Issue 89

With the pending development of the Eastbridge town center, several concerns loom. One of these concerns is in regards to pedestrians and cyclists safely crossing MLK to get to the center. “Obviously, this area on MLK is going to get much busier if they put a large grocery store in there,” says Eastbridge resident Aaron Gaies. “It’s already a tricky spot to cross for pedestrians and cyclists with a blind curve right there.” Indeed, if Forest City hopes to continue to promote Stapleton as a green, walking and cycling community, something needs to be done. Forest City and the Stapleton MCA have recognized this issue and are already working to find a suitable solution. “We know we need to address a major access issue in regards to the Eastbridge Town Center,” said MCA President Liza Kampstra. “We have been working with Forest City, and they agree that a solution will be in place.” The MCA, Forest City, and the City of Denver evaluated several options, including a pedestrian crosswalk, stoplights, and even a pedestrian bridge. “After working with Denver traffic engineers, it is clear that a crosswalk, or a set of stoplights simply aren’t the best solution,” said Forest City Spokesperson Janelle Ayers. “It would slow down what will already be a congested traffic area with the Soopers, especially if they keep the gas station.” Kampstra says that a pedestrian bridge is not an option as well. “It would be quite the eye sore, and a pretty big pain for pedestrians,” says Kampstra. “We looked at some renderings of this, and nothing really worked with the area.” After two weeks of studying best practices in similar areas, the MCA and Forest City, with the support of the City of Denver, plans to build a pedestrian tunnel. “A tunnel is the most viable option,” said Ayers. “We can make it walkable and rideable, and it won’t be a massive, ugly protrusion that a pedestrian bridge would be.” Forest City says they have sent out RFPs to local and national architectural firms who may be interested in the project. “We are looking for something cost-efficient,” says Ayers. “But, at the same time, it needs to fit in well with the cityscape around it. We want it to be used by Stapleton residents.” Ayers says the plan right now is to have the pedestrian bridge cross from South Eastbridge to North Eastrbidge with an exit in the middle at the town center. “We are committed to making the town center work with the community,” says Ayers. “Once construction begins on the town center, construction will begin on the pedestrian tunnel. We will view it as one, fluid project.” ]]>

At the September 9th meeting at the Sam Gary library, representatives from the community, Forest City, King Soopers, and Evergreen Development met to discuss current plans for the Eastbridge Town Center. Soopers was first to speak when they unveiled a new architectural plan they thought would please those in the community. “We have created a larger walkway outside of the store, along with some shade and seating areas,” said Soopers representative Joel Starbuck. “It will give a good buffer between the traffic, and will certainly give more of a ‘town center’ feel.” [Read more…] about Soopers’ New Plan to be More Accommodating to Drifters, Homeless

The new North Green in the Conservatory Green neighborhood in Stapleton made sure to start off strong and send a message to residents and those attending events on the North Green: this won’t be the white trash green you’re used to at the 29th St. Town Center. The Stapleton MCA held a community picnic for residents where a Stapleton ID was needed. For the MCA, this is a no-brainer way to keep out the Aurora riff-raff. “Why we didn’t do that originally at the 29th St. Green is beyond me,” exclaimed Kampstra. “We could have simply said you need a Stapleton ID or pay, and we could have easily priced them out. We won’t make that same mistake here at the North Green.” [Read more…] about Community Picnic on North Green Has Regal Feel

Two things are becoming increasingly clear in regards to the Eastbridge Town Center: Eastbridge is getting a King Soopers, and it won’t have a gas station. That notion became quite clear after Soopers’ representative Joe Starbuck himself said, “Do I want one across from my house? No.” The gas station has become intentionally or unintentionally the biggest bargaining chip for Soopers and Forest City. “I’m not sure they ever truly intended to put a gas station there,” says skeptical resident and conspiracy theorist John Baldwin. “It was actually brilliant. They storm in here taking the space, and then say they are going to add a gas station. People forget about not liking them, and focus all of their energy on the gas station portion. Well played, Soopers.” [Read more…] about Sooper’s Service Station Concept Running Out of Gas

Stapleton families were able to acquire a lot of items and get rid of a lot of items during the yard sale weekend. The main items exchanged were toys, baby items, and random nick knacks. Well, six months later, those same items will be outdated or the kids will be sick of them. So, why not pass them on before Christmas? “People get so much new stuff around Christmas,” said MCA President Liza Kampstra. “We thought we should give people one more chance to sell unused toys and baby items, if only to clear out their homes, or attain new, used Santa toys for the kids.” [Read more…] about Stapleton to Add “Dollar Days” Garage Sale Prior to Beginning of Winter

The 2015 Tetherball World Championships are coming to Stapleton this spring and are being hosted by Isabella Bird Elementary School. The Stapleton School won the bid over cities including Houston, Istanbul (Turkey), Bogota (Columbia) and Johannesburg (South Africa) among others. “In the end, the area offered all the things we were looking for,” said Tetherball Committee chairman Joe Buenger. “It was close to the airport, they are building brand new, state of the art Tetherball courts, and there are plenty of hotels to accommodate the numbers we are expecting.” [Read more…] about Isabella Bird Prepared for 2015 Tetherball World Championships

The Front Porch recently examined the issue surrounding bike safety and best practices for riders. If you have ever been on a bike path as a walker, runner, or walking your dog with your family, you have undoubtedly received a bad look from a passing biker. And, most certainly, walkers and runners have been frustrated by bikers riding by too quickly or not giving enough of a heads up. [Read more…] about Can’t We All Just Get Along; Bikers’, Walkers’, & Drivers’ Silent Feud