The Denver City Council on Monday set the public-hearing schedule for a proposed overhaul of the city’s zoning laws, setting the stage for final consideration after more than five years of debate and planning.
The council, without comment, unanimously agreed the public will get to weigh in June 21.
Council members Charlie Brown and Chris Nevitt were absent.
If enacted, the revamp would be the first comprehensive change to the city’s land-use laws since 1956.
The proposed code would replace what city planners characterize as inefficient, cumbersome and outdated zoning laws.
The changes will direct growth and density to areas near transit corridors while encouraging stability in long-established neighborhoods, city planners say.
The overhaul has created some conflict, chiefly over the decision to restrict duplex and multiplex construction in some areas of the city where such construction previously was allowed.
The new code will restrict development in some of those areas to single-family homes. In some instances, city planners compromised by allowing construction of “accessory dwelling units,” including a carriage flat or studio apartment.
Backers say the changes will help preserve the character of cherished neighborhoods and steer multiplex construction to appropriate areas.
Detractors say the changes will decrease property values and impose unnecessary restrictions on developers.
The new code also creates a broader range of zone districts, which planners say will encourage urban and suburban characteristics where appropriate.
The public hearing on the changes won’t follow the usual council meeting format.
Speakers can sign up from 12:30 to 1 p.m. June 21 to speak at a session set for 1 to 5:30 p.m. Anyone unable to make the first session can sign up from 6 to 6:30 p.m. to speak during the 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. session.
The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. June 22 to hear any remaining speakers and conduct final deliberations.
Also Monday, the council gave initial approval to requiring public hearings when proposed construction or an addition to an existing building in city parks exceeds 3,000 square feet or a height greater than 35 feet.
The council must approve the change, proposed by Council President Jeanne Robb, a second time before it becomes final. Neighborhood activists pushed for the change, saying they want more input into what occurs on city park land.
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, the person who proposed a change in how new construction is handled in Denver Parks was incorrect. Council President Jeanne Robb proposed the change.
