East Area Plan
Latest news: Stay tuned for next steps as planners review community feedback and update draft plan
Thank you to everyone who took time to review the draft plan and provide feedback and to the more than 150 participants who joined the virtual open house on May 12. City planners are reviewing more than 800 comments provided by community members and making updates to the draft plan.
If your neighborhood group needs additional time to provide comments or would like to meet with the planning team, email Elizabeth.Weigle@denvergov.org. An updated draft and additional input opportunities will be available later this summer and fall. Sign up on this page to receive email updates.
Need help accessing the draft plan? Please contact us if you know of an individual or organization that needs additional help accessing the plan due to limited access to the Internet, a disability, or non-English speaking community. Call Associate City Planner Israel Cruz at (720) 865-2801.
To translate the FAQs, use the Google Translate widget at the top of this page.
1. What is the East Area Plan?
The East Area Plan will be a long-term community vision for the Hale, Montclair, East Colfax, and South Park Hill neighborhoods that will help inform city decision-making in the area over the next twenty years. The plan will help guide change to benefit the community and ensure it reflects community priorities. The plan, which will be reviewed and voted on by City Council, will be the final product resulting from a multi-year public process driven by input from residents, local business and property owners, neighborhood groups and other stakeholders.
Because area plans are intended to supplement Denver’s Comprehensive Plan 2040, the East Area Plan will also guide how citywide goals and priorities are implemented at the neighborhood level.
Community input is essential to each step of the planning process. Since this plan process started in 2017, the city has…
- Hosted 7 community workshops and 1 community open house
- Circulated 3 rounds of surveys online and in-person
- Facilitated 14 focus groups
- Attended 50+ community events and neighborhood meetings in the East Area
- Led 22 Steering Committee meetings
- Held 5 office hour sessions for in-person Q&A.
We’ve used this community input to create the draft vision, and with your help, we refined that vision into a series of proposed recommendations. We received feedback on the draft recommendations throughout the summer and fall 2019. The draft recommendations have been updated and incorporated into the first draft of the plan, which was shared for public review and input in March 2020. Eventually, after additional public review and input, the draft plan will be brought to Planning Board for approval and City Council for adoption.
2. What is the long-term vision for the East Area?
The vision for the East Area includes:
- More support for local businesses
- Prevent displacement of existing residents
- More affordable housing to support a diverse community
- Slower vehicle traffic speeds
- More convenient and safer walking, rolling, biking and public transportation (“transit”)
- Strategically directing growth to locations near planned high-capacity transit hubs to better manage traffic and allow more residents to benefit from improved transit services
- Preserving valued buildings
- High-quality design of new buildings that is compatible with neighborhood character
- Additional public open space, a larger and healthier tree canopy, and a green approach to stormwater management
3. What is the East Area Plan Steering Committee?
In July 2017, Councilmember Chris Herndon and former Councilmember Mary Beth Susman convened 14 community members to serve as representatives of the diverse set of stakeholders within the planning area. The committee includes residents, local business owners and associations, property owners, and neighborhood organizations. All Steering Committee members live or work in the East Area. Steering Committee members volunteer their time to attend regular meetings, provide feedback on the public engagement process, help spread the word about the planning process, and help to develop plan content and ideas. They represent a larger group of stakeholders, with a focus on compromise, consensus building, and identifying shared priorities. The members will make a recommendation to City Council regarding plan adoption at the completion of the project.
4. Where can I find a summary of the changes made since the October 2019 draft recommendations?
A summary of community feedback and changes to the draft recommendations can be found on the plan website at www.DenverGov.org/Eastplan.
5. How will the East Area Plan change existing regulations, such as zoning?
The East Area Plan will not automatically rezone any properties when adopted. Rather, the East Area Plan will include land use recommendations that will inform future updates to zoning rules. Changes to zoning rules would include a follow-up community process and council approval. Similarly, any property owner who wanted to rezone their property following adoption of the plan would have to apply and participate in the City’s standard rezoning process, including opportunities for community feedback and additional Council approval.
6. How does the East Area Plan relate to the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project? Why plan now when BRT may not occur for several years?
The East Area Plan is being closely coordinated with Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), but they are separate projects and at different stages of approval. The Colfax BRT was approved by voters and received $55 million in funding as part of 2017’s general obligation bond election. The City intends to leverage the $55M in funding, along with funds from other available sources, to secure additional grant funds to achieve the full vision for the East Colfax BRT. Large scale, federally-funded projects generally follow five major phases: preliminary project development/conceptual design, environmental evaluation and clearance, design, Right-of-Way acquisition, and construction. The East Colfax BRT is currently set to initiate the environmental evaluation and clearance phase. Based on typical timelines for large scale, federally-funded projects, we estimate it will take 5-8 years from the start of the environmental assessment until construction completion.
Colfax Avenue has the highest bus ridership of any corridor in region. The 15/15L routes combined see seven million annual boardings — over 22,000 per weekday — and weekday ridership is projected to increase to over 50,000 in 2035. The East Area Plan provides an opportunity to plan for the long-term future of the area, ensuring that the community benefits both from its existing transit access and the improvements planned with BRT.
To learn more about Colfax BRT, please visit www.colfaxbrt.org.
7. What do we already know about how the East Area will evolve over the next 20 years?
Comprehensive Plan 2040 lays out a vision for an inclusive, connected and healthy city over the next 20 years, which guides us to plan well for challenges like additional population growth, climate change, and affordability. Blueprint Denver, the city’s land use and transportation plan, addressed these challenges by recommending adding density where it makes the most sense—like along rail stations and high-frequency transit corridors—and creating complete neighborhoods so residents can more easily and safely step out of their cars and take alternate modes of transportation to work and entertainment, reducing congestion and pollution.
The East Area currently has an estimated 14,661 households today (about 5% of Denver’s total households) and is anticipated to add about 4,200-4,800 households over the next 20 years (about 5% of Denver’s projected growth by 2040). In addition, there are an estimated 11,155 jobs in the East Area today (about 1.5% of Denver’s total jobs) and forecasts project an additional 3,000 jobs by 2040 (about 2% of Denver’s projected job growth). Understanding that growth will occur with or without a neighborhood plan, the East Area Plan will help guide new development in a way that helps achieve community-supported outcomes like affordable housing.
The East Area Plan breaks citywide goals down to specifics, helping to determine what the execution of these goals looks like in these neighborhoods and ensuring that it makes sense within the current context. The draft plan includes recommendations for height, housing options and the preservation of neighborhood character.
8. What are the priorities for implementation of the plan?
The priority recommendations are included in the executive summary on p. 9 of the draft plan. They include:
- Help current residents and small businesses stay in the community long-term by connecting them to resources and making more housing options available and affordable to families and individuals.
- Ensure the East area is an inclusive place in the future by increasing the amount of affordable housing using all available methods.
- Make Colfax Avenue a street that brings the East area’s diverse community together.
- Celebrate the architectural history of East Area neighborhoods by encouraging the preservation of existing homes and requiring complementary design of new housing.
- Preserve trees and landscaped areas. Create new parks and community-gathering spaces and use green approaches to storm-water management to make the East area safe from flooding, healthier, and more climate resilient.
- Save lives and reduce pollution by making streets safer, slowing down traffic, adding protected bike lanes, completing the sidewalk network, and improving bus connections and reliability.
9. Why does the East Area need affordable housing?
What we’ve heard from many members of the East community is a desire for their neighborhoods to offer a range of housing options in support of a diverse community, where residents have an opportunity to live in their neighborhoods long-term. Key issues include:
- 4,763 households in East (about 1/3 of all East area households) are considered cost-burdened and spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing
- East is currently short 1,400 units of housing for the area’s lowest-income households. This number is expected to increase as rents continue to rise throughout the city.
- Renters who want to buy will have trouble finding a home until they earn more than $50,000.
- Only about 800 of the 15,000 housing units in the East Area are guaranteed to be affordable to residents, meaning they have an income restriction in place.
See Section 2.2 (p. 45) of the draft plan to review the housing recommendations.
10. How is the East Area Plan addressing displacement and helping existing residents and small businesses stay in the community?
The vision for the East Area is a community that continues to be a welcoming, inclusive place where residents and small businesses have options to stay long-term. The plan prioritizes reducing involuntary displacement (p. 9), and the East Colfax section prioritizes stabilization strategies to be implemented in the short term (p. 163). The following recommendations address displacement and were bolstered through close collaboration with East Area organizations such as East Colfax Community Collective:
- Policy E1, p. 52 - Stabilize residents at risk of involuntary displacement
- Policy E2, p. 52 – Permenantly preserve existing affordable housing
- Policy E3, p. 53 and Policy L3, p. 31 - Build more affordable housing near transit stops on Colfax using zoning, tax credits, tax increment financing, partnerships and direct investment of city, state, and federal funds
- Policy L6, p. 39 and Policy E4, p. 54 - Add more diverse housing options in residential neighborhoods in appropriate locations
- Policies E9 and E10, p. 60-61 - Provide technical and financial assistance to existing small independent businesses to help them succeed and prevent involuntary displacement
- Policies C-E4 and C-35, p. 233-234 - Support businesses before, during, and after BRT construction
- Policy E11, p. 62; Policy C-E3, p. 232 – Create an International District, and support new initiatives and community-minded ownership models that have a goal of maintaining East’s variety of local and culturally-significant businesses
- Policy EC-E7, p. 174 - Expand a system of supportive services and community partnerships to help address barriers specific to the immigrant and refugee community, including through a neighborhood-based services hub
- Policy EC-E8, p. 174 - Support neighborhood leadership organizing and community-building initiatives to promote continuous active participation in planning and policy making processes, decision-making, and implementation
- Section 1.3, Planning for an Equitable East Denver, p. 11-18 – This section includes priority recommendations for reducing vulnerability to displacement, expanding housing and jobs diversity, and improving access to opportunity to address equity in the East Area
11. How will allowing 2 stories of additional building height along Colfax benefit the community?
Colfax Avenue is currently zoned for 3 and 5 stories in most locations. The draft plan proposes allowing increased height in key areas as a strategy to achieve community priorities and in consideration of proximity to transit, depth of lots, and transitions to nearby residential neighborhoods. Height above 5 stories is only recommended in small, targeted areas along Colfax at major intersections and transit stops along the 15L bus lines and planned bus rapid transit at Yosemite, Krameria, and Colorado, and in some portions of the 9th & Colorado area. Additional height would only be allowed when community benefits are provided.
