The Cheesman Park Advocacy Group was established in 2004 by Denver City Councilwoman Jeanne Robb to address community concerns about Cheesman Park regarding crime, safety, traffic, park restoration and park maintenance. Our mission is to preserve, improve, and maintain the historic integrity of Cheesman Park in a diverse, people-friendly environment. In 2008, CPAG became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
We work towards our mission by supporting or sponsoring events that bring many kinds of visitors to the park, with the aim of increasing park visits by people who wish to enjoy and preserve our historic 80 acre oasis. We believe that an overall increase in visits by people who wish to use the park for its intended purposes of recreation and relaxation can reduce crime in the park, increase safety, and raise awareness for the maintenance and restoration needs of the park. Our Sundays in the Park, our annual Childrens’ July Fourth Bike Parade, and our One Book, One Sunday program are examples of some of the events we sponsor. We have supported some of the other events held in the park, such as the Colorado Symphony and the Denver Municipal Band concerts in the park, by providing publicity for these events. We feel that these sponsored or supported events contribute to the diverse, people-friendly environment in the park.
We work towards our mission of preserving, improving, and maintaining the park in a number of ways. CPAG members were active participants in the Cheesman Park Master Plan process, and met with the Denver Parks and Recreation staff and Mundus Bishop Design, the city’s consultant, to provide input into the planning process prior to its beginning. The goal of the Cheesman Park Master Plan is to enhance, restore and revitalize Cheesman Park. The four planning principles for this plan included 1) Create a safe and enjoyable park experience for all park users, 2) Restore Cheesman Park’s legacy, spatial organization and strength as a passive park that serves both local and regional park users, 3) Create an accessible park with a pedestrian focus, and 4) Reduce crime, vehicular volume and speed, and noise and pollution. We collaborate with the Denver Parks and Recreation Department on maintenance and infrastructure issues, and support the implementation of the Cheesman Park Master Plan.
We work to address issues of concern in the park identified by community members. CPAG has met with staff from the Denver Department of Traffic Engineering to discuss traffic-related concerns, has met with the Denver Regional Transportation District to address issues related to the Route 10 bus traffic in Cheesman Park, and we network with the Denver District 6 Police Department to address safety concerns and criminal activity in the park.