TO: INC DELEGATES

FROM: INC Board of Directors

DATE: July 7, 2020

RE: Vote required at July 18, 2020 INC meeting re Resolution passed by ZAP

PLEASE READ PROPOSED RESOLUTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND BE READY TO DISCUSS AND VOTE AS THERE IS A FULL AGENDA AND INC WILL BE HOLDING ELECTIONS THAT DAY

RESOLUTION FROM ZAP MEETING 6.27.2020 to be voted on 7.18.2020

INC’s Zoning and Planning Committee, having held a meeting and discussion regarding the latest proposal to amend Article 11 of the Denver Zoning Code (referred to as the Group Living Amendments), hereby recommends that:

• Denver de-bundle the household definition portion of the proposal and the residential care portion of the proposal

• Denver not move forward on the new household definition portion of the Text Amendment without a concurrent regulation creating a Rental Registry. Such a Registry (under Excise & Licensing) could require registration, licensing, inspection of all properties being used as rentals.

• Denver rethink, and make mandatory, outreach by Community Planning & Development (CPD) to minority communities, to persons not active in RNOs or receiving communication from RNOs or through social media, to the broader community not reached in the four town halls, and to renters, so as to proactively gather input from all corners of the City. INC also strongly recommends that CPD be required to include black, indigenous, and people of color and renters in full discussion for every planning initiative and for work on all proposed text amendments.

Background: At the June 27, 2020 virtual Zoning & Planning Committee (ZAP) meeting, there was extensive discussion regarding:

• formation of the Group Living Advisory Committee (GLAC),
• the process followed by Community Planning & Development (CPD) for outreach in this process and other planning processes
• composition of, and participation/voting by, the Group Living Advisory Committee,
• the complexity of the proposed citywide Zoning Code Changes and divergence of opinion on elements of proposal
• potential unintended consequences of these amendments

The June 27, 2020 meeting can be accessed on the INC YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/eoOkVmWBedU The first hour of the meeting featured Neighborhood Inspection Services but discussion might be of interest as it addressed impacts of Group Living proposals. The Group Living discussion begins at Minute 00:57:18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoOkVmWBedU&list=UUd9nLOqSyWj3BBun1-kYzBg&index=1&t=3438s.

Proposed changes to both the number of unrelated people per housing unit and to the Code regulations for residential care (includes assisted living, shelters, community corrections) are still evolving. The official proposed Text Amendment will be issued and noticed to Registered Neighborhood Organizations on July 17th or thereabouts. This official proposed Text Amendment will take Article 11 of the Denver Zoning Code and –in red ink – cross out portions or the code and insert new code language. It is difficult for ZAP or any RNO to take a position on this complex group of changes to the Denver Zoning Code (still not final) until the official Text Amendment is issued.

The current estimated timeline is that the official Text Amendment will be released July 17, and Planning Board scheduled for mid-August. Although only two weeks’ notice to RNOs is required, CPD is providing 30-day review period, a courtesy that INC was instrumental in obtaining, and which provides more time to review text amendments.

The resolution was introduced by Christine O’Connor, seconded by Gertie Grant, and approved (see vote tally below). The INC Board approved forwarding the Resolution to the INC Delegates for a delegate vote at its (virtual) July 18, 2020. If approved by INC Delegates, it will be forwarded to CPD, the Planning Board, the Mayor and City Council. After the motion was made (Christine O’Connor) and seconded (Gertie Grant), discussion followed, a vote on calling the question passed, and then a vote on the proposed resolution was taken, with 12 ays, 4 nays and 2 abstentions (Joel Nobel and Sean Brady). By the time the vote was taken after two hours of meeting, approximately 20 attendees remained.