Current adopted policy in Blueprint Denver for provides general guidance that up to 5 stories is appropriate for properties along Colfax Avenue (and 8 stories at Colorado and Colfax). Blueprint Denver also states that exceeding these heights may be appropriate if community benefits are provided. The draft East Area Plan proposes to provide more specific height guidance in four ways: 1) Requiring community benefits with proposed height increase over existing zoning (not just for over 5 stories); 2) Providing clear guidance for maximum heights allowed; 3), Recommending many properties remain at their current height limits; and 4) Customizing community benefits to address priority issues in the East area, such as affordable housing, public open space and stormwater management.
See Policy L3 (p. 31) of the draft plan for the height recommendation. See also Policy L7 (p. 41), which recommends additional rules for sensitive transitions to adjacent to low residential areas.
Updates were made from the May 2019 draft building heights map to address community feedback. Updates include:
- Recommending most of Colfax Avenue as a maximum of 3 and 5 stories
- Heights above 5 total stories are limited to Colorado (already allowed), Krameria (up to 7 stories) and Yosemite (up to 7 stories)
- Some additional, potential 5-story areas were added for larger sites if additional Bus Rapid Transit stops are added in the future
- Increased setbacks from single unit areas – no height incentive areas over 5 stories are recommended adjacent to single unit zone districts
- Added language that priority community benefit in the Mayfair Town Center is a public park, with a community gathering space and stormwater management as this is a key flooding area
- Removed public open space as a community benefit for other areas and prioritized affordable housing
- Added language recommending inclusive community engagement in regulatory process
12. How will community benefits be determined?
The draft East Area Plan requires community benefits be provided for any property owner that requests to exceed its currently allowed maximum height and sets a limit on the maximum allowed height indicated on the map on page 32 of the plan. The priority community benefits are described in Policy L3 (p. 31), but the details, including things such as the specific number of affordable housing units, are not specified. Specific details like these are determined through regulatory processes that occur after a plan recommendation has been adopted. Regulatory processes, such as rezonings or zoning text amendments, conduct additional, more detailed analyses and provide opportunities for community input and require a decision by City Council for changes to take effect.
13. What new housing options are being proposed in East’s residential neighborhoods?
Two priorities community members have expressed during the planning process include: 1) the desire to provide more diverse and affordable housing options; and 2) discouraging scrapes of older homes that reflect the historic character of neighborhoods and are often more affordable options than newer builds. In response to these priorities, and guidance from Blueprint Denver that all Denver neighborhoods should be inclusive places with a variety of housing, Policy L6 (p. 39) recommends thoughtfully integrating compatibly-designed missing middle housing and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in appropriate locations. Allowing more affordably-priced homes (e.g. “missing middle” and ADUs), such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes, is very important to many residents who struggle to afford the high costs of housing in Denver.
The policy recommendation was updated based on community feedback received in summer and fall 2019, and it strikes a balance between allowing for additional housing while preserving the character East area residents love. Key updates from the May 2019 recommendation include:
- Broadened the location of the recommendation to include the whole East area and treat every neighborhood equally
- Recommending that zoning changes occur citywide, not just in the East area and not from individual property owner rezonings
- Added clarifying language for missing middle (duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes) recommendation that single unit areas should remain primarily single unit. ADUs are still appropriate everywhere, as recommended in Blueprint Denver.
- Added language to create new design rules to ensure new housing fits in better with neighborhoods
- Added language to ensure East area-specific guidance is addressed during the citywide regulatory process to add missing middle housing, including:
- Affordability
- Preserving older homes with valued architecture
- Addressing street parking
- Stormwater management
- Encouraging homeownership
- Discouraging short term rentals
- Helping existing homeowners take advantage of missing middle housing rather than just developers
Additional affordable houisng recommendations can be found in Section 2.2 (p. 45) of the draft plan.
14. How is the East Area Plan proposing to preserve residential character?
The draft plan includes several recommendations focused on character preservation in residential areas, and the recommendation regarding additional housing options in neighborhoods was substantially updated to incorporate the community feedback received in the summer and fall 2019. Recommendations include:
- Policy L4, p. 37 – Encourage maintaining, rather than demolishing, existing older homes by revising design requirements to encourage renovations and additions
- Policy L5, p. 38 - Work with neighborhoods to modify zoning standards for new construction to be more consistent with neighborhood character in residential areas
- Policy L6, p. 39 - Ensure East area neighborhoods are inclusive places by thoughtfully integrating compatibly-designed missing middle housing and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in appropriate locations
- Policy L8, p. 43 - Preserve historic buildings in residential areas
15. Is the East Area Plan proposing additional open space?
The draft plan recommends creating additional parks and open space through both public investment and partnerships with developers and community institutions, such as schools and hospitals. Open space recommendations include:
- Policy MC-Q3, p. 207- Create a new neighborhood park in the Mayfair Town Center
- Policy Q1, p. 129 - Leverage the historic parkways to connect existing open space, parks and recreational assets
- Policy Q2, p. 130 - Develop new Contemporary Parkways that connect the community to open space, parks, and recreational assets, as well as serve multiple community functions
- Policy Q3, p. 131 - Create new community open space, parks and recreation facilities
- Policy Q4, p. 132 - Enhance existing community open space, parks and recreation facilities
- Policy Q13, p. 146 - Expand healthy meal options available in the East area. Support food growing and production included in community amenities. Strategy A recommends community gardens.
- Policy L1, p. 29 - Ensure compatible development on institutional sites within neighborhoods. Strategy B recommends new open space
- Policy L2, p. 29 - Encourage shared use and activation of institutional and quasi-public facilities during off-peak times
- Policy H-L1, p. 185 - Ensure development on the hospital campuses promotes the success of the health care industry while ensuring compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. Strategy B recommends new open space
- Policy C-Q1, p. 241 - Colfax-specific open space recommendation
16. How will traffic and parking be addressed?
The East Area Plan presents an opportunity to address traffic and other challenges associated with development in a way that provides strategies for increased safety and improved mobility options for residents. The plan’s draft recommendations are informed by both extensive community input and transportation analysis, including an origin/destination analysis, crash analysis, and parking studies. The plan also incorporates findings from recent transportation studies completed as part of Denver Moves Transit and Denver Moves Pedestrian and Trails. See the Briefing Book (https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/646/documents/planning/Plans/East_Area_Plan/EAST_Area_briefing_book.pdf) and Section 2.3 of the draft plan (p. 67) for more information on existing conditions analysis).
The draft plan recommends public investment in over 110 transportation safety, parking and traffic management projects. Recommended improvements include making 13th, 14th, and 17th lower speed and safer for pedestrians; neighborhood traffic calming improvements (e.g., crosswalks, sidewalks, safer intersections) around schools, parks, health facilities, and other community destinations; new dedicated bikeways; and incorporating transportation demand management strategies (e.g., bike parking, transit passes for tenants, Uber/Lyft parking, shared parking in commercial areas) into new development to provide residents and visitors viable alternatives to using a car. The draft plan also recommends neighborhood parking strategies to address street parking challenges. To reduce barriers to adaptive reuse and small-scale development on small lots, the plan recommends evaluating parking requirements for these types of projects.
The draft plan includes detailed recommendations for mobility improvements that have been prioritized based on data and community input and are intended to address both existing needs and anticipated future development. These recommendations indicate which improvements should move forward in the near term (5 years or less) and long term. As a policy document, the plan will be used to inform future budgeting decisions and the engineering and design of infrastructure projects. Plans are not capital improvement budgets, but they can provide clear priorities. Recommendations include:
- p. 67 – Area wide Mobility Recommendations
- p. 163 – East Colfax Key Opportunities
- p. 175-178 – East Colfax Mobility Recommendations
- p. 181 – Hale Key Opportunities
- p. 189-192 – Hale Mobility Recommendations
- p. 195 – Montclair Key Opportunities
- p. 203-206 – Montclair Mobility Recommendations
- p. 209 – South Park Hill Key Opportunities
- p. 215-217 – South Park Hill Mobility Recommendations
- p. 244 – Implementation Priorities
17. How is the East Area Plan addressing the impacts of COVID-19?
Our residents and businesses are facing significant challenges due the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still only months old. We are still learning about the virus, how it spreads and how it affects individuals and communities. The City is addressing these challenges and providing updates and resources at denvergov.org/covid-19.
18. Why isn’t the City pausing the process during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Given the effects of the pandemic and the city’s efforts to slow the spread of the virus on residents and businesses, the planning team intends to remain flexible and responsive so community members can continue to participate within current health guidelines. That said, the pandemic has emphasized the inequities faced by East Area residents and businesses, and a long-term plan that emphasizes the importance of affordable housing, stabilization strategies, access to services and amenities, and support for community leadership and solutions is more important than ever for guiding City decisions in the years to come.
