The story of Lakewood in one neighborhood - #lakewoodnews

As Paul Ditson, president of the Eiber Neighborhood Association, walks up and down the streets of the area, streets he's known since 1964, he can point to almost any house and identify the decade it was built.

"This subdivision was mostly built in the 1950s and 60s," he said, walking near his home on Garrison Street. "This was a big agricultural area, and many of the homes started as apple orchard sheds and chicken coops that received additions."

The history of Lakewood can be traced throughout the 100-year-old neighborhood, and the residents are working with Lakewood to preserve that history.

The city received a $33,885 grant from the History Colorado State Historical Fund to conduct a comprehensive survey of the neighborhood and document buildings constructed before 1946. Some of these homes might be eligible for national, state or local historic designations.

"Part of our responsibility is to survey the city and tell Lakewood's story," said Holly Boehm, principal planner with the city. "There's a lot of development pressure on the area, so we want to make sure we document the history before it's gone."

The Eiber Neighborhood (or Eiberhood as it is affectionately called by residents) is the area between Wadsworth Boulevard on the east, Colfax Boulevard to the north, Oak Street on the west and 6th Avenue on the south. The neighborhood was once mainly farmland and orchards used to help feed the growing city of Denver, but started to see more development as the Denver Ordinance Plant (which is now the Federal Center) brought employees in.

According to Ditson's research, the area saw a spike in single-family housing in the late 40s through 60s, and multifamily homes started appearing in greater numbers in the late 60s and 70s. Despite the development, the neighborhood clings to its history --; there are around six homes from the 1890s still around, and more than 300 structures built before 1946 also remain.

Ditson lives in the Eiber house he was raised in, and has seen the changes and growth of the area over the decades.

"We started our neighborhood association in response to development of the W Line," he said. "We continued to be engaged, and work to ensure there is sensitive development in the area."

The W Line light rail now runs through the northern part of the neighborhood, and Ditson said the association played an important role in ensuring the line's impact was minimal. Since the neighborhood is essentially built out, the only option for growth is high density redevelopment.

"We're keeping a close eye on any proposals for development," Ditson said. "We have an eclectic mix of housing options, and we want to make sure any new homes fit into our character."

This grant is the second Lakewood has received for historic preservation, and Jeanne Ramsay, chair of Lakewood's Historic Preservation Commission, said Eiber's history was well-known among commissioners. A consultant firm will be hired to conduct the survey and provide its findings to the city and residents.

"Eiber is going to be one of our first big projects," she said. "It will be great to have this information and research for other historians and students to use."

As much as he already knows about his surroundings, Ditson hopes the survey will unearth new details and history of Eiber.

"We'll definitely be using the information in an education campaign for developers, to let them know the kind of thing we'd like to see in the are," he said. "We'd like to use the information to maybe start a kind of walking tour, or find another way to share the history."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/The-story-of-Lakewood-in-one-neighborhood,231469