Committee Co-Chairs Charles Nadler and Ean Tafoya convened the meeting. The following items were discussed.

1. Denver Zoning Administrator Tina Axelrad described to the committee an upcoming text amendment to the zoning code dealing with colors of signs. She indicated that, as part of a complete revision of the Denver sign code in 1971, the word “color” was added to the definition of a sign, which was administratively interpreted to mean trademarked colors. She acknowledged that, over the years, there has been much confusion about whether the colors of signs should be regulated and, if so, how. The purpose of the proposed text amendment will be to remove the word “color” from the definition of sign. The amendment will probably be considered by the Planning Board on August 1 and by City Council at a public hearing on October 8. It was also mentioned that, when the zoning code was rewritten in 2010, revisions to Denver’s sign code (part of the zoning code) were postponed. Abe Barge, of the Planning Services Section of the Community Planning and Development Department, told the committee that CPD still intends to redo the sign code in the future and that he is analyzing how and when to begin that process. The committee discussed whether the aesthetic context of signs should be considered in issuing permits and whether “color pollution” can or should be regulated. The committee learned that wall murals are reviewed by the Zoning Administration in collaboration with Denver Arts and Venues to determine if a mural is a sign or public art.
2. Laura Brudzynski, the Manager of Housing Policy and Programs for the Denver Office of Economic Development discussed with the committee the city’s Affordable Housing Fund. Starting in 2016, approximately $15 million per year has been contributed to the fund from a ½ mill property tax and a housing linkage fee from developers based on square footage. City Council adopted a new Affordable Housing Plan in early 2018, which indicated that $15 million per year is not nearly enough to meet the need and proposes to add an additional $7 million from the city’s general fund plus an additional 2% tax on recreational marijuana. The city will work with the Denver Housing Authority to bond against the additional tax resources and use the funds to assist non-profit developers to build new housing.
3. The committee had a discussion with Annie Levinsky, president of Historic Denver, Inc., and Jesse Bank of Urban Villages, Inc., about the recent proposal by Larimer Associates and Urban Villages to find ways to increase revenue from Larimer Square, which is Denver’s first historic district (1971). A proposal from Larimer Associates (which bought Larimer Square in the 1990s) to build 2 additional buildings has been “pulled off the table to get additional community involvement.” The owner has convened a “community group” to discuss the options to deal with large costs of maintenance and renovation of the buildings in the historic block. Neither INC nor any other neighborhood groups except those in the immediate vicinity were invited to participate. Committee members expressed that existing federal and state tax credits can be used and it would be a dangerous precedent to make changes in the boundaries and/or density of historic districts, which should be seen as cultural and historic treasures. INC will see the recommendations from the community group and the partners later this year.