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Adams 14 asks Commerce City to have legal teams meet over charter school's use of Boys & Girls Club facility
Summary
An Adams 14 Board representative requested that Commerce City legal counsel meet with district counsel to review the quitclaim deed and intergovernmental agreements tied to the Suncor Boys & Girls Club, citing concerns that UPrep charter operations are using the facility and permanent signage indicates a different use than originally intended.
Renee Lovato, who identified herself as representing the Adams 14 Board of Education, asked Commerce City Council on July 21 to ask the city attorney to confer with Adams 14 legal counsel about whether University Prep (UPrep) is properly using space inside the Suncor Boys & Girls Club.
Lovato said the Suncor Boys & Girls Club was a cornerstone project of the Mile High Greyhound Park urban renewal plan and was intended to serve all community youth. She told the council that UPrep has built an early-childhood section and expanded into kindergarten inside the facility, and that permanent signage for UPrep gives community members the impression that the charter is taking over all or part of the building.
Lovato asked the council to direct the city attorney to meet with Adams 14 legal counsel and to review the quitclaim deed and any intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) related to the Boys & Girls Club site. She said Adams 14 families are concerned that open community space and after-school programming capacity are being reduced by the charter school’s use of the facility.
What council heard: City attorney indicated in later discussion that the city’s legal staff had exchanged emails with Adams 14 counsel in May about the quitclaim deed and that staff members have also had discussions with the Boys & Girls Club to understand operating agreements. The attorney said he would meet with Adams 14 counsel to clarify the city’s interpretation of deed language and the permissible uses under the URA quitclaim deed.
Why it matters: The dispute concerns use of a community facility that was financed and placed as part of an urban renewal plan; whether school or club activities are permitted under deed and IGA language could affect programming, access and local planning obligations. Lovato said the facility was built to hold twice the capacity of another site and was intended for broad community use.
Next steps: The city attorney offered to meet with Adams 14 counsel; if legal review shows any action is required under the URA or deed language, staff said the Urban Renewal Authority and council would be notified. Lovato requested assistance facilitating discussions between the district and the city.
Attribution note: Quotes and attributions in this article come from Adams 14 Board of Education representative Renee Lovato and from the city attorney’s comments recorded during the meeting.
