Following last year’s voter-approved tax increase and bond issue ballot question, the Wheat Ridge City Council recently approved a $75 million increase in the city’s debt to pay for several improvement projects. Memos to the council noted the debt will have a repayment cost of $125 million and a $7.7 million maximum annual repayment cost.
New buildings in the center of the former Lutheran Hospital campus would be at least two stories shorter than the hospital building, if Wheat Ridge voters approve a city charter amendment in the Nov. 5 general election. The city council initially approved the amendment’s ballot language on Aug. 12 . The measure’s approval is sought
Wheat Ridge’s city charter would be subject to more than a dozen potential amendments if voters approve a Nov. 5 general election ballot question. The city council gave consent to the amendments in a June 17 study session and to proposed ballot language in a July 15 study session. A draft ordinance with the ballot
For the last several years, Wheat Ridge businesses along the Wadsworth Boulevard corridor have had to deal with fewer customers — and less revenue — since a $60 million street improvement project began. Brewery Rickoli, 4335 Wadsworth Blvd., on the southwest corner of 44th Avenue and Wadsworth, is one affected business. Owner and brewmaster Rick
A proposed rezoning for the current Lutheran Medical Center site in Wheat Ridge is welcomed by its owners as they get ready to move into a state-of-the-art facility at Clear Creek Crossing. The city is preparing a zone district to apply to the downtown property while Intermountain Health has begun talking to interested buyers about
The new Wheat Ridge hospital that opens in August will be very different than Lutheran Medical Center. It will even have a different — but familiar — name. Lutheran President Andrea Burch said the new facility will be called “Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital” instead of “medical center”. “We thought it made sense to standardize the
A zoning change to help the current Lutheran Medical Center site be redeveloped will be pursued this year, while a city charter amendment regarding building height on the property may be put before Wheat Ridge voters in the Nov. 5 general election. On May 13, the city council unanimously approved a rezoning process. They also
The countdown is on to one of the most anticipated weekends in Wheat Ridge: The Carnation Festival, now more than 50 years old, is one of the longest-running festivals in Colorado. Its name comes from the post-World War II period when Wheat Ridge was home to a thriving carnation industry. The last carnation grower in
A lengthy update process for a key guiding document in Wheat Ridge began with an April open house. At the end of the approximately 12 months, a new comprehensive plan will help city leaders and residents determine its direction through the next two decades. According to the city website, the Envision Wheat Ridge comprehensive plan
If you have a hobby, a creative or business idea and need a place to make it happen in Wheat Ridge, the Clear Creek Makerspace is now open. Localworks, a nonprofit organization focused on the city’s economic development, launched what might be its most visible project yet with a March 30 grand opening of the
While national numbers show violent crimes decreased in 2022, public perception is that crime is on the upswing, primarily due to social media and the news media, said Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha. The city’s own crime numbers for 2023 are a mixed bag of declines and upswings in various categories typically found in
A pink desk and pink diary helped a then-Wheat Ridge child learn to write. Her exploration of Denver more than two decades ago resulted in Jill Carstens’ first book. “Getting Over Vivian: A Memoir” tells a story of “family, love and loss set against a backdrop of familiar Front Range settings,” wrote Kathryn White in
The next time heavy equipment and workers in yellow vests start moving dirt in a Wheat Ridge neighborhood, try looking online to find out what’s being built. The city’s projects and properties map offers residents and businesses a place to find updates on city and private developments. In an introductory video posted on the city’s
Family interest in magic led Gerald Robinson to achieve professional goals Like most Colorado natives, a young Gerald Robinson and his family enjoyed meals, cliff divers and magic shows at Casa Bonita. Now, the adult Robinson is part of the tradition at the recently reopened Lakewood restaurant. Robinson, 24, of Edgewater, now works as a
Concerns include the presence of low-income and homeless residents and lack of notice from the city A low-income and homeless apartment building in Wheat Ridge has stirred up nearby residents who said they were left out of the loop before construction began. On April 25, city and Jefferson County officials broke ground on The Ives
Wheat Ridge motorists are right: In recent months, there have been more road projects on more streets than usual. A combination of factors is behind the nine city projects that are producing congestion and delays and involve more than 50 streets. Added to those are three area highway projects. Altogether, the projects had an estimated
One of those little-known or discussed fees Wheat Ridge residents see on their phone bills will be smaller next year. By a 6-1 vote at its Sept. 25 meeting, the city council approved a city code revision that replaces a late-1990s ordinance. Councilmember Leah Dozeman voted against the measure and Councilmember Valerie Nosler Beck was
The marijuana industry in Colorado isn’t what it was a decade ago. The days of soaring sales and dispensaries opening every week after legalization took effect have ended. Instead, fears of business closures, mass layoffs and declining tax revenue are the norm. Various factors have been cited, led by an oversupply of products and a
The orderly and professional atmosphere of a courtroom is the opposite of the make-believe and sometimes off-the-wall approach on stage. But those two worlds intersected for a retired attorney who found a second career as an actor, thanks partly to the Wheat Ridge Theater Company. Jim Hayes began practicing law in California in 1975. His
In the year since the Wadsworth Improvement Project began in Wheat Ridge, surrounding neighborhood streets have not been crowded by vehicles avoiding construction delays, and the project is on schedule and budget. In an interview and emails, city spokeswoman Amanda Harrison said the $62 million project between 35th Avenue and Interstate 70 and the Clear
An effort to overturn Wheat Ridge City Council’s recent approval of accessory dwelling units was said to be on schedule, according to a resident leading a petition drive. The city defines an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) as a smaller, independent residential building on the same property as a detached single-unit home. ADUs are converted portions
Wheat Ridge City Council wants to see race-based covenants on private and public property – already illegal and unenforceable – restricted even further. Former council member Zachary Urban initially raised the question of these covenants and how the city council could address their removal. Incorporated in 1969, Wheat Ridge included subdivisions platted in Jefferson County
Victims and survivors of crimes, disasters and mass shootings usually do not know where to turn for help. So law enforcement agencies in Wheat Ridge and seven other Jefferson County communities ask Victim Outreach Inc., or VOI, to lend a hand. Cynthia “Cin” Chapman worked for the Porchlight Family Justice Center in Lakewood before accepting
There may not be another Wheat Ridge restaurant run like one on 38th Avenue. Mr. Biscuits Bakery, 7176 W. 38th Ave., is youth-owned and family-operated, serving from-scratch biscuits, muffins, cinnamon rolls and a rotating lineup of other baked goods daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Joshua, 18, Annika, 23, Elijah, 16, and Marilyn Pearson,
