Denver, CO

Should Denver allow exemptions for “Waste No More” ordinance? Initiative’s backer objects to changes.

Published

7 months ago

May 14, 2025

Should Denver allow exemptions for “Waste No More” ordinance? Initiative’s backer objects to changes.

Two and a half years after the vast majority of Denver voters approved an initiative requiring apartment buildings and restaurants to recycle and compost more of their waste, the city’s implementation of that mandate has hit another snag.

City officials, after convening a task force and soliciting input, have proposed ordinance updates that would result in enforcement finally beginning. But the initiative’s chief backer says the changes include too many exemptions from the rules that risk thwarting voters’ intent.

A City Council committee, citing those concerns, decided last week to postpone a vote advancing the changes to the full council.

While the requirements technically have been in place since they were approved in the November 2022 election, city officials have been working to formally implement them since then. Now, they’re recommending some changes and exemptions in an effort to balance the climate-friendly goals of the ordinance with business interests.

“The mayor has been clear on this point. He believes you can be both a climate-friendly city and a business-friendly city, and those are not in conflict,” said Jonathan Wachtel, the deputy executive director of the Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.

But GreenLatinos, an environmental advocacy group whose leader put the “Waste No More” measure on the ballot, says the suggested changes aren’t in line with what voters approved.

“This isn’t what the Denver voters want,” said Ean Tafoya, who was campaign director for the initiative. “Denver voters want action now, not delays.”

Following a presentation by the Office of Climate Action on May 7, Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez raised the concerns from GreenLatinos and asked to postpone the item until May 21.

Under the new recommended city rules, enforcement — which initially was supposed to roll out in phases on long-passed dates — would begin all at once in April 2026.

The voter-approved ordinance, which passed with about 71% of the vote — requires apartments, restaurants, commercial buildings and permitted events to provide recycling and composting services. Construction and demolition projects are also required to separate and recycle all recyclable materials, including concrete, asphalt and scrap metal.

The entities in charge of a property or event are required to pay for the access and pickup of recycling and composting.

The city provides composting and recycling pickup only for single-family homes and residential buildings with up to seven units.

In 2023, the mayor’s office convened a task force to make recommendations on how to implement it. It’s typical for local and state governments to make tweaks to citizen ballot initiatives once they’re approved to ensure they’re pragmatic or enforceable.

But Tafoya says many of the city’s new suggestions weren’t included in the group’s final report.

Under the city’s recommended guidelines, restaurants that bring in less than $2 million in revenue and have 25 or fewer employees would be totally exempt from the requirements. About 16% of the restaurants in Denver fall under those thresholds, said Tim Hoffman, director of policy for the mayor’s office.

That’s one of the biggest points of contention for GreenLatinos, Tafoya said.

“Businesses can be profitable and small businesses and do the right thing with waste diversion,” he said.

The city also suggests construction and demolition sites would be required to divert 50% of the waste generated on their sites away from landfills. Small projects, like construction sites of less than 500 square feet or interior remodels of less than 2,500 square feet, would be exempt. Other exemptions would include projects involving hazardous materials or emergency orders.

Multifamily residential buildings would be able to apply for exemptions for challenges like space constraints and the inability to secure a service provider for the waste.

Several categories, including multifamily residential buildings and special events, would offer exemptions if the property or event produces extremely small amounts of waste. Tafoya said he wants that to be better defined.

Special events drawing fewer than 350 people would also be exempt.

Properties and events would be required to create a compliant waste management plan and put up signage. They would also be susceptible to a fine of up to $999 for failure to comply.

“This is an education-first approach to enforcement,” Wachtel said. “There is an action the city can take if we have someone that just doesn’t want to respond to education and outreach.”

Most of the entities impacted would be able to claim that they couldn’t meet the requirements because they posed an undue financial burden and apply for an individual exemption.

Tafoya and GreenLatinos planned to meet Wednesday with council members to discuss their concerns further ahead of next week’s meeting of the Business, Arts, Workforce, Climate and Aviation Services Committee.

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Denver, CO

16th Street sees more foot traffic just in time for last minute holiday shopping

Published

9 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

16th Street sees more foot traffic just in time for last minute holiday shopping

DENVER — The redesigned 16th Street which was completed back in October and has brought in more foot traffic just in time for last minute holiday shopping.

“Mall is alive. We can’t wait for the holiday,” said James Chapman, Denver resident.

That’s how some shoppers that we spoke with feel since 16^th street was reopened.

“It’s so nice, a lot more walkable,” said Alexis Armentrout, Denver resident.

The three-year long construction helped revitalize the aging infrastructure making it more accessible.

“The redesign is beautiful, especially for people with disabilities. We don’t have a lot of curve cuts. We can, like, go here and there. You can go in and out of this shop, back in the other shop, and do some shopping with our grandkids without running off the curb,” said James Chapman, Denver resident.

The construction did cause some business interruptions, but one candy shop we spoke with says the end result has helped with their sales.

“We’ve seen so much more foot traffic. Our margins have been through the roof since it actually happened just, I think, our frames, and with the holidays, a lot of people staying around here in the hotels, and just our Denver native people as well are just pouring in the store,” said Victoria Hinojos, Its Sugar assistant manager.

The Downtown Denver Partnership says they saw a 26% year over year foot traffic increase on 16th Street last month.

Denver

Downtown Denver foot traffic sees steady climb after 16th Street reopening

“It’s been super cool to see it revamped,” said Armentrout.

According to the National Retail Federation, over a trillion dollars is forecasted to be spent this holiday season nationwide.

“We are seeing tons of last-minute holiday shoppers,” said Hinojos.

We asked some shopper what they have on their list to buy.

