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Week of September 15, 2022
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
SouthPlatteIndependent.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
VOLUME 77 | ISSUE 45
Council to review plan for Aspen Grove Complaints spur action BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
spent about 50%. A small amount of funding to help residents not impacted by COVID-19 is also provided through the federal Community Services Block Grant program. “Once the current applications are processed, the county will evaluate how much funding, if any, is remaining for additional applications,” Hatlestad said. “We will run the ERA program until all federal funding we’ve received has been expended.” The county also recently launched a separate service to help guide tenants through the legal process of fighting an eviction, a program that Hatlestad said will still remain business as usual. The eviction clinic, which began in May, is located on the third floor of the county building at
Littleton City Council is expected to review the planning commission’s decision to approve a plan for nearly 500 new homes at the Aspen Grove shopping center — the latest in a months-long battle waged by some city residents who are against the redevelopment. City Attorney Reid Betzing notified council members Sept. 6 after receiving complaints raised from about 60 residents who took issue with the planning commission’s 7-0 vote July 25 to move forward with new housing at the 33-acre mall in southwest Littleton. Council members are set to deliver their findings during a public meeting Sept. 27. Betzing stressed the meeting “is not a new hearing, it is not a new public hearing,” signaling the measure will not open the door to changing the Aspen Grove proposal, as some community members have asked for. Instead, Betzing told council members their conclusions should not be “based upon what you, or as an individual council person, may have decided, but whether there was enough on the record presented that evening for planning commission to reach that decision.” The Sept. 27 meeting is “not an opportunity to present new arguments, present new evidence,” Betzing said. But in the event council does disagree with the decision, Betzing said the Aspen Groce application, at least in its current form, could “be dead.”
SEE RENT, P4
SEE ASPEN GROVE, P15
As of Sept. 1, Arapahoe County has narrowed eligible applicants for its emergency rental assistance program to those already facing the legal jeopardy of an eviction. PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN
Arapahoe County scales back emergency rent service Facing ‘backlog’ of applications BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Arapahoe County partially hit the brakes on its Emergency Rental Assistance program and, as of Sept. 1, is only accepting applications from those already in the court process of an eviction in an attempt to catch up on a “backlog” of cases. Before that, anyone concerned about their rent or mortgage could apply. “Our people are working through this backlog of applicants,” said county spokesperson Luc Hatlestad. “If you’re not already in the system, you’re basically not at the
PRSRT - STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LITTLETON, CO PERMIT #70 EDDM POSTAL PATRON
front of the line.” The county has been inundated with evictions since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July 2022, the rental program has worked with 2,703 households, according to Hatlestad, who added that requests in 2022 are more likely to be second-time requests for assistance. The county has already spent about $9.8 million in federal funds first allocated for rental assistance programs in December 2021, Hatlestad said. A second round of funding, passed under the American Rescue Plan Act — a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill — was split into three disbursements for the county. Hatlestad said the county has so far received two of these payments, about $9.6 million, and is currently estimated to have
CHOOSING YOUR GOODBYE
Doulas hope to help ease fears of dying P16