After approval from the Denver Planning Board, City Council officially adopted the East Area Plan at its meeting Monday, November 16. This final phase of the planning process was the culmination of three years of hard work by community members in South Park Hill, Hale, Montclair and East Colfax whose efforts and input have resulted in a truly community-driven long-term vision for these neighborhoods.
From surveys and pop-up events to large community meetings and the formation of new neighborhood advocacy groups, East Area residents, business owners and advocates worked hard to make their voices heard, to bring more neighbors and stakeholders to the table and to lay a foundation for continued participation to ensure implementation includes the community’s voices. The result is a draft plan that reflects the ideas and vision of thousands of community members and honors what makes East Denver special to so many.
The plan addresses key neighborhood needs—helping local businesses remain and thrive, affordable housing, preserving the diversity of East Colfax Avenue as well as neighborhood architecture, trees and open spaces, and making it easier and safer to get around—by providing policy recommendations that will guide city decision-making over the next 20 years.
Appendices:
If you need help accessing the PDF files on this page using assistive technology, please contact planningservices@denvergov.org.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for our neighborhoods and further highlighted pre-existing inequities. More than ever, we need plans and policies that promote equity, support the health of our residents and our planet, keep community members and small, independent businesses connected to the services they need and help address the short- and long-term economic challenges the city and its residents will be facing in the wake of the pandemic. Several of the priority policy recommendations in the East draft plan, such as assistance to locally owned businesses, preventing involuntary displacement of low-income residents, and ensuring the East Colfax corridor’s diversity is preserved are now even more important.
Since the summer of 2017, planners have sought to engage the community in each of the East Area neighborhoods in a way that offered multiple convenient and accessible avenues for participation—in person at traditional meetings, at events where community members congregate naturally, as well as online. We surveyed participants and conducted research to ensure we were reaching every corner of these neighborhoods in all their geographic and demographic diversity, and when we have noticed gaps, we took specific steps to address them. Spanish language interpretation, food and childcare were provided at every community workshop. During the planning process, several groups organized themselves to better advocate for neighborhood interests, and members of the planning team met with these groups regularly, responded to their feedback and questions at each step of the process and posted their input on the project website.
We have also sought to be responsive to the substance of community concerns, adding an additional opportunity to review plan recommendations before they were incorporated into a draft plan. Additional time for community review and input was provided throughout the process, culminating in over 2,600 attendees at in-person and virtual events, over 4,000 participants in online surveys and emails, and more than 8,500 comments.
Download the planning process graphic (PDF)
Learn more about the process for neighborhood planning in Denver
Join the East Area Plan email list to get updates on the plan and reminders about opportunities to share your voice.
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.
To translate the FAQs, use the Google Translate widget at the top of this page.
East Area Plan Frequently Asked Questions Updated 9/4/20
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, engagement has included:
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 were updated and incorporated into the first draft of the plan, which was shared for public review and input in March 2020. We received over a 1,100 comments on the draft plan, and additional updates have been made and shared in Public Review Draft #2. Next steps include the Steering Committee final meeting on the draft, followed by public hearings and consideration by 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:
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 March 2020 draft plan?
A summary of community feedback and changes to the draft plan can be found on this page.
5. How will the East Area Plan change existing regulations, such as zoning, or make future budget commitments?
The East Area Plan is long-term policy document that will be used to inform City decision making, but the plan itself is not a set of regulations and does not have the City’s budget funds tied to it. 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. As the City adopts its yearly budget, the East Area Plan will help inform what projects and programs should be funded to help meet the plan’s vision.
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 up to 50,000 by 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:
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:
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. 165). The following recommendations address displacement and were bolstered by input from community members and close collaboration with East Area organizations such as East Colfax Community Collective:
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, presence of character buildings, 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:
Additional updates from the March 2020 draft plan include:
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? Where will accessory dwelling units (ADU) and missing middle housing (duplex, triplex, 4-unit) be allowed?
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 plan supports allowing ADUs on all residential lots in the East Area. Further, the plan supports an integration of additional missing middle housing (2-4 units) throughout the East Area, interspersed within single and two unit areas in a way that keeps single unit areas primarily single unit in the future.
The policy recommendation was updated based on community feedback received, and it strikes a balance between allowing for additional housing while preserving the built form that East area residents love. Key updates from the May 2019 recommendation include:
Additional updates from the March 2020 draft plan include:
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:
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:
Based on community feedback, the following updates were made from the March 2020 draft plan:
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 and Section 2.3 of the draft plan (p. 69) 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, car/bike share memberships for tenants) into new development to provide residents and visitors viable alternatives to using a car. The draft plan specifically addresses parking challenges in the following ways:
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:
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:
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 here: www.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:
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 visit 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@denvergov.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.