If you know of someone or an organization who needs help accessing the plan or other City resources, please reach out to Associate City Planner Israel Cruz at (720) 865-2801 or israel.cruz@denvergov.org.
19. Do the plan recommendations need to change because of COVID-19?
The East Area Plan is a long-term (20-year) vision covering a variety of topics. The recommendations are flexible to accommodate changes in the city over that timeframe, and the recommendations remain applicable:
- Quality-of-life amenities and housing options for all people
- Complete sidewalks, street crossings, trails, and transportation networks
- Parks or open space within a 10-minute walk of each neighborhood
- Community-serving small businesses thriving in commercial corridors
- More access to opportunity, from schools to healthcare to healthy food choices to recreation centers, parks, and libraries that offer innovative programming and great facilities that promote participation and better health outcomes – particularly in underserved neighborhoods
20. Will the street closures because of COVID-19 be made permanent?
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is using this time to evaluate these changes to the street network, which will help inform how the plan recommendations are implemented. Decisions have not been made on how long the current closures will remain in place.
21. Will COVID-19 impact the implementation of the plan?
Some aspects of implementing the plan rely on the city’s budget, which may continue to see impacts from COVID-19. However, over the 20-year life of the plan, current budget issues will have less impact on the implementation of the plan. In addition, many plan recommendations can be accomplished through partnerships or existing or alternative funding sources.
22. Will a new school be needed if we add housing options to the East Area?
Denver Public Schools (DPS) coordinates closely with the City and County of Denver to monitor new development and factor it into 5-year enrollment forecasts. All schools in the East Area have capacity to serve forecasted students living within their enrollment boundaries, and they also continue to have excess capacity to accommodate students who live outside their enrollment boundaries. As DPS monitors development and population trends and their effect on school districts throughout the city and a future capacity shortage is expected of any school in Denver, DPS begins the process of school expansion and/or adding new schools.
23. Why don’t the area plan and neighborhood boundaries align with my neighborhood organization?
Neighborhood organizations set their own boundaries and do not always align with the city’s statistical neighborhoods, which were created in the 1970s to follow census tracts for data purposes.
24. How were the boundaries of the East Area Plan decided?
With the launch of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative in 2016/2017, neighborhoods were analyzed and then grouped together based on numerous factors that included planning need, character, context, and input from elected leaders. In the case of the East Area, one major factor was the desire to plan both sides of East Colfax Avenue, given its prominence, which was previously included in planning areas as a boundary rather than a central corridor. The four neighborhoods included – South Park Hill, Hale, Montclair, and East Colfax – are based on neighborhood statistical areas.
25. Will the East Area Plan define new neighborhood boundaries or Council districts?
No, the plan will not establish new neighborhood or Council District boundaries.
26. Why is the East Area Plan only focused on these four neighborhoods? Why not propose growth and new housing options in all Denver neighborhoods?
As stated above, Comprehensive Plan 2040 lays out a vision for an inclusive, connected and healthy city over the next 20 years, which guides us to plan well for challenges like additional population growth, climate change, and affordability. Blueprint Denver, the city’s land use and transportation plan, addressed these challenges by recommending adding density where it makes the most sense—like along rail stations and high-frequency transit corridors—and creating complete neighborhoods so residents can more easily and safely step out of their cars and take alternate modes of transportation to work and entertainment, reducing congestion and pollution. Blueprint Denver recommends integrating more housing options throughout all Denver neighborhoods. The neighborhood plan provides the opportunity to provide more detail about how those recommendations can be implemented at the local scale.
All neighborhoods will be included in the Neighborhood Planning Initiative (NPI). More information is available at DenverGov.org/neighborhoodplanning:
27. My neighborhood already has an adopted area plan. How will the East Area Plan relate to this plan?
An important part of the planning process includes reviewing the previous plans to confirm and carry forward those parts of the vision that still apply while ensuring we have current recommendations and strategies. In the 1990s and early 2000s, many community members invested significant time and effort in neighborhood plans for East Colfax, Park Hill, and portions of Hale. The updated guidance in the new East Area Plan will replace older small area plans within the study area.
Previously adopted plans will still apply outside of the East Area boundary until a future phase of NPI considers these recommendations and provides updated guidance for those areas.
28. How is the East Area Plan coordinating with the Quebec Street Multimodal Improvement Project?
In September 2019, Denver Public Works officially halted a project that had been assessing the impacts of widening Quebec to four lanes from 13th to 26th Avenues, as it was determined there was the potential for significant impacts to adjacent properties and preliminary cost estimates were well beyond available funding. The project team will be re-engaging residents who live in neighborhoods along Quebec Street as they launch a new effort to implement pedestrian and transit improvements along the corridor. The project team has also been engaging residents through the East Area Plan process. Updates will be posted to the DOTI website as they become available.
29. How does the plan address climate change?
Climate resiliency is a key goal in both the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the community’s vision for the East Area. Many of the plan recommendations support these goals, including:
- Providing more opportunities for people to live close to transit, jobs, and services and in places where infrastructure already exists is the most sustainable way to manage the city’s growth. Without these opportunities, carbon pollution will increase as growth is pushed further to the periphery of the Denver metro area resulting in more frequent driving, longer commutes, and more emissions.
- Making it easier for people to walk, ride a bike, and use transit so they don’t need to rely on their cars as much
- Encouraging the reuse of buildings
- Protecting neighborhoods from flooding
- Integrating green infrastructure and new parks
- Reducing impervious area
30. How does the East Area Plan relate to the Group Living Rules Update?
The Group Living Rules Update is a separate project from the East Area Plan. The Group Living Project is a citywide effort to update rules on residential uses in the Denver Zoning Code so that they better reflect the community’s need for flexible and affordable housing options as well as the vision in Denver’s Comprehensive Plan for a more inclusive, connected and healthy City.
Current regulations exclude some communities from residential neighborhoods and define “households” in ways that make it harder for residents to reduce housing costs by living with roommates. The Group Living project is an important piece of the City’s multi-layered approach to address Denver’s housing challenges.
The East Area Plan will be a policy document that informs future public and private decisions over the next 20 years. The draft plan recommendations include policies aimed at increasing housing opportunities for a range of households throughout East. No zoning changes will automatically be made with plan adoption, and any zoning changes that are recommended by the plan would include a follow-up community process and City Council approval.
To learn more about the Group Living Rules Update, including information on potential impacts from the proposed changes, please review the FAQs at www.denvergov.org/groupliving.
31. Will Bus Rapid Transit cause more traffic on side streets parallel to Colfax Avenue?
A traffic study was completed with the BRT project and concluded that traffic congestion and diversion to adjacent streets occurs today and will increase with or without the Colfax BRT project. Minor additional diversion to adjacent streets is projected due to BRT on Colfax and traffic impacts are expected to be limited to a few intersections. For additional information and specifics about technical studies related to Colfax BRT, please go to http://www.colfaxbrt.org or email ColfaxBRT@devnergov.org.
The draft East Area Plan includes several recommendations to slow traffic and improve safety on 13th, 14th, and 17th Avenue. See the Mobility Recommendations in Section 2.3, beginning on page 67 of the draft plan.
- Download FAQ document (PDF)
- Download answers to individual questions submitted during the virtual open house (PDF)
Use the links below to watch a recording of the May 12 virtual open house.
- English version (YouTube)
- Spanish-dubbed version (YouTube)
- Burmese-dubbed version (YouTube)
- Karenic-dubbed version (YouTube)
If you have trouble accessing the recording, or need language interpretation, please contact Senior City Planner Liz Weigle (Elizabeth.weigle@denvergov.org).
Read the first draft of the East Area Plan
Download full document (PDF)
Jump to specific sections
Plan Timeline
- Summer 2017 - Summer 2018: Exisiting conditions research and community listening
- Spring - Fall 2018: Community input analysis, draft vision statements and community priorities
- Winter 2018 - Spring 2019: Confirm community vision and priorities
- Spring - Summer 2019: Share and gather community input on draft recommendations to achieve vision and priorities
- Fall - Winter 2019: Updates to draft recommendations based on community input
- Winter 2019 - Spring 2020: Draft plan
Download the planning process graphic (PDF)
Learn more about the process for neighborhood planning in Denver
Stay Connected
Join the East Area Plan email list to get updates on the plan and reminders about opportunities to share your voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want quick information about the East Area Plan? Download and share our FAQs to get caught up on the planning process, and share them with your neighbors so they can get involved.
Contact Us
Elizabeth Weigle
Senior City Planner
elizabeth.weigle@denvergov.org
If you need help accessing the PDF files on this page using assistive technology, please contact planningservices@denvergov.org.
Steering Committee
All meetings are open to the public.
Check back for information on future meetings.
