Speaker 11: The first is the 41st and Fox station area that will open in the spring of 2016, introducing new multimodal access to the area and transitioning the area to a more TOD and mixed use context, supporting higher intensity redevelopment as well. And also within the area, we've seen a number of proposed rezonings and larger redevelopment sites signaling a change in the surrounding environments to that TOD and mixed use context as it evolves over time. And finally, we find that the existing UO two zoning does not reflect the city's adopted vision as reinforced in the Globeville Neighborhood Plan adopted in 2014. Another change condition. Now on to consistency with neighborhood context. As described earlier and as well in your staff report, we find that it is appropriate to apply zoning within the Urban Center neighborhood context at the subject site, both through the adopted plan vision as well as the multimodal context that will be enhanced when the 41st and Fox station area opens in spring 2016. And then moving on to consistency with zone, district purpose and intent, the c r zone districts are intended to promote safe, active and pedestrian scale diverse areas through building forms that activate the street edge. And they also introduce small scale commercial uses along with primarily residential uses. So we do find that the rezoning of C, r X8 is at the subject site is consistent with this purpose statement. And finally, the cr8 zone district specifically applies to residentially dominated areas served by collector or arterial streets where scale of 2 to 8 storeys is desired. And as we've seen to the adopted plan vision, our subject site is located on a mixed use arterial. And plans recommend building heights of eight storeys. So we do find that the rezoning is consistent with this intent statement. So based upon CPD's review of the five criteria, we find that all the criteria have been met and accordingly recommend approval of application 2015, i.e. 00052 from IAU or two to see our x eight. And I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. And the applicant is here as well tonight. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. We have two speakers for this hearing. We have our Ahmad Payan and Mr. Sekou.
Speaker 7: Thank you. Congratulations, city council on your new appointments. And I just want to touch on a couple of quick items. I believe that the direction that the city is going in this part of the city that has been neglected for. I've been there since 1962. And it's it's been longer than that. I believe this is an area of smart growth. And I believe this is this is an area that's going to be as well as other cities in the world. I call it Smart Town. And this is the first of the beginning of very many light rail projects that will be moving forward. So again, I'd like to thank you and applaud you for allowing taking these only requests and consideration as and especially your planner, Ryan Wittenberg led outstanding staff that you have on board of the city and County of Denver Planning Office. Again, this is an area of change against smart growth and a transportation development center. Again, the reason I say smart growth is because we have a light rail station that encourages high density housing there, but to be use effectively and efficiently to use the services throughout the city, but more importantly, to make them more citizens and the residents of the city and county of Denver, more mobile and using and does not use in their cars and creating pollution in our neighborhood. Again, I just want to say thank you. And I did reach out to several neighbors upon Councilman Brooks's request. One resident neighborhood that suggested if we could get some street sweeping done over there. And finally two of the tenants are being evicted, unfortunately. And the other four didn't have very much comment. And you did receive three other comments that several other residents to respond. So, again, thank you and have a great evening.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker 8: My name is Chairman Sekou on the. Proud founder and organizer for the Black Star Action Movement for Self-defense, representing poor, working, poor and homeless people. On the surface, this looks like to be something that needs to be happening again. This area has been disregarded as far as a place for development. And now that the city is in a boom period, all neighborhoods who traditionally were poor, working, poor, homeless, black and brown people. Are now up for grabs. If this is going to follow the other processes of how other neighborhoods have been developed over the last ten years of gentrification and relocation, and especially for poor and working poor and homeless people. This change to build housing is for who? Who? Poor people. Brown people. Black people. Homeless people? No. No, it wasn't done in five points. It's not going to be done there.
Speaker 3: So you have displacement going on.
Speaker 8: And this for the new folks is part of your tool belt. So you can help keep poor, working poor and homeless people within the city county of Denver by not being a rubber stamp for developers and the mayor's office who are under Dodge for taking money from these developers. All right. And then when these developers come in here, they don't employ no poor working, poor homeless people on this project so that we can come up in one day afford the rent. So you have designed poverty.
Speaker 3: Systematic poverty, that the biggest problem and now you have a great.
Speaker 8: Opportunity tonight because they messed up. Say it's more y'all than them on the boat. All right. Y'all can seize the upper ground now. Send a message to the people that you can't come in here. We are concerned about you. So people don't have to come in here and do what they just did, man. See? Because that can be a standard operating procedure, man, that we got to go through that. Why? Why? See? What? Doesn't make no sense, man. So to abort folks from having one of them housing rights that you had out in San Francisco. You know what I'm saying? Total disruption and madness. And then in the process of rebuilding, you could have spent the money on homeless and working people without all of that drama.