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.
All meetings are open to the public. No meetings are scheduled at this time.
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 |
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
Steering Committee Meeting #24
6-8 p.m., Wednesday, September 23
Virtual meeting via Zoom.
City Council Public Hearing
5:30 p.m., Monday, November 16
The Planning Board voted October 7 to approve the East Area Plan with the condition that a line be removed. The change deals with the plan's strategies and guidance on additional housing options in residential neighborhoods in the East Area. Specifically, the condition called for the removal of a line about areas that are currently predominantly single-unit housing: "Single unit areas should remain primarily single unit."
City Council voted Novermber 16 to add the line back into the plan and adopted the plan with the line back in. The line appears on page 39 of the plan as guidance for a recommendation on housing options in residential neighborhoods. See below for full context
From page 39 of the Land Use and Built Form section of the plan:
Recommendation L6
Policy: Ensure East Area neighborhoods are inclusive places by thoughtfully integrating compatibly-designed missing middle housing and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in appropriate locations.
Background: The character of many of East’s neighborhoods is defined by the older houses, which tend to be smaller than what would be built today. Smaller houses tend to be a more attainable choice and provide more naturally affordable options. In East Colfax and the eastern portion of South Park Hill, smaller houses on larger lots make those houses particularly at risk of being demolished and replaced with a larger, more expensive homes. Residents are concerned about the trend of less affordable housing options and losing the historic neighborhood character that could change due to the intensity of new construction. Many existing homes are large enough to accommodate multiple units or contain elements that facilitate multiple units. With affordability and neighborhood preservation concerns, thoughtfully allowing additional units can help preserve neighborhood character while expanding housing options.
A. Consistent with adopted citywide policies in Blueprint Denver, integrate missing middle housing with rules to preserve valued neighborhood characteristics and address unique issues in the East Area as follows:
See full policy recommendation on page 39 of the East Area Plan.
Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting
10:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 20
Virtual meeting via Zoom
Denver Planning Board Public Hearing
3 p.m., Wednesday, October 7
Virtual meeting via Zoom
Download full document (PDF)
Jump to specific sections
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)
East Area Virtual Community Workshop
6 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Use the links below to watch a recording of the May 12 virtual open house.
Community Office Hours
3-4 p.m., June 11, 2020
Virtual meeting
Community Office Hours
6-7 p.m., June 17, 2020
Virtual meeting
Community Office Hours
3-4 p.m., June 18, 2020
Virtual meeting
Community Office Hours
3-4 p.m., June 25, 2020
Virtual meeting
East Area Virtual Community Workshop
6 p.m., Thursday, September 10
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
7/16/20 – East Colfax Community Collective Meeting
7/29/20 – East Colfax Community Collective Meeting
8/20/20 – East Colfax Community Collective Meeting
8/20/20 – Denver East Neighborhoods First Meeting
9/3/20 – Greater Park Hill Community RNO
9/16/20 – Historic Montclair RNO
9/29/20 - Bellevue-Hale Neighborhood Association Meeting
2018
2019
2020
After the first set of recommendations was released in May 2019, public feedback was collected and used to inform updated recommendations.
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
B - HOSPITALS & SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS
Together, hospitals and surrounding neighborhoods can address community development in ways that are mutually beneficial
The Plan aims to:
C - MIXED-USE CENTERS, CORRIDORS & DISTRICTS
The primary location for housing and employment growth in the East Area
The Plan aims to:
D - MOTELS
There are 17 motels along Colfax that currently serve as a form of transitional housing
The Plan aims to:
NEIGHBORHOODS OVERALL
A large majority of the East Area’s land is residential
The Plan aims to:
1. BOLSTER THE HEALTHCARE AND WELLNESS SECTOR AS THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMY
2. STRENGTHEN THE SMALL PROFESSIONAL OFFICE NICHE WRITE IN ANSWERS BELOW. IF NEIGHBORHOOD-SPECIFIC, LIST WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD.
