Lawson Park Neighborhood Association

Meeting Notes

Feb 10, 2004

We developed a list of people with whom we would like to speak as well as a few projects on which to work. They include speaking with Elbra Wedgeworth, the 5 Points Business Assoc., the Curtis Park and San Raphael Neighborhood Assoc. and the I-70 Corridor folks. We are planning a barbeque in June and another potluck social next December. We are going to see if we can get the streets striped as well as having street parking marked with Ts to maximize parking in some areas. We will also be contacting the city about the stop light at Tremont and Park to let them know the sensor does not seem to be working. If you have any additions, please contact us at LawsonPark@dudden.com. We are also looking for help with some of this so that a ?“few we?’s?” don?’t get burnout from doing too much.

Sam will be setting up a web site for us! At last, one place to go to get lots of information!

Katrisha will be looking into getting our meetings announced in the Urban Spectrum and Neighborhood Life newspapers.

Chris Parr, Program Manager for the Denver Hope VI Joint Venture, answered our questions concerning the Park Avenue/Hope VI Project. Our biggest surprise was the 12-story condominium to be built on Park Avenue next to Park Avenue Tower. For a frame of reference, Park Avenue tower is approximately 25-stories tall and Bean Towers is approximately 14-stories tall. For Park Avenue/Hope VI Project site plans please visit: http://www.dhanet.com/hope_vi.htm. Construction will begin with Bean Towers and Cleo Parker Robinson Studio. The empty land to the north will be used as a staging area ?– including storage and parking. This will prevent all the workers cars from parking in our neighborhood. Over the next 10 ?– 12 years, the construction will continue in a counter-clockwise fashion; the former staging site becomes the construction site and the adjoining empty lot becomes the new staging site finishing on the land next to Park Avenue Tower.

Also attending were NPO?’s Sergeant Mike O?’Donnell, Officers Jim Cortez and Chet Neal. Officer Jim Cortez is leaving us for the sunnier world of the day shift and Officer Chet Neal will be replacing him. Officers Umar Shabazz and Lyn Nederhoed will be returning from Detective training to NPO duty in February.

The Police are asking that you email LawsonPark@dudden.com with ALL issues concerning quality of life (drinking, urinating, yelling, loitering), safety and crime (car/home break-in/robbery, mugging, attacks, drug usage and dealing), and anything else you think the police might possible care about. LPNA will forward this Weekly Security Report to our NPO?’s so that they are kept up to date on all the big and little problems and hot spots in our area. Note: this does not replace contacting the police immediately when you have a problem.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, February 11, 2004, 6:00 - 6:45 pm. at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, large conference room. We plan on having a guest speaker from the Denver Police Department to discuss starting a Neighborhood Watch Program. Hope to see you there. Bring your friends and neighbors.