Susan Shepherd

Cycling: Should Denver consider a yield-stop law?

Earlier this month, news broke that Aspen is considering a yield-stop cycling law -- meaning that bicyclists would be legally allowed to yield at a stop sign as opposed to completely halting. At least two other mountain communities -- Breckenridge and Dillon -- have similar yield-stop laws. But wou ... More >>

Year in Review: The strangest people and events of 2012

See also: Year in Review: The 2012 Hall of Shame

Scarlet Ranch: City council refuses to pay off lawsuit alleging police misconduct

The Scarlet Ranch swingers club, which moved last year from Denver to Littleton, won't be getting an infusion of city money anytime soon. Last night, the city council narrowly rejected a $42,500 settlement agreement to resolve a federal lawsuit alleging that in May 2010, Denver police "illegally ent ... More >>

Fire on the Mountain makes a sustainable impression in Highland

Fire on the Mountain came into Denver determined to make a difference. Owners Andrea West and Craig Oberlink followed the lead of the restaurant's three counterparts in Portland, Oregon, and decided to create their wing joint/bar with sustainability in mind. "We had this amazing opportunity to start ... More >>

Doug Linkhart, ex-councilman, hit while cycling to Bike To Work Day event

This was not how Bike To Work Day was supposed to go. Sitting in on part of a Denver City Council retreat yesterday, Westword learned that ex-councilman Doug Linkhart, who ran for mayor last year, was hit by a pickup truck while cycling to a Bike To Work Day event with the mayor and current counci ... More >>

West End Flats and Health Center bring 101 low-income units, clinic

In the past week, Denver has welcomed the creation of almost 200 units of low-income housing for families and former members of the city's homeless community. Today, seven days after Bluff Lake Apartments launched 92 units, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless marked the grand opening of the $17 ... More >>

Plastic bags ban in Denver? Officials considering fees and more

They clog up waterways. They end up in landfills, where they take thousands of years to break down. And they kill turtles and dolphins. Plastic bags of the sort used in grocery stores are a top enemy for environmentalists, and Westword has learned that some Denver officials are considering policies ... More >>

Photos: Better Block project transforms Jefferson Park spot

Sometimes, it takes a village. On Saturday, it took a neighborhood. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day, residents, community organizers and nonprofit volunteers gathered for Denver's first Better Block project, which re-created West 25th Avenue from Federal Boulevard to Eliot Street. The makeover attra ... More >>

Urban camping ban: Denver Police outline enforcement protocol

The Denver Police Department has released the training bulletin that details how officers should approach violations of the city's new urban camping ban. Before the ordinance goes into effect May 29, officers are partnering with homeless outreach workers to prepare a department-wide response that de ... More >>

Photos: Cries of "Shame!" as camping ban passes at tense council meeting

The mood was charged from the beginning. Even before City Council voted nine to four to approve Denver's new urban camping ordinance, one audience member made a point during the Pledge of Allegiance. During its conclusion of "peace and justice for all," he shouted "ALL!" in protest against the measu ... More >>

Urban camping: Occupy Denver protests precede council vote on ban

It's crunch time. As the Denver City Council prepares for a final vote tonight on the proposed urban camping ban, opponents and proponents spent the weekend discussing the issue in meetings and on the streets. At the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, regional representatives hosted a panel to debate ... More >>

Emerson apartment complex inches toward approval despite complaints

A lengthy administrative battle over a 42-unit apartment complex, to be built on the corner of a historic block of grand single-family homes on the south end of Capitol Hill, appears to be just about over. But opponents of the 777 Emerson Lofts say the review of the ever-evolving project by the Denv ... More >>

Photos: Denver City Council preliminarily passes urban camping ban

Before last night's epic Denver City Council meeting started, and well before its members voted nine to four to preliminarily approve the proposed urban camping ordinance, the line for public attendance stretched far outside the City and County Building. Many of these people left during the followin ... More >>

Urban camping ban: Denver City Council delays vote -- for a week

Today, after the Commission on Homelessness called for an additional four weeks to consider an urban camping ordinance, Denver City Council moved its final consideration date to May 14, one week later than previously scheduled. The decision came with a final vote of four to three. If approved, the b ... More >>

Urban camping ban: Denver Police Department promises restraint in enforcement

At a city council meeting yesterday afternoon, Police Chief Robert White outlined what he called a "passive" plan for the Denver Police Department to enforce the urban camping ban if it is passed. As drafted, the strategy calls for law enforcement to partner with outreach workers, and White promises ... More >>

