SAWHOA OVERVIEW
The 6th Avenue West Homeowners Association has a voluntary membership and current dues to become a member are $50.00 annually.
To promote the general welfare of its members in all community problems, relating to health, education, recreation, safety, shopping facilities, zoning regulations, housing facilities, utility, sanitation, road and transportation services or facilities, and such other community matters that may be brought to its attention by the members; to promote the physical and moral well-being of its members and to foster good will and social relations in the community.
To promote the proper aggregate social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community and to promote an ecological conscientious community.
To accept contributions for the advancement of its objects and purposes and to make charitable contributions and in general to exercise any and all powers and engage in any and all activities as may be permitted under Colorado Revised Statutes, 1963, (as amended), Chapter 31, Article 24, Section 5, or any other applicable law or laws succeeding to such Article 24 hereafter enacted.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Ken Last: President
- Ellie Bau: Membership
- Robert Wrigley: ACC President
- Suzanne Wilson: Treasurer
- Roslyn Kuzmich: Secretary
Special thanks to neighbors & friends who volunteer for special assignments!
THE UNIQUE HISTORY OF SIXTH AVENUE WEST
Provided by Anita Lamprell
In 1963, there were approximately 100 houses on Green Mountain. The subdivision was developed by Richard Kelly and the McKendry brothers. It was reported that Kelly told home buyers on Center drive that they would never have a water bill. He constructed water hookups to a house and then would run lines from that house downhill to several other homes, thus only one water bill would be issued to the first unlucky buyer. There was no sewer connection.
Twice a day the “Honey Bucket Tank truck” picked up the sewage from Green Mountain at Cedar and Union. If you were foolish enough to wash clothes late in the afternoon before it picked up, the sewers would back up in the lower houses. I remember being on an airplane overhearing a conversation with seat mates, one coming to Denver to buy and one a resident, hearing the resident warning the buyer not to buy on Green Mountain. We first lived in the Kelly addition on Green Mountain.
We watched Sixth Ave. West being built and at first felt it was a great improvement. I do remember walking over and the house that is at 13858 W Cedar was the first one in filing 4 being constructed and the whole front end of the house had fallen in, my nephew a civil engineer suggested one wanted to be careful buying from that builder. I remember one of the houses catching on fire due to a welding torch scorching the wood framing then later starting the fire after the workmen had left. I do not remember which house that was. We finally decided to buy due to the need of having a walk out basement. Richard Hummell built our house. At that time there were 5 builders in the 4th filing, Sam Yates, (Richardss father in law) Larry Kunz, McKee, and I do not remember the other builders name. I believe it was thought Kunz was the best builder. His houses were all brick. At that time there were 7 design houses custom built.
Our house was a custom, it was the speck started first, there are 3 of them in the subdivision, it was the last finished and has an extra 100 sq.ft. in it due to the laundry room Richard added that due to it being the last one finished. I believe the French Country was the most affordable and the most prevalent plan built, it had two versions one larger than the other. The smallest house in the subdivision was 13950 W. Cedar Pl.
I do not know how the HOA got started, when we moved here in 1979, I believe it was then in existence for at least four years. Richard Gebhardt was on the HOA board and was the Architectural Control Person, the committee may have been him, Dewey Haberman and Mike Leprino. Richard did all the work. He was a complete gentleman and I don’t believe anyone was ever made to feel that a complaint had been filed against them as he had a way of suggesting that perhaps some situation could be improved.
I do not remember the years I was on the board, it may have been 1980 thru 1984. I was first membership chairman, then secretary. There was a separate Treasurer. I do remember the checks required two signatures. There were signature cards I had to take to the bank and I remember getting that done. The meetings were very business like held at the school for free, and they were always open to the whole subdivision.
The biggest issues I remember were the planting of the trees, the picnic tables and the Ship on the curve on Flora Way south of the school. There was one man at 14095 W Maple, who wanted the field between Cedar and Maple mowed. It was later discovered that he was retiring and wanting to sell his house and believed the mowed field would help the sale, the interest rates at the time were 21% and the market was poor. Also some of our good neighbors had the habit of dumping their yard trash in the field and it was a help to put a stop to that. The price of a water tap was cost prohibitive. Unfortunately he passed away before he was able to retire, but hopefully it helped his wife and daughter sell so they could return to their family in Illinois .
