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So long, 2008
  
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A developing story leads our top 10 of the year
Staff Report
In 2008, Littleton consumers saw an eclectic new development, a new high-profile, downtown restaurant and the beginning of an older shopping center’s renovation.
Those are no small accomplishments for a city with a reputation as being a tough place for developers.
Riverside Downs opened in the summer on a 10-acre site bounded by Prince Street, Belleview Avenue and the South Platte River. The center has a variety of restaurants and shops, as well as an Office Depot.
On Main Street, Merle’s restaurant opened in November. The eatery, converted from a mechanic shop, offers a rooftop patio for use during nice weather.
Woodlawn Shopping Center on Littleton Boulevard is seeing a renovation under the ownership of Littleton Capital Partners, also the developer of Riverside Downs.
Efforts such as these may help curb a trend in which, according to a 2007 report, Littleton residents more often than not leave town when they want to shop or dine out.
2- School closures
After years of discussing declining enrollment trends in the district, the Littleton Public Schools Board of Education voted Nov. 13 to close Ames and Whitman elementary schools.
Ames, while one of the district’s best-performing elementary schools, is at only 49 percent capacity, while Whitman is at 64 percent capacity.
Neither Ames, at 7300 S. Clermont Drive, Centennial, nor Whitman, at 6557 S. Acoma St., Littleton, met the Facility Use Task Force’s criteria for staying open.
The task force recommended that the district keep building capacity at 75 percent to 100 percent, and elementary school enrollment with at least 350 students.
The issue of declining enrollment has been a topic of discussion in the district for more than 20 years, but the decision to close schools still left parents shocked.
3- Planning commission tackles COMPLAN
In February, Littleton City Council members had a workshop in which they decided to reject the proposed Littleton 2030 Comprehensive Plan — also known as the Complan — presented by the planning commission after an 18-month citizen committee study, and go back to the drawing board. The planning commission was directed to start over and March 4 appointed several new members to the board.
The council and planning commission met jointly Aug. 12 at the commission’s request for more definition of what was expected. Discussion ensued about whether it should be a land use document or a vision document.
Council voted 4-3 to instruct the planning commissioners to start with the 1981 Comprehensive Planning, which has been amended over the years, and focus first on the downtown neighborhood, which is partly, but not all, in a central area zoning district. They were instructed to get public input as they worked, using new technologies instead of just sending postcards.
As the commission progresses through the previously defined neighborhoods, it will add new areas not existent in 1981 or define new neighborhoods, always with extensive public input.
Planning commissioners meet at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the council chamber.
4- BIACC methodologyquestioned
In January, Littleton’s Business Industry Affairs Advisory Committee submitted its annual report to the Littleton City Council, with retiring chairman Darrell Schulte presenting the report, “The Story of Two Littletons: A Call To Action.” The premise of the report was that a difference in demographics between the section north of Ridge Road and that to the south require some different considerations to ensure the health of the city’s business climate.
Mayor Doug Clark questioned the methodology used. Other councilmembers were concerned about property rights. The committee has since been assigned the topic of “Aging Gracefully” — in Littleton — and business implications in health, housing, etc. Mark Price is chairman and the committee, which has open meetings at 8 a.m. the third Friday of the month at various locations.
5- Ballot issues approved
Both questions on the Littleton ballot Nov. 4 found overwhelming support from voters.
Question 2A asked voters to keep overages from the Taxpayers Bill of Rights with the intention of spending the money on street paving, updating school zone signs, automating a fire suppression system for Bemis Library, renovating a fire station and replacing a fire training burn building.
Question 2B asked area residents if the city should authorize to pay firefighters’ pensions through the Colorado Fire and Police Pension Association, rather than the existing payment plan, which calls for the city to match the firefighters’ 10 percent contribution.
6- County turns blue
“Quite frankly, it was time for change,” said Mike Hamrick, chairman of the Arapahoe County Democratic Party.
Before President-elect Barack Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Arapahoe County had not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since President Lyndon Baines Johnson in the 1960s.
In more recent years, Arapahoe County had increasingly been part and parcel to the bluing of Colorado. Obama’s registration push in fall ’08 in Colorado marked the first time that Arapahoe County has boasted more registered Democrats than Republicans.
Overall, the county has, during the last several years, become a “swing county,” boasting an almost three-way split between the two major parties and unaffiliated voters with Democrats holding about a 6,000-voter edge over Republicans, who once dominated the county.
7- Channel 8
The Feb. 12 city council study session was the debut of what the city planned to be, with many meetings televised to the public, including interviews for board and commission positions and future planning commission meetings.
The idea to expand television coverage, which has included regular city council meetings in the council chambers for a number of years, was forwarded by councilmember Tom Mulvey, who was not at the inaugural meeting. He said more content was available years ago on Channel 8.
