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WEEK OF APRIL 24, 2025
VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 21
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State’s fight against ozone turns to long term Colorado asks EPA to downgrade status to ‘severe’ BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN
this project. She also highlighted the West 38th Avenue Road Safety Project Final Report was announced recently at Potenza Lodge during a community open house. She highlighted the Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation, which is focused on improving the water quality at Sloan’s Lake. Sandoval said it doesn’t feel like Northwest Denver has some of the same amenities other neighborhoods might. She mentioned her past work in getting funding for Sloan’s Lake Park, which included a new maintenance facility as well as a remodel of the Boat House.
Colorado is giving up on meeting mandates for controlling toxic ozone in the next few years, while doubling down on plans that recently passed rules will start to make an impact by 2032. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials say they are asking the federal EPA to preemptively downgrade the Front Range ozone nonattainment zone to “severe” from the current “serious” violation standard, when judged by the 2015 ozone cap of 70 parts per billion. Recent updated computer modeling of Front Range air shows continuing violations closer to 80 parts per billion, according to Regional Air Quality Council Executive Director Mike Silverstein. The RAQC is an advisory board and not a policy-making agency, but was briefed by the state about the downgrade request. That means Colorado isn’t projected to meet even the more lax 2008 standard of 75 parts per billion before 2027, Silverstein added. Yes, it’s confusing: The nine northern counties included in the nonattainment area are on parallel but different schedules to cut lung-damaging ozone, one schedule whose clock started with the 2008 regulations and another schedule launched with the tighter 2015 standards. The bottom line is Colorado is failing on both tracks. For the 2008 track, Colorado has submitted to the EPA for approval an improvement plan aimed at getting closer to the 75 ppb standard by 2027. On that 2008 track, Colorado has already been downgraded to “severe” violations.
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston speaks to the room April 3 at the Skinner Middle School cafeteria about the proposed Vibrant Denver bond program. PHOTO BY ALLEN COWGILL
City gets north Denver input for Vibrant Denver Bond projects BY ALLEN COWGILL SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
More than 100 people gathered in the cafeteria in early April at Skinner Middle School to give feedback on the Vibrant Denver Bond, a general obligation bond likely to be on the November ballot. Mayor Mike Johnston greeted the group and said the intent is to use the bond dollars to accelerate the catalytic investments that are most important to Denver residents. The project list must be capital projects and “shovel-ready” projects. It’s a six-year bond, so any project added to the list must be built within six years.
The April meeting was held to source the next set of ideas that residents would like to see funded, in addition to providing information regarding the online survey available at denvergov. org/vibrantbond. Some past bond projects in City Council District 1, which serves Northwest Denver, include upgrades to Inspiration Point Park, upgrades to the Smiley Branch Library and the Federal Boulevard road safety project in Jefferson Park. Councilwoman At-Large Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, a North Denver resident, was also at the meeting. She mentioned she wants to be sure the process is equitable for all Denver
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neighbors, to make sure that neighborhoods and communities that have been left out of this process historically are having their voices being heard. Council President Amanda Sandoval, who represents District 1, reminisced about growing up in North Denver spending entire days at Scheitler Recreation Center, going to swim and other activities. She mentioned that the recreation center doesn’t have a full-size basketball court in it, so when neighborhood kids get older, they have to leave the neighborhood and play on full-size courts elsewhere, and that she said she hopes an upgrade to the center will be included in
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