If you are in favor, or against the idea, if you have an opinion, you should investigate what is going on in the neighborhood discussions.

I attended one in College View at which Community Planning and Development presented their case and I found them to be very accessible and solicitous.

It is not all doom and gloom.

Speak up.

What has been the result of all the infill development here in Washington Park. Is it destroying the character of our quaint little neighborhood, or is it drastically bringing up our home prices? Are the infill homes making Washington Park the best neighborhood in town, or are people scared away from buying here because of them?

How is the Market in Washington Park compared to the rest  of Denver? Are we appreciating at a slower or faster rate and by how much?

Here we address these issues and concerns and a whole lot more in the articles below…

Zoning Code Changes

Is an article about a seemingly mundane topic such as “a zoning code” ever going to be sexy enough to merit the time to read? Probably not, unless you are concerned about the future value of your home, or real estate investment opportunities that may arise because of changes in the code, or the destruction or preservation of the character of the neighborhood in which you live. Then its attractiveness may become magnetic.

The Future of Duplexes in Washington Park

The City and County of Denver Community Planning Department (CPD) has proposed an amendment to the language of the Zoning Code. Language amendment L-1154 would allow for a change in the treatment of non-conforming uses in R-0 and R-1 zones.

Neighborhood Evolution

Platt Park and Washington Park are typical Denver neighborhoods in the process of evolution that are feeling development pressure. They have single-family homes, duplexes and even triplexes. There are many original small bungalows, huge new construction (known as “infill”), pop-tops, and pop-tops with expansion out the back. Some residents are concerned about this phenomenon since it threatens the “character”of the neighborhood as they see it.

All Real Estate Is Local

The local and national media have taken averages of home sales numbers, the volume of foreclosures, net price appreciation or depreciation and pronounced we are in a real estate crisis.

Read on.

The Washington Park East Neighborhood Association’s by-laws have 8 items listed under the section called Purpose. A summary of those items might say the WPENA exists to make our neighborhood a better place to live.

To that end a meeting was held to elect new officers of the Board of Directors on Thursday, June 26, 2008 and to define the priorities of the Association for the upcoming year.

President: Biddie Labrot

Vice President: Joanne Asher

Treasurer: Gilbert Gonzales

Secretary: Marilyn Holmes

Without strong membership any organization is doomed to failure. Without neighbors understanding the critical issues that affect the quality of our lives, real estate values, safety, and education the Association will not attract members. So, a first step is to educate the neighbors about the issues.

One very important is faced by all neighborhoods. It is the output of the Zoning Code Task Force. If not done correctly with neighborhood input we may have a zoning code that has limits real estate appreciation or limits our options. The Board feels it is important to prepare a Small Area Plan that would be submitted to the Community Planning and Development (CPD) department to present the Washington Park community’s stance on the new zoning code.

Anyone had a break-in lately? A car heisted? A bicycle stolen? Tired of strangers patrolling the streets? The Board is concerned about the level of property crimes occurring in the neighborhood and a proposal was raised to begin a Neighborhood Crime Watch effort.

The quality of the schools serving our neighborhood was also discussed and the Board has decided to reach out to our schools to determine how we might help them achieve the improvement they need. This issue is especially critical for our young families that have children entering school. It would be a good thing for these families to stay in Washington Park and not leave to seek higher quality education elsewhere. There is an education task force at work today to decide the fate of Cory Elementary, Merrill Middle, and South High Schools.

Have you been harassed by a cyclist in the Park; Seen unleashed dogs bothering others? Gotten tired of the Saturday morning noise? Wanted to be involved in the nurturing of the Parks landscape? The Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park (FANS) is a volunteer organization whose mission it is to be stewards of the Park. The Board believes WPENA should support the efforts of FANS to resolve critical issues that affect the future quality of the Park.

Would WPENA be stronger if its influence was leveraged with other associations? Probably. A community outreach program will be launched to integrate WPENA with other organizations active in our broader community such as FANS, Washington Park Cares, the Old South Gaylord Business Association and other neighborhood associations.

