13/08/2025
Playing politics with Thornton residents and historical designations.
Imagine you are the proud honor of a home in historic Eastlake. Originally a boarding house for the railroad, it was converted into a home in the early 1920s by civic leaders in Eastlake / Thornton. The home has been acknowledged as one worthy of preservation and acknowledgement.
The City of Thornton has gone to great lengths to enshrine in city code processes to acknowledge the city’s history and buildings of import. As the homeowner, you work through the steps needed to be designated a local historic landmark. Applications are filed, you meet with the members of the Thornton Arts, Sciences & Humanities Council (TASHCO) and city staff and all give their resounding endorsement.
This is a no brainer, right? Think again. After six months of work, you go to city council on July 8th for final approval and some councilmembers start to play politics. Those that previously endorsed the very same hoops that you jumped through for the designation now say more research needs to be done.
Worse, one of the leaders of council, flat out admits that for political reasons, the vote for the designation needs to be put off to a future date.
After entirely positive comments, Mayor Pro Tem Karen Bigelow chimes in, “I believe this vote needs to be held off until December because the owner of the home is a candidate for city council and this is not something that should be used for campaigning.”
Where in city code does it say that because someone is a candidate for office, you can’t have business conducted with the city?
Would Bigelow have the city turn down your basement construction permit because you are running for office? You know, you might share that picture of your new basement and that could sway someone’s vote.
Should trash service be discontinued to your home because you are running for office? You could take a picture of a city trash truck and praise the hardworking city worker and that could be considered campaigning.
More reasonable and unbiased voices, including members of TASHCO and the city attorney herself pointed out the fallacy of her argument – multiple times. They reminded council that all requirements have been met and there was no basis for denying the designation. In fact, denying it was in direct violation of the requirements spelled out in city code.
Councilmembers Martinez, Russell, Salazar then fumbled through excuses to delay a vote, some wanting to entirely re-hash decades of work that had been put into the processes a city of Thornton resident worked through and fully met. Again, in violation of city code.
Nevertheless, in a 4 – 4 vote, the historical designation was withheld by council. All of the work of previous councils, citizens that serve on the boards of the city, city staff and countless others were tossed out the window. For politics.
Making matters worse, the homeowner was notified after the meeting that per city code, they cannot apply for the historic designation again.
Do Bigelow, Martinez, Russell, Salazar think so little of Thornton citizens that they think a single vote would be swayed because a candidate has a cool, historical house? Seems to me they must think voters are total dimwits.
It is a shameful state of affairs and those who prevented a homeowner from having the pride of receiving the first residence designated as a historical structure in Thornton should be held accountable.
