A bill for an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 3600 West 29th Avenue in West Highland. Approves an official map amendment to rezone property located at 3600 West 29th Avenue from U-SU-C to U-MX-2x (urban, single-unit, to urban, mixed-use) in Council District 1. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 8-21-18.
Council is reconvening and we have three public hearings this evening. Speakers will have 3 minutes unless another speaker has yielded his or her time, which would result in a total of 6 minutes. Speakers should begin their remarks by telling the council their names, their cities of residence, and if they feel comfortable doing so, their home addresses. If you are here to answer questions only when your name is called, please come to the podium. State your name and note that you are available for questions of counsel on the presentation monitor. On the wall you will see your time counting down. Speakers must stay on the topic of the hearing and must direct their comments to the council members. Please refrain from profane or obscene speech. Direct your comments to council as a whole and please refrain from individual or personal attacks. Councilman Brooks, will you please put Council Bill 874. On the floor? 874 be placed on the floor. It has been moved and seconded. The public hearing for Constable 874 is open. May we have the staff report? Thank you. Council, president and Council. My name is Brandon Shaver with Community Planning and Development, presenting an official Map Amendment application to 18 i0024, which would result in property at 3600 West 29th Avenue from U.S. C to um x to x. This property is located in Northwest Denver Council District one. It is actually in Beverly in the Sloan Lake neighborhood. Uh, location is just at the southwest corner of Lowe Boulevard and West 29th Avenue. It is just over 10,000 square feet and is currently a vacant one story building that was formerly occupied by a gas station. And the proposal here is to allow for redevelopment with commercial uses. The zone district request is the um x2x that is an urban neighborhood context mixed use two storey maximum and the x two notes, limited uses and building forms. Current zoning at the site is as you see, that is urban neighborhood context single unit C lot size which is 5500 square feet. You find this zoning to the south and to the west of the subject property to the north we have campus zoning in the form of C, NPI two and to the east we have two unit zoning with the C lot size as well as the current land use on the site is commercial retail as it was formerly a gas station. And what you have surrounding here is generally single and multi-unit residential. To give you a flavor of what is around the site. Looking at the top left, we have a couple of single unit residential properties across the alley. On the bottom left, you can see the campus that is to the north and moving to the right, we have two pictures of the subject property. And then on the bottom right, a picture of the single unit residential that's directly abutting to the south. Speaking to the process here, this item was that planning board on August 1st where it was voted unanimously in favor. It then went to Judy on August 21st. And we are at council today and October 8th. And to date we have received four letters of support, one being from the registered neighborhood organization, which is the West Highland Neighborhood Organization. And we have also gotten three letters of support from the nearby property owners. This includes the property owner directly to the south and the property owner directly across the alley to the west. You're familiar with the review criteria. Staff has to find that a proposed rezoning meets all five in order for us to recommend approval. Starting with number one, we have consistency with adopted plans and two plans impact this area first comp plan and then blueprint Denver for comprehensive plan 2000. You see these noted strategies that are further detailed in the staff report. They speak mainly to environmental sustainability, promoting quality infill and giving residents in the neighborhood opportunities to live, work and play within their neighborhood. The Blueprint Denver land use concept here is single unit, single family residential. In these areas there is an employment base, but it is significantly smaller than the housing base. And single family homes are the predominant residential type. This is also in an area of stability. These areas are seeking to maintain the character while accommodating some new development at appropriate locations. And Blueprint also says that the land use regulation should aim to prevent or mitigate impacts from nonresidential development. And that is why staff has become comfortable with the application of a, um to zone district here with those lower scale uses and intensities. And lastly, the street classifications and blueprints, both Lower Boulevard and West 29th Avenue are residential collectors next? Uniformity of disregulation staff feels that this proposed rezoning will result in the uniform application of the Max to Zone District, and it will further the public health, safety and welfare by implementing adopted plans. This application identifies changed or changing conditions as justifying circumstances. I'm sure you're aware that there are a number of new residential units in the area, particularly at the commercial node at 32nd and Lowell, which is just three blocks north of the subject site. And we have also noted new bike lanes have been installed from Sheridan into downtown along 29th Avenue. And lastly, consistency with neighborhood context, zone, district purpose and intent. This does fit the urban neighborhood context where usually we see single and two unit residential uses with small scale multi-unit and commercial units that are commercial areas that are embedded in these residential areas and the um, max zone district purpose and intent. It does apply to these small sites that are embedded within existing neighborhoods and limited to the lower scale building forms and uses. With that, CPD recommends approval based on finding that all review criteria have been met. I'm happy to answer questions. An applicant is present as well. Thank you very much. We do have two individuals signed up to speak this evening, so if you signed up to speak on this item, might ask that you please come up to this first bench. I'll call your name and then you can step up to the podium and your time will start. First up, we have Reed Goolsbee. I'm the owner of the property, so I filled out the card for any questions that you may have. Could you introduce yourself? Reed Goolsby I live at 2440 Mead Street in Denver. Thank you very much. All right. And next up, we have Jesse Paris. Good evening, members of council. My name is Jesse Pearce. I am representing four Black Star Action Women for Self-defense in Denver Homicide Law, and I'm also a At-Large candidate for office in 2019. This neighborhood, West Highland, is undergoing rapid gentrification. Like many areas of the city continue gentrification in the already heavy Lee gentrified area. On this Indigenous Peoples Day, where we are denouncing colonialism and colonialists like Christopher Columbus, you want to allow colonialism in indigenous neighborhoods, in areas of the city in the midst of a housing crisis. You want to change the urban single unit to mix youth who will occupy this reason property and what is the army level? That is my question. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there any questions from members of council? Councilwoman Ortega. I just wanted to ask the applicant what your plans are to do with the property. If you can come to the microphone, please. So I initially worked with the West Highlands Neighborhood Association to kind of get an idea or feel for what, you know, the people in the neighborhood would like to see there. It's been vacant as far as I remember. I've been in the neighborhood since 2005 and it's been one of the few remaining rundown properties left in the neighborhood, actually vacant for the last three years. But we've kind of been back and forth a few times. And what we have proposed and kind of come to an agreement on with the West Highlands Neighborhood Association was a mixed use building of first floor retail, second floor office space. With that will also meet the parking requirements that come along with that. So not utilizing the existing structure but correct. Yeah, the existing structures is beyond repair at. This point and it's very small. Yes. Okay. Thank you. I have no further questions. Thank you. Councilwoman Ortega. Seeing no other questions. The public hearing for Constable 874 is closed comments by members of Council and Councilman Espinosa. Well, no, I just obviously this is the exact right zoning for this context and you don't get any more minimal mixed use zone district in single family residential neighborhood. I'm also comforted by the fact that text amendments to the Amsterdam text message to ex help with some form issues that we had previously and the Urban Townhouse Text Amendment also would help if that option were pursued. So it is I am more comforted by this base zone district today than I would have been three years ago. That's okay. But that I'll be voting to support things. All right. Thank you, Councilman Espinosa. Seeing no other comments. Madam Secretary, roll call. I. Brooks, i Flynn, i Gilmore, i Herndon, i Cashman. I can teach Lopez. I knew Ortega, i. Mr. President. I am. I'm secretary. Please close voting announced the results 11 times. 11 I is accountable. 874 has. Passed.