Urban camping ban heats up packed city council committee meeting

"Everyone take a deep breath." So began today's first public meeting about the proposed urban camping ban, organized by City Council's Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in front of a group so large it breached fire code. While organizers stressed its purpose as an informational mee ... More >>

West Highland neighbors plan rally tonight to show displeasure over RedPeak development

Feeling ignored, residents in West Highland have teamed up with No High Rises in West Highland to plan a rally tonight in Highland Square voicing their opposition to a trio of four- or five-story apartment buildings RedPeak Properties plans to build just north of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. Ne ... More >>

Overnight parking: City employees who implemented plan win accolades, a 5281 Award

Last year, the city powers-that-be changed the rules to allow overnight parking downtown. But the much-celebrated change came with an equally frustrating dose of confusion, as explained in our cover story, "Feed Me." Now, the team of city employees who helped sort out that confusion has won a Denver ... More >>

Walk Denver, new nonprofit, pushes toward sustainable, pedestrian-friendly transportation

When Gosia Kung moved from Krakow, Poland, to Denver at 25, she immediately gained twenty pounds. This has a lot to do with the fact that she stopped walking everywhere. While she never applied for a driver's license in her dense urban home city, it was first on her list after her move to Colorado. ... More >>

RedPeak: City council's Susan Shepherd won't fight controversial West Highland development

Denver City Councilwoman Susan Shepherd will not take any action to stop a proposed development just north of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard that has neighbors fighting mad. Although she had hinted that she might try to change the zoning on the property, she released a letter late last week stati ... More >>

2900 block of West 25th Avenue targeted for Better Block project

In order to make his neighborhood more livable, Jason Roberts had to break the law. In fact, he and 1,500 other people didn't stop at just one city ordinance; they violated dozens of them, more than once, without getting caught. But their idea definitely caught on: Since April 2010, when they revolu ... More >>

Sports Authority Field at Mile High: Neighbors question the city's sign standards

​In its February newsletter, under the headline "PROPOSED SPORTS AUTHORITY SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL," local neighborhood organization the Sloan's Lake Citizens' Group encourages its membership to write the city in response to the potential additions to Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Because o ... More >>

Sunflower Market on Colfax inspires a food fight at Denver City Council

​Unlike so many Western towns, Denver has a wealth of wonderful neighborhoods close to the heart of the city. But with that wealth of neighborhoods comes a surfeit of NIMBY issues that often spill out of their immediate area and into City Hall -- as the fight over a new supermarket on Colfax w ... More >>

RedPeak releases Highland building renderings, woman tells her side of council member spat

Neighbors around Highland Square will finally be able to see images of the proposed structures that are making them so mad. Today, RedPeak Properties released renderings for a pair of five-story apartment buildings it hopes to build in the area just north of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. A rende ... More >>

RedPeak to share drawings of Highland development tonight, neighbors grow restless

Tonight is the night RedPeak Properties will finally release its draft drawing of three five-story apartment buildings it plans to build near Highland Square that have caused so much neighborhood uproar. Of course, last Wednesday was supposed to be that night, as well. That meeting was delayed unti ... More >>

Landlord 101 class seeks to teach increasing numbers of "accidental landlords" the basics

An increase in the number of home foreclosures has led to another housing-related phenomenon: the rise of the accidental landlord. These are the folks who buy foreclosed properties and instead of moving in, rent them out to tenants as a way to make money. But sometimes, says Nancy Burke of the Apart ... More >>

Susan Shepherd and neighborhood association make moves in Highland development battle

The controversy surrounding RedPeak Properties' proposed development near 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard has been light on recent action and heavy on letters, motions and press releases. Given that, it's been an busy week for the development, with Denver City Council District 1 rep Susan Shepherd, ... More >>

Susan Shepherd weighs in on No High Rises fight in Highland

The signs started popping up late last fall: No high rises in West Highland. But the residents fighting a massive, three-building complex proposed for the heart of Highland Square didn't stop at signs. They also pushed city officials, including Susan Shepherd, the new Denver City Council representat ... More >>

Red light photo tickets likely to survive despite stop line issue, critic says

Red-light cameras at Denver intersections are widely reviled and provide dubious safety benefits according to a report from Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher. Yet in a first vote last night, Denver City Council voted 10-2 to retain the program throughout 2012. Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz isn't pleased b ... More >>

