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Friday, May 2, 2014

Parkview Development - Low Income Housing

Park Place Olde Town
Artist rendering of the $18 million Park Place Olde Town apartments to be built next to McIlvoy Park in Arvada. (Provided by Arvada Urban Renewal Authority)
City council had been working on this project for years. Bob Frie, former mayor and others have a stake in an LLC that has helped put this together and all of them will profit greatly from it's development. 
Construction is slated to begin within the next month on an $18 million residential development next to McIlvoy Park after council agreed to allow Park Place Olde Town, Inc. to build connecting sidewalks into the park. 
The Arvada Report believes this development will be primarily low income housing. With the overall project goal to re-vitalize Old Town into more of a Bel-mar environment for young people. Many members of council have state the goal is to create environments where people don't have cars and simply walk/ride public transit where they need to go. Of course this mentality stands to benefit Shelly Cook greatly as she owns the city's public A-line. 
The process was not without contention. Citizens group Save Arvada Now believes council's 7-0 vote April 21 for a "revocable permit for encroachment" — which grants conditional use of public rights-of-way to private entities — for the developer will make a portion of the park unusable to the public by replacing grass with sidewalks for the use of private renters.
Another artist’s rendering of the exterior.
Another artist's rendering of the exterior.
It is also in violation of the deed that gave the park to Arvada citizens in 1919, Save Arvada Now founder Nancy Young (A leader among the Arvada Historical Society) said during a 15-minute presentation to council.
"It's a bad precedent for parks," Young said. "It creates questions as to whether all Arvada parks could be subjected to the same fate, especially since Arvada has embarked on an ambitious building program."
Plans for Park Place Olde Town call for 153 rental units to be built in a five-story complex on the east end of Olde Town next to McIlvoy Park and blocks away from a future light rail station.
As a tax increment financing project, Park Place Olde Town will receive two pieces of property valued at $425,000 for $10 from the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority. So the City of Arvada in the form of AURA is giving away almost half a million dollars in real estate to a private developer? How is that even legal? Or perhaps the better question is who is the developer? Could it be a secret LLC? 
The developer paid $1.27 million for the historic Masonic Lodge and will also receive a property tax rebate of $1.25 million from the urban renewal authority. All three properties will be torn down to make way for the rental units. It is of note that the masonic building on the corner was owned by the same individual who owns Marc Williams (Mayor) legal building. Maybe he got in on the deal too. 
"The developer initially proposed a three-story complex, and we challenged that and said 'no, we need high density,' " said authority director Maureen Phair, noting the larger request prompted the TIF agreement. "We really hope these transit nodes become high-density, walkable areas where families no longer need two cars. It's long-term planning."
City officials say the permit that allows the sidewalks is the same thing given to restaurants to allow temporary patio space on public sidewalks. It can be revoked at any time if the developer is negligent in maintaining the sidewalks.
"Our charter does not allow park land to be given away unless it goes to a vote of the citizens," said Gordon Reusink, director of Arvada's Parks, Golf and Hospitality department. "This is the city giving permission to the developer to install 13 small sidewalk connections into the park."
He added that the sidewalks will extend four to 15 feet from the border of the apartment property into the park and are in line with the city's long-term plan to connect residents to local parks.
That doesn't work for Young, who said a permanent sidewalk is a lot different than a permit given for temporary patio space.
The project has drawn the ire of some neighbors who believe the project will degrade the historic nature of Olde Town. They say the city has made too many accommodations to the developer. Which isn't surprising if we look and find out the developer is owned by former and current council members 
City staff has given the project 36 design guideline waivers that will, among other things, allow surface parking close to sidewalks and the street, and allow the project to avoid using fabric awnings.
"Each project is unique, and it's really difficult to say what an average amount of waivers is," said deputy city manager Bill Ray. "It's like asking the average number of exemptions on an income tax return. It's different for everybody."
City officials say they're trying to strike a balance between maintaining the historic nature of Olde Town while preparing for the influx of new residents who will come with the 2016 arrival of the Gold Line.
Ray added: "We don't think you have to do either one at the expense of the other."


Read more: Arvada OKs final permit for $18 million Park Place Olde Town apartments - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/arvada/ci_25614072/arvada-oks-18-million-park-place-olde-town#ixzz2zloiRmWR

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Rocky Flat Homes for Sale - Free Cancer Included

Village Homes acquires lots to build new neighborhood at Arvada's popular Candelas community development - Free Cancer Included

