Eye On Englewood

Link: http://www.englewoodcitizens.org

Englewood businesses (BID) have begged the City for better lighting in the parking lots along Broadway for at least four holiday seasons. Instead, the City installed decorative lighting on the street front of two city blocks two years ago. But all of Broadway's back lots remain dark during the prime shopping season.

When Santa sneaks down the chimney this Christmas, is this going to be a liability for Englewood as to crime and property insurance? Doug Cohn, Appeals Commissioner, believes so because the Grinch has been notified repeatedly and yet continues to neglect the safety and welfare of its citizens who refuse to buy their bizzle-binks in Whoville. Mister Grinch is a depressed, wicked-tempered grouch with a sour attitude who lives in a mountain cave near the north end of Whoville. He absolutely hates everything about Christmas because of the trash that accumulates around the entire town after Christmas Day. "For fifty-three years I've put up with this threat!"

But, wouldn't it simply be awful if one of Santa's elves evaporated without a trace in the back lot, while attempting to buy toys from Mr. Cohn's Bonnie Brae Hobbies store?

Some of the business owners remember when the EDDA was active (Englewood Downtown Development Authority). This was a joint venture between the officious City of Englewood and those doing real business on Broadway.

Nothing could be done within the city bureaucracy, however, and it was dissolved in 2002; But, the Grinch kept the $100,000 investment from the owners, rather than turning it over to them to start their new independent organization.

Perhaps the Grinch was punishing the nemesis business owners for pulling out of his cheating game. "You're a mean one, Mister Grinch!" Says, Thurl Ravenscroft. "You're foul, bad-mannered and sinister! And, that goes for your little dog, Max, too!" Though, City Council cared less what the citizens of Whoville thought of them. They absolutely refused to encourage Whoville business sales, even at Christmas. Sigh... Instead, they funneled the business owners' money to the new and improved City Center, and tightened the sign codes against the businesses on Broadway.

With or without the dressed up Grinch and his fraud of a reindeer-dog, the new Business Improvement District(BID)began working to market Broadway in 2006 with meager funds. The first years' fees went to pay off the attorney. But at a quarter til dawn, business owners took marketing into their own hands, and have begun to decorate the street with gigantic flower pots, welcome banners and bike art.

Part of the problem, says Cohn, is that the Grinch tried to take some of the Broadway parking lots and turn them into an arts center, so the Mister Grinch couldn't have cared less about lighting the shopping areas targeted for eminent domain. But scratching out the numbers couldn't save the proposed arts complex viability to bring in funds to the city, so Grinch released his grip over the business lots.

Yet, the lots remain dark. Especially in winter months, the businesses on Broadway seem foreboding when considering parking or shopping after five pm. One could imagine that the Grinch is actually trying to blight his own shopping mall!

Gene Turnbull explained that the lighting in Littleton's Old Town is owned by Public Service (Xcel) but Littleton pays to maintain the lighting and pays the utility bills. This may be feasible, but the Grinch of Englewood continues to provide only a perception of "help" while the Whoville battle goes on to get the Grinch to do anything.

Yet, at the November 9, 2010 City Council meeting, Grinch recommended that a lighted sign be installed at Broadway and Girard in the foreboding empty lot to point people away from the Businesses on Broadway (BOB is the newest private marketing campaign) and toward the light rail station and Civic Center. Mister Grinch's pet project apparently needs to be pointed out, at the expense once again of Businesses on Broadway.

It almost seems humorous in light of last year's drama when the Grinch's claims against business signage was shot down at the higher court level, that Gary would suggest for his own benefit a violation of the Englewood sign code. The sign he was suggesting was 28" and 40" wide, proposed by Mile High Outdoor Advertising.

In repeated efforts to solidify the Grinch's hold on Englewood shopping, the City has again brought up the green Santa's idea of too many trash businesses roaming the alleyways. They reason that if only one company pulls the trash sleigh, the Grinch could regulate how many Christmas and Hanukkah wrappings, boxes and packaging might find a way into the alleys, and how much they can charge for the extra trucks needed to pick up all this holiday trash.

Link: http://www.I2I.org

On Tuesday evening, June 9, 2009, 6m at the Englewood Civic Center, the City hosts an open market for determining the image of two important districts, the Historic Broadway Business District and the as yet undeveloped Swedish Medical Business PUD located between old Hampden and I-285.

Having attended the first open market, I am interested in this "Final" market approach, especially since a public hearing is approaching July 6, 2009.

