Don't fall for these deceptive signs shown below in the yards of the mansions in our Denver neighborhoods. VOTE NO ON 2O.
On our walks through Park Hill on some of the blocks with the fancier giant mansions, we recently spotted these signs (above) which promise Denver's 4th largest park. Upon looking closer at yesforparksandhomes.com who sponsors the signs, we realized these signs are entirely deceptive, adding parks is NOT the intent of removing the easement, development of the land is the goal – and that's why they are using deceptive practices to convince Denver residents to vote yes on 2O.
If you vote NO on 2O then the Park Hill Golf Course can not be developed, and instead could become Denver's THIRD Largest park. Denver residents already already voted overwhelmingly in 2021 that we wanted the open-space protecting easement to stay in place. Vote again this April 2023 and the land will remain protected as open space.
These "Yes on 2O" signs and flyers are not about creating a park, they are sponsored by the developers who purchased the land knowing it was protected by the city and residents by an easement – but these developers don't want to build parks, they want to develop this prime real estate. By voting NO on 2O, this land will remain protected by the easement as open space. It does NOT have to remain a golf course to be protected under the easement, it simply cannot be developed into buildings.
Yes, without lifting the easement (and by voting NO on 2O) this land cannot be developed, but it can be purchased by the city to become Denver's 3rd largest park, and one that we desperately need. If 2O passes, then they will build 5-8+ story buildings on the land, cutting down mature trees and creating a construction zone for years, slowly erasing the open space left in Denver that could otherwise be protected under an easement to forever be open space. It does NOT have to remain a golf course, the easement also specifies that open space is allowed under the easement.
Now, the Westside developers are trying to trick us into voting Yes on 2O - which eliminates the open space protection that the easement provides to allow for the most of the land to be developed. It is ONLY if you vote NO on 2O that the former Denver Park Hill Golf Course can remain open space or a park – and Denver's 3rd LARGEST PARK at that! If you vote NO on 2O then the defunct golf course could be purchased by the city and turned into park for everyone to enjoy. Regardless, keeping the easement in place by voting NO on 2O will protect this open space from development, and we need to keep all the open space that we can in our rapidly growing urban city.
Shown above: If you're wondering who's behind the signs in the neighborhood promoting "Denver's 4th Largest Park" – check out this volunteer for yesforparksandhomes.com, stealing No on 2O signs and putting up their deceptive Yes on 2O signs trying to fool Denver voters to vote to remove the protective easement. Don't fall for it.
Despite the lies that the proponents of the ballot measure 2O are spreading, Voting NO on 2O in Denver protects the land as open space – which means it can be a park and/or open space, it just can't be developed into buildings and concrete. Voting NO on 2O most definitely DOES not mean that the land has to remain a golf course as they are falsely claiming, the easement ONLY says it has to remain open space for perpetuity for the use of the community. The city has agreed on this point – the easement can stay in place and the open space can remain open space or be turned into a park.
Read more about the Denver Park Hill Golf Course property easement here » VOTE NO on 2O in April 2023 in Denver!
This will protect this last great open space to be open space for Denver going forward. The land could be purchased by Denver using parks funds to become a great park, trails, or natural areas with native plants. Under the easement, it is NOT required to only be a golf course, as Westside developers would have you believe, it only is required to be open space (and not 5-8 story buildings!)
Don't fall for the developer's lies, and vote to protect this precious open space from development. Denver is already behind most other cities in our amount of parks, and, as all of the last 10 years of density development has added more apartments and condos to our city, residents need more park space now than ever. The false promises that a grocery store and parks will be created if we lift the easement are dishonest – there is no guarantee that there will be a grocery store, nor is much affordable housing going to be included, only the small amount that is required by the city. And as for the 4th largest park, there is no requirement for the developers to include putting in parks – however, they are required to leave some of the acres as a water catchment area – which is part of the land that they said the developers promised will "donate" as a park. They have to keep 25 acres of the land as the catchment area, so it's not really a donation at all, though they would like the community to believe that! And, there is no requirement that they will develop the other 75 acres as a park. Like other developments, the parks are usually the last priority in the building process, and sometimes the parks never get built at all.
How would this land be turned into a park? In 2018, Denver voters voted to increase our sales taxes in order to generate revenue dedicated to parks, open space, trails, waterways, and related acquisitions and capital improvements. The Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB), which helps direct use of the fund, has sufficient funds to purchase the land and has voted to purchase the land for a park. There is money to purchase this land back for the community, and it is possible for the land to be a park if the easement remains in place.
For a little humor, check out this local comedian, Adam Cayton-Holland's thoughts on these deceptive signs:
If you're wondering why our City Council and Representatives and Mayor have been going against the wishes of their constituents, just follow the money. Though they denied it at the PBS12 mayoral debate, three of the Mayor candidates – all proponents of Westside’s project – did indeed accept $500 contributions from Westside's founder and principal Andrew Klein.
State Senator Chris Hansen also received a contribution of $500 from Andrew Klein.
Former State Senator Mike Johnston has accepted $500 from Andrew Klein.
City Councilmember Debbie Ortega‘s campaign has received $500 from Andrew Klein in this election cycle as well as donations from Westside.
Westside Investment Partners’ leaders and staff are also supporting 2023 City Council candidates including Amanda Sawyer, Adam Estroff, Travis Leiker, Gilmore, Daryl Watson, Tim Hoffman, Will Chan and Diana Romero Campbell.
At the PBS12 mayoral debate, the only candidates that said they would vote no on lifting the easement were: Kwame Spearman, Lisa Calderón, Trinidad Rodriguez and Ean Tafoya.
Westside and its leaders have been major donors to Mayor Michael Hancock’s campaigns and have given more than $41,000 to candidates running for office since 2015.
This information above is sourced from this Denverite article, check it out to learn more about who's getting paid to sell out our open space that is protected by the easement:
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