Finally, the Board decided to investigate possible methods to delineate the boundaries of our neighborhood. Washington Park is a unique neighborhood in Denver. The real estate values continue to rise and WPENA wants to see that continue. The Board wants the public to recognize exactly where Washington Park begins and ends and to establish markers to designate the limits of the neighborhood.

For a neighborhood association to be effective it is critical to have resident participation.

We will have committees addressing each of these issues. If you care and have an hour a month to contribute, we encourage you to participate.

The urban redevelopment occurring in Denver and, more specifically, in the Washington Park neighborhood comes as a surprise to no one. But unanswered questions about this transitional process have left residents unsettled. Questions include:

• What will Washington Park look like in the future?
• What is the source of the pressure to change?
• What are the tools available to control what seems to be uncontrollable?
• And, finally, will these investments have a positive financial impact on my home?

Denver’s development trends are complex and are very apparent in metropolitan neighborhoods such as Jefferson Park, the Highlands, Congress Park, Cheesman Park, Capitol Hill, City Park, Hilltop, Belcaro, Bonnie Brae, Cory-Merrill, Platte Park and Washington Park.

Urban redevelopment in Denver is an ad-hoc process not necessarily coordinated by local government. Denver’s zoning code, implemented in 1956, has been amended and adjusted over decades in response to development pressures, resulting in a complex document meeting no one’s needs. Denver is addressing this issue by comprehensively redesigning the zoning code to match the future vision of our city known as “Blueprint Denver.”

Washington Park Neighborhood Residents Are Apprehensive About What The Future Holds

Loss of a neighborhood’s character is the biggest worry. Some neighborhoods have begun to address these concerns in varying degrees. Platte Park is one neighborhood that has gotten organized and put some thought into the issue from all perspectives.

Platte Park has undergone an accelerated process of redevelopment, leading Washington Park. Residents formed a committee to define the neighborhood’s character by creating a pattern book – a compilation of neighborhood elements composing its character. Platte Park’s pattern book contains a street map, shows street width, sidewalks, trees, alleys, setbacks, architectural styles and construction materials. It is an invaluable tool that helps the neighborhood in its dialogue with the city, builders, and homeowners.

Washington Park Has No Pattern Book…

The Washington Park neighborhood should strongly consider creating one. A diverse neighborhood with single-family homes, duplexes and even triplexes (74 lots of multi-family units!), Washington Park has many original small bungalows, huge new construction (known as “infill”), pop-tops, and pop-tops with rear expansion. The neighborhood boasts a broad mix of architectural styles including Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Norman Cottages, Denver Square, Southwestern, and Post 1950′s-Modern.

South Gilpin Street can be considered a microcosm of the entire Washington Park neighborhood. Of 219 lots on the street, 11 of them hold duplexes (5%). Twenty-nine homes have been scraped with infill replacements. There are 45 pop-tops, and 7 homes have been otherwise expanded. Only 58% of the original single-family home construction still exists on the street.

So what is the “character” of South Gilpin Street in Washington Park that so many of us are concerned with maintaining? Is it the 89 remaining original bungalows? Is it the lot layout? The alley access? Does its character come from the mature trees lining the street? Is it consistent setbacks from the street and the adjoining lots? Or is it a mix of all, old and new, small and large?

Is the character of the Washington Park neighborhood our concern because of our lifestyles, the aesthetics that soothe our weary souls? Or, rather, is some of it financial? Are we concerned about our investments in the Washington Park neighborhood?

From a financial perspective, whatever is happening in Washington Park seems to be working. From 2006 to 2007 the average home sales price increased by 9%. The following chart compares Washington Park with surrounding neighborhoods. Note the number of units sold in Washington Park exceeded all others.

*The average price decreased for the entire Denver metropolitan area by 2%. Average sales price was $306,000.
As zoning code revisions occur behind closed doors, homes are being scraped, pop-tops are rising above the tree line, and additions continue unabated, increasingly occupying open space. Yet homes are selling at appreciated prices. Denver’s redevelopment is following the natural rules set by supply and demand. However, the redevelopment process is in great need of improvement. Our Washington Park community should begin a robust dialogue with all involved parties. Without this dialogue the process will continue, following a path determined by ill-defined and obscure influences.

