A University of Colorado at Denver architecture student opposed to a development used her schooling to beat city hall – at least for a week.
Danielle DePasquale stifled the City Council with an illustration Monday night showing that a proposed Jefferson Park apartment complex would block the sun eight months of the year for three houses.
“This is of concern to me,” Councilman Rick Garcia said, holding up the analysis. “This is the one thing in tonight’s testimony that actually provides me with some pause.”
The City Council voted unanimously to delay a decision for a week so a “certified” shadow analysis can be done.
The presentation was part of a contentious, four-hour public hearing over the proposed Pinnacle Station just north of Invesco Field at Mile High.
Developer A.G. Spanos Co. and Jefferson Park United Neighborhoods have negotiated for nearly two years without reaching a compromise.
A Spanos representative noted they turned in more than 400 signatures from neighbors who supported the project.
But Ed Kieta, a co-president of the neighborhood organization, discounted those signatures, saying, “The signatures … were targeted for a certain racial group.”
Asked to clarify his comments, Kieta explained, “None of the Caucasian people in our neighborhood were approached.
“To give it to you straight, they had a Hispanic translator walking around with a petition.”
Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz replied: “I was hoping that wasn’t going to be your answer. Because I was trying to think, ‘Did you want me to discount the importance of these 420 individuals?’ They have a stake in the community also.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 303-954-1657 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