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Laurie Bogue | Bellevue-Hale Neighborhood Association |
| Tom Fesing | East Colfax Neighborhood Association |
| Yoal Ghebrehmeskel |
Street Fraternity |
| Mina Goldstein | Park Hill |
| Marti Holmes | Historic Montclair Community Association |
| Kyaw Lin Oo | Hidden Brook/Street Fraternity |
| Tracey MacDermott | Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. |
| Monica Martinez | Fax Partnership |
| Tom Meyer | New Freedom Neighbors |
| Hilarie Portell | Colfax Mayfair Business Improvement District |
| Merritt Pullam | Mayfair Neighbors, Inc. |
| Rosalyn Redwine | Small business owner |
| Wende Reoch | Cranmer Park/Hilltop Association |
| Andy Sense | Park Hill |
Steering Committee Meeting #1
6-8 p.m., Wednesday, July 26, 2017
East Montclair Community Center, 6740 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #2
6-8 p.m., Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #3
6-8 p.m., Thursday, September 28, 2017
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #4
6-8 p.m., Thursday, October 26, 2017
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #5
6-8 p.m., Thursday, November 16, 2017
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #6
6-8 p.m., Monday, December 11, 2017
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #7
6-8 p.m., Thursday, January 25, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #8
6-8 p.m., Thursday, February 22, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Commitee Meeting #9
6-8 p.m., Thursday, March 22, 2018
Montclair Civic Building (The Molkery)
6829 E. 12th Avenue
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #10
6-8 p.m., Thursday, April 26, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #11
6-8 p.m., Thursday, May 24, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #12
6-8 p.m., Thursday, June 28, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #13
6-8 p.m., Thursday, July 26, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #14
6-8 p.m., Thursday, August 23, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #15
6-8 p.m., Thursday, September 27, 2018
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #16
6-8 p.m., Thursday, November 29, 2018
Montclair Civic Building (The Molkery)
6829 E. 12th Avenue, Denver
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #17
6-8 p.m., Thursday, January 24, 2019
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #18
6-8 p.m., Thursday, March 28, 2019
Montclair Civic Building (The Molkery), 6829 E. 12th Avenue
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #19
6-8 p.m., Thursday, April 25, 2019
Montclair Civic Center (The Molkery)
6829 E. 12th Avenue, Denver
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #20
6-8 p.m., Thursday, May 23, 2019
Montclair Civic Center (The Molkery)
6829 E. 12th Avenue, Denver
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #21
6-8 p.m., Thursday, June 27
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Layden
Presentation (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #22
6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, January 30, 2020
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.G.2
201 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver
Agenda (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Steering Committee Meeting #23
6 p.m., Thursday, July 30
Virtual meeting on Webex
- Presentation (PDF)
- Recording (YouTube - video starts with meeting in progress)
Project Archive
Past Meeting Information
Below are listed all the community meetings, workshops, office hours and pop-up events hosted by the planning team. Unlike traditional meetings and workshops, pop-up events are intended to reach hard-to-reach communities where they live and involve only paper materials and on-the-street interviews.
Street Fraternity pop-op
October 17, 2017
Hidden Brook Apartments pop-up
October 18, 2017
South Park Hill Listening Session
6-8 p.m., Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Park Hill Masonic Lodge, 4819 Montview Boulevard
Presentation (PDF)
Avenue 8 at Mayfair pop-up
January 17, 2019
Shephard’s Motel pop-up
February 14, 2019
Hidden Brook Apartments pop-up
February 14, 2019
Regal Café pop-up
February 16, 2019
Area-Wide Community Workshop #1
6-8 p.m., Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Park Hill Masonic Lodge, 4819 Montview Blvd
Meeting materials available at online workshop
Neighborhood Workshop #1 – Hale
6-8 p.m., Thursday, February 21, 2019
Friendship Baptist Church, 880 Fairfax Street
Meeting materials available at online workshop
Neighborhood Workshop #2 – South Park Hill
6-8 p.m., Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Park Hill Masonic Lodge, 4819 Montview Blvd
Meeting materials available at online workshop
Neighborhood Workshop #3 – Montclair
6-8 p.m., Thursday, February 28, 2019
Friendship Baptist Church, 880 Fairfax Street
Meeting materials available at online workshop
Xenia Village Apartments pop-up
March 5, 2019
Neighborhood Workshop #4 – East Colfax
6-8 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Ashley Elementary School, 1914 Syracuse Street
Meeting materials available at online workshop
Street Fraternity pop-up
March 27, 2019
Hidden Brook Apartments pop-up
April 3, 2019
East Area Community Workshop
6-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, 2019
9th & Colorado Development Office
1000 Colorado Boulevard, Denver
Presentation (PDF)
Drop-in Office Hours
6-8 p.m., Thursday, July 25
Art Gym Denver
1460 Leyden Street, Denver
Drop-in Office Hours
5-8 p.m., August 1, 2019
Friendship Baptist Church
880 Fairfax Street, Denver
Drop-in Office Hours
5-8 p.m., August 6, 2019
East Montclair Community Center
6740 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Community Office Hours: Park Hill Branch Library
12:30-5 p.m., Tuesday, December 3, 2019
4705 Montview Boulevard, Denver
Community Office Hours: Ashley Elementary School
6:30-8 p.m., Tuesday, December 10, 2019
1914 Syracuse Street, Denver
East Area Community Workshop
10:30 a.m., Saturday, November 23, 2020
Johnson & Wales University Academic Center
1900 Olive Street, Denver
Presentation (PDF)
Listed below are focus groups hosted by the plan team for the purpose of topic-specific discussions with local stakeholders with subject-matter expertise and experience.
Focus Group #1: Affordable housing, social services, & financial stability
January 8, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Focus Group #2: Small business retention, real estate/transit oriented development, & healthy food
January 9, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Meeting notes (PDF)
Focus Group #3: Mobility & access
January 15, 2019
Art Gym Denver, 1460 Leyden Street
Focus Group #4: Green infrastructure, recreation, open space
January 17, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Focus Group #5: Design quality & character preservation
January 29, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Meeting notes (PDF)
Focus Group #6: Small business retention, real estate/transit oriented development, & healthy food
6-8 p.m., April 2, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Presentation (PDF)
Focus Group #7: Green Infrastructure
6-8 p.m., April 4, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Presentation (PDF)
Focus Group #8: Mobility
6-8 p.m., April 17, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Presentation (PDF)
Focus Group #9: Design Quality and Character Preservation
6-8 p.m., April 18, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Presentation (PDF)
Focus Group #10: Affordable housing, social services, & financial stability
6-8 p.m., April 23, 2019
Carla Madison Recreation Center
Presentation (PDF)
Listed below are (1) meetings hosted by East Area neighborhood groups and organizations, or other City of Denver departments or teams that East Area Plan team members attended, (2) community events at which the plan had a booth/table or was part of a larger booth or table representing the City of Denver, and (3) stakeholder conversations convened or hosted by East Area organizations.
8/26/2017 - Mayor's Cabinet in the Community
8/26/2017 - Mayfair Concert in the Park
8/30/2017 - Upper Montclair Basin community meeting
9/6/2017 - Colfax Mayfair BID board meeting
9/10/2017 - Park Hill Home Tour and Street Fair
9/15/2017 – Seniors In September Educational & Resource Fair at Denver Botanic Gardens
9/21/2017 - Blueprint Denver Workshop
9/27/2017 - Quebec Alternatives Open House
10/3/2017 - Mayfair Neighbors, Inc. general meeting
10/12/2017 - Councilwoman Susman Town Hall
10/17/2017 - East Colfax Neighborhood Association meeting
10/18/2017 - Historic Montclair Community Association, Inc. meeting
10/24/2017 - Fax Partnership board meeting
11/2/2017 - Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. meeting
11/8/2017 - Upper Montclair Basin community meeting
11/28/2017 - Bellevue Hale annual membership meeting
12/4/2017 - WTF is BRT?
12/6/2017 - Upper Montclair community meeting
3/15/2018 - Blueprint Denver workshop
3/20/2018 - Colfax Grit & Glory, Historic Denver
4/19/2018 - Councilwoman Susman Town Hall
5/10/2018 - DURA, East Colfax Corridor URA Info meeting
9/6/2018 - Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. meeting
10/17/2018 - Historic Montclair Community Association, Inc. meeting
2/3/2019 – Immigrant/refugee service providers meeting
3/3/2019 – Small business owners meeting
3/19/2019 – Hospitals meeting
4/10/2019 – Development focus group
4/17/2019 – Social service providers meeting
4/17/2019 - Colfax Mayfair BID board meeting
4/27/2019 - Mayor's Cabinet in the Community
5/10/2019 - East Area Businesses Forum
5/15/2019 - Colfax Mayfair BID board meeting
5/22/2019 – Small business owners meeting
5/28/2019 - Fax Partnership board meeting
5/30/2019 - East Colfax Neighborhood Association meeting
6/3/2019 - Mayfair Neighbors, Inc. general meeting
6/5/2019 - East Side RNO meeting
6/5/2019 - Fax Partnership Open House
6/11/2019 - Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. meeting
6/19/2019 - Historic Montclair Community Association, Inc. meeting
6/19/2019 – Immigrant/refugee service providers and East Colfax Neighborhood Association meeting
7/16/2019 – Meeting with Locust Street neighbors
9/30/2019 - East Area Business Forum
10/1/2019 – Mayfair Neighbors, Inc. general meeting
10/10/19 – Denver East Neighborhoods First meeting
12/9/19 – Street Fraternity meeting
12/11/19 – Denver East Neighborhoods First meeting
DENF Recommendations (PDF)
DENF Petition (PDF)
1/25/2020 - East Colfax Community Collective (ECCC) Workshop
ECCC Comments submitted to CPD (PDF)
2/18/20 – East Colfax Neighborhood Association meeting
2/22/20 – East Colfax Community Collective meeting
2/24/20 – East Colfax Community Collective meeting
Past Newsletters
- Tuesday, August 1: Help shape the future of the East Area!
- Wednesday, August 23: Learn about the East Area Plan at Cabinet in the Community!
2018
- Monday, September 10: East Area Plan ready to kick into high gear!
- Friday, December 21: Save the dates: Get involved in 2019!
2019
- Wednesday, February 6: Join us for the upcoming East Area Plan workshops!
- Wednesday, February 20: Will you be joining us? East Area Plan workshops happening this week!
- Friday, March 8: Missed the neighborhood workshops? Catch up online!
