The INC ZAP (Zoning and Planning Committee) met on March 28, 2015 from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the 1201 Williams meeting room. The Committee discussed the following topics: 1) Update on short-term rentals; 2) Overview of Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods and current issues they are facing; 3) Housekeeping issues.

Short-term rental update

Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman explained that her sharing economy task force has become part of the City Council Neighborhoods and Planning Committee and its meetings will be televised. It will meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month starting April 22, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. Agendas and meeting summaries will be posted on the Council web-site. The committee is seeking comments from neighborhoods on its draft approach.

Michael Henry asks a question

It is exploring allowing short-term rentals as a type of authorized home occupation. Under the proposal, a home must be the owner’s primary residence to qualify, to avoid the problem of short- term rental properties being purchased and offered as an investment. The owner would need to maintain safety equipment such as smoke and CO detectors and fire extinguishers, and provide emergency information to renters.

Current Documents and Video’s regarding short term rentals

INC Delegate Meeting Short Term Rental Videos

Analyzing the impact to Denver’s Neighborhoods

Denver Post: Council mulls plans to regulate Short Term Rentals

Overview of Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods and current issues

Next, the following speakers provided an overview of the Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods: Bettie Cram, Professor John Prosser, Anne Elizabeth, Armando Payan, and Drew Dutcher. The neighborhoods seek assistance from INC, in part to preserve the historic character of certain areas as Blueprint Denver is being re-written.

They provided an orientation concerning these neighborhoods and described continuing concern with CDOT’s proposal to expand I-70 and place it below grade in the same location. They briefly described the new plans for these neighborhoods and for the National Western site. In addition Bettie Cram described her lifetime of work trying to preserve these neighborhoods.

ZAP Committee housekeeping issues

The committee discussed who should be eligible to vote at ZAP meetings. Michael Henry suggested that the committee adopt the following sentence to the INC bylaws to clarify who can vote: “If a committee votes on a matter, only those attendees may vote who are members of INC member RNO’s.” Margie Valdez suggested that the INC Executive Committee discuss this question at its next meeting, and asked people to email ideas on voting to her.

Next ZAP meeting:

The next ZAP meeting will be on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the meeting room at 1201 Williams Street, 19th floor.

For a more detailed summary of the meeting CLICK HERE