Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper on Tuesday pledged to listen to the concerns of Lowry homeowners who fear a proposed 800-housing unit development will have a negative impact on their neighborhoods.
The 72-acre site surfaced as an issue during a town hall meeting at Lowry Elementary School when David Siefkas, of the newly formed Lowry United Neighborhoods, said many residents felt the mayor hadn’t heard their concerns.
The development on Air Force-owned land on the southwest edge of the former base would bring several new buildings to the area, some of which could include four floors above a retail space or garage.
“We believe the Lowry redevelopment process right now is broken,” Siefkas said told the mayor. “Will you meet with us?”
The mayor joked back: “Never,” and then quickly let the residents know he was joking and invited them to his office to discuss their concerns.
While Siefkas and several other residents expressed opposition to the proposal, saying they feared it would crowd too many residents on top of each other, others living in the area said in later interviews that they supported the redevelopment plans.
Councilwoman Marcia Johnson said after the meeting that she thinks the proposed project will be delayed so residents can have time to digest the proposal.
The Lowry Redevelopment Authority, a nonprofit group formed by Denver and Aurora, is scheduled to submit a development plan to the Air Force later this month, but Johnson said more time is needed to discuss the issue.
Johnson said the current configuration includes park land and a divided, four-lane road, amenities that encourage developers to increase the density of the project to make it cost-effective.
She said it’s crucial that the project strike the correct balance between such amenities and the size of the buildings.
Hickenlooper pledged to return to hold another town hall meeting in the fall to discuss education issues.
