Westside Neighborhood Plan

              new City trash dumpsters, and stricter enforcement of the
weed ordinance all seem to be needed to help eliminate
some of the unsightliness in the residential areas.
A few alleys in the Westside have never been paved. Paving
would tend to control dust and weeds, but is considered the
responsiblility of the adjacent property owners, many of
whom cannot afford the expense. Therefore, it may be appropriate for an alley paving program to be submitted for
Community Development Block Grant funds. Several other
neighborhood groups throughout Denver have been
awarded CDBG monies to partially subsidize the cost to property owners, bringing the expense to a level they can
afford.
Curbs and gutters are generally in good repair throughout
the neighborhoods, but should be surveyed for major repairs
that may be necessary. This is especially true considering
the high number of elderly pedestrians who may encounter
difficulty with broken or dangerous curbs. Also presenting a
threat to pedestrians are the large number of unlevel
flagstone sidewalks. These walks are attractive and charming, but can be dangerous when they are unleveled by tree
roots. A citywide sidewalk program is addressing this concern and needs to be continued, especially for those residents who are unable to meet the expense themselves.
The overall condition of sanitary and storm sewers is sound,
but one serious sewer problem in Baker needs immediate attention. Phase II of the Near Westside Storm Drainage Project should be funded to eliminate the well-known "lakes"
which occur in the 3rd and 4th Avenue residential ares. The
standing water, which remains for several days at a time, is a
safety hazard for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, as
well as a health hazard for adjacent residents. Phase I, recently completed in La Alma/Lincoln Park, was funded
through Community Development Block Grant funds, a
source which should be pursued to complete Phase  II.
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS
The nonresidential areas of the Westside suffer many of the
same problems described above. Litter is an obvious problem, generated by not only the uses themselves, but also by
passing pedestrians and motorists. Commercial structures
especially those located in or adjacent to the residential
areas, need to improve their image in the community and
blend in better with the residential uses. Maintenance of the
structures, pleasant signage, and even landscaping can help
their appearance and increase their attractiveness. The
small grocery stores in particular need to provide trash
receptacles to catch the litter generated by children who
have recently made their purchases. Keeping sidewalks,
rights-of-ways, and gutters clean in front of the commercial
uses will also keep the litter from blowing into the adjacent
residential properties.
Industrial uses need to provide more landscaping, fencing
and screening, particularly when they abut residential zones.
Trash dumpsters need to be properly screened and "kid-
proofed" to avert possible danger to children who choose to
play on or even in them.
Another negative environmental condition affecting the
Westside is the air and noise pollution from auto, truck, and
train traffic. These conditions are generated by nonresidential uses, located primarily in nonresidential areas. Although
there are many local streets in the neighborhoods that are
tree-lined and quiet, there are several  heavily traveled
streets in the Westside carrying traffic that disrupts the
sense of community and contributes to noise and air pollution. These include such major streets as West Alameda
Avenue, West 6th and 8th Avenues, Santa Fe Drive and
Kalamath Street. The l-25/West 6th Avenue freeway interchange borders the community on the west and also contributes to air pollution from high concentrations of vehicles
releasing carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. All these
major streets serve to carry people from all over the region
into the industrial areas, downtown Denver, and the Auraria
Campus. The Westside industry also attracts noisy truck
traffic along Santa Fe and other major streets in the
Westside. Moreover, the increasing coal and freight train
traffic crosses Kalamath and Santa Fe and causes auto and
truck traffic to back up. A grade separation here would expedite transit and lessen the noise disruption, air pollution,
and safety hazards. To assist in the fight against air pollution,
Denver citizens are being encouraged by the Mayor to use
bus, bicycles or other less polluting and energy efficient
transportation forms whenever possible.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Perhaps the most serious environmental problem in the
Westside is the discovery by the U.S. Department of Energy
of areas possibly contaminated with radioactive materials.
The exact locations and extent of the radiation must be
determined before authorities can implement their two-year
barricading and waste removal program. The radiation study,
conducted by the Colorado Department of Health, identified
approximately eighteen (18) radium areas citywide, including seven located in the Westside:
1625 West 12th Avenue
Alloys Company
former site of the Steel
• 1241 Quivas - former site of the Pittsburgh Radium
Company and the Neff Brewery
• 1740 West 13th Avenue - former site of the Pittsburgh Radium Company and the Neff Brewery
• 500 South Santa Fe Drive
tional Radium Company
former site of the Na-
• 12th-13th Avenues West of Quivas Street - tailings
from Pittsburgh Radium Company
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