Will Denver Urban Gardens lose most of El Oasis?
What happens next could speed up the sale of the nonprofit’s largest property, against community objections
By John Wenzel
The Denver Post
Jan 15, 2021
Excerpt:
Gardeners, however, have revolted against DUG, shocked that the community-garden nonprofit would sell its biggest patch of urban green space and raising the specter of company mismanagement. It had been given to DUG for $1, and was meant to be held in perpetuity as a garden (although not legally secured as such).
Since then, gardeners have been looking for ways to head off the sale and expressing rage that they weren’t included in alternative discussions.
“We came up with over $500,000 right away from neighbors, citizens and private donors to save it,” said Ted Richardson, an El Oasis gardener and LoHi resident. “And we haven’t heard anything about it from them. They want to sell it and be done with it. They don’t want options.”
On Jan. 19, the city’s Board of Adjustments for Zoning will decide whether to split the parcel, which would prompt the sale of two-thirds of the land to developer Caliber Construction for condos, with the remaining third (with only alley access, currently) going back to DUG and, after a redesign, the gardeners. The 9:30 a.m. hearing is an appeal for a denial of the permit to divide the lot, according to city records.