- Monday, March 25: Share your voice online by Friday, March 29
- Wednesday, April 24: Next East Area Plan workshop coming May 14
- Friday, May 10: East Area Plan workshop coming Tuesday!
- Friday, May 24: Tell us what you think about plan recommendations!
- Wednesday, June 19: Deadline extended: Tell us what you think about plan recommendations!
- Tuesday, July 9: Deadline extended AGAIN: Tell us what you think about plan recommendations!
- Wednesday, July 31: NEW DATE ADDED! Share your feedback on plan recommendations directly with city planners!
- Monday, August 19: Thank you for your input! Stay tuned for community workshop this fall.
- Wednesday, September 11: Save the date: Next workshop October 29!
Past draft recommendations: October 2019
After the first set of recommendations was released in May 2019, public feedback was collected and used to inform updated recommendations.
Past draft recommendations: May 2019
Plan recommendations are a like an outline that serves as the basis for the draft plan, when the draft is written. The first set of draft recommendations were shared with the public in May. We received almost 2,000 comments on the recommendations.
A - HOSPITALS
The healthcare and wellness sector is the foundation for economic growth
- 60% of all jobs in the East Area (nearly 7,000 jobs total); employs 11% of East working residents
- Sector is expected to continue to grow – forecast to provide 29% of new jobs through 2040, the largest growth sector in the East Area
- Includes Rose Medical Center, National Jewish Health, and a growing influence from the Anschutz Campus in Aurora
B - HOSPITALS & SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS
Together, hospitals and surrounding neighborhoods can address community development in ways that are mutually beneficial
The Plan aims to:
- Help the hospitals stay in the area and evolve in a neighborhood-friendly way
- Partner with hospitals and nonprofit housing developers to create affordable, workforce housing
- Partner with hospitals and DPS to address workforce training needs
- Create more retail and services that benefit hospital employees, visitors, and residents
- Ensure strong connections from hospitals to transit, parks, and daily services
C - MIXED-USE CENTERS, CORRIDORS & DISTRICTS
The primary location for housing and employment growth in the East Area
The Plan aims to:
- Create new affordable housing near transit and amenities
- Preserve and enhance community-serving, locally-owned businesses
- Promote spaces that strengthen the Area’s small professional office niche
D - MOTELS
There are 17 motels along Colfax that currently serve as a form of transitional housing
The Plan aims to:
- Encourage the repurposing or redevelopment of motels into permanent and supportive housing
NEIGHBORHOODS OVERALL
A large majority of the East Area’s land is residential
The Plan aims to:
- Preserve housing affordability
- Stabilize residents at risk of displacement
- Expand diversity of housing types by encouraging “missing middle” units such as ADUs (accessory dwelling units) and duplexes
1. BOLSTER THE HEALTHCARE AND WELLNESS SECTOR AS THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMY
- Partner with hospitals, DPS, and nonprofit housing developers to address workforce housing and training needs
- Ensure strong connections from hospitals to neighborhood amenities such as parks and transit
- Mix more medical offices and clinics in mixed-use areas throughout the East Area
2. STRENGTHEN THE SMALL PROFESSIONAL OFFICE NICHE WRITE IN ANSWERS BELOW. IF NEIGHBORHOOD-SPECIFIC, LIST WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD.
- Encourage more co-working spaces and gathering spaces for entrepreneurs
- Inventory existing buildings for underused spaces appropriate for small businesses
- Consider creative office uses to activate ground floors in appropriate locations along Colfax
3. PRESERVE AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY-SERVING, LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESSES
- Ease regulations that make it difficult to open a business
- Work with area partners to provide technical assistance such as marketing, lease negotiations, or English-as-a-second-language (ESL) help
- Expand the Business Impact Opportunity program for small businesses impacted by BRT construction along Colfax
4. PRESERVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND STABILIZE RESIDENTS AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT
- Extend covenants for income-restricted properties
- Better market the City’s existing programs, including temporary rental and utility assistance, property tax rebates, homeowner preservation initiatives, ownership programs, and eviction legal defense fund
5. CREATE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT AND AMENITIES
- Support acquisition of land by the City and/or its partners, such as DHA and land trust entities, for future development of affordable housing, particularly in corridors, centers and low-medium and high-medium residential areas
- Allow higher density along Colfax in exchange for affordable units or community-benefiting space
6. EXPAND DIVERSITY OF HOUSING TYPES & AFFORDABILITY IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
- Encourage development of ADUs in all residential areas, in forms that address neighborhood context
- Encourage more “missing middle” types such as du/tri/fourplexes and townhouses, that are compatible and at affordable price points
- Ensure new development is family-friendly and expand housing options for non-traditional households, including seniors and group living
7. INCREASE ACCESS TO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE RESIDENTS
- Encourage the repurposing or redevelopment of motels along Colfax into permanent, supportive, or transitional housing
- Develop more permanent, supportive housing that wraps in services such as health care, child care, and workforce
INCENTIVIZE MAINTAINING EXISTING HOMES AND INTRODUCE NEW MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING IN AREAS VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT
- Allow additional residential units to occur on a single unit lot together with tools to preserve affordability.
- Encourage new building forms at affordable price points, such as: Cottage Courts, Tandem House, Duplex/Triplex/Quadplex in “Large House” form
ALLOW ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN ALL RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
- Consider specific rules for neighborhoods that consider:
- Unique considerations in different neighborhoods, such as building coverage in flood-prone areas
- Encourage use for long-term housing rather than short-term rentals
- Goals for affordability and wealth-building
- Neighborhood-appropriate parking rules
TRANSFORMATIVE STREETS
Prioritize Walking, Biking, Rolling and Transit Along Key Corridors That Connect People And Places
Colorado Boulevard between 6th and 23rd
- Improve transit speed and reliability & add amenities at stops.
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with new and improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- In the long-term, provide high capacity transit service.
Monaco Parkway Between 6th and 23rd
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Install a protected bike lane.
- Pilot closing access across the parkway to automobile through-traffic.
- Create more usable public space within the parkway (i.e. multi-use trail, seating, etc.).
Quebec Street Between 6th and 23rd
- Implement pedestrian and transit improvements as planned in the Quebec Street Multimodal Improvement Project (from 26th to 13th).
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Provide transit speed and reliability improvements at key locations and stop amenities.
23rd Avenue Between Colorado and Quebec
- Improve transit speed and reliability & add amenities at stops.
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Extend conventional bike lane east to Central Park.
Montview Boulevard Between Colorado and Yosemite
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with new and improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
17th Avenue Between Colorado and Monaco
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with new and improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Install a protected bike lane.
- Pilot closing access across the parkway to automobile through-traffic.
- Create more usable public space within the parkway (i.e. multi-use trail, seating, etc.).
Colfax Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Improve transit speed and reliability by implementing the plan for a center running bus rapid transit (BRT) & add amenities at stops.
14th Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with new and improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Install a protected bike lane.
- Study the feasibility of two-way conversion.
13th Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with new and improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Study the feasibility of two-way conversion.
6th Avenue Between Colorado and Quebec
- Provide transit speed and reliability improvements at key locations and stop amenities.
- Create a high quality pedestrian space with improved crossings for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Install a protected bike lane.
- Pilot closing access across the parkway to automobile through-traffic.
- Create more usable public space within the parkway (i.e. multi-use trail, seating, etc.).
MAP-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS: BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS
HIGH COMFORT BIKEWAYS
Adopt And Upgrade Planned Denver Moves: Bikes Bikeways & Install High Comfort Bikeways Not Previously Recommended - Also See Transformative Streets. Key Locations Include:
Holly Street Between 17th and Cherry Creek Trail: Extend the existing conventional bike lane on Holly Street between 17th and the Cherry Creek Trail
Monaco Parkway Between 6th and 23rd: Install a protected bike lane on Monaco Parkway between 6th and 23rd
23rd Avenue Between Kearny and Central Park: Extend the bike lane on 23rd Avenue between Kearny and Central Park
17th Avenue Between Colorado and Monaco: Install a protected bike lane on 17th Avenue between Colorado and Monaco and a conventional bike lane on 17th Avenue between Monaco and Yosemite
14th Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite: Install a protected bike lane on 14th between Colorado and Yosemite
12th Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite: Install a high comfort bikeway on 12th Avenue between Colorado and Yosemite
6th Avenue Between Colorado and Quebec: Install a protected bike lane on 6th Avenue between Colorado and Uintah
NEW AND WIDENED SIDEWALKS
Create A Complete Sidewalk Network, Enabling Pedestrians To Safely Access Their Destinations
MOBILITY HUBS
Seamlessly Integrate Various Transportation Modes And Provide Customer Amenities at High Ridership Transit Stops - Also See Transfomative Streets
- Colorado Boulevard at 8th, 11th, and Colfax
- Colfax Avenue at Krameria and Yosemite
- 9th Avenue at Clermont
PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INTERSECTION SAFETY
Study Intersection Safety Improvements - Also See Transformative Streets
- Quebec Street at Montview and Colfax
- Colorado Boulevard at 8th, 12th,13th, 14th, 17th and Colfax
- Colfax Avenue at Monaco and Krameria
- 14th Avenue at Yosemite
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING
Slow Traffic Via A Zone-Based Approach Along Neighborhood Streets
Parks
- Denison Park
- Verbena Park
- Westerly Creek
- McNichols (William H) Park
- Mayfair Park
- Lindsley (Henrey S) Park
- New Freedom Park
- Montclair Park
- Kittredge Park
Primary and Secondary Schools
- Ashley Elementary School
- Odyssey School
- Denver School of the Arts
- Park Hill Elementary School
- Palmer Elementary School
- Montclair Elementary School
Hospitals and Libraries
- Park Hill Library
- Rose Medical Center and Veterans Administration Hospital
STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM)
Provide options for more effective use of the transportation system
- Formally allow use of alleys for business loading and unloading
- Allow/encourage BIDs to join a regional TMA to access their resources and/or serve as a TDM district to administer, promote, and implement programs
- One-time transit incentives to ticket holders to local entertainment and cultural destinations
- New development strategies including max parking ratios, shared car service and allocated parking, private bike share program, secure bike parking, car/bike share memberships for tenants, transit passes for tenants, Uber/Lyft drop-off parking or pull-out, deliveries scheduled during non-rush hours, better building access for people walking, rolling, or biking to/from buildings
- Free and reduced RTD fare promotions for residents and employees
PARKING, CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT AND FREIGHT ACCESS
Implement strategies for efficient and equitable use of curbside space
- Identify flex zone/curb use priorities by function and surrounding land use (i.e. Land use: residential, commercial, mixed use and industrial; Function: mobility, access for people, access for commerce, activation, greening, storage)
- Pilot converting on-street parking spaces in key locations into high productivity uses such as public parklets, cafe seating, bicycle and micromobility parking, shared parking, mobility hub/transit stop infrastructure
- Pilot converting alleys into public open space with green stormwater infrastructure
- Pilot converting on-street parking into freight loading zones at varying times of the day
- Conduct a comprehensive freight access review
- Explore a dynamic parking pilot program (performance-based pricing)
- On-street parking meters:
- Explore additional opportunities to add parking meters
- Explore opportunities for adjusting/extending meter times due to adjacent land uses
- Upgrade technology for ease of use
- Explore increasing rates
- Encourage shared parking arrangements
- Develop additional Area Management Plans (AMP) for neighborhood parking challenges
CENTERS, CORRIDORS AND DISTRICTS
These serve as community destinations and job centers, providing a mix of uses. The majority of jobs and housing growth is targeted for centers, corridors and districts.
