Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting on October 13th! We had a nice turnout and a great discussion of the the major issues facing the neighborhood.

Election day is TOMORROW, November 3rd! Make sure your vote is counted! District 4 has three convenient ballot drop-off boxes available. Drop your ballot at any of the following locations (or other locations around Denver) by 7pm on November 3rd:

Learn more about voting in Denver and exercise your right TODAY!

Want to learn more about what is on your ballot? Check out Denverite’s voter guide for the 2026 midterm election!

City planners want to allow lots within 1/4 mile of South University Boulevard, South Colorado Boulevard, and East Hampden Avenue to hold up to two primary dwelling units. These streets are “Transit Priority Streets,” according to Blueprint Denver. The new transit priority buffer zones in Southern Hills and Wellshire would include approximately the areas from South Dallas Way to the west, South Monroe Street to the east, and East Flora Place to the south.

Learn more at the Unlocking Housing Choices.

When this topic was discussed at the Annual Meeting, several members indicated that our covenants preclude these changes, while others expressed concern that the covenants might not do so. It is also worth noting that other parts of greater Wellshire that are included in the plan might not have the same covenant protections.

Should Unlocking Housing Choices proceed as currently devised the areas below in yellow might be impacted:

Denver Community Planning and Development staff will hold five public meetings in November to share updated proposals for incorporating more housing options in Denver’s neighborhoods. The information shared will be the same at each meeting, so feel free to choose the one most convenient to you. To help get a sense of how many people will be at each meeting, please RSVP if you plan to attend. All meetings will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

More details about the proposals will be posted on the the Unlocking Housing Choices webpage and shared via email in late October.

Meeting details:

Superintendent Dr. Marrero made a recommendation to the Board of Education on Oct. 8, 2026 to make no changes to school boundaries and enrollment zones this fall. The district has completed all work in regard to this initiative and existing school boundaries and enrollment zones will remain in place for the 2027-28 school year.

This means that there will be no changes to the Slavens boundaries or School Choice rules for at least another year.

Thank you to everyone in the neighborhood who got involved with this issue and thank you to everyone who sent the DPS Board, Superintendent, and planners your thoughts! Wellshire was the most engaged neighborhood (per capita) in the entire city during this process!

Next steps: Stay tuned! The DPS Board is considering replacing Executive Limitation 19 with a new Executive Limitation that consolidates EL 18 and EL 19. Much remains to be seen, but it appears that this new consolidated EL reasserts Board control over final decision-making, narrows the scope of a future boundary exercise, and ties future boundary changes more closely to building closures.

DPS Board of Education members are holding community engagement sessions in their districts and ours is tonight! At these engagement sessions, board members will be talking about various policies and getting community input. Childcare, light refreshments and interpretation services will be available at each meeting.

Director Kimberlee Sia
Monday, Nov. 2 from 5:30-8 p.m.
Location: Ellis Elementary (1651 S. Dahlia St.)
District 1 Session RSVP

I am excited to share some positive news about our field. Beginning Monday, October 26, our students will once again be able to enjoy the field during PE classes and recess. The surrounding fence will be removed, and the grass will be mowed to a 1-inch length in preparation for students to return.

This reopening is an important step forward in the ongoing restoration of our field. As shared previously, the field was seeded following the irrigation work completed over the summer. While the results have not been what was originally anticipated, the DPS Facilities team will continue to monitor the field's growth and condition, identify necessary improvements, and determine the next steps. Our school team remains committed to partnering with DPS to support the long-term health and success of this important space.

While students will be able to enjoy the field during PE and recess, it does not meet the standards and requirements necessary for organized athletic practices and games. For this reason, those activities will continue to take place at off-site locations for the time being.

Thank you for your continued patience, flexibility, and partnership throughout this process. I know how much this field means to our Slavens community, and I am grateful that we can celebrate this important step forward together. We look forward to seeing our students back on the grass and will continue to share updates as additional information becomes available.

With gratitude,
Darcie Forde
Slavens Principal

Do you want to help keep our students safe while making a positive impact on the Slavens community? We are looking for volunteers or paid crossing guards to assist with student safety during arrival and dismissal. This is a great way to get involved, help children keep safe, and even earn a little extra money.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about this opportunity, please reach out to Darcie Forde at [email protected]. Your help makes a difference!

