November 13, 2018; 6:30 PM
Location: Bradley International School Library
Emily gave an introduction as new president of University Hills Neighborhood Association – Emily is a native University Hills resident and chose University Hills to come back to to raise her family.
Goals and Visioning for UHNA for 2019 –
Results of the survey conducted at the Annual Picnic. Approximately 500 responses.
Reasons neighbors chose to live here:
- Access to parks and trails (High Line Canal and Eisenhower Park)
- Location, access to downtown and DTC
- Schools, Bradly Elementary
- Neighborhood feel, quite, big yards, single family homes
- Safe neighborhood
- Local amenities, specifically grocers
Reasons they neighbors may decide to leave:
- Lack of restaurants & retail, and gathering spots
- Safety
- Overdevelopment
Other things to improve:
- General beautification (opportunity coming up in 2019 regarding SoCo Visioning)
Emily started “Southeast Unified" coalition. Purpose of the coalition is to turn up the volume on issues concerning the Southeast Denver community before the Denver elections in May.
Denver INC's president George Mahl works w/all RNO’s throughout the whole city of Denver. Denver Right Plan closed on input on Oct. 31st…..some people got a 30 day extension. May have an extension to Feb. 20th for more input.
RNO exist to exchange an upflow of information to Denver City officials.
Trash/Recycle Pickup -
Trash and Recycle Pickup in SW quadrant of the University Hills neighborhood
Denver Public Works in attendance: Mike Lutz – Manager 1 Solid Waste Management, Public Works; Adam Abeyta - Field Superintendent w/Solid Waste Management
Assessed what was going on with trash collection in 2017. Recycling was at the curb, regular trash was collected in the alleys. Looked @ the alleys and wanted to give it a try. There have been some issues. Low hanging branches, broken fences, cable/telephone lines, vegetation, etc. Recycling and composting have newer drivers and there have been some operational issues. It’s been about 9 months since implementation began. It is easier and efficient to collect from alleys.
New homes create an issue of getting trash barrels either to the street for curb side pick up as well as alley pick up. 90% is curbside collection. The general population doesn’t maintain their alley’s the same way they maintain the front of their homes. Most of the phone/power/cable lines should be above 14’ tall. Mike rated the alleys and believes w/some work, time, etc. they believe they can keep collections in the alleys. This is not a done deal. Trash cans can be put on the Avenues (Floyd, Girard, Eastman, etc.). It does NOT have to be right in front of your home. The trucks will collect from the Streets 1st, then will collect from the Avenues at the end. The ones that cannot be changed are the alleys from Bellaire to Ash and Ash to Albion off Eastman. Trucks cannot make the turns, etc. If residents can help in the alleys then perhaps they can keep it automated in the alleys. Albion to Ash around Girard are difficult too.
Neighbor and resident Kim said she has had several people private message her saying that they are willing to help clean up the alleys, etc. Kim suggested that Mike put something together on Denver letterhead to make it more official.
Can Christie access Crime Captains from her list to get the info to them? Need an Alley/Block Captain for Mike to work with block by block to help correct issues in the alleys. As we work through this, get the information to residents to just get the containers to the Avenues. Need to evaluate by January 1st for full resolution.
Highline Canal –
Going through a period of transition
Denver Water cannot run water through the canal any longer
Possible solution is to fill in the canal. This is not an option citizens along the 71 miles of the Canal are in support of.
Southwest US water issue –
Not enough water available in southwestern United States. Denver Water discontinuing the Canal as a water conveyance system.
Highline Canal Conservancy – Harriet is the founder
Working on how to save the canal
Work w/University Hills neighborhood and residents to clean up the canal in spring 2019
Residents think $$ should be contributed from the City of Denver and from Denver Water (owns the Canal) for the clean-up and maintenance of the Canal
Trash is too much for volunteers to clean by themselves.
Volunteer cleanup is not safe. Some hazardous materials in the High Line Canal.
Smell gets bad because of trash and stagnant water.
A regular clean-up schedule needs to be created. There needs to be a service level agreement (SLA) between the High Line Canal Conservancy and City and County of Denver and the owners of the Canal, Denver Water.
The problem is REAL. Residents expressed concern that their concern regarding trash in the Canal is falling on 'deaf ears' - hearing back from councilwoman's office that it's a "perceived" issue.
Timetable needed for Denver Water to commit to clean on a regular basis
The Canal needs more involvement from it's owner, Denver Water
Response time needs to be quicker. Story of a grocery cart being in the Canal for weeks and weeks.
Our University Hills stretch of the Canal is considered the "urban refuge" section. Our U-Hills area has been selected for a pilot to examine storm water drainage into the Canal.
This should give us more visibility” re Highline Canal and SE Denver
The High Line Canal cleanup in our neighborhood needs to span the entire stretch from Colorado Blvd to I25 tunnel.
There is also a signage pilot coming
2A & 7G Passing at the November 2018 election will be good for the High Line -- $$ will be given to the High Line Canal. Separately, Councilwoman Kendra Black has started the Denver Parks Foundation --will this entity help the High Line?