To make the viewing possible, $58,000 of the equipment and labor were put into the community room at Littleton City Center, all of which came from the Public, Educational and Governmental fund.
The fund is collected from each Comcast subscriber, via a franchise fee, to be used for the purchase of equipment.
Included in the $58,000 were a document camera, projector, laptop, DVD/VCR player, three cameras and eight microphones.
8- A soggy welcome
Aug. 16 dawned gray and drizzly, and things soon got wetter. At the annual Western Welcome Week parade, bands passed by, playing with spirit, but with instruments covered with plastic, water streaming down faces and off hats and hair. Floats clearly had saggy areas, but held up surprisingly well, carrying cheerful, waving, singing adults and kids.
The parade was over in fewer than 90 minutes, instead of the usual full two hours, indicating a number of no-shows. Many vendors optimistically set up their wares early in the morning and attracted some shoppers with umbrellas, but soon after the parade ended, most of them closed up shop, while the police wanted to reopen Main Street instead of keeping it closed to traffic during the afternoon.
The result? Money was lost all around: vendors, the city’s sales tax revenue, restaurants and shops that usually were filled with happy crowds during the day.
9- 25th anniversaryof South Platte Park
South Platte Park — which stretches 878 acres along the banks of the South Platte River and serves more than 700,000 annual visitors — celebrated its 25th anniversary Sept. 13.
Littleton voters approved a $400,000 bond issue in 1971. Three years later, Congress gave its authorization, and the acquisitions of the park lands began.
In 2006, a coalition of area municipalities and organizations in Arapahoe County formed the South Platte Working Group to create a continuous wildlife and recreational environment along the South Platte River corridor, enhancing its connectivity to trails and wildlife habitat in the region.
In 2007, a proposed construction of a Walmart brought many park supporters out in protest. Seeing it as a threat to the secluded nature of the park, a group of residents organized to oppose the development.
More than $25 million has been raised for what is being called the South Platte Greenway Legacy Project, including a $5.25 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.
“What is happening now is one of the most exciting things to happen in a long time to the South Platte corridor,” said Susan Beckman, county commissioner. “So much work already has been done to preserve this remarkable gem, but it’s clear that there is still much more work ahead.”
10- Wynetka Dog Park opens
South Suburban Parks and Recreation officially unveiled a new dog park at the site, at the northwest corner of Bowles Avenue and Lowell Boulevard, with a celebration June 21 for man and his best friend.
Amid the tall grass and gravel trails of Wynetka are two off-leash dog areas enclosed with wire fencing, picnic table seating, upgraded landscaping and water fountains that have spouts at both human and dog levels.
Those are no small accomplishments for a city with a reputation as being a tough place for developers.
Riverside Downs opened in the summer on a 10-acre site bounded by Prince Street, Belleview Avenue and the South Platte River. The center has a variety of restaurants and shops, as well as an Office Depot.
On Main Street, Merle’s restaurant opened in November. The eatery, converted from a mechanic shop, offers a rooftop patio for use during nice weather.
Woodlawn Shopping Center on Littleton Boulevard is seeing a renovation under the ownership of Littleton Capital Partners, also the developer of Riverside Downs.
Efforts such as these may help curb a trend in which, according to a 2007 report, Littleton residents more often than not leave town when they want to shop or dine out.
2- School closures
After years of discussing declining enrollment trends in the district, the Littleton Public Schools Board of Education voted Nov. 13 to close Ames and Whitman elementary schools.
Ames, while one of the district’s best-performing elementary schools, is at only 49 percent capacity, while Whitman is at 64 percent capacity.
Neither Ames, at 7300 S. Clermont Drive, Centennial, nor Whitman, at 6557 S. Acoma St., Littleton, met the Facility Use Task Force’s criteria for staying open.
The task force recommended that the district keep building capacity at 75 percent to 100 percent, and elementary school enrollment with at least 350 students.
The issue of declining enrollment has been a topic of discussion in the district for more than 20 years, but the decision to close schools still left parents shocked.
3- Planning commission tackles COMPLAN
In February, Littleton City Council members had a workshop in which they decided to reject the proposed Littleton 2030 Comprehensive Plan — also known as the Complan — presented by the planning commission after an 18-month citizen committee study, and go back to the drawing board. The planning commission was directed to start over and March 4 appointed several new members to the board.
The council and planning commission met jointly Aug. 12 at the commission’s request for more definition of what was expected. Discussion ensued about whether it should be a land use document or a vision document.
Council voted 4-3 to instruct the planning commissioners to start with the 1981 Comprehensive Planning, which has been amended over the years, and focus first on the downtown neighborhood, which is partly, but not all, in a central area zoning district. They were instructed to get public input as they worked, using new technologies instead of just sending postcards.
As the commission progresses through the previously defined neighborhoods, it will add new areas not existent in 1981 or define new neighborhoods, always with extensive public input.
Planning commissioners meet at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the council chamber.