3. PRESERVE AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY-SERVING, LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESSES
4. PRESERVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND STABILIZE RESIDENTS AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT
5. CREATE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT AND AMENITIES
6. EXPAND DIVERSITY OF HOUSING TYPES & AFFORDABILITY IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
7. INCREASE ACCESS TO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE RESIDENTS
INCENTIVIZE MAINTAINING EXISTING HOMES AND INTRODUCE NEW MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING IN AREAS VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT
ALLOW ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN ALL RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
TRANSFORMATIVE STREETS
Prioritize Walking, Biking, Rolling and Transit Along Key Corridors That Connect People And Places
Colorado Boulevard between 6th and 23rd
Monaco Parkway Between 6th and 23rd
Quebec Street Between 6th and 23rd
23rd Avenue Between Colorado and Quebec
Montview Boulevard Between Colorado and Yosemite
17th Avenue Between Colorado and Monaco
Colfax Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite
14th Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite
13th Avenue Between Colorado and Yosemite
6th Avenue Between Colorado and Quebec
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
PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INTERSECTION SAFETY
Study Intersection Safety Improvements - Also See Transformative Streets
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING
Slow Traffic Via A Zone-Based Approach Along Neighborhood Streets
Parks
Primary and Secondary Schools
Hospitals and Libraries
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM)
Provide options for more effective use of the transportation system
PARKING, CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT AND FREIGHT ACCESS
Implement strategies for efficient and equitable use of curbside space
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
INCENTIVIZE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE HEIGHT (ABOVE WHAT CURRENT ZONING ALLOWS).
Benefits include:
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND URBAN DESIGN
ENCOURAGE RENOVATIONS OR ADDITIONS OVER DEMOLITION THROUGH TOOLS SUCH AS:
WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS TO MODIFY ZONING STANDARDS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION TO MORE CLOSELY SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
Recommendations include modifying:
ENCOURAGE MAINTAINING VALUED HOUSING STOCK THAT CONTRIBUTES TO NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER BY ALLOWING ADDITIONAL UNITS IN LOCATIONS NEAR TRANSIT THROUGH TOOLS SUCH AS:
REQUIRE DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT IN CORRIDORS AND CENTERS
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 .
MODIFY REGULATORY BARRIERS TO REDEVELOPMENT WHILE ALSO INCENTIVIZING COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND CHARACTER PRESERVATION TOOLS TO RESPECT THE UNIQUE HISTORY AND CHARACTER OF COLFAX.
OTHER COLFAX-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS:
CONNECT EXISTING OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATIONAL ASSETS THROUGH A HISTORIC PARKWAY PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
DEVELOP NEW CONTEMPORARY PARKWAYS THAT CONNECT THE COMMUNITY TO OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATIONAL ASSETS, AS WELL AS SERVE MULTIPLE COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS
ENHANCE EXISTING COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES
CREATE NEW COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES
SUSTAINABILITY
A. STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING TREE CANOPY AND INCREASE CANOPY COVERAGE WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
B. PROTECT AND PRESERVE EXISTING TREE ASSETS IN ALL REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
C. INCREASE PERVIOUS SURFACE COVERAGE THROUGH THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
>> Download green streets map (PDF)
D. ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES INCLUDING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, FLOOD PROTECTION, WATER QUALITY, AND WATER USE
FOOD ACCESS
Download healthy food access map (PDF)
RECRUIT A GROCERY STORE IN THE EAST COLFAX NEIGHBORHOOD
IMPROVE PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS TO FOOD STORES
SUPPORT SMALL GROCERS & CORNER STORES
EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHY PREPARED MEALS
SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY
INCORPORATE FOOD ACCESS INTO HOUSING
SUPPORT MORE WIDESPREAD FOOD GROWING/PRODUCTION
SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FARMERS MARKET
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
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide more small, professional office spaces
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Preserve and improve locally-owned businesses that serve the community
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Preserve housing affordability and keep current residents in the area
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Create new affordable housing near transit and amenities
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide more diverse and affordable housing options in all neighborhoods
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Increase access to supportive housing and social services for vulnerable residents
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.
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.
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.)
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Discourage demolition and encourage renovations and additions.
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).
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Take steps to establishing historic or "conservation overlay" districts in key areas.
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Preserve Colfax's character while encouraging new development.
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.
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Improve the bike lane network, making it safer and more connected.
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Make intersections safer by reducing pedestrian, bicyclist, and driver exposure to crashes.
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide more opportunities for pedestrians and bikes to safely cross major streets.
Question: Make buses easier to use by providing more routes, added stops, and less waiting time.
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.
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Provide options for more effective use of the transportation system.
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
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
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Enhance existing open spaces, parks and recreation facilities
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
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Improve tree coverage along streets
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Strengthen development standards that protect trees during building projects
Question: How do you feel about this recommendation: Design and implement "green infrastructure", using plants and unpaved ground to help manage water cycles naturally
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:
Question: "What are your biggest concerns about the East Area, now and in the future?
Responses: 1,021
Top six most frequent responses"
Question: What is your big idea to improve the East Area?
Top 6 most frequent responses:
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:
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 . . ."
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 . . .
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 . . ."
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…”
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."
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 . . . "
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.
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.
Statistics |
|
---|---|
Regional destinations |
|
Natural features |
|
Key corridors |
|