President's Letter, December 2016 - Reviews History
Hi to all my neighbors in Green Mountain Estates,
This newsletter is being distributed with our new brochure and our 2017 calendar. On the back of this page is our usual dues coupon. You can pay online at our website if you prefer.
One of our projects for 2017 is to go through our archives and catalog our collection for future uses. I have begun looking at the boxes of data and would like to share some of my findings.
Green Mountain Estates is a small close-knit community on the slope of Green Mountain also known as Green Mountainside. We are made up of 1,100 homes as well as trails, schools, parks and our active civic association.
Our defining feature is the actual mountain property known as William Frederick Hayden Park. William Fredrick Hayden was a landowner in the area but was not the first to own the property. After the civil war, Major Jacob Downing moved to Denver and helped develop the city. City Park, the Colfax street car project and a clubhouse in Arlington Park where some of his accomplishments. He traveled to what would become Lakewood and purchased 2.000 acres of undeveloped land. He turned it into Downingdale, a showplace complete with a ranch, Hereford cattle, feed and even an Arabian horse track. Downing passed away in 1907. In the 1930s Thomas S. Hayden Realty purchased Dowingdale and expanded the property into a 7,000 acre ranch. Those boundaries are the same that still exist for Green Mountain Estates today. Around the same time, the National Guard leased part of the land. They used it as an artillery impact area for rounds fired at a nearby rifle range and training facility.
The first homes in the area were built in the 1960s. At that time, the neighborhood was split into two subdivisions, Green Mountain Estates and Green Mountain Fireside division to the north.
In 1972, the Hayden Family began donating some of their land to the City of Lakewood for the establishment of a park. They would give up 500 acres, which would become William Frederick Hayden Park named after the owner of the land at the time it was donated.
Green Mountainside Civic Association started 1978, and incorporated in 1981. GMCA has accomplished a lot since 1978. GMCA made significant contributions to stopping boarding of horses and dog kennels, stopping the developer Richard Kelly from taking down the mountain at the end of Ohio to develop more homes, getting Jefferson County Open Space to acquire 134 acres on north side of Green Mountain Estates, closing down Zinnia street north of Cedar.
We helped the City of Lakewood develop a new ordinance for group homes to protect the integrity of our neighborhood. We were instrumental in getting Mountainside Park set aside to prevent building of houses on it and developed the park with a sign, benches, planting of trees and a walking path. We contributed to speed bumps to slow traffic down on some of our steep hills, working on problem properties using the City of Lakewood code enforcement regulations. GMCA was responsible for the North and South entrance signs to our neighborhood, a new playground at Foothills Park, the Field of Dreams baseball park, the beginning of a community garden and Whiz Kids tutoring program at Foothillls Elementary school. Recently we helped stop 250 apartments from going in across from Foothills Elementary.
GMCA is the largest and most active civic association in Lakewood. Our success comes from the financial and volunteer support from our residents. It is also a credit to those who have served on the GMCA board over the years since 1978. Their vision and effort has enhanced the quality of life in our community.
This is my 40th year living in Green Mountain Estates. I am very proud of all the accomplishments of the Green Mountainside Civic Association. Thank you all for making Green Mountain Estates a wonderful community to live!
Sincerely,
Diane Rhodus, President
This newsletter is being distributed with our new brochure and our 2017 calendar. On the back of this page is our usual dues coupon. You can pay online at our website if you prefer.
One of our projects for 2017 is to go through our archives and catalog our collection for future uses. I have begun looking at the boxes of data and would like to share some of my findings.
Green Mountain Estates is a small close-knit community on the slope of Green Mountain also known as Green Mountainside. We are made up of 1,100 homes as well as trails, schools, parks and our active civic association.
Our defining feature is the actual mountain property known as William Frederick Hayden Park. William Fredrick Hayden was a landowner in the area but was not the first to own the property. After the civil war, Major Jacob Downing moved to Denver and helped develop the city. City Park, the Colfax street car project and a clubhouse in Arlington Park where some of his accomplishments. He traveled to what would become Lakewood and purchased 2.000 acres of undeveloped land. He turned it into Downingdale, a showplace complete with a ranch, Hereford cattle, feed and even an Arabian horse track. Downing passed away in 1907. In the 1930s Thomas S. Hayden Realty purchased Dowingdale and expanded the property into a 7,000 acre ranch. Those boundaries are the same that still exist for Green Mountain Estates today. Around the same time, the National Guard leased part of the land. They used it as an artillery impact area for rounds fired at a nearby rifle range and training facility.
The first homes in the area were built in the 1960s. At that time, the neighborhood was split into two subdivisions, Green Mountain Estates and Green Mountain Fireside division to the north.
In 1972, the Hayden Family began donating some of their land to the City of Lakewood for the establishment of a park. They would give up 500 acres, which would become William Frederick Hayden Park named after the owner of the land at the time it was donated.
Green Mountainside Civic Association started 1978, and incorporated in 1981. GMCA has accomplished a lot since 1978. GMCA made significant contributions to stopping boarding of horses and dog kennels, stopping the developer Richard Kelly from taking down the mountain at the end of Ohio to develop more homes, getting Jefferson County Open Space to acquire 134 acres on north side of Green Mountain Estates, closing down Zinnia street north of Cedar.
We helped the City of Lakewood develop a new ordinance for group homes to protect the integrity of our neighborhood. We were instrumental in getting Mountainside Park set aside to prevent building of houses on it and developed the park with a sign, benches, planting of trees and a walking path. We contributed to speed bumps to slow traffic down on some of our steep hills, working on problem properties using the City of Lakewood code enforcement regulations. GMCA was responsible for the North and South entrance signs to our neighborhood, a new playground at Foothills Park, the Field of Dreams baseball park, the beginning of a community garden and Whiz Kids tutoring program at Foothillls Elementary school. Recently we helped stop 250 apartments from going in across from Foothills Elementary.
GMCA is the largest and most active civic association in Lakewood. Our success comes from the financial and volunteer support from our residents. It is also a credit to those who have served on the GMCA board over the years since 1978. Their vision and effort has enhanced the quality of life in our community.
This is my 40th year living in Green Mountain Estates. I am very proud of all the accomplishments of the Green Mountainside Civic Association. Thank you all for making Green Mountain Estates a wonderful community to live!
Sincerely,
Diane Rhodus, President