By Michael Henry
Committee Chair Margie Valdez called the meeting to order and introduced Evelyn Baker, Deputy Director of the Community Planning and Development Department (CPD)
evelyn.baker@denvergov.org, 720-865-2823, who gave an overview of current and future CPD activities.
She and Margie indicated that there will be a second Citizen’s Planning Academy, co-sponsored by CPD and INC, later in 2016. Evelyn said that many of the ideas and goals in the 2013 INC Zoning and Planning Platform have already been implemented, including televising Planning Board meetings through Denver8TV and archiving them online at www.denvergov.org/denver8tv. Evelyn said that the update of the 2002 Blueprint Denver, the city’s integrated land use and transportation plan, will begin in May. Also
the Parks Game Plan will be updated in 2016 and a new Pedestrian Plan and a Transit Plan will be developed. Some of the public meetings for these plans will be coordinated together. In addition a process to initiate small-area plans and/or update older neighborhood plans will begin in 2016.

Evelyn introduced Jose Viveros, one of two Zoning Neighborhood Inspections Services (ZNIS) Chief Inspectors. He said that there are currently 23 ZNIS inspectors authorized in the city budget. CPD and ZNIS were very overloaded and backlogged in 2015 due to the very high volume of new permit applications and new developments and several new inspectors have been hired and are being trained.
Currently there are 2 inspectors assigned to each of the 11 City Council districts.
ZNIS deals with complaints about lack of snow-shoveling and all other complaints about violations on outdoor property on private land. Jose said that the most efficient way to file complaints is through 311 or www.denvergov.org/311, which allows the city to log and categorize and follow the progress of all complaints. He said that ZNIS will do “sweeps” inspections if several violations are observed in the same vicinity, instead of responding only to single complaints. One committee member said that he has several times been put on hold for many minutes when calling 311. Another member said that some
inspectors should be available on weekends, especially when contractors install windows, additions, etc., without proper permits, especially in historic districts. Some inspectors should be specially trained in the rules for historic districts. Other members said that failure to shovel snow is a very serious problem for all, but especially for the disabled or elderly.
Drew Dutcher of the Elyria-Swansea Neighborhood Association led a continuation of last month’s discussion about the Platte to Park Hill project for stormwater diversion/retention. He said that current city standards require designing for 5-year flood events, but that this project is being designed for a 100-year event due to its linkage to the Interstate 70 widening project with much greater capacity based on antiquated data. He said that widening highways is an outdated 20th century solution. Drew also said that the Elyria-Swansea Neighborhood Association, the Sierra Club and Citizens for a GreaterDenver recently filed suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding air pollution violations that will be caused by the widening of Interstate 70. The city is currently putting out bid requests for several other stormwater projects throughout the city to prevent flooding due to the city’s
growth and the building/paving of so many impervious surfaces. INC and all neighborhood organizations should pay close attention to these neighborhood-affecting projects which usually have little public or media awareness.
Margie Valdez reported on the lengthy public hearing at the Denver Planning Board on March 16, including testimony from many INC representatives. The Planning Board voted by 7-2 to support the draft zoning ordinance to allow short-term (fewer than 30 days) rentals of residential properties, including a requirement that STRs will only be allowed if the owner uses the structure as the owner’s permanent residence. INC has supported the ordinance, but only with that restriction. City Council is expected to have a public hearing on June 13. All Registered Neighborhood Organizations should send their positions to City Council and/or testify in person on this important ordinance that will affect all neighborhoods. The ZAP Committee will review the licensing/enforcement component of STR regulations as soon as it is prepared by the Department of Excise and Licenses.
The next ZAP Committee meeting will be on Saturday April 23 at 9:30 – 11:30am at 1201 Williams Street in the 19th-floor party room. Members of all RNOs are welcome.