Don’t let City Park Friends and Neighbors mace this dog.
Bruce Finley’s Denver Post portrayal of the Denver Zoo’s alternative energy plan as a catastrophic pollution event rivaling Three Mile Island has some residents of Curtis Park crying foul.
An alert reader sent us a post from the neighborhood’s Facebook page urging us to take a closer look at the select group of individuals known as the City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFN) that opposes the zoo plans, and here’s what we discovered: It is the unofficial HOA from Hell. In fact, we suspect they are vampires.
The group was founded two years ago to block the City Loop playground, and went from there to oppose a dog park and several zoo activities.
They don’t want any races held in the park, no festivals or concerts, and no vendors making money. They oppose traffic, parking, any event that makes noise, and definitely no outsiders are desired. Essentially, they believe that City Park doesn’t belong to Denver, but to the cranky members of this select group of complainers and whiners.
What do they support? On Sept. 14, CPFN will hold a sunset walk and happy hour, on the 21st, there will be a sunset walk and happy hour, on the 28th, a sunset walk and happy hour, on Oct. 5th, sunset walk and happy hour …
See? Vampires.
Here’s what the CPFN had to say about, shudder, allowing an off-leash area for dogs in the park:
“It may be expected that additional dog owners will drive to City Park from other areas, park in the Pavilion lot, and simply let their dogs loose from their cars.”
“Off-leash dogs are a threat and a nuisance to runners, elderly and children … Will citizens be allowed to mace dogs that chase them in the park?”
Thanks in part to efforts by CPFN, City Park is now completely off limits to hosting new events as part of a moratorium imposed citywide.
In Denver, last year brought a few clashes between neighborhoods and events in parks. Several City Park neighbors remain incensed about decibel levels and vulgar lyrics from bands that performed in the privately organized Chive Fest in August.
Louis Plachowski, president of the group City Park Friends and Neighbors, said that experience gave him little confidence in the new rules, because Chive Fest conceivably could earn permits for a repeat run this year.
“Letting a small group of people dictate the rules for how Denver’s City Park can be used is simply crazy,” said the Facebook post from Curtis Park.
“DO NOT standby and watch or you will be left out of the fun and there will only be twilight nature walks allowed at City Park in the very near future. Shame on the Denver Post for enabling this group and printing a one sided story and shame on CPFN for deciding to dictate who can do what in City Park. Stand up now and let your voice be heard.”
We hear you Curtis Park, loud and clear.
You seem stupid.
Hancock is trying to nig up the park.
CPFAN is a disgrace! How so few zenophobes can treat the city's park as their own personal green space and not acknowledge the nationally famous Zoo and Museum already there, along with the regional golf course destination is obscene. How does one explain that with such nationally recognized destinations, the park is still near empty! The Mile High Loop is the city's best running trail. I'm convinced that these angry, frightened, neighbors barely use the park or they would know the park is typically EMPTY! Of couse City Park should be a regional destination- just like NY's Central Park, SF's Golden Gate Park, and Grant Park in Chicago- all of which have TONS OF QUITE SPACES!!! Sure with more people, parking with need to be addressed, along with litter, access routes…, and loud concerts like last year's festival should be banned (whoever says no to that wasn't home and thus didn't have their TV blasted last year while explaining to a child why they were that hearing "F*ck" dozens of times from 3/4 mi away), but CPFAN is ruining the city's great destination. This is not a left or right issue, not young vs. old, but the most zenophobic of society vs. realists, nieghbors, friends, who recognize that we don't live in a small rural town, we live in a top 25 city in the USA, next to its park, and our home values continue to rise because of it. Where were all the charitible run/walk events this summer? We're against events that raise money for the sick? -events that typically end by 11a on a weekend? That's the ugly state of this neighborhood? Shame on CPFAN. A change is gonna come and you all can stay home, which you already do instead of using the park you supposedly defend. Take some more walks, runs, bicycle rides in the park like my family does and you'll see that this park is empty, only your freightened minds are full- of delusions. SHAME ON CPFAN
Can't comment on the aftermath for this group, but City Loop was ill conceived for City Park. They were anticipating 1,000 MORE visitors a day and were basing the plan on outdated traffic studies. If you have tried to park in City Park any time recently you will understand the push back.
One way to speak up…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJITGNIqjTtL7bFjLAmj9gPpA6kM138bfVOOpviVxk4/edit?usp=sharing
Went to a joint meeting following the Colfax Half Marathon where an estimated 20 members of CPFAN attended. Never have I seen a group of adults act like children. They accused, interupted, insulted, etc. The level of maturity made me feel as if the meeting would have been better hosted at East High School–rather than City Offices.
Yee gads! Maybe there needs to be large groups of people who oppose their efforts at their meetings, dissenting, arguing and disagreeing!
There are many innaccuracies in this anonymously written article. CPFAN, not CPFN, is an RNO, not an HBO. Nowhere in the Post article about the Zoo's gasification project Is CPFAN mentioned. INC is, and it is that organization asking for City Council review of the Zoo's project. CPFAN does not want to control where benches go in City Park. We are a group who have donated our time in CP planting trees, building playgrounds, painting the bandstand.We hope for civil, intelligent, constructive conversations about City Park, a jewel in the city worth thinking deeply about.
Just Say No to CPFN – bring on the fun, culture and higher home values!
Full disclosure, I was on the board for a few months until I realized it was pointless to try to change the organization from within. They're President is so arrogant that after he was elected, he stated that his goal was that not one park bench in City Park could get moved/changed/added without this organization's approval.
And to think our city officials take these guys seriously. Ever since the City Loop debacle, they are spooked by them and that's the real shame.
Thanks for picking this up. Hopefully it will get some more run. Ethan
Vampires is funny.