Guy:
Non pedal assist e-bikes should not be allowed on our bike paths. I don’t care if they are restricted to 20 miles per hour. That is still too fast. And absolutely no exercise.
Bicyclists not calling out from behind when passing foot traffic.
Dogs off leash. Watched one the other day being allowed to chase flightless baby mallards. Becoming way too common especially at the greenbelt.
Finally, the tougher our economy becomes, the more homeless folks are showing up in our parks. Don’t automatically pre-judge these people as being brain dead, drug addicted thugs. Don’t get me wrong, some are. But some have nowhere else to live, or are suffering from other mental inflictions. Saw a fellow the other day propped up against retaining wall sound asleep. But it was 90 plus degrees. I had no phone so asked two young park employees if they would call this in, he may need help. They laughed it off saying he’d been out there for a couple hours sleeping it off. It was 90o! Come to find out he was a veteran, and yes sleeping it off. Not some vermin of the planet, but a real human being. A little understanding and kindness is the way it’s supposed to be.
Thanks,
Ken Hall
A Few Thoughts About Wheat Ridge
Rabbits? No disrespect to the uber talented team that painted the mural along I-70, but who picked pesky rabbits? Was there a vote? So beautiful, but every time I drive by I roll my eyes and shake my head. I try not to look. A fox, dear, hawk, mallard, pika, marmot? Anything but a rabbit, in which the city is overrun due to the lack of foxes and coyotes. And, please go to your city and district meetings. At the District 3 meeting at Kullerstrand Saturday morning, there were 20 people. 8 of them city employees. If you don’t go, you don’t know. Don’t be surprised when the work for burying all the utility lines on 38th btwn Kipling and Youngfield starts. And construction for 3 roundabouts on 38th begins. Thanks,
KC – District 3
Hello,
Thanks for publishing the Citizenship essay.
I was frankly awed by reading those words. I look forward to the day when people with those values are in leadership positions.
Thank you,
Peter Elkon , Wheat Ridge
Initial 38th Avenue Concepts Already Too Much
The vision of 38th Avenue as a Main Street is not new. The 2009 Envision Wheat Ridge plan specifically identified 38th Avenue as a Main Street corridor in need of investment. The 38th Avenue Corridor Plan, adopted in October 2011, further refined that vision and outlined specific steps for revitalization. More recently, voters approved the 2J ballot measure with nearly 70% support, authorizing sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and street improvements on key corridors, including 32nd Avenue, 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue, and Youngfield Street.
Given this long record of planning, investment, and clear public support, it was troubling to read an article that elevated personal opinion over the documented facts. I was equally disappointed to hear comments made during the June 15 study session that seemed tone-deaf to this long and thoughtful community process. Frankly, the discussion gave the impression that some would prefer to simply abandon years of planning and community engagement.
My own experience reflects why that work mattered. When I purchased my commercial building on W. 38th Avenue in 2010, a person could stand on either front corner of my property, throw a rock, and hit an empty, dilapidated, or for-sale building. In fact, there were seven such properties nearby at the time, hardly the kind of environment that encouraged new investment.
What gave me confidence was the broader vision already taking shape. My realtor had attended an event hosted by WR2020, now known as LocalWorks, where the 2005 Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (NRS) was presented. That study was designed to position Wheat Ridge to attract investment and strengthen its economic future. It envisioned big things for 38th Avenue: coffee shops, art studios, diverse dining options, and public gathering spaces.
The city then spent years implementing that vision. From 2005 to 2019, significant work was completed, including five Subarea and Corridor Plans, updated design standards, and revisions to more than 50 zoning codes. These efforts included the creation of mixed-use zoning districts and legislative rezonings along the Wadsworth and 38th Avenue corridors. They were among the 27 recommendations identified in the 2019 updated NRS.
That sustained effort helped Wheat Ridge become economically stronger and more competitive for both businesses and new households.
The community reaffirmed this direction again in 2018, when the city engaged residents to update the NRS. Once again, “Finalize and Fund Streetscape Improvements on 38th Avenue” emerged as the number one priority recommendation. It was also included among the top five priorities in City Council’s 2018–2019 Strategic Plan. The updated NRS also produced the “Let’s Talk” recommendation, which has since been successfully completed.
That support continued through the 2021 East Wheat Ridge Let’s Talk process, where advancing 38th Avenue as a walkable Main Street was again identified as a community priority, receiving 81% support or strong support. Resident surveys have consistently shown similar support for investments in revitalizing business corridors along 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard, and Kipling Street:
2018: 82% support, 2021: 84% support, 2023: 87% support
So, to the residents, property owners, businesses, and community advocates who have worked toward this vision since before I purchased my property on 38th Avenue in 2010 and whom I have worked with since: thank you for your patience, your effort, and your grit.
That is why I cannot stand by and watch all of that work amount to nothing.
The planning has been done. The community has spoken repeatedly. The vision has been reaffirmed time and time again.
It is time to cross the finish line.
Dear Janeece,
Thank you for sharing your perspective as a business owner, former city councilor, and now City Clerk. Those are valuable viewpoints on this issue.
I think it’s important to recognize that most objections have been about the timing of the project, not the project itself. After five years of Wadsworth construction, along with multiple overlapping city road projects, “orange cone fatigue” is very real. Businesses have finally begun seeing customers return after COVID and are understandably concerned about another disruption.
It reminds me of the debate over the narrowly approved $100,000 equity audit. While residents and 3 city councilors questioned the timing and cost while families are struggling with higher grocery and gas prices. Some opponents were unfairly labeled as being against equity itself.
More conversations and a willingness to hear differing perspectives would go a long way. When people feel heard instead of dismissed, it becomes much easier to find common ground.
Best,
Guy Nahmiach, Publisher, Neighborhood Gazette
Send your letters, good or bad, happy or not, to [email protected]. Letters should be no longer than 250 words.
