The city government continues to disrespect Arvada's history, traditions, and character; it is an insult to the citizens and taxpayers of our great city.
Through the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority (AURA), the municipal government gave away valuable property it owned worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars to a chosen developer for $30.
Yes -- $30.
One has to wonder how this is even legal.
The Trammell Crow development planned for the old RTD Park-and-Ride area at Wadsworth Bypass and 56th Avenue is brazen in its contempt for the very concept of Arvada's Olde Town historical district and is a punch in the gut to every working commuter who has to travel on Wadsworth daily to make a living.
Here is the nub of the plan:
"The multifamily complex will be comprised of approximately 248 apartment units on six levels ..."
"Vertically, the height of the building, when standing on Grandview Ave., will be approximately 37 feet above Grandview Avenue. We acknowledge that this height exceeds 35 feet; however, the only part exposed above grade are the residences."
Remember, the Solana Olde Town Station apartment complex just a few yards east on 56th Avenue is another 352 units that will add thousands and thousands of local vehicle trips to that already traffic congested zone. (Solana is also the beneficiary of an Urban Renewal Authority taxpayer give-away.)
So, Arvada taxpayers, thanks to Arvada Urban Renewal, here is what your $30 'profit' is going to get you:
- More traffic all the time
- More traffic congestion ... there are now five traffic signals to sit through between Ralston Road and I-70 on Wadsworth Bypass
- Traffic congestion avoidance, that is finding alternative routes to get around traffic congestion and/or simply avoiding going to Olde Town because of traffic snarls ... meaning, of course, fewer successful 'Olde Town' businesses
- More air pollution
- More noise
- 'Fugly' architecture
- The end of the scenic mountain 'grand view' from Grandview Avenue
- Yet another nail-in-the-coffin of Arvada as a distinctive community
Here's the proposed design:
Much damage has been done by the Urban Renewal Authority and city government to the historic architectural style that accentuated the "olde' in Olde Town Arvada. This proposed high density development resembles a sightly jazzed-up Soviet era apartment block -- not the kind of 'old' that should be a landmark for historic Arvada.
Where is the sense of pride and commitment to Arvada's history and traditions? The city government is within its rights, as our representatives, to hold developers to high design standards -- we, the people, also ought to have a say whether this kind of high density, traffic-generating development is even appropriate for this part of our community.
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Arvada is your town ... you pay the taxes that fund the salaries of city council members, the city manager, the city planning department (Community Development), and you can demand accountability from the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority, its board of directors, and its Denver resident executive director.
Contact the planning department (Community Development)
Contact the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority
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Previous post on this topic:
Arvada Urban Renewal Land Giveaway Deal ... For Real! - October 8, 2016
All of the documentation for the information provided above can be found at the following links:
https://arvadapermits.org/etrakit3/Search/project.aspx
Project Number: PDP2016-0014
Download Trammell Crow Development Overview PDF
Download Preliminary Development Plan for Arvada Town Center and 'Olde Town' Residences PDF
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