TO ALL WELLSHIRE EAST HOMEOWNERS and
REGISTERED VOTERS in DENVER
There has been a lot of opposition to the action of our elected officials when, in April, agreed to trade the Natural Area (Hentzell Park) at apprx. E. Girard St. & S. Havana St. away from us in a real estate deal.
IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE & SETS A BAD PRECEDENT.
A petition has been formed to place a referendum on the ballot this fall repealing the ordinance that the officials have managed to get approved...........
I have a portion of the petition here at my home, 6750 E. Eastman...for signatures. Please contact me for further information....I also have names of others you may reach. This is a very large movement with several lawyers involved. The committee hopes to get 6,000 signatures this weekend. The drive will be on the entire month of June. My home will be open Sunday, June 2 from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm for information and petition signing. We can also make arrangements for me to come to your address.
Thank you for your concern in this matter.
Lois Kahn
Here is some additional information provided by "Friends of Denver Parks":
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2013
Friends of Denver Parks, a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving Denver’s park land and natural areas, and two Denver citizens filed suit against City officials and Denver Public Schools, asking the Denver District Court to enjoin City officials from trading of 10.7 acres of park land to DPS in exchange for a downtown office building.
Denver attorney John Case represents the Plaintiffs on a pro bono basis. “The plaintiffs are not suing to benefit themselves. They are sacrificing their time and treasure to preserve this beautiful and unique area for all future generations. After the city sells a park, it is gone forever,” Case said.
The lawsuit claims that in 2011 agents of Mayor Hancock and DPS made a secret oral agreement to transfer 10.7 acres from Hampden Heights North Park. The land is part of the Paul Hentzell Natural Area, a unique 90 acre wildlife habitat along Cherry Creek that is inhabited by deer, fox, coyote, skunk, raccoon, muskrat, prairie dogs, rabbits, beaver, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, sparrows, magpies, crows, woodpeckers, flickers, finches, doves, blackbirds, other small birds, butterflies, caterpillars, ant colonies, roly poly bugs, insects, crawdads, minnows, bull snakes, garter snakes, ducks, geese, heron, owls, and hawks. Before white men came to the region, native Americans hunted bison and deer along Cherry Creek, leaving arrowheads that can still be found. As prospectors came to Denver looking for gold, they established the historic Cherry Creek Trail, which meanders through the park and is used by thousands of bicyclists each week.
The lawsuit claims that City officials own the park as trustees in trust for the benefit of citizens who elect them. The suit claims that the land swap deal violates Section 2.4.5 of the Denver City Charter, which prohibits City officials from transferring park land without a vote of the people. Denver clerk and recorder Debra Johnson is also a defendant, because she forbade the Plaintiffs from circulating a petition to repeal the land swap.
Renee Lewis, president of Friends of Denver Parks, said, “First the City attorney told us the land swap was a done deal. Then the clerk and recorder told us we could not circulate a petition to repeal the deal without her permission. She said we had to sue before we could petition our own government. So we sued. Lots of people are circulating our petition, and lots of voters are signing our petition. The right of Denver citizens to govern themselves is at stake.”
Copies of the legal documents may be viewed on the websitewww.FriendsOfDenverParks.org
REGISTERED VOTERS in DENVER
There has been a lot of opposition to the action of our elected officials when, in April, agreed to trade the Natural Area (Hentzell Park) at apprx. E. Girard St. & S. Havana St. away from us in a real estate deal.
IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE & SETS A BAD PRECEDENT.
A petition has been formed to place a referendum on the ballot this fall repealing the ordinance that the officials have managed to get approved...........
I have a portion of the petition here at my home, 6750 E. Eastman...for signatures. Please contact me for further information....I also have names of others you may reach. This is a very large movement with several lawyers involved. The committee hopes to get 6,000 signatures this weekend. The drive will be on the entire month of June. My home will be open Sunday, June 2 from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm for information and petition signing. We can also make arrangements for me to come to your address.
Thank you for your concern in this matter.
Lois Kahn
Here is some additional information provided by "Friends of Denver Parks":
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2013
Friends of Denver Parks, a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving Denver’s park land and natural areas, and two Denver citizens filed suit against City officials and Denver Public Schools, asking the Denver District Court to enjoin City officials from trading of 10.7 acres of park land to DPS in exchange for a downtown office building.
Denver attorney John Case represents the Plaintiffs on a pro bono basis. “The plaintiffs are not suing to benefit themselves. They are sacrificing their time and treasure to preserve this beautiful and unique area for all future generations. After the city sells a park, it is gone forever,” Case said.
The lawsuit claims that in 2011 agents of Mayor Hancock and DPS made a secret oral agreement to transfer 10.7 acres from Hampden Heights North Park. The land is part of the Paul Hentzell Natural Area, a unique 90 acre wildlife habitat along Cherry Creek that is inhabited by deer, fox, coyote, skunk, raccoon, muskrat, prairie dogs, rabbits, beaver, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, sparrows, magpies, crows, woodpeckers, flickers, finches, doves, blackbirds, other small birds, butterflies, caterpillars, ant colonies, roly poly bugs, insects, crawdads, minnows, bull snakes, garter snakes, ducks, geese, heron, owls, and hawks. Before white men came to the region, native Americans hunted bison and deer along Cherry Creek, leaving arrowheads that can still be found. As prospectors came to Denver looking for gold, they established the historic Cherry Creek Trail, which meanders through the park and is used by thousands of bicyclists each week.
The lawsuit claims that City officials own the park as trustees in trust for the benefit of citizens who elect them. The suit claims that the land swap deal violates Section 2.4.5 of the Denver City Charter, which prohibits City officials from transferring park land without a vote of the people. Denver clerk and recorder Debra Johnson is also a defendant, because she forbade the Plaintiffs from circulating a petition to repeal the land swap.
Renee Lewis, president of Friends of Denver Parks, said, “First the City attorney told us the land swap was a done deal. Then the clerk and recorder told us we could not circulate a petition to repeal the deal without her permission. She said we had to sue before we could petition our own government. So we sued. Lots of people are circulating our petition, and lots of voters are signing our petition. The right of Denver citizens to govern themselves is at stake.”
Copies of the legal documents may be viewed on the websitewww.FriendsOfDenverParks.org