Community Centers
Community Centers provide a balance of residential, employment and dining/shopping uses. Buildings provide a high degree of ground floor activation and front onto either streets or shared public space. Buildings are the largest scale of all places. In General Urban context (9th & Colorado and Colorado & Colfax), buildings may be up to 12 stories whereas in Urban Edge context (Mayfair Town Center) they are generally up to 5 stories, although additional heights may be offered in exchange for affordable housing or shared open space.
- 9th & Colorado
- Colorado & Colfax
- Mayfair Town Center
Community Corridors
Community Corridors also provide a balance of residential, employment and dining/shopping uses. Buildings have a distinctly linear orientation fronting the primary street (Colfax and Colorado Blvd.) Building heights vary along the street to provide interest, generally ranging from 3-5 stories with some areas reaching up to 8 stories with community benefits such as affordable housing, community-serving uses or shared open space. The most activity and shared public space occurs directly adjacent to transit stops.
- Colfax Ave.
- Colorado Blvd. (parts)
Campus Districts
Campus Districts include education and medical campuses. They are typically dominated by a single, larger institutional use and provide important jobs to the surrounding community. Supporting retail and residential uses may occur within them. Buildings vary greatly in size and scale, depending on the use. The heights shown in the plan suggest appropriate heights given the surrounding context.
- Johnson and Wales University
- Rose Medical Center
Local Corridors/Local Centers
Local Centers and Corridors provide options for dining, entertainment and shopping. They may also include some residential and office uses or small, shared open space. These places are generally up to 3 stories. They are quieter places, nestled within residential neighborhoods. The scale is intimate with a focus on the pedestrian. The public realm is typically defined by buildings with active frontages.
- Neighborhood nodes
RESIDENTIAL AREAS
Areas where the predominant use is residential. Although they are primarily residential, these areas are supported by a variety of embedded uses needed for a complete neighborhood including schools, libraries, recreation and nodes of commercial/retail uses.
High Residential provides the highest intensity of residential uses. These are generally mid to high-rise apartment buildings of up to 12 stories. They may or may not include retail uses, but design treatment and activation of the ground floor along major corridors is important.
High-Medium Residential is predominantly multi-unit residential structures of 3 to 5 stories with a variety of lower-scale residential types. They may be mixed with lower-scale residential buildings as well. Retail uses may be present on street corners close to centers and corridors.
Low-Medium Residential (Multi-Unit) includes 2-3 story apartment buildings. These often include small courtyard buildings or “walk-up” apartments (accessed via stairs instead of elevators) and are usually surface parked. They may be mixed in with single and two unit houses as well. They provide a transition from single and two unit areas to centers and corridors of higher intensity. They are often located near transit.
Low-Medium Residential (Row House) includes single unit attached townhomes and rowhomes. They are 2-3 stories and designed to seamlessly fit in with single and two-unit homes. They usually include a private or shared garage for parking cars. They provide a transition from centers and corridors to single and two unit places.
Low Residential - Two Unit Residential includes two individual homes - either attached in a duplex form or detached in a tandem house form - on a single lot. They often look and feel like a single unit home. Some forms have two entrances that face the street and some have one prominent entrance and one more discreet entrance from a side street or alley. They are site-parked via an enclosed garage or carport.
Low Residential - Single Unit Residential includes more traditional houses that are setback from the street with front and rear yards and occasionally side yards. They usually include a prominent front entrance with a porch or stoop. They often have pitched roofs although some low-sloping roofs exist as well. They are site parked via a garage (usually detached and accessed by an alley) or carport.
Low Residential - Accessory Dwelling Units are smaller units that share a lot with another primary unit. They may be attached and located within the primary structure or detached in a secondary structure located in the rear yard. These units provide sensitive ways to integrate affordable living into more expensive neighborhoods. They allow empty nesters to age in place by moving into a smaller unit and renting their home, or they accommodate singles or couples that want to live in the neighborhood but cannot afford a larger home.
ENCOURAGE A NODAL ENVIRONMENT AND DIRECT GROWTH TO THE AREAS THAT SUPPORT TRANSIT RIDERSHIP AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY
- Provide additional height (above what current zoning allows) in specific areas adjacent to transit
- Affordable housing Publicly accessible open space Saving an existing building Community-serving businesses
INCENTIVIZE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE HEIGHT (ABOVE WHAT CURRENT ZONING ALLOWS).
Benefits include:
- Affordable housing
- Community-serving businesses
- Publicly accessible open space
- The preservation of existing buildings
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND URBAN DESIGN
ENCOURAGE RENOVATIONS OR ADDITIONS OVER DEMOLITION THROUGH TOOLS SUCH AS:
- Clarifying definition of “voluntary demolition” so that retaining an existing building means saving the majority of a structure.
- Requiring deconstruction and recycling of materials on homes that are a certain age.
- Providing flexibility in code requirements and administrative relief such as:
- Allow roof elements such as dormers to penetrate bulk plane
- Offer flexibility in building coverage and separation requirements
- Create a “reverse” bulk plane to allow more height in rear instead of front
- Offer expedited permit processing or other administrative or financial relief
WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS TO MODIFY ZONING STANDARDS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION TO MORE CLOSELY SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
Recommendations include modifying:
- Building coverage
- Side setbacks
- Length of two-story side walls
- Bulk plane + way height is measured
ENCOURAGE MAINTAINING VALUED HOUSING STOCK THAT CONTRIBUTES TO NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER BY ALLOWING ADDITIONAL UNITS IN LOCATIONS NEAR TRANSIT THROUGH TOOLS SUCH AS:
- Clarifying definition of “voluntary demolition” so that retaining an existing building means saving the majority of a structure.
- Requiring deconstruction and recycling of materials on homes that are a certain age.
- Creating a “Character Home + Density Bonus” Program for locations around transit that adjusts regulations to encourage retaining existing houses, or the majority of their structure, by:
- Permitting up to two units in SU districts (in addition to ADU)
- Permitting up to three units in TU districts (in addition to ADU)
REQUIRE DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT IN CORRIDORS AND CENTERS
- Provide design guidance and flexibility for some code requirements in order to get better results in the following:
- Transitions
- High quality designs and materials
- Creative design solutions
- Provide design guidance and flexibility for “Nodes of Primary Activation” in key locations adjacent to transit stations and neighborhood commercial nodes that address the following:
- Maximum ground floor activation
- Prohibit upper floor parking facing primary streets
- More small, shared open spaces
- Enhanced streetscape amenities
- Preservation of local businesses
COLFAX AVENUE
REMOVE REGULATORY BARRIERS AND OPEN UP FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO REUSE EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHARACTER OF COLFAX .
- Establish an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance that eliminates barriers to reusing structures
- Offer financial assistance for renovating existing buildings.
MODIFY REGULATORY BARRIERS TO REDEVELOPMENT WHILE ALSO INCENTIVIZING COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND CHARACTER PRESERVATION TOOLS TO RESPECT THE UNIQUE HISTORY AND CHARACTER OF COLFAX.
- Leverage increased development potential (e.g., increased height or intensity allowed through rezoning) to acheive community benefits, including:
- Affordable housing
- Publicly accessible open space
- Saving an existing building
- Community-serving businesses
- Reduce off-street parking requirements and offer flexibility in public improvement requirements to reduce barriers to development
OTHER COLFAX-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Make redevelopment process easier with technical assistance and handbook with common questions and considerations.
- Modify standards to encourage flashing neon, artistic signs, blade signs, and more.
