Green Mountain Gazette
Building community through partnerships
September 2009
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New Lane on Union Blvd.
At the recent city council budget retreat, it
was reported an additional southbound lane will be
added to Union Blvd. between 6th Ave. and 4th
Place. Construction will be coordinated with the
light rail tunnel to be dug under Union at
Denny’s/Cold Springs in 2010.
The intersection at Colfax and Simms will be
rebuilt in 2010 to include two left turn lanes.
The federal government has committed to spend
over $400 million dollars in infrastructure needs
on the Federal Center over the next 26 months.
Tech Center West Downsized
City council recently changed the zoning of
the Red Rocks Business Park Official Develop-
ment Plan (ODP), sometimes referred to as Tech
Center West, to allow for a mix of institutional,
retail, office and residential uses to be known as
Solterra Centre ODP. Density was dropped from
13 million square feet of office space to 4 million
square feet. The zoning is vested for 25 years.
New City Manager Chosen
City Council has chosen an internal candidate,
Kathy Hodgson, as the new city manager. Ms.
Hodgson has worked for the city for 29 years,
rising from lifeguard to the director of Community
Resources for the last nine years. She assumes her
new duties September 18.
Sophie Milman October 1
The winner of the Best Jazz Album of the Year
is performing Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lakewood
Cultural Center. Tickets are $28. Jazz Up the
Night, a benefit for the HCA Alliance offers
dinner, show, champagne reception and a signed
CD for $125. Box office is 303-987-7845.
Green Mountain Schools/Community Connections action team of the Green Mtn. Future Search
project encourages partnerships among the people / groups of Green Mountain for the purpose
of making a better community. To submit articles or receive future issues via email, please call
303-986-4818 or email to: wiechman@ecentral.com.
Council adopts smoking rules
Lakewood city council adopted the state’s
rules regulating smoking in public places. An ad
hoc committee will be formed to explore making
the city’s rules stronger than the state’s.
Council also gave the Community Resources
Director the authority to regulate alcohol and
firearms in city parks and facilities.
The proposal to put a city charter change on
the November ballot regarding the rules for
citizen’s initiatives was withdrawn and will be
considered next year. Efforts to put a vehicle
impoundment proposal on the November ballet
have also been put on hold pending a legal appeal.
Coyote Gulch Field Finished
The parking lot and improvements are now
open and available for use. Unrelated to the ball
field, the city will be doing some concrete
replacement on the pathways. In addition, a
drainage contractor will be doing some stream
bank stabilization. It will take 7-10 weeks to
replace the Coyote sculpture. Total construction
costs came in under budget at $644,000.
Alameda Fire Station Rebuild
West Metro Fire is expanding its Green Mtn.
station (13155 W. Alameda) this summer. The
current building has been razed and a larger station
planned to handle more staff and vehicles. During
construction, fire crews will operate out of a
temporary site behind the shopping center just east
of Vitamin Cottage on Alameda. The new station
should be operational in late spring 2010.
To receive on your cell phone reverse-911
emergency calls (like last summer’s wild land fire
on Green Mtn.) register at www.your911.net. For
fire district questions, call your elected representa-
tive David Wiechman at 303-986-4818.
 School News
• GMHS hosted the 1st RAM RUN on August 29
to build community and raise funds for clubs and
activities at GMHS. Free food was provided by
Jose O’sheas and others.
• Green Mountain High School is implementing an
Academy-based instructional model next year.
Beginning with the class of 2013, GMHS will
offer 5 academies: Health & Human Services
(HHS); Arts, Humanities, & Performance (AHP);
Business & Global Studies (BGS); Math/Science
Technology (MST); and Renaissance (REN).
Each academy offers extensive and relevant
experiences as well as an engineering component
in the Math/Science Technology program. By
integrating academics, college preparation and
student career aspirations, this model makes more
relevant high school experience for students
For more details, call Barb Goings at 303-
982-9500 or email bgoings@jeffco.k12.co.us.
• The school district requires a six-year graduation
plan for each student beginning in the 7th grade as
part of an effort to raise graduation requirements.
Required credit hours for the class of 2013 has
increased from 22 to 24. The breakdown of
required credits include: English – 4, Math – 3,
Science - 3, Social sciences – 3.5, World
languages – 2 and Electives – 8.5. Classes taken
at the middle school do NOT count toward the
high school requirements. ALL 24 credits must be
taken at the high school.
Local PTA/PTO organizations:
School phone numbers 303-982-xxxx
Foothills (9324) – 2nd Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Glennon Heights (8240) – 3rd Tuesdays at 7:30 pm
Hutchinson (9561) – 1st Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Green Mtn. Elem (9380)– 3rd Tuesdays @ 6:30 pm
Rooney Ranch (9620) – 3rd Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.
Devinny (9200) – 1st Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Dunstan Middle (9270) – 4th Mondays at 6 p.m.
Green Mtn. High (9500) – 2nd Mondays at 6:30 pm
• Jeffco Schools Facilities Usage Committee
Forums are open to the public:
- 9/12 - Manning School auditorium @ 9-10:30am
- 9/14 - Jefferson High Auditorium @ 6-7:30pm
- 9/16 - Chatfield High auditorium @ 6-7:30pm
- 9/21- Arvada W. High auditorium @ 6-7:30pm
News Shorts
• After 7 years of holding its annual fundraiser run
at GMHS/GM Presbyterian Church, this year’s
Second Wind Run will be held at the Jeffco
Fairgrounds on Sept. 20.
• At the August 24 Lakewood city council meeting
it was announced common or western hackberry is
the official city tree, Mojave sage is the city flower
and “Lakewood, More Than a Mile High” by Tim
Hoffman is the official song. These choices were
made as part of Lakewood’s 40th anniversary
celebration.
• The Neighborhood Participation Program
provides city grants up to $50,000 to fund local
projects. To be eligible, projects must have a
general benefit to the neighborhood, located on
public property, and requests must come from
groups representing the neighborhood.
Applications (available at www.lakewood.org)
must include demonstrated support for the project.
The deadline is September 18.
• Police report a sexual assault at Green Mtn. Dr.
and Valentine Way on Friday, July 24 about 9:30
p.m. Man may be Hispanic in appearance, 20s to
30s in age, shaved head, about 5’ 8”, stocky build
and wearing khaki colored T-shirt and cargo
shorts. Call 303-987-7111 with any information.
• Belmar Developments – Target is temporarily on
hold. Hobby Lobby is going in where Pier One
left, to be open holidays 2009. Nordstrom Rack
will be built on the SE corner of Wadsworth &
Alameda to be open Holidays 2010.
• The City needs volunteers to help with a city-
wide Neighborhood Cleanup on Sept. 25 & 26.
The cleanup will allow residents to bring items for
disposal to drop-off locations where there will be
large roll-off dumpsters. Volunteers will help the
elderly and disabled get items to the drop-off
locations, check loads, direct people and handle
other tasks. To volunteer, call (303) 987-7950.
• The intersection of Colfax and Youngfield will
be relocated one block west along with double
left-turn lanes, new traffic signals, lights, median
and right turn lane for westbound Colfax.
• Lakewood and Jeffco economic development
officials are looking into the possibility of moving
the Jeffco Fairgrounds and the National Western
Stock Show to the Rooney Valley.