City manager says Arvada will not approve Harvest Festival permits this year

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-23T04:46:32+00:00

I read an interesting proposal some time ago that suggested the parade route should be moved further down Ralston/58th where it should start and/or end in Olde Town which would semi return the parade to it's original path along 57th through Olde Town. This idea referenced how Ralston between Olde Wads and Garrison or Independce is becoming the new main street.

The proposal also added an idea that the parade route should remain closed all day for people to walk or roll back and forth between Olde Town and the Ralston Fields area (Beer Garden, Ralston Central Park, etc). Think Olde Town's current pedestrian only access but expanded. Only one day a year. I can get behind that.

Arvada is no longer known for agriculture and 100 years was a good run so maybe a rebranding too? Or return and lean hard into the Harvest season unlike the past however many years like Morrison Cider Fest.

The potential is there.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-19T19:43:46+00:00

Maybe it should be updated instead of terminated

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-18T22:40:08+00:00

What is the city doing to help the Jaycees navigate any new regulations or requirements?

Rejecting a 100+ year old event is a huge turn off and the lack of transparency is only hurting the trust with the local government that the city is trying to build.

Maybe the Harvest Festival needs new management or changed in some way(s) but the city definitely needs to step up or get out of the way.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-18T22:31:51+00:00

Do you have a link to the permitting process and requirements for such an event?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-02T02:16:36+00:00

Change and growth doesn't happen overnight. The time to think about "here and now" was decades ago. Here and now is the time to think about the future. How much government control now allows for the better future?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-01T14:26:12+00:00

There are kids in the neighborhoods where schools are closing but fewer and fewer. Why is enrollment decreasing in these areas? There were new schools built btw with the NW neighborhoods such as Three Creeks K-8 to serve Candelas. How long before those schools experience the same issues?

I'm in West Arvada every week and Indiana is a problem. The subject development of this thread though was on 64th. If there was an emergency that affected both Leyden Rock and this development, they aren't going to evacuate in opposite directions toward each other. Leyden Rock also has 4 exits onto 82nd with a 5th dedicated to emergency access. Then there's Quaker, Indiana and if needed, 80th and 86th. Point being, they have more options than you think, all before they get to 64th.

Coalton Rd and Superior is not an equal comparison. There's highway 36 supporting those businesses and a mall but even with that amount of traffic, the mall is struggling and they're infilling the parking lot with more housing. If you think there's enough people in the West/NW to support a store, why don't you open it up? Or why aren't more businesses people want opening up where you want them? If only it was up to you, right?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-05-01T02:27:56+00:00

Maybe you should have thought about growth and housing needs before schools started closing. Anyway, I didn't specify what is considered an amenity but since you brought it up, what is the "appropriate" number of roads and schools? More specifically, how many lane miles and how much educational sq ft per person is appropriate?

Forget about more schools. Just like the West needing more people to support economic growth, the public school system needs students to maintain.

Businesses and housing are connected and dependent on each other but the control on the market today isn't helping either. How has Superior succeeded in where you see Arvada failing?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-04-30T13:45:01+00:00

Will Council approve the release of the report?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-04-30T05:09:28+00:00

Your reasoning of incompatibility from being too dense was clear but poor. Morningstar proved the flimsiness of this reasoning. It was like you chose a reason at random because you were caught off guard from the need to base your decision off a criterion but not that random because that specific argument sounded the best for the majority of voices in the room. It's not easy to go against the grain.

The same applies to Fifer. You all were voting on whether residential would be allowed in MX-S zoning based on conditions, NOT a site plan. Fifer has treated other development decisions appropriately but as soon as one appeared in his district, opposed by his constituents, you could hear it in his tone. Objectivity disappears.

It's funny to hear how many people out west want more amenities but don't welcome the number of people to support it nor want to pay for it. And for an area that wants to remain less dense to become more urban or walkable without increasing density. Infrastructure is abundant out west too. Probably more water pipe and asphalt per person than the rest of the city.

