At-Large José G. Silva I feel as if I do, I am a native of Denver and as a native son, I have embraced our great history I share the stories of why the streets are named the way they are, or how Denver came to be. The boom and bust history of Colorado is what makes this place so unique. We are not quitters but rather survivors. Preservation plays an important role in our city. Not only assuring that the substance and character of the city is preserved but reconciling the gentrification with the historical significance of our city. I will conduct a study and information gathering from residents, governmental entities and the preservation community. Following this, I will create a metrics around next steps and hold honest conversations about the needs of all sides. My slogan is "A world class city starts with community" and this is because we must remember the historical significances of our community and find a balance and demand that developers respect the communities historical values. Development is going to happen and Denver is the place to live and be, I embrace that and I also love the history. So I understand the need to find a balance. Here again, I will in my first 100 days look at the development picture, the preservation needs and bring everyone to the table, I will listen first, speak second and offer my best judgment forward. Not every community should be a LoDo but for those that express interest we should support their efforts. Council should always weigh the benefits and then create a message that the community can understand. Open their doors to conversations and review the research and studies done that shows the impact. From here a decision can be made. As Denver looks to become an increasingly more sustainable city, what role do you see historic preservation playing in achieving that goal? Historic Preservation should have a seat at the table just like everyone else. Equal representation in the ideas about growth is important to the process. This ensures the integrity of the process. At- Large- In the face of coming development, how will you protect and support the existing social and cultural heritage of the Globeville, and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods? I have worked with this community my entire career in some fashion. For the last 6 years, I personally with the help of a few friends have provided back packs to all the students, on-going school supply donations through out the year from my friends law firm and I partner with It Can Happen Women's Empowerment Group to provide additional supportive services to families in need. I have family that have lived here for generations, own small businesses and it is important that council at large members not build surface level relationships but impactful ones. So that when decisions are made, it is in the best interest of the community. I am against the current plan to drop I 70, this will further impact a community that has already been pushed and pulled for years.
We must find a way to reconcile the need to grow and preserve our great city. I will lead this effort from day one, we must listen to the residents and provide adequate plans for density growth. This must include parking, signage and community beautification. Debbie Ortega Yes, I have been an advocate over my 30 years of public service to Denver on working on historic preservation. I led two conflicting groups to find middle ground in agreeing to language which City Council adopted creating the "LoDo" Historic District and B-7 zoning changes. I am also the Board Chair for Del Norte Neighborhood Development Neighborhood Corporation, and I consistently vote to designate a number of our schools as historic properties. Del Norte also works in neighborhoods such as Berkley, Potter, Highlands, Baker and other ares of Denver to preserve the historic preservation of Denver. I also personally am committed to securing the historical fabrics of our neighborhoods which truly makes Denver one of the best places to live. One of my favorite historic places in Denver is LoDo, the history and revitalization, and now in some aspects the heartbeat of Denver with the new Union Station is a testament to how we can build our city while protecting our historical beginnings for all of Denver and Colorado to enjoy. LoDo is a great example of how preservation enriched economic success. I will continue to carefully review applications for historic designation which require city council approval. I will continue to advocate for neighborhood input and the use of overlay zoning in addressing the development pressure across Denver to maintain the historic character of neighborhoods. A deal was brokered between property owners and the preservation community creating a $750,000 revolving loan fund (RLF) which included a review every two years for six years. The RLF was to assist property owners with gap financing. At the time, there were still some opposing property owners, although at the end of the second review before City Council, everyone agreed there was no need for a third review due to the fact that Historic Denver and the B& zoning changes were working to the community's satisfaction and benefit. Each neighborhood and properties are different so an application without owner consent requires careful consideration of these factors which demonstrate the significance of a property being eligible and worthy of designation. The recent efforts to officially designate city parks which had not been dedicated is an example of protecting important city assets. Historic Denver can support efforts of the City and property owners to identify and provide technical assistance to help Denver cover costs to preserve and rehabilitate important properties.