The HOA was not involved in the plantings except on paper, they did not have any money at that time. The funding was raised thru bake sales thru the school, book fairs, newspaper collection and the selling of cans and glass. The park agreed to match our funds. We collected over $4000.00. Most of the trees were bought from the Warren Tech horticulture department. The park district furnished some machinery. Tools were furnished by individuals and all the labor was done by the homeowners. It was a fun project. All the trees along Flora and up to Holman were planted. Recently the benches have been added. The landscaping between Cedar Pl. and Maple were done by the developer before 1978. The Show homes were on the Cul De Sac Bayaud Pl. The landscaping there was all done by the developer. The open space between our home and the 14065 W. Maple was done by ourselves and Dr. Gary Siedel, the then owner of the Maple property. Ridgewood advised us we could leave it wild or landscape it but whatever we did was at our expense and future upkeep. It did not drain properly, we hired Anderson to scrape it downhill to the West to drain into the field that was a cost of $500.00 in 1980.
We sowed it in wild flowers and grass, the grass eventually took over. We put three water sprinklers on the North side and Dr. Seidel put five on the South side. We pay the expense of that in our individual water bills in the summer. In mid June and July we water the area well as the Flora Way field has caught n fire twice the 4th of July due to children playing with fireworks. My husband got the stepping stones and laid the walkway. We planted two apple trees so the kids could steal apples on the way to school, only one survived. Dr Seidel put concrete steps down the hillside but the park department removed them about four years ago saying they were a liability. It was my understanding that the ship was removed on the curve on Flora Way due to the liability. The kids do not walk to school these days and the area is not used very much. Dr Seidel ordered 200 seedlings and we planted them in 1982, only about 10 trees are now there. He build a sprinkling system down to them that the new owners tore it out as it never worked well.
Other issues I recall was the attempt to put the road thru between Green Mountain Estates and Sixth Ave. on the Devinney right of way to connect up Holman to Indiana to give the South areas additional traffic relief and access to 6th. Avenue. I understand the right of way was sold to the owner of the house on the corner of Cedar Place and Maple Place by Ridgewood, but we all know that right of ways can always be claimed by government entities, so that is still an issue facing the neighborhood. The HOA worked on this issue. The issue was put to rest as I believe the School issue was, by the large turnout at the meetings. Flora Way was not the intended access at that time. I believe the school issue was put to rest largely by the volume of attendance at the meetings, the timing of the upcoming election, and the one lady who threatened that her attorney would become involved. There is a history to the school property that has lots of problems, the original donation by the Federal Government of the land stipulated the construction of Warren Tech, a high school, jr. high and elementary school. None of the last three which have ever been built.
I wonder where that issue stands at this time legally. Pi Warren has now passed away and he and Bob Wagner, (deceased) the then director of the Denver Federal Center were the moving forces behind the land donations. Jim Harris, now living in Durango , the first Principal at Warren Tech could probably advise the legal status of those agreements. I do not know what, if any phone calls were made or letters written by the HOA, since there is no access to HOA records we may never know.
The issue of the Alameda right of way is still an issue, around the time of the proposed building of 470 there was a move by the state highway department to put Alameda thru to give access to 470. If one goes up to the top of rattlesnake hill just south of Cedar Place and look east and west you can see the right of way. About that time, maybe 10 years ago some of us were always checking to see where that item was on the state Highway planning board, the last time I knew it was number 18 of the list of projects, hopefully, money is so tight that it will never be looked into it seriously. It would probably be wise to look into it at this time to establish where it is now.
During the 80s there was a very large babysitting coop that worked very well. We also had a neighborhood food coop, mostly run by Grace Janeck (deceased), we bought all the food wholesale, it was delivered to the neighborhood by several companies, produce, frozen food, meat and fish, and can goods by the case and distributed from a different members garage weekly, it worked very well and had a one time membership of approximately 50 homes.
Filing four has had a neighborhood Christmas party on the hill for many years, this year the whole filing was invited, I don’t think anyone ever knew the boundaries of filing four until all this came upon us.
I also remember the zoning meetings for the now Mesa View area, they were to be ranchettes with horses allowed, the impression was given it would be very large lots . Ha! what happened between the zoning meetings and the actual construction I will never understand.
We also had a mafia scare at one point in the very early 80s. There were 3 families living in the area that had moved over from Applewood, Leprinos first development, a Smaldone was shot and killed on his drive way in Applewood and there was some fear that we would get some violence here. This is pure gossip, I carpooled one of the families children over to Dunston Jr. High and the boy was constantly talking about his families fear. All three families have moved away now. This was discussed at the HOA at the time.
Most of the original mortgages were done by Colorado National Bank, Dale Browning was then in charge of the Bank, and he still lives in the 4th filing!