In the first go round, everyone who attended was given sticky dots to affix to their preferences--as represented by the Planning and Zoning Department--of lighting, artwork, street designs and sizes, mall signage, and cross-walk design.

It made for a fun evening out.

While engrossing myself as an outsider in attempts to understand and make choices, to make my mark as it were, I began to hear murmurs from the other guests.

Business owners were saying, "I like this one, but who is going to pay for it?" A person with a disability stated emphatically, "Don't choose those posts at the crosswalk or we can't get our wheelchairs through them."

A politician argued against the cobblestone look of the cross-walks because the cobblestone laid in Denver's Larimer Square is requires regular maintenance because of bulging, trippage and breakage.

One business owner discussed with a citizen the fact that they each quite liked the idea of overhead lighting on Broadway.

One wanted to see Englewood by satellite. The other wanted an atmosphere to invite nightlife into her otherwise small town. Those overhead white lights would accomplish both economically.

Someone like the arch idea and said, "Couldn't Englewood use this idea to incorporate that bridge from the South of I-285 to the Civic Center?" "No, no." She was corrected, "That arch idea is not presented for the Civic Center, but only for Historic Broadway Businesses."

Upon another person entering the discussion, a critique was made that Broadway's present buildings are only two stories tall at most, and every other one is ranch style height. "Who are they trying to fool with these depictions?" He hissed. "This ain't Broadway."

This point led into whether Englewood intended to rebuild Broadway's lower structures similar to Littleton's redevelopment, and if so, what would happen to the existing businesses?

A chill entered the circle of conversation, then hovered over the voters. They realized that too little information had been handed over, and the depictions of choices were not depictions of the existing Englewood centers.

Further, Englewood does not have the money to improve Broadway presently. It's simply not in the budget.

Questions started arising such as why the City is presenting marketing idioms from two completely separate situations: One being a pre-existing historic Broadway, and the other concerning a largely scraped block of empty land with a few blocks of populated housing and flourishing small businesses.

Someone pointed out that he lives in a small home in the Swedish redevelopment area. "Would my place eventually be taken through eminent domain?"

"Maybe you're land values would increase if it gets zoned commercial," poised another.

There was an awkward shuffling of feet. The hoopla began to wain in the face of larger implications to private property takings.

Questions of business owners' businesses, their rights, taxes and choices being run over by the City 's prostitution of their property to the masses suddenly became a concern.

Why hadn't the City approached the Chamber of Commerce with these matters first or dialogue in a less-expensive way about real proposals and real needs?

Why must the City narrow the already narrow street of Old Hampden while creating a mall that will produce more traffic?

The owner of a mechanic's shop explained how the overlaid redevelopment proposals work against grandfathered business owners. He told his own story about being pushed out of business and forced to sell because he could not obtain a new proprietor/lease until after the six month window of City-allotted time had lapsed.

"There is only so much an owner can do with a building designed for car mechanics." Expressed one sympathetic guest.

Yet, the City ungrandfathered this land owner and forced him out because they had their own plans for that prime corner lot on Logan and I-285. A big beautiful bank now sits there.

The City's position is that outdated, unkempt properties need to be updated or replaced.

Somewhere in the mix are the answers for better stewardship of the existing images and markets of Englewood, and a means to upgrade properties without taking over viable existing rights.

If the City wants to exercise control, it needs to fund its existing rehabilitation budget before implementing frivolous marketing parties and coy marketing plans for eminent domain.

Collecting the funds first and utilizing them for the public benefit is one thing. Diverting tax moneys already vested and raised to other City employee benefits and frivolous exercises is another.

Public Hearing is set for July 6, 2009 to gather public input.

Link: http://englewoodcitizens.org/

Closed. Closed for the seasons... and "We Are Nothing"... These are the whispers of experts.

During the City Council study session of April 9, 2009, Alan White, Community Development Director for the City of Englewood presented a 20 minute video presentation from a group of experts from Urban Land Institute (ULI).

There is something to be said for being first, and I'm happy to acknowledge the virtue of creativity. Mayor Wolosyn would have agreed. The expert placemakers acknowledged Englewood's attempt at a transit oriented community as being the first in Colorado.

It's always easier to improve on a prototype, but creating the prototype is hard work. I'd shake Gary Sears' hand for this if he'd care.

Community Development Director White cautioned Council before pressing "play" that City staff do not necessarily agree with the experts' findings. Then the lights went out.

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