WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
VOLUME 103 | ISSUE 29
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Englewood residents campaign for, against Oct. 3 recall
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Campaign signs line the streets of Districts 1, 2 and 3 in Englewood displaying the division between residents who either support or oppose the Oct. 3 special recall election. With less than a month until the special election, many residents are encouraging their neighbors to either vote for or against the recall of Mayor and District 1 Councilmember Othoniel Sierra, District 2 Councilmember Chelsea Nunnenkamp and District 3 Councilmember Joe Anderson. Affidavits to recall the councilmembers were initially submitted in April and included former At-Large Councilmember Cheryl Wink, who resigned on July 17. The efforts followed the four councilmembers’ consideration of a proposal to allow multifamily residences in single-family zoning areas, a plan that was shelved indefinitely in mid-April. Kurt Suppes, a member of the pro-recall group Recall and Restore Englewood, said those in support of the recall continue their efforts due to concerns regarding proposed zoning changes to the existing municipal code, a project known as CodeNext. Englewood resident Cathy Naughton said the recall is “a result of (the) city council not working with or
Residents display signs in favor and against the upcoming Oct. 3 recall election. PHOTOS BY ELISABETH SLAY
acknowledging the concerns of the citizens who elected them.” “They work for us, the residents of Englewood. We need to replace the councilmembers with more careful planners who will not turn the entire revision of our existing code over to a Kansas City developer,” Naughton said, referring to Multi Studio, one of two outside firms that consulted with the city on CodeNext. She said she feels the approval of CodeNext will create more infrastructure issues, will increase traffic congestion and will continue to allow developers to negatively impact the community. Aaron Reid, who also supports the recall, said he wants “Englewood to stay as it is,” and feels future councils would agree. “They indicated they like our city. However, the actions of late are not lining up with such concerns,” Reid said, referring to the council’s actions regarding CodeNext.
VOICES: 14 | LIFE: 16 | CALENDAR: 19
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‘A very vocal minority’
Not everyone in Englewood believes the councilmembers’ actions regarding denisty and zoning warrant a recall. Niki Shoup, a resident and cofounder of pro-density group YIMBY Englewood, said she feels the council has done well for Englewood and that the recall is unnecessary. “We have a functional city council and people are trying to remove them from office,” Shoup said. “It is upsetting to think that our city government cannot function unless they please a very vocal minority.” YIMBY Englewood is a group that believes the city can grow through CodeNext. Shoup said she hopes the current council can continue working to better the city. “In the last two years alone, we have seen improvements in our
RECALL REHASH A breakdown of Oct. 3
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SYSTEM FAILURE IT needed for Englewood meeting
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SEE RECALL, P12
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