“Washington Park Cares” proposes to organize volunteers and neighborhood seniors into a cohesive group that would provide transportation to those that need it, a social network for those alone, and an approved list of service providers who have proven to be reliable to other families in the neighborhood.

Organizing meetings have been held for over a year now and in the last two meetings efforts were made to form a temporary board of directors that would get some meat on the bones of these worthy ideas. During those meetings the principal discussion has been about the need for such an organization. Is there a demand for an organization with a mission like this one? If it is built will they come?

Who is “they,” you ask? Well, they are the seniors. It seems that the senior residents of Washington Park are an independent bunch who don’t believe there is a need. Many have lived here for over 40 years. They have their own systems of support, their own list of reliable suppliers and, at over 80 years of age, some are still pretty nimble behind the wheel.

But do those with these characteristics cover all of our seniors? Will these seniors be able to be independent and live in their homes without more assistance? Why don’t these seniors want to get involved?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Are our seniors a stubborn bunch? Are they too proud to admit that help might be nice? Are they so strong that no help is needed? Do they already have their support groups set up? Do they not think of other seniors that might not be so fortunate?

There are four people working at the permit desk on the second floor of the Wellington Webb building. The parks maintenance organization has enough FTEs to produce spectacular gardens at all of the city’s parks. I assume the head of Parks and Recreation makes the decisions with regard to employee resource allocation. She has decided where the resources are most needed. I am making a plea for a revaluation of the decision.

Why is it that the care of the use of the park is non-existent? What are the rules for the use of Washington Park? Does anyone know?

Have you ever seen the stencils painted on the pavement of the park’s internal roadway? I wonder why those stencils are there. They indicate that cyclists should pedal on the outside lane in a counter-clockwise direction. Pedestrians should walk on the inside lane clockwise. Roller-bladers, skateboarders, young couples pushing baby carts have no stencils. What should they do?

Today I was riding my bike on the outside lane in a counter-clockwise direction when I cam upon a robust group of spandex-clad young mothers, stretching, jumping and groaning to a rhythm of a group leader in the inside lane and spilling over into the outside lane.

As I approached, I slowed and suggested they should move to the grass. “Zip it, buddy!” “Get outta here!” “Go away! ” were the responses I received to my suggestion.

Are some of these “baby-jocks” on steroids? Why the aggression? Would a park ranger be able to put order into the use of the park?

Meanwhile, distracted, I pedaled on and my path was crossed by a lovely Golden Retriever on a long leash. To avoid a collision, I laid my bike down. Scars on my knees, scratches on my legs and a big lick to my sweating face did not deter me from one more circuit to see if the “meathead moms” had moved on. Alas, they had not.

Cyclists are accused of being reckless by the pedestrians. Complaints about skaters are that they don’t consider themselves in the same classification as cyclists and therefore ride anywhere, in any direction, and occupy the entire lane with their swaying back and forth. Pedestrians are often seen crossing both lanes without looking, pushing strollers, being pulled by dogs on long leashes, and walking down the wrong side of the road, oblivious to their surroundings as they strut to their favorite tunes on their I-Pods.

Years ago Denver Parks and Recreation painted stripes down the middle of the road that passes around and through Washington Park. The objective was to separate cyclists from pedestrians. Later, they painted figures on the pavement to indicate in which direction and on which side of the road the different types of users should ride, walk or pedal. Last year speed limit signs along with radar were posted in the park to advise cyclists of their excessive speed.

But as traffic has increased, these measures have less and less effect on the users of the Park and chaos reigns.

If traffic were to decrease these issues would not be problematic. However, that is not going to happen. Traffic is going to increase. Users of the Park are going to be more numerous and more diverse. Different sports are going to practiced there. And the community is going to be faced with some important decisions regarding how to use this resource so that the most people can use it safely.

Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park (FANS) is an advocacy group for the Park. FANS has begun a dialogue with the Denver Parks and Recreation Department and representatives of the cyclists, pedestrians and others to try to identify short-term and long-term solutions.

If you want to get involved, join FANS. It costs nothing to participate.