What can SUN do for you?

Stapleton United Neighbors (SUN) is a Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) regulated by Chapter 12 / Article III of the Revised Municipal Code of the City of Denver. Any owner of real property and/or any resident located within the neighborhood boundaries are considered to be SUN members; there are no membership dues.

Members of the SUN board want to hear from individual residents – what can Stapleton United Neighbors do to make this community an even better, healthier, socially responsible, good neighbor in northeast Denver? Suggestions could include a topic for discussion at a monthly meeting or for a special speaker. Ultimately, SUN seeks to improve its presence, representation of all residents, and resident awareness of all things neighborly.

Please consider attending SUN’s next monthly meeting: August 20, 2019, 6:30-8:30pm, at Central Park Recreation Center. All SUN meetings are open to the community, and participation is welcome.

SUN has had many successes since being established in 2005. SUN organizes annual community meetings in May along with Brookfield/Forest City, the Master Community Association (MCA) and the Stapleton Citizens’ Advisory Board (CAB) to present updates on residential and commercial/retail development. SUN’s Sustainability committee has sponsored programs for a greener community, more recently with program support from the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program with the City of Denver. SUN’s Transportation committee works with Brookfield/Forest City and the City of Denver on many traffic and transportation issues. SUN’s Education committee advocates for strong public schools, plans to host a second annual school board candidate forum this fall, and historically helped gain approval for Swigert International School in 2009, and Isabella Bird Community School in 2013. SUN’s Inclusivity and Diversity committee has hosted two annual days of reflection, and this fall will work with student government at Northfield High School to promote a culture of inclusivity and diversity across schools in the community.

Historically, SUN’s Block Captain Network has been a working grass-roots neighborhood communication tool, however in the era of social media and Nextdoor, and as the community has expanded, management of the block captain network has been a challenge. SUN is currently seeking to reemphasize the importance of the Denver Police Neighborhood Watch program, which also utilizes block captains. SUN also historically sponsored an annual charity community kick-ball tournament which, over the years, has supported The Urban Farm, Sand Creek Greenway, Bluff Lake Nature Center, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Colorado Children’s Hospital, Stapleton Schools, and Station 26 firehouse.

SUN holds a voting seat on the Citizens’ Advisory Board (CAB) of Stapleton Development Corporation (SDC), the nonprofit entity created by the Denver City Council in 1995 to oversee the disposition of the former Stapleton International Airport. SUN board members are represented on the Parks Advisory Group, the Zoning and Planning Committee, the Housing Diversity Committee and the Greater Stapleton Business Association

SUN is coordinating a speaker at a fall SUN meeting to describe ongoing work of the Westerly Creek Metropolitan District. What other involvement of SUN board members would improve Stapleton and Northeast Denver?

www.StapletonUnitedNeighbors.com

StapletonUnitedNeighbors@Gmail.com,

Language in this article was contributed by former SUN board president Steve Lawrence, and current SUN board members Tally Lawing and Amanda Allshouse.