July 21, 2020

Schedule

Date:
Time:

INC PARC Meeting

Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation’s Park and Recreation Committee meets the third Tuesday of each month now via Zoom.  Meetings are open to the public and all are welcome.

If you wish to join this discussion, please register using the link below, entering some basic information and we will send you the Zoom link for the July virtual meeting.  This meeting will also be recorded so it can be shared on the INC  website. Please note that by joining the call you consent to being recorded. Copy and paste this link into your browser to register: https://www.denverinc.org/inc-parc-zoom-meeting/ or just follow the link.

This months topic is Parkways and Blvds and the role that the Department Of Infrastructure and Transportation play in them. In Hilltop, we are lucky to have within our neighborhood two historic parkways, 6th Avenue and Clermont Street Parkways, and on two of our boundaries, Alameda Parkway and Colorado Boulevard, although it does not live up to it’s name’s possibilities.  Perhaps we can find out why at this meeting.  PARC has invited DOTI to send a representative for this discussion.  Mark Tabor, Principal Park Planner has agreed to join the meeting as well.

Some questions the committee would like discussed are:

  • How are decisions made and what is the process when there is a potential change to be made to the parkway or Blvd?
  • What are the common issues that effect parkways and Blvd. from DOTI’s perspective?
  • In what way does DOTI view parkways and Blvd. as assets and impediments to traffic?
  • What department is responsible for maintaining medians And dividers on parkways,  Blvds and streets?
  • Are there plans to create more parkways and Blvds to connect neighborhoods to parks and destinations?
  • Colorado Blvd and Federal Blvd are two major streets that have not seen the benefits of being boulevards or be designated, is there a plan to address this disparity?
  • How is the budget allocated to address the streets, parkways and Blvds.?
Here is some background information from PARC on what they consider to be Today’s Challenges for Denver’s Parkways and Boulevards:
There are 62 miles of parkways maintained by Denver Parks and Rec.  They contain more than 13 thousand trees that help our streets and City to be cooler in the summer and much more. Yet, they are fragile in today’s push to build and expand the City.  Having more information about our parkways will help us to advocate for their protection and the integrity of their design and purpose.  Beyond protection of our parkways we can advocate for more parkways to be created to connect our neighborhoods to green spaces and add to the character of Denver.
“When Denver was transformed from a frontier town into a city, a tight grid of streets was laid over the high prairie. That elaborate street system became one of the most significant civic improvements in Denver’s history. The grid not only organizes Denver into neighborhoods, it is a hive of activity. The streets are moving corridors, carrying automobiles, bicycles, pedestrians, and utilities above ground; and water, utilities, telecommunications, and waste below ground. The streets, with their public right-of-ways on either side, are the largest piece of publicly owned land in the city.
Their role as civic space is significant. In addition to their functional duties, the streets, with their tree-lined sidewalks in the older sections of Denver and more contemporary landscaping elsewhere, also create the green oasis, visual beauty, and character that define Denver. And within this system, a framework of special streets-Denver’s designated parkways and boulevards elevate The Street to an even higher standard of urban design. They are both street and parkland and are the ribbon that ties our historic parks and neighborhoods together. Their importance is recognized by their listing on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Design Guidelines Denver’s Designated Parkways and Boulevards   November 2005
This year two of our parkways are being challenged by developers and business.  One will have a huge impact the other won’t seem to have the same impact but if gone unchecked could likewise have a large impact on other parkways.  We as citizens need to be educated and informed to speak to these challenges and any future challenges to our parkways.  INC Parks and Open Space committee is planning in July to bring people from the City to speak about what can and can’t be done to parkways and how many departments are involved with parkways and, what is happening today.