A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 2655 and 2659 Downing Street in Five Points. Approves a map amendment to rezone property from G-RO-3 to U-MX-3 (general urban office, to urban mixed-use); located at 2655 and 2659 Downing Street in Council District 9. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 10-20-20.
I. Madam Secretary, closed the voting and announced the results. 1313 ies council bills 20 dash 1086 has passed. Councilmember Sandoval, will you please put Council Bill 1127 on the floor for final passage? I move that bill 20 dash 1127 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Thank you. It has been moved and seconded by Councilman Holmes. The required public hearing for Council Bill 20 Dash 1127 is open. May we please have the staff report? Yes. Can you hear me and see my screen? Okay. Awesome. And so my name is Libby Adams, and I'll be presenting the MAP Amendment at 26, 55 and 2659 Downing Street. This application is located in Council District nine. In the Five Points neighborhood. The property is located on the corner of Downing Street and Fremont Place. Its approximately 8080 square feet and is currently occupied by an industrial warehouse in a single unit home. It's currently in the general urban residential office, three zone district and the applicant is proposing to rezone to urban mixed use three stories . As stated previously, the existing zoning is a grocery which is a multi-unit, residential and office district, allowing the urban house, duplex, townhouse and apartment primary building forms. The maximum height allowed is three stories or 35 to 40 feet, depending on the primary building form. The site is currently occupied by an industrial warehouse and a single unit home. As mentioned, it's surrounded by mostly other residential uses with more commercial closer to the Welton corridor. This shows the existing building form and scale. The subject site is on the bottom. Right. And you can see there's some new townhomes across Fremont Place. Some existing row homes just to the northwest. And then a duplex directly north of the site. The MAP amendment was complete at the beginning of May, and a postcard notifying property owners within 200 feet of the site was sent out on May six. This was originally scheduled for planning board in mid-September, but one of the neighboring property owners actually noticed that it was noticed to the incorrect council district. So this was a notice to Councilmember Cashman instead of Councilwoman CdeBaca. So then it was pushed back. And so the public hearing for planning board was held on September 30th once that new notice had been sent out 15 days prior and they unanimously recommended approval. We did receive five public comments about this case and three were emails in support of the proposal, the proposed rezoning, and then two were emails from neighboring property owners requesting more information. One wanted to know about parking and which would be determined at the time of the site development plan. And then the other. They wanted some assurances that this would include some commercial development and not just be residential. There are five review criteria in the Denver zoning code, which I'll go over. The first criterion is consistency, adapt the plans, and there are three that are applicable to this site. The rezoning is consistent with several of the strategies and comprehensive plan 2040, but I'll just go over a few of them. This MAP amendment will promote promote equity by ensuring all Denver residents have access to basic services and amenities. It will promote strong and authentic neighborhoods by encouraging quality infill development that is consistent with the character of existing neighborhoods. And it will promote an environmentally resilient Denver by promoting infill development where there's already infrastructure in place and encouraging mixed use communities. Blueprint identifies the future neighborhood context and blueprint is urban. These areas are characterized by multi-unit and mixed use areas embedded in single or two unit residential areas. The block patterns are regular and there is a high degree of walkability. Blueprint identifies this property as a local corridor place type. These place types provide options for dining, entertainment and shopping. With building heights up to three stories. Downing Street in Blueprint is a residential arterial. These see the highest amount of through movement and are mostly characterized by residential uses with some small retail nodes and other similar uses. The growth area strategy is all other areas of the city. This is where we anticipate to see 10% of new jobs and 20% of new housing by 2040. And this site is what's also within the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan and the land use concept identified in this plan is transit oriented development. This is where we want to see a mix of uses, particularly near transit stations. And then the height concept in the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan is three stories, which is consistent with what the applicant is proposing. Sapp also finds the requested zoning meets the next two criteria. The rezoning will result in uniformity of district regulations, and it will promote the public health, safety and welfare primarily by implementing adopted plans, but also fostering the creation of a walkable, mixed use area near transit. Staff finds there is a justifying circumstance for this MAP amendment with the adopted plan guidance of a transit oriented development as designated in the 2011 Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan. And lastly, the proposed zoning is consistent with the urban neighborhood context and the mixed use zone districts. Purpose and the specific intent of the unmatched three zone district. So staff recommends approval based on finding all criteria have been met. And that concludes the staff presentation. All right. Thank you, Libby. There has been no written testimony submitted regarding Council Bill 1127. And we have one individual signed up to speak this evening and we have Jesse Paris. Go ahead, Jesse. Good evening from the council. My name is Jessie Pearce. I live in District eight and Christopher Hernandez district. And I represent for the homeless. Allow Blackstar some more for self-defense. Has a passion for social change as well as related party of Colorado and Mile-High News and I will be the next mayor of Denver in 2023. I wanted to know what the AMA level was going to be for this proposed rezoning. What is going to happen to the existing structures that are on the site? The neighbors of the home that Occupy Occupy say notified of this rezoning. This is right next to Councilwoman Casey, the box office. So I'm very familiar with this area. Pretty much grew up in this side of town on the east side called the hood. So I want to know what is being done to minimize or lessen the rapid gentrification that is going on in this side of town as well . And was there a neighborhood agreement put in place to guarantee that there was going to be actually affordable units built on this property for 99 years? And was there a traffic study done? And what is going to be done to minimize or lessen the traffic that already exists in this area. This is the most frequent location down this way and arterial to this part of town. So I would really like to know if someone can answer those questions. I would really appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Jesse. That concludes our speakers questions from members of Council on Bill 1127. Councilwoman Sade Abarca. Thank you, Madam President. I see Miss Hoover join the call and would love to give her an opportunity as the applicant to speak a little bit about what's proposed for this site and just let my council colleagues know what what's planned here. Good evening. Can you hear me? Yes. Go ahead. Good evening. This is Lorraine Hoover and I reside at 1556 South Lansing Street in Aurora, Colorado. I'm a native of Colorado. This building 2655 Downing was my father's from plumbing business, which we are third generation native of Colorado. It was my grandfather was round tree and son on the five points in the 1960s. And then my dad became more commercial and moved over to. It was artistic plumbing at 2655 Downing. My dad is site impaired and lives in the unit at 2659. Downey And this location for us as African-Americans is very important that we stay in the community so we can develop it along with all of the plans that have been taking place. And at this point in time, we wanted to make sure we could grow to have units as well as. Commercial. Or commercial as well as retail. And then also the capability to grow. Up three with residential. At this point, the goal is just to be in line with the community. We have no future plans except were to align with the zoning. So that's where we are at this point. Thank you, Miss Hoover. And for my council colleagues. Mr. Roundtree is very involved in our community and just trying to make sure his property is consistent. And we support this application. And I hope you all will as well. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Councilwoman Abarca and Ms.. Hoover. See no other questions. The public hearing for Council Bill 20 Dash 1127 is closed. Council members say tobacco. Would you like to make a comment. Consciences in your. District. Just that we we support. It when we don't believe that this will change that corner significantly and it and it doesn't essentially change the height that they could currently go up to. He is just making sure that his zoning is consistent with the plans and up to. Date and. We. Support it. All right. Very good. Thank you. Seeing no other hands raised. This looks like it meets the criteria. And I will also be supporting it tonight. Madam Secretary, roll call. See the market, I. Plus I. When I. Saw him. I. Hi. I'm. Catherine. All right. I. Ortega, I. Sandoval. I. Sawyer, I. For us, I. Well. I. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 3913 EIS Council Bill 20 1127 has passed Council members Sandoval all you please put Council Bill 1128 on the floor for final passage.