This isthe 2nd in a series fom The Cherry Hills Land Preserve, Ine, which is writing a complete history of Cherry Hils Village to be presente 0 the Cherry Hills Community In 2007, The following excerp is another preview of that hisiors. Look for more excerpts in fru Crers Ze So Tue Story o1 Cherry Hills Land Brederve ie hve THE VILLAGE CENTER ANillage Center the physical bilding which would house and eenalize the City’s government functions, maintenance dnd secunty needs) was prabblyanipate frm the time of Cherry Hills" ineesporation. The fst zoning map of Chetry Hills Village, submited by its Planning an Zoning Commission inthe fllof 1945, includes C-1 zoning, aCommuniy (Center District which allowed for publi brats and muxeums, a Post Office, and government buildings. Curiously ugh other dacumcnts indicat that the carly farers eschewed all commercial development, the C-1 zoning also allowed her community uses primarily devote local shopping centers serving Chetry Fils Village" And withthe Villa iduse Master Plan submited tothe City in 1950 by Sk. Delier noted City Planner and landscape architect, (es nine De Bost whose nam his bech inthe Denver Post rently Tor his design of Denver's City Park), this heme Boer plan speaks toa Community Center Distt in the Village's geographic centr “which allows for nuit commercial ses which havea definite Village charactor and which said out as a rural center "een atthe corer of Quiney Avene reiterate. U those approw athe than a City Distt, Both plans show that center a being in the Vila and University Boulevard, aero rom what was then known 38 the Sehoolhouse” But in 1945, the vision and the eaty were sil worlds apart no money to count.” Leonard DeLue, owner of an armored far service whose homie was located on the {3th gree of the Chery Hills Country Club where the Clubs riding Stables had heen, qualified himself as Marshal by saying, “I have a deputy shen’ badge and large police Naslight ibe the policeman aati we an afford ne.” Te would be another four years before Jess Bridle would be hired 38 the Town's Chief Marshal, Pet Dominick, a bright and promising you would be elected to the US. Town's fist at Sehoolhouse's classrooms The property the zoning plan had targeted forts CConumunity Center Distt was owned by John Meade, 3 rman who, depending on whom one talked 0, was ith iraseibe farmer, ora gentleman salesman, He lived ina Dutch Colonial house. A few neighbors kept their horses a the stables on his proper The first priority for the citizens who had suocessfilly pall off the inconporation whic kept hee smal nels nut of Denver’ ands an in their contro ea to work ously to put the necessary iy services into place, It‘Tur Stowy oF ry Viteser Cesten Connst4 ta. City busines fanetioned ell nough catch as eateh ean for tm, ad the Town developed what Joe Lite refrs as “a personality all is own,” The City Clerks = first, Louesa Bromfield, and then, Woodie Noel -ran the town fom their homes. Jess Bide handled police busines from his car And Judge Feed Powell held court in an office on his back pore Fastforward to 1961, 16 years after incorporation inthe form of statutory town eule an five years before Chey Lill Village wold change ite governance status to that of home rule. Bop Davison, who served a the Town's attorney for five years before boing elected may, presided oer the period fom 1960 - 1966, aime of temendous growth. The population increased from 1,931 '0 3,154 jump of over 6h, some of which was the result of the annexation oF Chote, Mansel. and parte Charlon. The Town responded by establishing a full-time road department and expand- ing the police force to soven officers, A second elementary schoo, Village height, was aed during these yeas, Stasis Davison, Bob's dynamie wile, isl a Village resident. She remembers the lng hours Davison put in as Mayer. She had served as his campaign manager fr his first two ten as Mayo, hut remembers tig his, perhaps only hal jokingly, “ify run again, citculte a etton again! yon, | 1961, when John Meade offred the Village the four acres the Village Center now sis on for $20,000, a price below ‘market vale, the Town jumped tthe ehance to purchase the property. Because this expense hil not been ahicipated or Ihudgetod forth Trustees passedan ordinance which would allow foe this expenditure in excess ofthe sna budget hase upon what the Trustees dered was “an emergency doe to an unfescen contiageney..” The November 231 isso of The Crier that year cared the notice of this ordinance with 3 hand drawn map showing the property's location dada headline tht read: "We hate ast for our Village Ceatee and it seven a proper shape™ it ‘Phin artwork by “BUH” was publish in The Cie in February: 1961, The artists Bd Helmstacdier (Mr CA), Pope 4The land was thn leased to Lwin Kasser J, who arrange to have the Village Center built by Blckinton andl Decker, Inc. Buiding and grounds were then suhlease back tothe Village until a municipal elton in 1964 authorized $75,000 in bond, the prose fom which were wed to buy Kass interest nthe building, The arcitet who designed the original structure in 1962 was Stanley E. Morse. Martha Morse, who stil ives inthe ‘ety, recently reflected on her hisund's work, the Village Center and the larger ody of his work as well. Morse came to ‘thejob with impressive erdentas. While with the arhitectral fim of Burnhann and Hoyt, he had done the architectural ‘ratings and sperision forthe design forthe Red Rocks Ampitheater. And though iis Buna Hosts name that gets Sssocated with Red Rocks, i was Stanley Morse who actualy dial the heavy iting when it came to the design ofthat, Srchitectural masterpiece. Martha doesn't remember whether the atagonal shape her husband uses the focal point for dhe Village Center's sign was Because that sort of shape provided fra rene awn hall gathering kindof atmosphere where residents ‘ould come and share ess. She does, however cite 3 couple of prineiples that guided moch other husband's work. One ‘wassimpliity clean ines. The other sa principle thats lealy in evidence in Martha's hoe which Stanley designed as ‘well. Mara hesitated when se sought to describe this principle, then finaly sted on saying that er husband was always conscious of "haw he shuctare would fit in with he and Looking at some of the other buildings Stanley Morse designed, Jefferson County schools, several buildings on what was then the Colomido Women's College camp, inelading Whatley chapel, the campuses capo, this notion becomes clearer. Morse designs give us more than a builing he) give us stractoe tht one with its surroundings. He frequently sccm to are to th go! thatthe lndscape shoul be altered fit the design: rather, the design should be influenced by te suroundings, Like so mich of what we suru ourselves with today he didnt design Buildings that Come across ‘wth an announce bravia so mach a oes that eink the relationship between built space andthe natural west The Center was dedicated in October 1963, The dedication day lowers were provided by resident George Calkins and by the bilder Blackington and Decker. Master gardener and first editor of The Crier, Porsis Owen, supervised the landscaping forthe Village Cente. By 1982, Cherry Hills Village Fad outgrown its building, In ts sixth bond election, the iy Council asked the electorate toapprovea general obligation bond inthe amount of $480,000 to expand an remodel the existing stricture to accommo- ‘date the expanded police deparment and the municipal cour, © ict sheet that went out said, “Existing space s Very ‘cramped. and aditional space regured so thal we may serve You ina more dignified and efficient manner.” The bond ‘ssue pased and, with thal, we came to have the Village Center which serves us today. Mayor Davi ouside the then nes Flag Center 1963 he intron of th lag Center befor remodel i 182 CALL FOR PHOTOS Ifyou have some good photos which show the Village in its early stages or of early Vilage residents and are wiling to let us duplicate them fr the history project, please call either Lon Autterson at 303-781-7733 br Klasina Vandre at MO4O44SKO The Vlage Cer in