“Headed down to do some photo cards for my grandkids, and then I’m headed to TJ Maxx to try to find a special gift for a loved one, like a little jewelry box,” said Chapman.

For some shoppers, they say last minute holiday shopping brings them joy.

“The feeling it brings for me this year, on last day holiday shopping is I need to get it and wrap it and present it. So last minute shopping is a beautiful thing,” said Chapman.

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Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Sophia Villalba

Denver7’s Sophia Villalba covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in covering education. If you’d like to get in touch with Sophia, fill out the form below to send her an email.

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Denver, CO

Where To Get Chinese Food In And around Denver On Christmas Day – 303 Magazine

Published

21 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Where To Get Chinese Food In And around Denver On Christmas Day – 303 Magazine

Chinese food became popular on Christmas Day primarily because Chinese restaurants were among the few businesses open, offering a convenient, affordable, and culturally neutral dining option.

Several excellent Chinese restaurants in the Denver area that will be open on Christmas Day, continuing a holiday tradition. Many of these locations offer both dine-in and takeout options.

We recommend calling ahead to confirm their holiday hours and placing any takeout orders in advance, as availability may change.

We hope this list of our favorite Chinese restaurants is helpful!

Central Denver

Peter’s Chinese Cafe

A local Chinese-American favorite since 1985, famous for its sesame chicken and loyal clientele

Directions: 2609 E 12th Ave

Great Wall Chinese Restaurant

Offering takeout and delivery from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You can order online at cogreatwalltogo.com.

Directions: 440 E Colfax Ave

Pepper Asian Bistro

This spot has locations in City Park and the Lower Highlands, providing a mix of Chinese and Thai options for dine-in or takeout.

Directions: 2831 E Colfax Ave

Chinatown Bistro

A cozy uptown option located at 1789 Ogden St., serving classic dishes like sesame chicken and Mongolian beef with easy takeout/delivery options.

Directions: 1789 Ogden St

Little Ollie’s

Open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Order online at littleollies.com.

Directions: 2360 E 3rd Ave

South & West Denver/Englewood

Golden Shanghai Restaurant(USHI)

A beloved establishment open from noon to 9 p.m., offering Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese fare.
Order online at goldenshanghai-denver.com.

Directions: 1412 S Parker Rd

Star Kitchen

A large Chinese fixture known for its dim sum and seafood dishes.

Directions: 2917 W Mississippi

Bistro King Asian Restaurant

This family-owned restaurant in Englewood is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Order online via their website bistrokingonline.com.

Directions: 3542 S Fox St

Chopstix Fusion

A highly-praised, small Denver-area restaurant known for authentic Hong Kong-style cuisine, especially clay pots, noodles (like Beef Chow Fun), and incredible house-made Asian desserts.

Directions: 2020 S Parker Rd

Aurora & Nearby Areas

Chef Liu’s Kitchen

Known for its bold Szechuan and Northern Chinese dishes, available for dine-in or takeout.

Directions: 2222 S Havana St

Dillon’s Dumpling House

Open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Day for takeout, delivery, and dine-in.
Order online at dillonsdumplinghouse.com.

Directions: 3571 S Tower Rd

Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings

The Aurora location is open from noon to 9 p.m. for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
You can order via their website nanasdimsumanddumplings.com.

Directions: 2495 S Havana St

Shanghai Kitchen

Open for takeout, delivery, and dine-in from 11:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Order online at shanghaikitchendenver.com.

Directions: 4940 S Yosemite St

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Denver, CO

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score

In a game that was over in the first quarter, the Denver Nuggets destroyed the Utah Jazz 135-112. The score isn’t even indicative of how the game went. To start the game, the Nuggets went on a massive run, leaving the Jazz down by 27 points in the middle of the 1st quarter. For the Jazz, it’s surprising just how different they are on the road versus at home. At home, the Jazz are 7-9 while they are 3-9 on the road. This game was a perfect example. The Jazz looked like they got Monstar’d in the first quarter, and there was no way for them to recover the rest of the game. It’s a sign that this Jazz team, as competitive as they’ve mostly been at home, is not there yet as a competitive team.

There were a few things on this one to build on, but some things to be concerned about. Keyonte George was able to calm down after a shaky start and was able to shoot a respectable 7/14 from the field and 2/4 from three. He also grabbed 8 boards and dished out 7 assists. George looked the most in control of anyone on the Jazz during the loss. It’s one of those signs that George is evolving into a great player who will perform at a high level regardless of whatever situation he’s in.

For things to be a little concerned about? Lauri Markkanen continues not shoot the three well. Tonight he was 2/9 from three and is now shooting 35.2%. Overall, Markkanen shot it well from the field at 10/20, but it would be nice if that three-point shot started falling more consistently. It’s the skillset that sets Markkanen apart but it’s not really showing up again this season. Last season, Markkanen ended the year at 34.6%. Is this the reflection of a season being thrown again, or is this just what Markkanen is as a shooter?

Probably the biggest concern of everything is the defense. Yes, you’re playing against Nikola Jokic, but the Jazz came into this one as the #29 defense in the league. So many times in this one, you have defenders playing off shooters and not able to defend shooters. And we’re not talking drive-and-kick-type plays, these are one-pass-away possessions that are getting open threes. It’s not the best sign for this team, ever being a high-level defense. Maybe they’re not trying as hard with the obvious tank that now appears to be happening, but it would be nice to see some better outcomes with the defense on nights like tonight. That said, the best thing for this team, after a game like tonight, is to add more talent to the roster. Fixing the defense is something they’ll worry about more next season. But it’s definitely something to watch as the season goes on, and pay attention to who is able to make an impact defensively.

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