The Denver City Council on Monday agreed to consider passing a moratorium that would restrict new development in three westside neighborhoods to single-family homes.
Councilman Rick Garcia is asking the council to approve the moratorium for two neighborhoods in West Highland and one neighborhood in Berkeley in his council district because he believes the council is taking too long to put in place a new zoning code.
The council originally planned to update the city’s zoning code this year but decided to wait until next spring to take up final consideration of the zoning overhaul, to allow residents and other interested parties to give their opinions.
The area where Garcia is seeking to restrict development encompasses 274 acres and has 1,210 units of housing, 90 percent of which is single-family. Currently, the areas are zoned in such a way that developers can build duplexes and multiplexes.
Deciding the proper density in residential neighborhoods that have historically been single-family in character has been one of the most divisive issues to hit Denver in recent years.
Those who want to restrict the development to single-family homes argue that it provides stability to the areas. They say developers have started building expensive multiplexes and duplexes that long-time residents find unsightly and out of character with nearby homes.
Others fear losing property values if development is restricted to single-family homes. They say developers will pay more for property that can be turned into duplexes and multiplexes. They also argue that the new homes are popular with homebuyers who might otherwise end up moving to the suburbs.
Last year, in support of his constituents, Garcia pushed through similar rezoning restrictions for two other areas in his council district, prompting a heated debate that culminated in council approval after a marathon public hearing.
The council agreed without discussion to take up the moratorium on Monday during a public hearing.
This time around, the issue is not likely to produce as much as conflict the councilman’s last rezoning request.
The moratorium would begin Jan. 1 and would end Dec. 31, 2010, or when the council adopts a new zoning code. It would encompass areas bounded by Federal Boulevard and Irving Street, and Highland Park Place and the alley north of West Clyde Place; Lowell Boulevard and Tennyson Street, and West 32nd Avenue to West 35th Avenue; and West 41st Avenue and West 46th Avenue, and Lowell Boulevard and the alley west of Stuart Street.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
CLARIFICATION 10/21/2009: The constituents in Garcia’s council district were
the applicants for the rezonings, which he supported and voted
for last year.