In the face of coming development, how will you protect and support the existing social and cultural heritage of the Globeville, and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods? I have 24 years of experience as a council aid and council member in working with residents and business of Elyria- Swansea neighborhoods. I encouraged Councilwoman Montero and the Mayor's office to master plan this area, due to the six major projects which were underway, yet not interfacing with one another. Out of these collective efforts, came the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative which pulled all of these projects together with active participation of residents and businesses. Councilwoman Montero has focused on how to address gentrification by spearheading an effort to land back at least on property in Elyria for housing to maintain a portion of the housing stock which will be lost as a result of the I-70 expansion project through neighborhoods. I will continue to advocate and protect the social and cultural heritage of these neighborhoods in City Council decisions. I continue to support the Denver Landmark ordinance in 1967 to foster the protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of structures and districts of historical, architectural and/or geographical importance. I believe Council needs to continue to research other cities and communities who have been successful in achieving both historic preservation and increasing density. City council needs to continue to explore zoning, mandates on developers who scrap and build multi units and mixed units, funds and resources need to be designated for ongoing historic preservation. I believe transit and walkable neighborhoods need to be coordinated in protecting the historical aspects of what makes Denver a great city to live and work. What have you done to support historic preservation during your time in office? My office submitted 40 pages of comments to CDOT in response to the SDEIS focused on health, air quality, and mitigating the overall impact of I-70 on the communities impacted. I do not support the width of the corridor and strongly advocated with Denver and CDOT through dozens of meetings to reduce the footprint and only include two toll lanes instead of four, while ensuring truck traffic is minimized through the neighborhoods and specifically during construction. I also have voted to designate a number of our schools as historic properties. I am also an advocate of protecting our city parks as assets of the city. How can Historic Denver help City Council members be more informed in preservation issues across the city? The informational packet sent to candidates and asking them to understand is a very important step for those who are unfamiliar with the process. Sharing a map of where historic properties and historic districts will help candidates to know which of these properties are in their council district. Robin Kniech I have always lived in older homes, including my current that was recorded in 1906. They aren't always ideal specimens, but I appreciate the character and quirks of older properties. In terms of historic public spaces, I probably have the closest tie to the Historic Denver Union Station, where prior to being elected I was a part of the project authority that planned and executed the transportation renovations around the station - giving it the opportunity for a new life ensuring its relevance for several more generations to come. Preservation of historic buildings is part of what has created the unique character that makes Denver special, that attracts new residents and makes new investments more attractive. Without it, all modern cities can end up looking the same. It is the historic LoDo district that gives downtown a more unique feel and is attracting more residents to that area. It is the bandshell and Elitch theater that tie new, economically successful redevelopment in North Denver to a sense of place that is different than a suburb. There are tensions between growth/change and preservation, but the
truth is that we know preservation creates economic value in neighborhoods and business districts, and so the two must both be a part of our city. I have already helped to spur dialogue between those concerned about potentially historic properties and property owners considering demolition, and would be willing to continue doing so. I believe early dialogue, including an openness to adaptive re-use are critical to ensuring more properties are preserved, long before any potential for nonowner petitions for designation. I also believe we are headed in the right direction by making sure our building and renovation standards evolve with new technologies, such as green technologies, because giving building owners more choices might reduce pressures to demolish. Lastly, I think we need more support for smaller scale owners to help with the costs of preservation - state tax credits are not always helpful for smaller projects that might still be important but a cost-burden, such as small condominium buildings or single family homes. It is important that Denver will be updating our comprehensive plan to help update the guidance on the best places for new infill. Generally, new infill is most appropriate on arterials, near transit, or in/near other areas of change. The best way to maintain character of areas is to have communities engage in voluntary designation of districts, such as in Curtis Park. I believe that educating the public on the historic assets we have is a key to such area efforts, which is why I've been pleased to serve on the Advisory Committee for "Discover Denver" where I have learned the value of broad inventory and education measures. Ultimately, not every building that is old meets the definition of "historic", but where we do see infill development replacing older buildings, use of compatible materials, similar architectural features and intentionality of transitions are some of the keys that can help maintain character even when all the buildings are not historic. I voted to support the designation of the Beth Eden Church in NW Denver, contrary to the owners' wishes. This was a tough decision, but some of the factors would include: - strongly meets the criteria in the ordinance, not a close call - there have been diligent efforts at voluntary agreement that have failed - there is a viable economic use for the property through adaptive reuse etc. - the economic resources of the owner, would be much harder to place this burden on a single family owner than a developer with a larger site involved As Denver looks to become an increasingly more sustainable city, what role do you see historic preservation playing in achieving that goal? Already mentioned above, we need to continue to adapt standards for things like windows and mechanical to balance preservation with new technology, slight alterations on single buildings help create a better overall atmosphere for preservation for the long run, bigger picture. But also, reusing an existing building is almost always "greener" than using all new materials. So there is intrinsic sustainability in preservation. In the face of coming development, how will you protect and support the existing social and cultural heritage of the Globeville, and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods? I have supported community-led efforts to have a stronger voice in the projects in their community. Though my current project is an open space, I think the same principals apply, the social fabric of residents are stronger when they see the fruits of their joint efforts. Also similar, we had to fight to make sure the city was engaged with residents on their needs, not just on the future needs of redevelopment. Ensuring the places in the neighborhoods tell their own story is another
important tactic, such as my efforts to support Globeville's effort to use the new RTD stations to share the history of the neighborhood. Each of these neighborhoods include several generations and cultures that are distinct, so there is no one monolithic "community" - recognizing that and supporting efforts that are tailored to these different cultural heritages will be important to preserving them. Already discussed extensively in prior answers. Particularly my comments about using design elements and materials that help to transition and preserve character even while new, more dense buildings co-exist with older ones. Density is important in areas where our plans call for it, we must accommodate new residents and natural growth in a land-locked city in ways that are efficient and sustainable. But it is not a reason in and of itself to eliminate older buildings. In some cases building facades can be maintained with density occurring behind it. Or the value of the asset is so great that the parcel in question isn't appropriate for density, even if it is in an area that otherwise calls for it, because it is significant in its own right. What have you done to support historic preservation during your time in office? See prior questions: - voted for designation - spurred dialogue between neighbors and developers - supported Discover Denver project - urged DPS to slow down on Emily Griffith and work with Historic Denver and a process to truly evaluate potential uses with historic value in mind How can Historic Denver help City Council members be more informed in preservation issues across the city? You do a great job already communicating with us early and often about key concerns.