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Transparency Matters: CCNNA Statement in Response Terminated GID Process

Community Leadership & CCNNA mission Accountability

CCNNA’s Statement and Our Response: What Residents Deserve to Know

The Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association (CCNNA) recently issued a statement following the termination of the GID process. While their message emphasizes neutrality, many residents feel the board’s actions — and inactions — told a different story.

For the sake of clarity, transparency, and accountability, we are sharing both CCNNA’s official statement and our community response. This side-by-side record highlights where the board’s performance aligned with its mission in the past, and where it fell short during the GID process.

Our goal is simple: to ensure residents have the facts, can make up their own minds, and can decide what kind of leadership we need moving forward in Cherry Creek North.

Subject: A Message from the CCNNA Board following the ending of the GID

From: Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Sep 22, 2025, 5:19 PM


A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CCNNA BOARD – AFTER THE GID DISCUSSIONS STOPPED 

The General Improvement District (GID) discussions are OVER; there will be no GID in the Cherry Creek area.  A GID is simply a tool to address issues with solutions that the residents want to fund.  Currently, the majority of residents don’t feel that the scale of the problems warrant establishment of a GID in CCN.  The issues surrounding the GID formation discussions were complicated and led to deep wounds in our neighborhood that we would like to help heal. 

CCNNA wants our residents to understand a few important points regarding the now terminated GID process: 

– Neutrality of CCNNA.  CCNNA (as an organization) does not take official positions on issues that will be presented on a ballot to the voters.  Full stop.  Every voter should be happy that CCNNA respects the voters’ right to determine the outcome of issues on the ballot. This official neutrality position on ballot items says nothing about whether individual board members had any personal feelings for or against the establishment of a GID.  We ask that you respect the CCNNA position of neutrality on ballot items and not attack board members for following it. 

– We can work together to make things better in our neighborhood.  The many folks who opposed the formation of a GID voiced a preference to fix identified problems themselves, without a GID.  It is true that, if we work together, there are many things we can do to improve some of the problems that folks have identified over the years.  For example, we can work together (maybe even form a nonprofit entity) to fund some solutions like lighting on a small scale that may make it easier to walk home from the restaurants or to simply walk your dog at night.  Or safety measures.  Or enhanced common area landscaping.  There are options that, if we work together, can make our wonderful neighborhood even better. 

– CCNNA is and has always been here for its residents.  The many good works CCNNA has done over the years should not go unnoticed.  For example, CCNNA has fought to keep our permitted parking program, forced zoning compliance so that developers could not increase height or density from the approved CCN zoning, formed and managed many social groups and activities that so many neighbors have enjoyed, kept residents informed of City actions and proposals and negotiated development agreements and all outdoor venue liquor licenses to address development, noise and disruption.  The board works hard FOR YOU every day for the betterment of our neighborhood. 

– JOIN US.   CCNNA has 2 open board positions and is always looking for board, committee and event volunteers to meet the needs of the organization.  It takes time and effort and, yes, it takes a village.  OUR VILLAGE!  So let us know if you are interested in helping us keep Cherry Creek North the best neighborhood in Denver. 

Stop the GID in CCN Community Response

A Contrast in Board Performance and Resident Support

Over the course of grappling with the prospect of a GID in Cherry Creek North, the CCNNA Board stated it was taking a “No Position” on the matter.

The CCNNA board stated that they never take a position on ballot issues. To residents, the many GID articles and information included in the CCNNA newsletters, on its website, and at the May General Resident Meeting were interpreted to be more pro-GID than neutral. Moreover, those communications did not include any of the aspects of a GID that concerned residents saw as negative. This led many residents to view the CCNNA board’s neutral position as disingenuous.

The following direct quote from the recent statement from the board has repeatedly been claimed as its explanation for its position: “CCNNA (as an organization) does not take official positions on issues that will be presented on a ballot to the voters.  Full stop.  Every voter should be happy that CCNNA respects the voters’ right to determine the outcome of issues on the ballot.”

Notwithstanding that the Cherry Creek GID was far from a ballot measure, simply stated, the board’s claim is not true.

Many residents remember well the very controversial Initiative 300 ballot issue that would have been detrimental to our quality of life. The CCNNA Board was actively and aggressively communicating and surveying residents, opposing this initiative, taking a formal position on the ballot issue, and devoting a General Resident Meeting to oppose the initiative. At the end of this statement, you will find a detailed recounting of the actions taken by the CCNNA board to communicate, educate and advocate on that specific ballot issue.

Returning to the recent CCNNA board statement; “Every voter should be happy that CCNNA respects the voters’ right to determine the outcome of issues on the ballot.”

The CCNNA board, taking a position or not, does not equate to respect for or lack thereof concerning voter’s rights. To assume that a board position on any matter means voters cannot determine their own views is to imply that the Board would be doing the thinking for our residents. This seems more than a little arrogant.

Conclusions:

– In 2019, the CCNNA Board continued its history of informing the residents, advocating for and representing them, and fulfilling the CCNNA Mission Statement.
– In 2025, the CCNNA Board did not adequately inform residents of both sides of the GID issue.

– When 65% of the residents voted “not interested” in forming a GID {in Councilwoman Sawyer’s survey}, neither she nor the CCNNA Board listened to their residents.
– The Board performance and support to residents on the 2019 ballot issue as compared to 2025 GID issue was astonishingly different and disappointing.
– The “neutrality” excuse holds no water.

Remaining questions:

  • Why did the Board ignore the 65% resident vote against the GID?
  • Why did the Board ignore the fact that residents ranked ‘Improvement in Advocacy and Communication’ as the #3 priority in Councilwoman Sawyer’s CCN survey?
  • Why did the Board promise “to host a forum to allow all perspectives to be held in a fair and open manner” in the August 2025 CCNNA newsletter and then it never happened?
  • Why did the Board fail to present the potential downsides of the GID to residents?
  • Why did the Board refuse to provide residents with a balanced view of the GID’s pros and cons?
  • Why did the Board label concerns as ‘misinformation’ without ever identifying what was inaccurate?
  • Were any Board members pressured to support the GID?

The historic support from residents for the CCNNA board has been due to mutual respect for the residents and the neighborhood association. The GID “Neutrality” Position by the Board remains hard to grasp and accept and has put that support at risk.

Residents require an explanation of the board’s actions which contradict prior board actions on matters whether on ballots or not.

Most importantly, clarity on future performance from the board in terms of
communication, education and ultimate support for the community members’ views must be stated clearly and demonstrated continually in order to regain the members’ trust.

Recount of CCNNA board actions concerning Initiative 300 Ballot Issue

In its March 2019 CCNNA newsletter, the association took a position and was proactive, not neutral, as follows:

“We acknowledge Denver’s urgent need to better address our current homeless community, but Initiative 300 does nothing to really address long term needs of the homeless which should be the heart of this issue. CCNNA is actively gathering information and will continue to keep our members appraised of further developments, including the possibility of our RNO taking a formal position on this important legislation. To that end, we will be devoting the upcoming General Residents Meeting to this critical issue. We urge you to review the positions for (see RighttoSurvive.org) and against (see
TogetherDenver.com) this measure. You will find the complete proposed Initiative 300 and ordinance on the CCNNA website (ccnneighbors.com). We look forward to receiving your input at the March 26 meeting. Don’t miss it!”

At that meeting, residents heard both sides of the issue and voted overwhelmingly to oppose Initiative 300.