Category: meetings

Introducing new CPFAN President and Board — City Park or Bust!!!!

A man in suit and tie smiling for the camera.


Letter from the President,  Stephen Eppler


Welcome

 Elections were held at CPFAN’s last meeting on May 9.  As the new president, I and the other members of the new CPFAN Board want to create a forum for open discussion of matters affecting the ‘classical pastoral character’ of City Park. We also want to address issues related to Denver City Planning and local urban development that effect parks and City Park, in particular.

Here are some of the current City Park projects in which CPFAN is interested.

As you may be aware, the east playground near the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) is being renovated and improved for nature play.  It is currently in the design stage.  The Dustin Redd Playground has been redesigned and construction will begin in the near future.

The DeBoer Canyon and the Lily pond are south of the east playground and have languished for years since the water flow was interrupted.  Recently, Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) has been collaborating with the DMNS about restoring this area and reestablishing the water flow in the DeBoer Canyon and the Lily Pond.  This has been a long term goal of CPFAN. We will follow this new development and offer any support we can.

There are many other matters that CPFAN is involved in and where we attempt to accurately represent and advocate for the collective voice of the adjacent neighborhoods.  These include:

  • Efforts to protect City Park from ill-conceived projects. We plan to attend meetings of the newly formed City Park Design Advisory Committee to offer constructive viewpoints of City Park users as to proposed projects.
  • Efforts to preserve the history and cultural legacy associated with City Park.
  • Efforts to get Denver Parks and Recreation to address
    • Improved toilet and hand washing facilities.
    • Improved animal (geese) control.
    • Altered irrigation with potable water or additionally treated used water. The high sodium and other salt contained in the current water is adversely affecting the park’s soil, trees and plant ecology.
  • The continued reconstruction of City Park Golf Course.
  • Ongoing City and County Community Planning and Development and Wastewater projects.
  • Support of historic preservation of the Hut House because of its architectural, cultural and historic significance.
  • Denveright – the East Central Area Plan for the Capitol Hill, North Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Congress Park, City Park and City Park West neighborhoods abuts the western and southern park boundaries.  Park Hill is also targeted.
  • The Colfax Redevelopment project changes transportation access to City Park and increase its urban character.
  • The Upper Montclair Stormwater project on Hale Parkway will affect the hydrology of City Park and City Park Golf Course.
  • Involvement with the VB/I-70 Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG).
  • Participation in INC – Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, an umbrella organization representing almost 100 community groups and Registered Neighborhood Organizations.

Because our usual first Tuesday of the month meeting date falls on June 4, the Mayoral Runoff Elections, we are cancelling the June meeting. The next CPFAN meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 2 at Messiah Lutheran Church from 6-8 pm.

We have many exciting programs to present to our membership in the coming year and will announce the program for July in the next couple of weeks. One program is a slideshow, The History of City Park, presented by Kris Haglund and Liz Clancy, the Archivists at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  We are looking forward to learning more about the Crown Jewel of Denver from the many wonderful experts, historians and city officials who can broaden our perspectives about City Park.

Come lend a hand. Get involved. Speak out.

We welcome your participation.

 

CPFAN Annual Meeting May 9, 2019


May 9, 2019
CPFAN Annual Meeting
Board Minutes

The Annual Meeting of the RNO, City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN), took place on May 9, 2019 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1750 Colorado Blvd., Denver CO 80220. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm by Vice President, Hank Bootz since President, LaMone Noles was ill and unable to preside. CPFAN members present signed in to the Membership List. They were: Hank Bootz, Victoria Eppler, Stephen Eppler, Maria Flora, Georgia Garnsey, Woody Garnsey, Phil Hainline, Laurence Keith Loftin III, Owetta McNeil, Paula Singer, John Van Sciver and Jacqueline Victor. A forum of 12 was in place for voting purposes.

Members present formed a circle to discuss the accomplishments of CPFAN during the past year and issues concerning the group’s future. The creation of the City Park Master Plan Update and Design Guidelines were positive steps for providing protection, enhancement, and direction for City Park. CPFAN members were part of the planning process from the beginning to its final stages. The Design Guidelines provided for a City Park Design Advisory Committee composed of architects and other professionals, city officials and citizens whose mandate is to review all new projects proposed for City Park and provide guidance to the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation before any projects are initiated. The committee was formed in Fall, 2018. The CPFAN Board of Directors wrote a letter to the committee to address design concerns about the new Dustin Redd Playground. We attended the meeting where the Dustin Redd design was addressed and were able to persuade committee members to vote in our favor. CPFAN looks forward to a positive and productive relationship with CPDAC in the future.

We also discussed the excellent programs presented over the past year, most of which were organized by CPFAN Board member, Bridget Walsh. The Candidate Forums, in particular, engaged not only CPFAN members but many other members of the community as well. Bridget did an outstanding job of organizing and presenting these programs.

We commended the leadership of CPFAN President, LaMone Noles who guided our organization with eloquence, wit and wisdom. CPFAN gained recognition and respect under her leadership. She faithfully alerted us to community issues and managed the smooth running of our organization.

The group discussed their commitment to continue to offer high quality informational programs. One idea was to Invite speakers who could inform us about the possibilities for replanting the Lily Pond. We also discussed forming committees to explore restoration of the DeBoer Canyon and also to address effective landscaping and beautifying of the Gate 15 area behind the Zoo. Most of all, we reaffirmed our CPFAN mission statement. The primary purpose of City Park Friends and Neighbors is to is “to actively protect the classical pastoral character of City Park, Denver, Colorado.â€

Finally, the CPFAN members present voted on the proposed CPFAN Board for 2019-2020. The Nominating Committee presented its slate of Stephen Eppler, Hank Bootz, Jacqueline Victor and Keith Victor. Georgia Garnsey nominated herself from the floor. All five candidates were unanimously elected. Officers will be voted on in the coming weeks.

Hank Bootz adjourned the meeting at 8 pm.

CPFAN ANNUAL MEETING AND BOARD/OFFICER ELECTIONS


 

WHEN:  Tuesday, April 26 2018
WHERE:  Messiah Community Church 1750 Colorado Blvd Denver CO 80220
At the meeting, members** will elect a new Board. The new Board will elect officers, appoint standing committees and/or task groups, and take any other desired action.Membership is FREE. JOIN TODAY.
We encourage CPFAN members interested in serving on the Board to notify us no later than March 30.  
Please email:
Hank Bootz (hankbootz@msn.com) and
John Van Sciver (john.vansciver@earethlink.net).
•• . A member is entitled to vote if the person: (a) has been enrolled for at least three (3) months as a member in the manner proscribed by the Board, (b) is current on payment of any assessed member dues, and (c) certifies at the time of voting in the manner proscribed by the Board that she/he supports the principles set forth in the then approved current CPFAN mission statement.
We welcome your interest and possible participation in CPFAN on this deeper level.

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