November 1-30: All individual annual memberships to Denver recreation centers are discounted up to 30% off. Sale available in-person and online.

From the Denver Park People: Since the lawn-watering ban took effect on Oct. 1, sprinklers across the city have gone quiet. For many trees, sprinklers were their primary source of water. In a year this hot and dry, that puts a lot of our urban forest at risk. We need to protect our forest from potential significant canopy loss. The good news: trees can still be hand-watered, and a little effort goes a long way. 

Learn how to water trees in a drought!

The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) recently announced they are expanding the types of materials now accepted in Denver compost carts. In addition to food scraps and yard debris, residents can now compost food-soiled paper. These items include greasy pizza boxes, used paper towels, napkins, coffee filters, paper tea bags, un-coated paper plates (like this NOT this), sugar and flour bags, wooden popsicle sticks, toothpicks, and wooden kebob skewers.

All material collected in Denver’s curbside compost program is processed into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used on lawns, gardens, and fields. Finished compost helps with water and nutrient retention and makes for healthy soils.

For the full list of items accepted and not accepted in Denver’s compost service and for more information, visit denvergov.org/compost.

Hey Southeast Denver! How would YOU spend up to $2 million for your neighborhood? With the Denver People’s Budget, the community decides by brainstorming ideas and developing proposals. Now it’s time for you to vote! This year, $1 million goes directly to these near southeast neighborhoods: Goldsmith, Indian Creek, Virginia Village and north University Hills.

The People’s Budget is a chance for everyone to get out and flex their civic skills! Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Denver can cast a ballot. Kids, that means you can vote too, and tell your City what projects are important to you! Voters in the People’s Budget do not need to be documented or prove citizenship to participate either. Residents will rank their three favorite projects, and the city will construct as many of the top selections as possible within the $2 million budget.

Ballots will remain open until December 6, 2026. Learn more at www.denvergov.org/DenverPB!

Cast your vote HERE before December 6!

Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) is hosting public meetings to gather feedback for the development of the City’s 2027 Annual Action Plan for local housing, economic development, public service, and neighborhood facilities programs that utilize federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

DEDO is seeking feedback from Denver residents, businesses, nonprofits, and community groups. The public’s feedback will shape how federal Housing and Urban Development funds are invested to benefit our community.

JOIN A PUBLIC MEETING:

QUESTIONS: Email [email protected].

What: Denver Water crews have begun a water main replacement project in the Southern Hills neighborhood, with phase one of the project occurring along South Josephine Street between East Flora Place and East Cornell Avenue. Additional work will occur in multiple locations throughout the neighborhood. The overall project is expected to wrap up by summer 2027, though weather, materials or emergency work may cause delays.

When: Starting October 2026

Where: Along E. Dartmouth Avenue to the north and south. See map below.

Learn More: denverwater.org/Pipes
Customer Care: 303-893-2444 (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday).
Emergencies: 303-628-6801 (after hours).

What: A contractor for DOTI will begin work to make Buchtel Boulevard from University to Colorado boulevards a more complete street, where it's easier for pedestrians and people who scooter and bike to access jobs, schools, shops, and transit stops. The project includes building safer intersections and pedestrian and bike crossings and upgrading bike facilities and traffic signal infrastructure.

When: Starting July 2026

Where: People can expect to see infrastructure improvements at five intersections: Buchtel and University, Buchtel and St. Paul, Buchtel and Colorado, Evans and University, and Evans and Colorado.

People can email the project's public information team at [email protected] to sign up for regular project updates and to learn about temporary travel impacts as improvements are made.

Join us on the field and playgrounds at Slavens School for a chance to hunt for eggs and visit with your neighbors! Details to come.

Cover your ride with festive decoration and join us at the field at Slavens School for a bike/scoot/walk around the neighborhood behind a fire truck!

Must be a paid Member to vote. Please consider paying your dues in advance if you live in the Membership area.

We can’t do it without you! Find this email useful? Enjoy attending our events? Want to see us do even more? Please consider joining the SHCA and paying your annual dues if you live in the neighborhood. If you don’t, please consider a contribution anyway! All are welcome at our public events.

Did you receive this email from a friend? Join our mailing list.

Special thanks to Broadway Station Self Storage for meeting the SHCA’s storage needs! Broadway Station Self Storage is located nearby at 1475 S Acoma St Denver, CO 80223. Give them a call at (303) 722-0690!