Down Town Denver.
Most recently, in 2000 the two parties entered into an “Agency Agreement” that was intended to contain the entire agreement between them concerning Park Hill Golf Course (Para. 17). The agency agreement and it summary can be found at http://www.denverinc.org/clayton-agency-agreement/. It is a unique opportunity to acquire 155 acres of open space in a part of Denver lacking park space, and that is easily accessible by transit. He attended the last PRAB meeting to urge them to support. Cindy told of the four talking points about this project that should be conveyed in our press release.
PARC was reminded that the portion of this meeting regarding a proposed large music festival at Overland Golf Course site was strictly to be focused on “process.” This appeared to mean both the current process OSE is going through to make a decision on permitting this event, and a more permanent process to follow for future situations like it. If a contract is signed it will be for a period of 5 years. A great amount of time and energy already has been expended in OSE meetings with numerous groups to garner input.
As a follow-up from PARC’s January meeting, Cindy and Maggie presented and distributed copies of Tom Morris’s proposed Amendment to the zoning ordinance regarding Park use and responsibility. Tom has reached out to all council members and has met with most except Paul Lopez, Robin Kneich and Stacey Gilmore who did not accept his invitation to talk. His amendment assigns the responsibility to create park OS-A subdistricts and park zoning maps to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
