Tag Archives: City Charter

Hentzell Park: City’s rejection of petition spurs new challenge

By Alan Prendergast, Westword  July 8, 2013

They started out questioning the ability of Denver city officials to  trade a formerly designated natural area for an office building. But opponents of the Hentzell Park land swap now have another bone to pick with Denver Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson, claiming that her rejection of their efforts to put the issue on the ballot amounts to playing high-stakes poker with a stacked deck. The dispute, they say, raises a basic constitutional issue: What happens to the right to petition the government for redress if you need the government’s permission to do so?

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On A Clear Day You Can See Hentzell Is A Park

by Paul Kashmann

From the Washington Park Profile

With an April Fool’s Day vote that parks advocates only wish was a prank, Denver City Council approved a deal to hand Denver Public Schools a wad of cash, along with 9 acres of southeast Denver parkland in the Hentzell Open Space (Hampden Heights Natural Area) on which to build a much needed elementary school. In exchange, the City and County of Denver gets a DPS office building at 1330 Fox St., where Mayor Hancock wants to house a domestic violence resource center.

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Friends Of Denver Parks Needs Your Help

In the next few months, there will be a trial of the case involving the land swap deal which would trade Hampden Heights North Park for an office building downtown.
John Case, the attorney who represents Friends of Denver Parks pro bono, is trying to locate witnesses who have direct personal knowledge and specific memories of using the park for horseback riding, hay rides, walking, and recreation before December 31, 1955.  These witnesses most likely will be 70 years of age or older.
We are also looking for witnesses with direct personal knowledge that prior to Dec 31, 1955 the city encouraged citizens to use the land for horseback riding, hay rides, walking, and recreation.
Any persons with knowledge of such witnesses please email John Case at case@bensoncase.com with a copy to jjrcase@msn.com.  You can call John on his cell at 303-667-7407.
Thank you!!
John Case