4- BIACC methodologyquestioned
In January, Littleton’s Business Industry Affairs Advisory Committee submitted its annual report to the Littleton City Council, with retiring chairman Darrell Schulte presenting the report, “The Story of Two Littletons: A Call To Action.” The premise of the report was that a difference in demographics between the section north of Ridge Road and that to the south require some different considerations to ensure the health of the city’s business climate.
Mayor Doug Clark questioned the methodology used. Other councilmembers were concerned about property rights. The committee has since been assigned the topic of “Aging Gracefully” — in Littleton — and business implications in health, housing, etc. Mark Price is chairman and the committee, which has open meetings at 8 a.m. the third Friday of the month at various locations.
5- Ballot issues approved
Both questions on the Littleton ballot Nov. 4 found overwhelming support from voters.
Question 2A asked voters to keep overages from the Taxpayers Bill of Rights with the intention of spending the money on street paving, updating school zone signs, automating a fire suppression system for Bemis Library, renovating a fire station and replacing a fire training burn building.
Question 2B asked area residents if the city should authorize to pay firefighters’ pensions through the Colorado Fire and Police Pension Association, rather than the existing payment plan, which calls for the city to match the firefighters’ 10 percent contribution.
6- County turns blue
“Quite frankly, it was time for change,” said Mike Hamrick, chairman of the Arapahoe County Democratic Party.
Before President-elect Barack Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Arapahoe County had not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since President Lyndon Baines Johnson in the 1960s.
In more recent years, Arapahoe County had increasingly been part and parcel to the bluing of Colorado. Obama’s registration push in fall ’08 in Colorado marked the first time that Arapahoe County has boasted more registered Democrats than Republicans.
Overall, the county has, during the last several years, become a “swing county,” boasting an almost three-way split between the two major parties and unaffiliated voters with Democrats holding about a 6,000-voter edge over Republicans, who once dominated the county.
7- Channel 8
The Feb. 12 city council study session was the debut of what the city planned to be, with many meetings televised to the public, including interviews for board and commission positions and future planning commission meetings.
The idea to expand television coverage, which has included regular city council meetings in the council chambers for a number of years, was forwarded by councilmember Tom Mulvey, who was not at the inaugural meeting. He said more content was available years ago on Channel 8.
To make the viewing possible, $58,000 of the equipment and labor were put into the community room at Littleton City Center, all of which came from the Public, Educational and Governmental fund.
The fund is collected from each Comcast subscriber, via a franchise fee, to be used for the purchase of equipment.
Included in the $58,000 were a document camera, projector, laptop, DVD/VCR player, three cameras and eight microphones.
8- A soggy welcome
Aug. 16 dawned gray and drizzly, and things soon got wetter. At the annual Western Welcome Week parade, bands passed by, playing with spirit, but with instruments covered with plastic, water streaming down faces and off hats and hair. Floats clearly had saggy areas, but held up surprisingly well, carrying cheerful, waving, singing adults and kids.
The parade was over in fewer than 90 minutes, instead of the usual full two hours, indicating a number of no-shows. Many vendors optimistically set up their wares early in the morning and attracted some shoppers with umbrellas, but soon after the parade ended, most of them closed up shop, while the police wanted to reopen Main Street instead of keeping it closed to traffic during the afternoon.
The result? Money was lost all around: vendors, the city’s sales tax revenue, restaurants and shops that usually were filled with happy crowds during the day.
9- 25th anniversaryof South Platte Park
South Platte Park — which stretches 878 acres along the banks of the South Platte River and serves more than 700,000 annual visitors — celebrated its 25th anniversary Sept. 13.
Littleton voters approved a $400,000 bond issue in 1971. Three years later, Congress gave its authorization, and the acquisitions of the park lands began.
In 2006, a coalition of area municipalities and organizations in Arapahoe County formed the South Platte Working Group to create a continuous wildlife and recreational environment along the South Platte River corridor, enhancing its connectivity to trails and wildlife habitat in the region.
In 2007, a proposed construction of a Walmart brought many park supporters out in protest. Seeing it as a threat to the secluded nature of the park, a group of residents organized to oppose the development.
More than $25 million has been raised for what is being called the South Platte Greenway Legacy Project, including a $5.25 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.
“What is happening now is one of the most exciting things to happen in a long time to the South Platte corridor,” said Susan Beckman, county commissioner. “So much work already has been done to preserve this remarkable gem, but it’s clear that there is still much more work ahead.”
10- Wynetka Dog Park opens
South Suburban Parks and Recreation officially unveiled a new dog park at the site, at the northwest corner of Bowles Avenue and Lowell Boulevard, with a celebration June 21 for man and his best friend.
Amid the tall grass and gravel trails of Wynetka are two off-leash dog areas enclosed with wire fencing, picnic table seating, upgraded landscaping and water fountains that have spouts at both human and dog levels.
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