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Approximately 350 people turned out for the Southmoor Station Plan Public Workshop at Hamilton Middle School. For most, the meeting was a productive discussion that answered many common questions. The meeting was also an opportunity to share substantive information about the planning area such as current zoning and development capacity.
Peter Park, Manager of Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department (CPD), led the first part of the meeting which focused on the purpose of the planning process for the Southmoor Station. The planning department recognizes that in Denver, vacant land and other sites located near the light rail station, are likely to be developed or redeveloped. The city would like to create a long-range future plan (5,10,15 years from now) for all of the light rail stations in Denver.
The benefits of a plan vs. no plan were discussed. The advantage of a plan, which includes input from neighboring residents and business owners, is to create a vision for the area, provide guidance for private development, and allow support for public infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks, road and pedestrian crossing improvements. Without a plan, the property would retain its current zoning and development could take place without further public or City Council input.
City Planner, Caryn Wenzara, presented the section on existing context for planning. The City has adopted many plans which provide guiding documents for any proposed development in the city. The zoning for the area in question is currently B-1 and B-3. There are multiple uses that could occur without re-zoning or without public or City Council input. These uses include multiple family housing, retail, restaurants, medical clinics, professional offices, and civic uses.
Outside of the zoning, there are other regulations that must also be considered when looking to plan for this area. There is an existing View Plane Ordinance for Southmoor Park East, which limits the height of any buildings in the area to 42 feet, as well as a separate agreement between the neighborhood and property owners regarding development.
Based on the question and answer segment of the meeting, we have updated our frequently asked questions sheet to include additional points raised and additional responses discussed. Click on the link below for the updated Frequently Asked Questions.
In addition to the thorough question and answer sessions, many attendees participated in a small group planning exercise. This was an extremely helpful exercise to allow the public to offer ideas about what they want to see near the station. Each table began by reviewing and discussing a collection of pictures. Then, they wrote down their ideas. Finally, each table reported to the large group their top three concepts. Here is a list of the ideas presented by the exercise participants:
Thank you for your participation! We hope you continue to stay involved!
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