Susan Shepherd hints at her next step in battle over proposed development in West Highland

No High Rises in West Highland​Neighbors surrounding the proposed site of three, five-story apartment towers just north of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard have made their opposition to the project clear. RedPeak Properties, the developer planning to build the structures, and Tom Wootten, the ... More >>

Neighbors of Sports Authority Field at Mile High worry about light pollution

​The Occupy Denver encampment is not the only city feature to be called an eyesore in recent weeks. Plans to add more, bigger and brighter corporate signage to the Sports Authority Field (previously known as Invesco) are already under attack by neighbors who worry about light pollution from th ... More >>

Occupy Denver has cost Denver Police and Sheriff Departments $365,000

​Update, 4:28 p.m. October 21: The Denver Police Department has released the cost incurred by the DPD and the Sheriff's Department to monitor Occupy Denver, particularly over last weekend's demonstrations: approximately $365,000. The number also includes the costs of other city agencies that p ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Belongings lost during protests treated as "found and abandoned property"

​During the two days of police-attended demonstrations last weekend, the last thing most people at Occupy Denver were thinking about was their stuff. A week later, this has created confusion among many who lost their belongings, which were later collected by the Colorado State Patrol while off ... More >>

Occupy Denver develops democratic process, suspends first member

​Last night's 7 p.m. Occupy Denver general assembly proved to be an important one as the group further develops its own democratic system, but it was likely the movement's most aggressive and divisive yet. In it, several issues about the group's financial structure came to a head, with one mem ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Meet the wearable protest tent, the latest fashion statement in occupation gear

Image courtesy of Not My Tribe​There are many faces to Occupy Denver's protests, and some of them are legitimately funny. As further proof that not all civil disobedience is illegal or even ultimately that serious, last night the occupation debuted the protest tent. It is exactly what it sound ... More >>

Occupy Denver and Tea Party protests make Denver America's angriest city, says Daily Beast

​There are plenty of differences between the Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party movements, as cartoonist Kenny Be pointed out in his post "Occupy Wall Street vs. the Tea Party: A visual guide." But their members' shared sense of dissatisfaction inspired The Daily Beast to use them as a barometer ... More >>

Occupy Denver: City Council's Susan Shepherd calls protests most important thing in country

Susan Shepherd.​This weekend, in a crowd estimated between 2,000 and 4,000 people, Susan Shepherd managed to stand out. The Denver City council member represents District 1 in an official capacity, but in the few days since her first rally with Occupy Denver, she has stepped out as a staunch s ... More >>

Denver City Council District 1: Which hopefuls survived the post-Paula Sandoval scramble?

​The race for the District 1 City Council seat in Northwest Denver has gone from snoozer to scramble. Paula Sandoval's March 2 announcement that she wouldn't seek reelection gave hopefuls just eight days to gather the 100 signatures needed to get on the ballot.

The Highlands Mommies are raising babies and raising Cain in northwest Denver

Larry Ambrose: City Council District 1 showdown, part 9

Larry Ambrose​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig w ... More >>

Georgia Sigala: City Council District 1 showdown, part 8

Georgia Sigala​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig ... More >>

Ken Padilla: City Council District 1 showdown, part 7

Ken Padilla​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig wit ... More >>

Jerry Frangas: City Council District 1 showdown, part 6

Jerry Frangas​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig w ... More >>

Jon Lehmann: City Council District 1 showdown, part 5

John Lehmann​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig wi ... More >>

John Haney: City Council District 1 showdown, part 4

John Haney​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig with ... More >>

Susan Shepherd: City Council District 1 showdown, part 3

Susan Shepherd​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig ... More >>

Hot tamale! HOSTPAC endorses Denver City Council candidate

Paula Sandoval and her husband own Tamales by La Casita.​John Haney is a Denver cop who happens to own a neighborhood joint, Haney's Coffee Shop. Susan Shepherd is a Highland Mommy who's all about urban farming. Jon Lehmann even has a campaign chef. They're all among the ten candidates runni ... More >>

Plenty of food for thought in the District 1 council race

The Colorado Restaurant Association wanted to encourage a restaurateur to run for the District 1 seat on Denver City Council that Rick Garcia's vacating, and so far it has two, sort of, and a third candidate who's a leader in the urban farming movement. John Haney, a Denver police detective who co- ... More >>