City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) is a Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO), formed in April, 2014. Its mission is to "Actively Protect the Classical Pastoral Character of City Park.”
The board of CPFAN meets monthly on the first Tuesday of each month from 6 – 7:45 p.m. at the Ford-Warren Library, 2825 High Street, Denver, unless otherwise noted. All CPFAN members and the public are
invited and encouraged to attend. Meeting times and minutes are publicly available on the CPFAN website at www.CPFAN.org. In addition, CPFAN hosts an annual member meeting for the purpose of electing officers and informing members of issues relevant to the membership. Membership to CPFAN is free and you can join by visiting the website, checking out the boundaries and clicking “join.” Those who join are automatically subscribed to the CPFAN email list and receive email notices of meetings and issues. CPFAN currently has over 300 members from neighborhoods around the park. We are considering an array of issues that affect City Park, such as the relationship between the park and its embedded institutions, the Denver Zoo and Denver Museum of Nature and Science; maintenance of the park; usage of the park, especially large events; the tree canopy, currently threatened by the impending arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer; and Landmark designation for the park. To further our purpose, we have created a website at www.cpfan.org and you can also access CPFAN news, photos, and more on Facebook. We welcome all our neighbors and City Park-lovers to join us in protecting our park and building a supportive community for preserving and enhancing this precious inner-city green space for ourselves and for future generations as well. City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN)
Focus Areas
1. Neighborhood Involvement:
a. Involve the neighborhood organizations before implementing new programs or pilots. Neighborhood should feel it is "their park". Neighbors and users should have a sense of wanting to help maintain and improve the park. d. Sports and practice fields for neighborhood children. e. Lessen the stress on City Park to serve as a regional attraction.
2. Improve management of special events and activities:
a. Balance use of the park for special events and activities, with on-going uses. Reduce noise levels. Control undesirable uses:
I. Alcohol in moderation. II. Minimize trucks, cars and carts for support uses. III. Direct parking to appropriate facilities.
3. Improve Recreation Management
a. Avoid adding any future dedicated large scale recreation structures (tennis, basketball, dog parks, athletic fields, etc.) Support the continued existence of two ‘Kid-sized’ playgrounds in the park. Provide a safe and high-quality experience for desired uses.
4. Minimize Commercialization
a. Limit the use of the park as a space to run a business (with or without a permit). Determine the appropriate balance of vendors allowed in the park. Avoid additional admission based commercial operations.
5. Safety for all users of the park
a. Encourage Education, Etiquette, Engagement and Enforcement of park rules and use. Encourage a liaison assigned full time to the park (Park Ranger) able to promote the four E's.
6. Promote wildlife preservation and protection
a. Manage wildlife to appropriate carrying capacity. Consider wildlife management in all development. Enhance wildlife viewing and interpretation. Enhance fishing opportunities.
7. Maintain the classical pastoral character of the park
a. Protect existing open spaces of trees and grass. Ensure an attractive interface between the park and the Zoo/Museum, as viewed from the park. Avoid more pavement. Limit vehicular traffic and in-park parking. Keep park memorials at a reasonable and tasteful level. f. Preserve water quality in lakes and ponds, and maintain shorelines.
8. Preserve the historical heritage
a. Maintain existing historical structures in a sensitive and authentic manner. Design of new structures should be complementary to existing historical heritage.
9. Promote sustainability of all park structures, landscaping and furnishings. a. Minimize need for high-maintenance. Recognize that capital costs may be more available than on-going maintenance budgets.
