Greater Park Hill Community

The Gathering Place Update

Aug 25, 2006

By Joan Wallach and Arthur Rosenblum

As many readers know, The Gathering Place, (TGP), a daytime refuge for homeless women and children, has temporarily relocated its services to Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church (Montview) while their new building is being built at their High Street location.
The moving activities went well, however, there have been equipment failures and while TGP planned to be open for services on August 8, they were only able to offer emergency services such as bus tokens, mail pick-up and phone use for the duration of the week.

Communications
TGP and Montview have committed to at least monthly meetings with neighbors to work through issues of concern. The meetings of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee are on the third Wednesday of each month. If you are interested in joining the Committee or receiving regular updates about the project please email Terrell Curtis, Director of Communications at terrell@the-gatheringplace.org.
On July 29, 12 people distributed information cards from TGP to neighbors along main bus and van routes. The cards include a thank you to Park Hill residents and phone numbers that neighbors might want to have on hand. The information card is available at Spinelli?’s, the Park Hill Library, Adagio, the Park Hill Community Bookstore, Harold?’s Flowers and Perk Hill.
If you see someone who may be homeless and needs assistance, please call Denver's Road Home Outreach Team at 303-285-5258.
To contact TGP regarding specific concerns about operations at Montview please call 303-996-9041 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To contact Denver Police regarding nuisances or other non-emergencies please call 720-913-2000.
For any emergency call 911.

Donations
TGP is limited in storage space. They cannott accommodate any donations of toys or clothing of any kind. Readers are encouraged to take clothing donations to Heritage Cleaners. They store and clean the clothing for TGP, then deliver it once a month when it is distributed through Bridget?’s Boutique. TGP can always use non-perishable food and toiletries, and encourages Park Hill residents to remember that the Greater Park Hill Food Bank is also always in need. TGP can often accept perishable food such as bread and produce, but donors should call first to make sure your donation can be used.
To offer financial resources please call 303-996-9043. To offer volunteer services please call 303-321-4198 x607.
Greater Park Hill Community is also able to accept donations for visitors to TGP. If interested, please send donations earmarked for TGP to 2823 Fairfax, Denver, CO 80207.

Zoning Appeal
On July 25 a hearing was held before the Board of Adjustment to determine if the city's zoning administrator, Kent Strapko, erred in his ruling that the temporary relocation of TGP at Montview was a proper accessory use of the church as defined by the zoning code.
The appellants, Paul and Priscilla Burton, who live little more than a block from the church, based their appeal on two main points. First, that the placement of a drop-in center for homeless people in a church was much broader and not consistent with the definition of an accessory use at the time of the initial ruling, and that a subsequent change by City Council in the code's language to allow churches to lease their facilities to nonprofits to operate different types of programs leaves communities with strict residential zoning (R-0) like Park Hill vulnerable to an influx of businesses that present themselves as nonprofits. To support their argument that the proposed use was not in compliance with the code, the Burtons referred to a city council hearing where a city attorney called for changes in the code's language because the TGP operations in the church were not, in fact, in compliance. The change in the code made it possible for other entities to run the programs in the church and did not specify the types of programs that qualified as accessory uses.
The Burtons other argument was that TGP and the church had not made adequate arrangements for transportation of clients to the church and that their presence in the community would result in greater pedestrian and vehicular congestion and risk to TGP clients and others negotiating traffic around the church. They referred to Strapko's ruling that cautioned TGP to consider traffic and other impacts on the neighborhood.
Charles Meredith, a staff person in the zoning administrator's office argued that the operations of TGP were consistent with the interpretation of the zoning code language that has been applied for many years, and he cited the many other nonprofits that have been housed at Montview. Rather than ownership or actual operation of programs by the church, he argued, the code had been interpreted to mean that it was sufficient for the churches to "sponsor" the operations of programs at their facilities. Meredith argued that Council's changing the language of the code to permit the leasing of space to other entities only codified what standard practice had always been. The Burtons claimed the change was done only to bring TGP operations into compliance with the code, and that the original plan was in violation of the code.
Several neighbors living near the church spoke out in support of the appeal, citing long-standing complaints about the church's failure to give adequate notice to neighbors of the planned move of TGP, the failure of TGP to obtain sufficient volunteers to carry out its published safety and transportation plans, and questions about the church's ability to safely and efficiently host TGP and minimize impacts on the neighborhood.
The four member board subsequently denied the Burtons' appeal, clearing the way for TGP's move to Montview on August 8. The Burtons have not indicated whether or not they will take their appeal to Denver District Court.