Westside Investment Partners is not living up to their promise of taking care of this huge open space that is protected under an open space easement. They purchased it with hopes that they could convince Denver to lift an easement so they could bulldoze the trees and pave it over with buildings to make a huge profit, but they knew all along that it was protected under an Open Space Easement. In 1997, the city (taxpayers) paid The George W. Clayton Trust (Clayton) $2 million to acquire a conservation easement setting use restrictions on the Park Hill Golf Course. Under this current conservation easement, the Denver City Park Golf Course land can be either a golf course or open space – including parks, natural areas, community gardens, and trails. But the easement protects the open space from development into buildings and concrete. After bombarding our neighborhoods with thousands of full size color fliers with false promises of parks and trees (in addition to a huge amount of development) to try to get voters to lift the open space easement, the voters thankfully voted to keep the easement in place. Afterall, this is one of the last great open spaces in Denver, and we didn't want to sprawl into it. There are already PLENTY of apartments and building going on everywhere in Denver, and it would be a travesty to build over this huge amazing open space that is protected by an open space easement.
Does the Denver City Park Golf Course have to remain a golf course? No, it can remain open space under the open space easement. It does not have to be a golf course. Read more »
Soon after they lost their fight at the ballot box, Westside put up fences and no trespassing signs and have since more or less abandoned the property, leaving the trees to wither under these dry and hot 90-100˚ F days without any care or water. They are under obligation to maintain the space, but instead they are punishing Denver residents by forbidding anyone access, not watering or caring for the trees, and allowing the entire property becoming an eye sore. The golf course is defunct, and no one can enjoy this space currently under their ownership and poor management.
If the city is going to purchase it, to indeed keep it as a public open space for the people under the easement, then surely the city should not be negotiating to pay less for the property than what Westside paid for it, since it is now in disrepair and hundreds of trees are in danger of being lost due to lack of water. Westside should be responsible for each and every tree that dies in the coming years due to lack of water under their poor management. And, in the meantime, Westside should be required to continue to maintain the property, whether they decide to keep it as a Golf Course or as simply open space, but they should not be allowed to let the trees suffer.
It's absurd, as Westside were telling us how they were going to have so many trees and parks for us – yet, now that they have lost their fight to remove the open space easement so they can pave over it, they are just letting them die during one of the hottest summers ever. Shame on Westside, they were never in it for the people and the trees, they were in it solely for money. They thought they could buy this property that was protected under an easement, and then lie and trick the voters into lifting the open space easement. Luckly, Denver voters were smart enough to see through their false promises of parks and trees, and voted against allowing them to develop it.
So now, why should the trees suffer?
Is this being done out of spite? Greed? Anger? You tell me.
Here's an article from the Denverite on the topic »
And another article on Denver 7 »
Will Westside be held responsible for the loss of any trees? Or will they be rewarded for spiting our residents? Time will tell.
September 2024 Park Hill Golf Course Update:
Due to the dry conditions of the former green space of the Park Hill Golf Course property, there was a fire that started on 9/1/2024 that had firefighters on the scene to put it out. Westside should be held accountable for letting this former green space dry out and become a fire hazard to the community. After more than a year of total neglect, the grass and weeds grew tall and weeds went to seed. The struggling trees will not survive without water. What is to be done?
