Fears that parking fees may be needed to finance a proposed $15 million parking garage at the Denver Botanic Gardens didn’t end up derailing the project.
The Denver City Council on Monday granted preliminary financing after assurances from both garden and city administrators that the parking fees were unlikely.
The parking fee issue has stoked concerns in the surrounding neighborhoods because residents fear parking fees would cause more cars to park on their streets and cause congestion. Concern also has surfaced because the city miscalculated by at least $1.1 million the amount needed to pay for a parking facility for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, constructed in 2002.
Council president Jeanne Robb, whose district encompasses the gardens, said she felt confident other revenue increases, including raising the price of general admission, would cover the cost to build the garage.
The administration said it couldn’t completely rule out parking fees because the bank that is issuing the bonds needs to have that option just in case the city defaults on lease-purchase payments for the facility. But that’s an unlikely scenario, said Margaret Danuser, the city’s debt administrator.
The council granted preliminary approval on a 12-to-1 vote, with Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz dissenting. Faatz objected to the financing arrangement, saying the city taxpayers had no say on whether it was a worthy project.
Brian Vogt, chief executive officer of the gardens, said he hopes to have the new 320-space garage built by April. Paying for the new parking facility will require the gardens to increase base admission prices from $8.50 to $12.50, but special exhibits will no longer cost extra. Base memberships also will increase by about $10 a year and tickets for concerts at the gardens could increase by as much as $8.
In other news, the council approved a $150,000 settlement for Edith Mack, who was injured after an undercover Denver police officer ran his unmarked vehicle into hers during a high-speed chase of a suspected gang member.
The Aug. 22, 2007, crash in Lakewood occurred when the officer, Clement David Bourgeois, exceeded the speed limit and ran a stop sign while driving a black undercover Dodge pickup with neither lights nor siren operating, a claim filed with the city states.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
