Meeting Date: Saturday August 25, 2012
9:30 – 11:30am
1201 Williams Street – 19th-floor party room (north edge of Cheesman Park)
(Guest parking is available to south of high rise and also on both sides of East 13th Ave.)

AGENDA:
1. Discussion of upcoming zoning code text amendment re marijuana facilities
2. Brief discussion of how Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation can best be involved with former University of Colorado Health Sciences Center/Walmart proposal
3. Presentation by Michael Sizemore, director of Neighborhood Inspection Services, re numbers, types, locations and outcomes of NIS inspections and complaints
4. Discussion of proposed amendments to ordinance re abandoned and derelict buildings
5. Discussion of proposed amendments to landmark preservation ordinance with Barbara Stocklin-Steeley of Landmark Preservation staff and City Councilwoman Jeanne Robb
6. Committee Member Steve Griffin will present his research on a Denver case study of citizen participation and what lessons neighborhoods and the city can draw.

Minutes of past meeting below

ZONING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES – June 23, 2012
By Michael Henry, Committee Chair

The INC Zoning and Planning (ZAP) Committee met on June 23 at the (former) Emerson School at 1420 Ogden Street, which opened in May as the new joint headquarters for the Colorado chapter of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Denver and Colorado Preservation, Inc. Rosemary Stoffel, a ZAP member and Historic Denver board member, explained the history and re-use of the Denver-landmarked building, designed by Robert Roeschlaub, which opened as an elementary school in 1885. Approximately $3.5 million was donated and spent to renovate and re-use the building. Thanks to Rosemary and the 3 groups for allowing us to see the fine old building, which has served the Capitol Hill neighborhood for 137 years.

Michael Guiietz, president of Jefferson Park United Neighbors, spoke about a Block Party at West 25th Avenue and Eliot Street taking place today where several vacant storefronts will be temporarily used for “pop-up” stores and neighbors will be encouraged to brainstorm about how the area can be re-vitalized for community-serving uses. He also informed the committee about a discussion with officials of Sports Authority Field about the degree of lighting (lumens) recently announced by the officials for the proposed new signs at the field. Denver’s Zoning Administrator, Michael O’Flaherty, described the city ordinance which prohibits “glare,” which is not easy to enforce.

Michael O’Flaherty then presented a map (as of June 1, 2012), indicating the sites of shelters, community correctional facilities and “large residential care uses.” He and Michael Henry described the 1993 complicated ordinance which requires spacing between such facilities to prevent over-saturation of neighborhoods with such facilities, for the benefit of the neighbors and the residents of such facilities. However, all of the facilities which existed in 1993 are “grandfathered” in their locations. Some committee members commented that the limitations of the definitions of such facilities are unclear and encouraged the city to inspect such facilities periodically to ensure that they are operating in compliance with the definitions of the ordinance and that their operations are as originally presented in the applications for each facility. Some committee members also suggested that neighbors can try to develop good-neighbor agreements with operators of such facilities. The city must give notice to registered neighborhood organizations of each application for a new shelter, community correctional facility or large residential care use (9 or more residents). District 8 City Councilman Albus Brooks commented on the city’s efforts to locate and designate locations in government and non-profit buildings and churches for temporary emergency shelter beds. City recreation centers are currently being considered for such uses. He and Michael O’Flaherty assured the committee that registered neighborhood organizations will be involved in the discussions.

Molly Urbina, Manager of the Denver Community Planning and Development Department, and Principal City Planner Tina Axelrad discussed with the committee the relationship of the city’s process for developing neighborhood plans or area plans and zoning. In particular, they stressed that discussion of economic development or return on investment will be considered in the planning process, but that those are not factors or criteria for determining whether rezoning applications will be approved by City Council. The ZAP committee had discussed this in April and was and is very concerned that economic considerations should not be used as criteria for rezoning, at least without a broad citywide discussion. Wayne New of Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association gave some background about the ongoing Cherry Creek Area Plan process, in which economic considerations were considered and the issues that resulted between neighbors, residents and planners.

There was brief discussion about the proposed Walmart store near East 9thth Avenue and Colorado Blvd. and also the possible redevelopment of the Buckley annex at East 1st Avenue and Quebec and the existing general development plans (GDPs).for both of those areas.

The committee discussed and agreed to update the committee’s mission statement as follows:

Mission Statement for INC Zoning and Planning Committee

The mission of the INC Zoning and Planning Committee is to learn about zoning, planning, licensing and urban design issues and processes in Denver, including sidewalks and tree lawns; to assist neighborhood groups in dealing with such matters; and to provide advocacy, recommendations and comments to city government, with emphasis on the need for and importance of involvement of neighbors and neighborhood organizations in city issues.

ZAP Committee Meeting
Saturday, August 25
930am – noon
1200 Williams St. – 19th Floor

Minutes from June 23 meeting