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Week of September 22, 2022
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LittletonIndependent.net
VOLUME 134 | ISSUE 9
Council mulls money for program aimed at curbing homelessness County, Englewood, Sheridan to help BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
pedestrian bridge at the crossing of Oxford Avenue between Santa Fe Drive and Navajo Street/Windermere Street, a notoriously busy intersection. The latest cost estimates were $14.9 million for the Broadway and 285 project and $2 million for the Oxford Avenue project, according to city spokesperson Chris Harguth, with money coming from city, state and federal funds. But bids from contractors were beyond what the city could pay, officials said. The lowest bid for the Broadway and 285 project was more than $4.6 million
Littleton City Council could soon approve spending $500,000 to help renovate a site set to house a workforce and housing program aimed at transitioning residents out of homelessness. Mike Sandgren, who serves as Arapahoe County’s coordinator for homelessness services for a coalition of three metro cities — Littleton, Englewood and Sheridan — made the pitch to council members Sept. 13 as he and other community leaders seek to keep up momentum on an array of homelessness action items. The $500,000 that may be approved is part of $1 million in federal aid money already earmarked by council for homelessness services and would be joined by funding from Englewood and Sheridan to help retrofit a building along South Windermere Street in an industrial area of Englewood recently purchased by Bridge House, a Boulder-based workforce training and housing program for single adults. “(Bridge House) is hopeful that this time next year, that first group of people would be walking through that program kind of reentering the workforce off the streets,” Sandgren said. The site would be the third in the metro area for Bridge House, which has locations in Boulder and Aurora. According to Sandgren, the program estimates it could serve 48 residents each year who would live in the building and take part in job training to secure employment in the future. Sandgren said the program so far has a 75% graduation rate, meaning three out of
SEE PROJECTS, P10
SEE HOMELESS, P6
Colorful piñatas hanging in the cafe of Smoky Hill Library on Sept. 14.
PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW
‘Celebrating Mexico’ piñata exhibit opens at Smoky Hill Library BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A bright smile spread across Michelle Ollerton’s face as she watched her 2-year-old son, Isaac, point to the colorful piñatas hanging above them in the
cafe of Smoky Hill Library, trying to choose which one was his favorite. Would it be the piñata of “El Trompo,” a spinning top that is a popular traditional toy in SEE LIBRARY, P12
Future of Englewood bridge, road projects uncertain BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When the City of Englewood will be ready to move ahead with two major bridge and road projects is uncertain, officials said, after higher than projected costs put the plans on hold. “Costs are rising,” said Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra. “It’s something that we need to figure out a way to get done.” The city had aimed to replace the aging South Broadway bridge over U.S. Highway 285, add a new lane for traffic both ways and create a new
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 28
WHEN GRASS ISN’T GREEN
Lawns less popular as dry landscaping grows P16