CONNECT EXISTING OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATIONAL ASSETS THROUGH A HISTORIC PARKWAY PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
- Incorporate formal pedestrian improvements along the existing Historic Parkways to create a dedicated pedestrian network throughout the area.
- Update the Design Guidelines for Denver’s Historic Parkways and Boulevards as needed, pending study of pedestrian mobility options.
DEVELOP NEW CONTEMPORARY PARKWAYS THAT CONNECT THE COMMUNITY TO OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATIONAL ASSETS, AS WELL AS SERVE MULTIPLE COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS
- Expand the parkway system to complement the Historic Parkways with the addition of new distinct Contemporary Parkways geared toward increased mobility options and park-like conditions
- Contemporary Parkways should de-emphasize vehicular speed and through-put and reassign portions of the public right-of-way to the function of bike, pedestrian or transit mobility, diverse green infrastructure including tree canopy, native vegetation, and stormwater management while also including high-efficiency lighting
ENHANCE EXISTING COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES
- Strengthen partnerships with schools, institutions (hospitals), and private property owners to create shared open spaces
- Increase leisure opportunities within our passive linear park space
- Encourage higher utilization of existing open space and parks by increasing active programming and improving amenities and maintenance of facilities.
CREATE NEW COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES
- Create additional community park, recreation and cultural spaces. Prioritize future locations that align with the City’s Game Plan for a Healthy City and urban flooding areas. Some potential future locations include:
- Mayfair Town Center
- Area of South Park Hill close to Colfax Avenue
- East Colfax Neighborhood along Colfax Avenue or at the Post Office Site near Verbena Park
- Incentivize and/or require mid and large-scale development, especially near BRT stations and within height incentive areas, to include publicly accessible outdoor spaces. Establish standards and guidelines that ensure public accessibility, design, and features that respond to the local community context
SUSTAINABILITY
A. STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING TREE CANOPY AND INCREASE CANOPY COVERAGE WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
- Coordinate with the City and County of Denver Forestry Department to support the City’s removal and replacement of existing trees within the public right-of-way to ensure a healthy and sustainable tree canopy and unique community asset.
- Increase coverage of the tree canopy through a City-sponsored community replacement program utilizing Denverappropriate trees in communities with less than 20% tree canopy coverage
- Prioritize preservation of tree canopy in right-of-way design and other CCD Public Works projects.
- Develop educational programming and partnerships within the community to increase understanding around maintenance and care of the tree canopy
- Support the development of an Urban Forest Plan to meet city-wide canopy goals for preservation, maintenance, implementation and funding.
B. PROTECT AND PRESERVE EXISTING TREE ASSETS IN ALL REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
- Strengthen development standards to protect existing tree assets and increase requirements to mitigate tree loss in redevelopment or new plans.
C. INCREASE PERVIOUS SURFACE COVERAGE THROUGH THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
>> Download green streets map (PDF)
- Explore opportunities to convert existing impervious surface within public right-of-way to pervious acreage through the addition of street trees, tree lawn or bulbouts, trails, parkland or native vegetation
- Seek opportunities to coordinate with the design of future Contemporary Parkways
- Seek opportunities to integrate with BRT design along Colfax Ave. and redesign of public right-of way streetscape and remnant parcels to improve infiltration and reduce runoff
- Develop design standards or guidelines for a contemporary tree lawn
- Remove and replace impervious areas between the sidewalk and street with 4”-6” depressed lawn or streetscape that improves infiltration and reduces runoff
- Coordinate implementation through supporting Public Works roadway, stormwater and sanitary projects within the right-of-way
- Increase the requirements for pervious acreage, water conservation in landscaping and inclusion of natural vegetation for redevelopment and new development
- Work with private property owners, Colfax corridor Business Improvement Districts and other neighborhood organizations to transition underutilized paved lots to pervious surfaces
D. ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES INCLUDING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, FLOOD PROTECTION, WATER QUALITY, AND WATER USE
- Implement a system of green streets and green alleys to increase the water quality treatment of stormwater prioritizing streets based on the City’s Green
- Infrastructure Implementation Strategy methodology and their connection to high mobility corridors such as Colfax Avenue and key neighborhood destinations like parks, churches, schools, institutions and center.
- Encourage the use of Denver appropriate vegetation that is drought-tolerant and uses a minimal amount of water within the right-of-way
- Restore the health of the waterways like Westerly Creek by increasing the treatment of stormwater upstream and improving street cleaning in contributing streets
FOOD ACCESS
Download healthy food access map (PDF)
RECRUIT A GROCERY STORE IN THE EAST COLFAX NEIGHBORHOOD
- Leverage existing programs like the Colorado Fresh Food Financing Fund and City funds to attract a retailer.
- Consider alternative, community-driven models such as cooperatives, or co-location with another food or community-related enterprise.
IMPROVE PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS TO FOOD STORES
- Prioritize sidewalk & crosswalk upgrades within the vicinity of grocery stores and smaller food markets including Healthy Corner Store Initiative participating retailers.
SUPPORT SMALL GROCERS & CORNER STORES
- Provide subsidies or other assistance for businesses experiencing onerous commercial rents.
- Help launch and/or fund community-supported distribution projects to remove “minimum order” inventory barriers.
EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHY PREPARED MEALS
- Provide incentives for restaurants/ retailers to offer healthy meals.
- Develop/fund community-supported restaurants
SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY
- Pursue partnerships with hospitals to deploy healthy food, resources, education, and growing space.
- Enhance capacity & efficiency of food banks & food rescue networks.
- Encourage business and institutions to decrease food waste while increasing donation and re-purposing of food.
INCORPORATE FOOD ACCESS INTO HOUSING
- Support on-site programming such as bulk food delivery, emergency food assistance, nutrition/cooking education, and community gardens.
SUPPORT MORE WIDESPREAD FOOD GROWING/PRODUCTION
- including backyard gardens, community farms at schools, and commercial greenhouses or other facilities.
SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FARMERS MARKET
Past Survey Results
1st Draft of Plan Recommendations Survey Results: Below are the results of the online survey seeking feedback on draft plan recommendations that were first released in May 2019.
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Bolster the healthcare and wellness sector as the foundation for economic growth
- Strongly support - 29%
- Somewhat support - 34%
- Neutral - 24%
- Somewhat do not support - 7%
- Strongly do not support - 6%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide more small, professional office spaces
- Strongly support - 39%
- Somewhat support - 37%
- Neutral - 14%
- Somewhat do not support - 5%
- Strongly do not support - 5%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Preserve and improve locally-owned businesses that serve the community
- Strongly support - 52%
- Somewhat support - 31%
- Neutral - 8%
- Somewhat do not support - 4%
- Strongly do not support - 5%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Preserve housing affordability and keep current residents in the area
- Strongly support - 45%
- Somewhat support - 27%
- Neutral - 12%
- Somewhat do not support - 7%
- Strongly do not support - 9%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Create new affordable housing near transit and amenities
- Strongly support - 31%
- Somewhat support - 21%
- Neutral - 8%
- Somewhat do not support - 14%
- Strongly do not support - 27%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide more diverse and affordable housing options in all neighborhoods
- Strongly support - 36%
- Somewhat support - 21%
- Neutral - 8%
- Somewhat do not support - 11%
- Strongly do not support - 24%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Increase access to supportive housing and social services for vulnerable residents
- Strongly support - 39%
- Somewhat support - 25%
- Neutral - 9%
- Somewhat do not support - 10%
- Strongly do not support - 16%
Total respondents: 506
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Allow additional building height near transit in exchange for community benefits, such as affordable housing, public open space, preservation of an existing building, and community-serving businesses.
- Strongly support - 30%
- Somewhat support - 20%
- Neutral - 8%
- Somewhat do not support - 11%
- Strongly do not support - 30%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Use design guidelines and design review to encourage better design and walkability on key streets, such as commercial centers and corridors.
- Strongly support - 54%
- Somewhat support - 28%
- Neutral - 10%
- Somewhat do not support - 3%
- Strongly do not support - 4%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Ensure new homes in residential areas fit with the existing character by modifying zoning standards (building coverage, side setbacks, length of 2-story side walls, height, etc.)
- Strongly support - 42%
- Somewhat support - 27%
- Neutral - 15%
- Somewhat do not support - 8%
- Strongly do not support - 7%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Discourage demolition and encourage renovations and additions.
- Strongly support - 37%
- Somewhat support - 29%
- Neutral - 16%
- Somewhat do not support - 0%
- Strongly do not support - 9%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Improve housing options near transit by allowing homeowners to add units in exchange for keeping most of the original building (for example, by converting a single-unit home into a duplex, instead of scraping it to rebuild).
- Strongly support - 27%
- Somewhat support - 31%
- Neutral - 13%
- Somewhat do not support - 12%
- Strongly do not support - 17%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Take steps to establishing historic or "conservation overlay" districts in key areas.
- Strongly support - 31%
- Somewhat support - 29%
- Neutral - 20%
- Somewhat do not support - 9%
- Strongly do not support - 11%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Preserve Colfax's character while encouraging new development.
- Strongly support - 33%
- Somewhat support - 31%
- Neutral - 12%
- Somewhat do not support - 9%
- Strongly do not support - 15%
Total respondents: 382
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Make streets safer and easier to use for people walking, biking, using wheel chairs, or taking public transit.
- Strongly support - 77%
- Somewhat support - 12%
- Neutral - 5%
- Somewhat do not support - 1%
- Strongly do not support - 4%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Improve the bike lane network, making it safer and more connected.
- Strongly support - 61%
- Somewhat support - 23%
- Neutral - 7%
- Somewhat do not support - 5%
- Strongly do not support - 5%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Make intersections safer by reducing pedestrian, bicyclist, and driver exposure to crashes.