If you are interested in buying a $400,000 home right next to a former nuclear arsenal, have we got a deal for you in Arvada. People still aren't allowed in the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge (code for nuclear waste site that is dangerous) but you could own a nice new home right down wind, oh and there are also trails and lakes for your kids to enjoy! 
Leading Western homebuilder Village Homes has acquired 201 lots in Arvada's popular Candelas community development, with plans this fall to open models showcasing its diverse selection of low-maintenance homes specifically designed to appeal to families, pre-retirees and retired buyers who don't know they are purchasing fancy new homes directly down wind from a nuclear arsenal that is still restricted for human use. 
Thanks in large part to its stunning 360-degree views of downtown Denver and the Front Range, Candelas is quickly running out of lots for homebuilders to purchase as hundreds of families decide to make their new home in Arvada's environmentally-friendly and western-most new community.   The new Village Homes offerings will make up the bulk of Candelas' ValleyView Village neighborhood situated in the center of the 1,400-acre community. These new homes do not come with any kind of disclosure whatsoever as to the possible dangers associated with the nearby facility. 
Developed by Arvada Residential Partners, LLC, Candelas lays just to the south of Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, a sprawling 6,240-acre protected expanse that includes rare tall grass prairie and a wide variety of radiated animal species.  Open space, lakes with mutated fish, parks and greenbelt areas are numerous throughout the area. In addition, as the Denver Post reported recently, the area's recreational amenities will significantly increase as plans go forward to complete new bike trails inside the wildlife refuge that connect all the way from Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park
With models scheduled to open to the public in fall 2014, ValleyView will offer low-maintenance homes with a wide variety of floor plans designed to meet the demands of both older buyers as well as active-lifestyle families and singles of all ages. The uniquely-styled homes were designed by nationally renowned architectural firms BSB Design and Godden Sudik.  Additional amenities will include front yard landscape maintenance and snow removal. Home prices will start in the low $400,000's.
"Village Homes has enjoyed unprecedented success since entering Candelas with our unique lower-maintenance Sundance product" said Janet Mitchell, Vice President of Marketing for Village Homes.  "We have achieved a record sales pace within the community and have responded to the needs and desires of future Candelas residents with new product development based on feedback from thousands of visitors to our Sundance site."
Candelas has a state of the art LEED-certified swim and fitness club already open for residents, with more centers and parks planned as the community expands to become a series of attractive, comfortable villages nestled among the area's quietly beautiful rolling foothills. 
"We had numerous builders looking to take this product segment at Candelas, however, we are excited to have selected Village Homes for ValleyView," said Brian Daly, Principal at Terra Causa Capital, LLC, the developer of Candelas. "Village Homes has developed a stellar reputation in Arvada over the years by focusing on the home buyers' needs and we know their presence at Candelas will give great value to our prospective buyers."
Candelas is located in northwest Arvada, Colorado between Indiana Street and Highway 93 and just north of state highway 72.  Visit www.candelaslife.com to learn more about living next to a former nuclear facility and all of the available community and homeowner amenities.
Maybe that land is there for a reason?
Contact:
Olivia Moffett and ask about Cancer homes near Rocky Flats
oliviamoffett@gbsm.com
303-825-6100

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Marijuana Mark

So we all know the voters of this great state recently decided to legalize the use of marijuana. That's old news, but apparently Arvada City Council and blowhard Mark their fearless leader believe that the voters of Colorado don't matter. Because they have just decided to make marijuana and marijuana dispencaries illegal in the city of Arvada.

Regardless of personal views on the issue this video from the Arvada Chamber of Communism illustrates what Senator Zealot Zenzinger and Marijuana Mark think about the voters of Colorado as well as their unilateral decision making regardless of what we the taxpayers think.

Mark was recently featured on CNBC discussing the fact that he had talked with all of us to reach this conclusion. That video can be seen here: http://finance.yahoo.com/video/arvada-colo-bans-pot-shops-152000485.html

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Arvada Secret Ballot Leads New Laws



Bill introduced clarifying citizens’ legal standing to challenge Sunshine Law violations


By Jeffrey A. Roberts
CFOIC Executive Director
Following outcry over the dismissal of a lawsuit against Arvada for allegedly violating a 2012 ban on the use of secret ballots, state lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday to clarify that any citizen has legal standing to challenge violations of Colorado’s Open Meetings Law.
The bipartisan bill, HB 14-1390, is sponsored in the House by Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, and Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs. Gardner, who sponsored the secret-ballots prohibition two years ago, told us earlier this month he was “astounded” that a Jefferson County judge tossed out Arvada resident Russell Weisfield’s claim because Weisfield couldn’t prove he had been personally injured when City Council members marked unsigned pieces of paper four times on Jan. 10 to eliminate candidates for a vacant council seat.
H-Gardner
Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs
“The very point of the (Open Meetings Law) is transparency in government for all citizens, not just people who are directly affected,” Gardner said. “Every citizen ought to have standing.”
District Court Judge Margie Enquist acknowledged in her Mar. 30 decision that the voting procedure Arvada used to select new council member Jerry Marks “may have violated the secret ballot provision.” But she nonetheless ruled in Arvada’s favor because the law does not expressly “confer standing on every citizen.”
HB 14-1390, which is scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday afternoon, would rectify that by explicitly stating that any person denied rights under the Open Meetings Law “has suffered an injury in fact, and therefore, has standing to challenge the violation.”
Gardner sponsored HB 12-1169 after the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that the Fort Morgan City Council did not violate the Open Meetings Law when it used anonymous written ballots to appoint two council members and a municipal judge in 2009 and 2010. With only a few exceptions, the two-year-old law prohibits the state or any local public body from using secret ballots to adopt “any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, or regulation” or to take “formal action.”
At least three newspapers published editorials decrying Enquist’s ruling. It was deemed “outrageous” by The Gazette in Colorado Springs and “strange” by  the Times-Call in Longmont. By the judge’s logic, The Denver Post  said, “secret council votes could be held on a variety of topics with little fear of judicial rebuke.”
Duran and Gardner needed permission from legislative leaders to introduce a bill this late in the session.
Notably, Democratic Sen. Rachel Zenzinger is co-sponsoring HB 14-1390. It was her former seat on the Arvada City Council that Marks was chosen to fill in January. Zenzinger filled the Senate seat vacated by Democrat Evie Hudak, who resigned in November.
Visit CFOIC’s legislature page to track bills in the General Assembly that could affect the flow or availability of information in Colorado.
@CoFOIC on Twitter