Hi. Today's news roundup includes analysis on the I-70 project and the conservative movement in Colorado, plus a look ahead at the new resistance to affordable housing in the suburbs and a great feature on Colorado's highest trails. Go!
What happens if there's a fire under the I-7o cap?
That's a question we've heard couple times regarding the section of the highway that is set to be buried. Erica ably answers. In short: sprinklers and lots of fire trucks, but it's more interesting than that. (Denverite)
The Kochs' plans in Colorado:
Conservatives in Colorado are celebrating their success in getting more money for charter schools and shutting down a proposed tax hike that would have funded transportation. Now the Koch brothers are aiming for their biggest spending cycle ever, with Colorado as one potential prize. John Frank details those plans, including the size of their network here. (DP)
Affordability controversy:
Jefferson County commissioners are due to vote Tuesday on whether to participate in the federal Housing and Urban Development funding program. It would give money for 500 new affordable units. It's usually a routine decision, but this time a local opposition group claims that HUD is pursuing a goal of "eroding our suburbs;" they recently convinced Douglas County to turn down HUD money. Amy DiPierro has the informative deep dive. (BusinessDen)
DaGovernor?
DaVita CEO Kent Thiry, who you may remember was mocked by John Oliver, is laying the groundwork for a potential run for governor. Among his strengths: He's really rich and he has a lot of voter data. Good reporting (and lots more detail) here from John Frank and Mark Matthews. (DP)
Natural gas hike:
Xcel wants to raise natural gas rates. The cost would increase typical residential costs by a couple dollars a month in each of the next few years. Charles Ashby reports. (Sentinel)
Deportation:
Cristina Rodriguez-Sagarnaga, a 30-year-old mother of three U.S. citizens, was deported. She had entered the country when she was 5. She reportedly had three misdemeanor convictions and was detained at a scheduled check-in with ICE. Tom McGhee reports. (DP)
Apartments:
"The market is overbuilt," one expert says of the thousands of predominantly luxury apartments opening in Denver this year. Expect rent hikes to slow and more amenities to be thrown in. Emilie Rusch reports. (DP)
Airbnb:
Denver's number of short-term rental listings dropped from 3,751 to 2,808 after the city started enforcing its regulations on Airbnb and the like, as Nathaniel Minor reports. (CPR)
How trails are born:
I was thinking about this very question this weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park: Who designs these things? Sarah Gilman has a profile of the woman who lays the paths on some of Colorado's highest mountains. (High Country)