- Strongly support - 72%
- Somewhat support - 15%
- Neutral - 8%
- Somewhat do not support - 3%
- Strongly do not support - 2%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide more opportunities for pedestrians and bikes to safely cross major streets.
- Strongly support - 72%
- Somewhat support - 16%
- Neutral - 7%
- Somewhat do not support - 3%
- Strongly do not support - 3%
Question: Make buses easier to use by providing more routes, added stops, and less waiting time.
- Strongly support - 46%
- Somewhat support - 28%
- Neutral - 14%
- Somewhat do not support - 5%
- Strongly do not support - 7%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Encourage slower traffic speeds near parks and schools by lowering speed limits, adding better pedestrian crossings, and increasing visibility at intersections.
- Strongly support - 66%
- Somewhat support - 18%
- Neutral - 7%
- Somewhat do not support - 5%
- Strongly do not support - 4%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide options for more effective use of the transportation system.
- Strongly support - 43%
- Somewhat support - 30%
- Neutral - 13%
- Somewhat do not support - 7%
- Strongly do not support - 8%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Implement strategies for efficient and equitable use of curbside space.
Total respondents: 358
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Create a pedestrian network linking Historic Parkways with other parks and open spaces
- Strongly support - 64%
- Somewhat support - 24%
- Neutral - 7%
- Somewhat do not support - 2%
- Strongly do not support - 3%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Develop new "Contemporary Parkways" that improve walkability, bikeability and transit options, and connect parks and open spaces
- Strongly support - 60%
- Somewhat support - 24%
- Neutral - 9%
- Somewhat do not support - 2%
- Strongly do not support - 5%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Enhance existing open spaces, parks and recreation facilities
- Strongly support - 62%
- Somewhat support - 25%
- Neutral - 7%
- Somewhat do not support - 3%
- Strongly do not support - 3%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Create new open spaces, parks, and recreation facilities, in line with Denver's new Game Plan for a Healthy City
- Strongly support - 60%
- Somewhat support - 24%
- Neutral - 6%
- Somewhat do not support - 5%
- Strongly do not support - 6%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Improve tree coverage along streets
- Strongly support - 82%
- Somewhat support - 13%
- Neutral - 2%
- Somewhat do not support - 2%
- Strongly do not support - 1%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Strengthen development standards that protect trees during building projects
- Strongly support - 65%
- Somewhat support - 22%
- Neutral - 8%
- Somewhat do not support - 3%
- Strongly do not support - 2%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Design and implement "green infrastructure", using plants and unpaved ground to help manage water cycles naturally
- Strongly support - 65%
- Somewhat support - 24%
- Neutral - 7%
- Somewhat do not support - 2%
- Strongly do not support - 3%
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Encourage sustainable water practices, including stormwater management, flood protection, water quality, and water use
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Recruit a grocery store in the East Colfax neighborhood
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Support small grocers and corner stores
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Support the offer of healthier food options at existing restaurants and retail establishments
Total respondents: 302
East Area Kickoff Survey: From the summer of 2017 to the spring of 2018, the East Area planning team attended neighborhood meetings throughout the plan area and used an online survey to gather input from more than 1,100 people to learn more about their hopes and concerns on the East Area neighborhoods. The results, summarized below, were used to identify key topics to be addressed in the neighborhood plan.
Question: What do you like most about the East Area?
Responses: 1,164
Top six most frequent responses:
- 366 mentions - local businesses
- 295 - architecture/architecture
- 283 - convenient location
- 223 - diverse local population
- 176 - local parks and green spaces
- 172 - the people/community feel
Question: "What are your biggest concerns about the East Area, now and in the future?
Responses: 1,021
Top six most frequent responses"
- 493 mentions - crime/safety
- 285 - traffic, speeding, and congestion
- 219 - walkability and sidewalks
- 203 - general clean-up and beautifications
- 194 - development and loss of character
- 149 - chain retail, fast food, liquor stores, etc.
Question: What is your big idea to improve the East Area?
Top 6 most frequent responses:
- Make it safer for pedestrians - 209 mentions
- Clean up and beautify Colfax - 191
- More local retail and restaurants - 173
- Rehab the Colfax hotels - 116
- Reduce crime/more police presence - 87
- Improve bikeability - 82
Total respondents: 759
The predominant themes of the community’s big ideas were safety and revitalization along Colfax. Improved walkability was a popular topic, particularly through easier street crossings, traffic calming, better lighting and improved sidewalks. Similarly, many respondents suggested beautifying and activating Colfax by adding trees and streetscaping; helping to foster growth in new local and independent retail and restaurants; cleaning up trash; reducing crime and potentially transitioning the street’s motels into higher-quality affordable housing, artists’ live-work studios, or other non-traditional group living spaces.
Question: "Please tell us what neighborhood amenities are important to you. These can be amenities that exist today or ones you would like to see in the future. The top amenities for me in the East Area are…"
Responses:
- Grocery shopping: 72 percent
- Dining: 65 percent
- Other retail and entertainment: 25 percent
- Recreational activities: 22 percent
- Outdoor seating and plaza: 18 percent
- Cultural amenities/events: 17 percent
- Medical services: 13 percent
- Educational opportunities: 5 percent
- Child care: 3 percent
- Office space: 2 percent
Total respondents: 968
Food and fun dominated the list of top amenities for residents in the East Area. Ranked highest were Grocery Shopping and Dining, both choices that were selected as “top 3” by the majority of respondents, followed by Other Retail and Entertainment, and Recreational Activities. Respondents expressed much less interest in prioritizing economic development amenities like childcare, educational opportunities, and office space.
Question: "Please tell us how friendly the East Area is for pedestrians, including the quality of sidewalks and ease of access to amenities. Walking in the East Area is . . ."
- Very easy - 10% of 1,039 respondents
- Fairly easy - 45%
- Not easy - 45%
Many felt that walking was not very safe on and around Colfax due to speeding cars, difficult crossings, and crime. There is also a well-documented lack of sidewalks in some areas, as well as sections of sidewalks needing repair.
Source: East Area Kick-Off Survey, 2017
Question: "Please tell us how friendly the East Area is for cyclists, including the quality of bicycle facilities and ease of access to amenities. Biking in the East Area is . . .
- Very easy - 8% of 990 respondents
- Fairly easy - 47%
- Not easy - 45%
Respondents asked for more and better bike facilities, specifically to improve connectivity between bike lanes and provide better access to local transit stops.
Source: East Area Kick-Off Survey, 2017
Question: "Please tell us how often you use public transit in the East Area. I take East Area local transit . . ."
- Frequently - 10% of 1,029 respondents
- Occasionally - 24%
- Rarely - 30%
- Never - 36%
Most community members surveyed stated they take local public transit rarely (30%) or never (36%). Many provided comments stating local transit options are not reliable enough, or should run more frequently. Some respondents also noted that transit amenities (such as bus shelters) should be improved, especially along Colfax.
Question: "Please tell us about housing options in the East Area by selecting all that apply. The East Area has good housing options for…”
- Families - 81% of 941 respondents agree
- Young professionals - 72% agree
- Seniors - 39% agree
- Low-income residents - 30% agree
- Disabiled residents - 12% agree
Many community members felt that the area lacks affordable housing options for many groups and, further, that housing costs in the area are rapidly increasing. Respondents expressed concern that this would lead to less diversity in the area over time, and that new, higher-density and expensive housing development was affecting the area’s historical character.
Question: "Please tell us your opinion on the businesses in the East Area. The local businesses in the East Area _____ my daily needs."
- Meet most of - 29% of 1,024 respondents
- Meet some of - 49%
- Don't meet - 22%
The community agrees that businesses in the East Area meet “most” or “some’ of their daily needs, and that the area’s local, independent businesses are part of what makes it a great place to live. However, many also expressed concern about certain pockets of Colfax they felt have too many fast food restaurants, too many empty store fronts, and generally a lack of retailers that serve the community’s needs.
Question: "Please tell us how safe you feel in the East Area. I feel safe in the East Area . . . "
- Always - 8% of 1,032 respondents
- Usually - 67%
- Rarely - 15%
While most of the community reported feeling safe “usually” in the East area (67%), many also expressed concern with local crime, drug use in public areas, and panhandling. Many respondents left comments reporting what they felt was an increase in local property crime, and some stated they did not feel safe walking along Colfax.
About the East Planning Area
The East Planning Area includes the statistical neighborhoods adjacent to Colfax Avenue between Colorado Boulevard and Yosemite Street (Denver's eastern city limit), including South Park Hill, Montclair, Hale, and East Colfax. The area contains many great community assets, such as historic parkways, the Rose Medical Center, Johnson and Wales University, and many unique, locally-owned businesses. The area is experiencing some significant changes, such as the 9th and Colorado mixed use project, as well as plans to add Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along Colfax Avenue. Two of the four neighborhoods, South Park Hill and East Colfax, have out of date plans, while Hale and Montclair have no plans at all. The Neighborhood Planning Initiative provides a great opportunity to establish the community’s vision for maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in these neighborhoods for decades to come.
Currently, the East planning area is zoned according to the following breakdown:
| 58% | Urban edge context |
| 30% | Urban context |
| 5% | Former Chapter 59 (Old Code) Zoning |
| 5% | Other (Campus, Open space, Urban center contexts) |
| 5% | General Urban context |
To help inform the NPI Strategic Plan, the city developed data-based indicators of planning need at the neighborhood scale. Click here to read more about the indicators.
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| Regional destinations |
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| Key corridors |
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Neighborhoods