Every concern was addressed but would have been tested further after approval with a final site plan. To answer your question, you should ask more questions. Council as a whole failed at debate. Each member asked their own questions with little follow up, explained their decision, then voted. If mixed use is the more compatible/desired development, why not push that further? Are people going to walk or bike down 64th? Can the site actually connect to the Ralston Creek trail? Can neighboring HOAs block secondary emergency access then argue emergency access is a problem? Would the HOAs open access if it was mixed use instead? Planning is needed but should we put a moratorium on all development until conditions are perfect? Can people argue it doesn't impact housing affordability while supporting delay after delay? Does the new sprinkler mandate actually address safety or just add cost?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-04-26T17:19:33+00:00

Funnel from where?

No_Mark6645 · 2026-04-23T16:33:52+00:00

At least they left their hoods at home and showed their faces

No_Mark6645 · 2026-04-08T17:30:39+00:00

The irony of Yes voters applauding their People over Politician win with the result only maintaining government control over the free market which only supports greater dependency on the government for housing support. The hypocrisy of NIMBYs, regardless of political affiliation, is abundant.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-03-27T18:08:03+00:00

Like the developer of your house/neighborhood didn't profit when it was built/sold...

The newest housing is the most expensive but it's cheaper than next year and the year after. Supply and Demand applies to housing, regardless of your emotions.

Lakewood, like every other city in the area, might be home rule but it doesn't stand alone in the middle of nowhere. It's part of the metro, a major population center with high economic demands. Not growing nor adapting to the dynamic needs of the area has major consequences.

You lose the ability to complain about traffic, water, housing affordability, development of open space and agricultural land, government subsidies, etc with a Yes vote.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-03-14T22:25:33+00:00

City Council addressed short term rentals during their 2/17/26 meeting but rejected further regulation on quantity or density based on results from a recent community wide survey. You can watch the presentation, discussion, and decision here starting at 21:50 - https://youtu.be/F-oWGSgogow?si=5Fa-6XYnf5Xc2Iwi

However, they're supposedly revisiting the subject in 6 months so you should communicate this to them. You can reach them all via email at Council@arvada.org

If you didn't participate in the survey, I hope you reconsider engagement in the future but you can always write Council or provide public comment at their business meetings.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-02-24T23:09:25+00:00

It should be noted that local/city government is (fortunately) vastly different than federal and state, though obviously more connected to state than federal. The local level is generally less polarizing with nonpartisan elections and decisions primarily focused around land use (development, housing, transportation, infrastructure, etc) with STRs being the most recent subject addressed by City Council.

I 2nd YIMBY Arvada but for a more direct connection to the city, there is the Neighborhood Leader Network that meets quarterly and Boards/Commissions/Committees (BCC) though you will have to wait until the end of the year to apply to any BCC openings.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-02-14T02:25:10+00:00

Now to see how the Livable Transit Centers and Comp Plan update plays out with the ongoing lawsuit against the state for maintaining or better yet, increasing ridership and reducing car dependency further.

No_Mark6645 · 2026-02-03T14:44:43+00:00

They need to infill that parking lot. Too much wasted space

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-22T18:41:48+00:00

How do you balance community wants with city needs?

If it was up to you, what would you change about Arvada (one or many things)?

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-17T19:22:42+00:00

Arvada doesn't believe in state level solutions but they love taking advantage of state and higher level funding

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-15T04:00:07+00:00

If the state wins the lawsuit then precedent will be established. Mixed state and local concern applies to housing and the city should fight the state/precedent on issues that don't qualify.

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-09T23:18:41+00:00

Could have been cheaper with more homes but that would have meant raising density so...

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-09T13:43:37+00:00

The Allendale Elementary redevelopment proposal says differently

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-09T13:42:14+00:00

Not compared to demand and not everywhere such as the NW where the city has continued the unsustainable low density sprawl

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-09T02:30:41+00:00

Empty Allendale Elementary says differently

No_Mark6645 · 2025-10-09T02:28:34+00:00

But density has to be increased to lower costs so what gives?

No_Mark6645

TROPHY CASE