Speaker 3: Come on. Come on, man. Come on. Because the people are.
Speaker 8: Sick and tired of being sick and tired. And as their voices are muted and the dis and the demonstrations don't. You don't get it. They would have said, we have no other choice. Mr. Sanchez is.
Speaker 2: Mr. Secular.
Speaker 8: Tear down.
Speaker 2: Mr. Sekou, 3 minutes is up.
Speaker 8: Thank you very much.
Speaker 2: Thank you, sir.
Speaker 3: All right, so that.
Speaker 2: Concludes our speakers ready for questions from members of council. Councilman Brown.
Speaker 5: Yeah. Question for Armando Payan. Mr. Perry, how long have you lived in neighborhood?
Speaker 7: I've been in this neighborhood since 1963, and I like to think that gentleman that spoke. But I'm brown and I've been here and I've been here since 1963. Okay. Mr. Brown, just ask.
Speaker 5: I'ma set you up. Well, to answer all of the misconceptions that gentleman just put on there. So you've been in there since since 1906? Yes, sir. How can you answer the question? How many years you've been since 1963.
Speaker 7: Over 50 years.
Speaker 5: And what are you doing in the community right now?
Speaker 7: Right now, we have a multiple of projects going on. And just just to share with some of the council people who have been part of this process, we gave out 500 backpacks to every kid in garden place. Those kids didn't have a didn't have a backpack to go to school. We took it upon ourselves to go get those backpacks. The United Way, the Salvation Army. Not one of those organizations gave us those backpacks. Did you know what? We went and got those backpacks for those kids because you know why? I know what it's like to be poor. And this project is for poor people. It's not about. I ain't got no money.
Speaker 2: Sir, I appreciate. Appreciate your responding, but could you please just answer.
Speaker 5: This question, sir? Thank you. Thank you for what you're doing in the community. So you said that you reached out to some of the neighbors who were in here. You know, we've had we've probably had three rezonings in this neighborhood within the last couple of months. And so just concern that some of the folks who are in the neighborhood don't really understand the transition that's going on. And so just tell me about some of the conversations you've had with some of them.
Speaker 7: Well, again, I've been down there and just reached out to some of the residents that are down there. And I know because I've been down there myself and they welcome the change in terms of the positive things that it brings to our neighborhood, things that we don't have no grocery stores down there. We got marijuana dispensary stores down there. We ain't got a grocery store, but thank God that's when there's one coming down the line. So before now, that's going to happen. And one of the a couple of the residents have already alluded to that these are some basic services that are going to happen that haven't been there before . We're going to get a clinic. They have some medical services there. We're going to get a grocery store. We're going to get some banking because right now, you know what, it cost $3 to go to 7-Eleven and do a transaction. You know why? Because we we don't have a bank down there to do branch banking. They take advantage of us and exploit us. But that's all going to change for the better. And we'll have jobs. I can guarantee you that. So, again, I want to thank city council because I believe this is smart growth and this is going to help everybody. You're right. There are neighborhoods been neglected for over a hundred years, but that's going to change right now for the positive thing. And my belief is I'm still there to help that change move forward and we don't get left behind in the process. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Okay.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilman Brooks. Councilwoman Ortega, you're up.
Speaker 4: Mr. Ryan, if you can just stay there for a second.
Speaker 7: Sure.
Speaker 4: Can you tell us generally about how many residential units you expect to put into the development?
Speaker 7: Maybe just a handful. Depends on the cost. And, you know, my goal is to, again, help provide some of the services that this neighborhood has been neglecting for for the past several years. What would make those affordable housing? And I really mean I know what it is to be poor. You know, I'm not I'm not I mean, for me, this is something that to help the community. To answer your question directly. I'm hoping to get 6 to 8 units in there. What the composition of those I don't really don't know because I don't have the cost. I've been looking at some costs and obviously they're skyrocketed. But I'm hoping and work with Denver Housing, Section eight housing to be able to afford some some some nice units to some individuals such as our in this room today. Well that's that's a lot foresight. And Debbie Ortega, for the record, was at the school that was that guard in place handing out backpacks and helping us. Our councilwoman at Lawrence right here. So these are the kind of council people you got up here making decisions, helping us and think about the poor, who our school has been neglected.
Speaker 4: Ceremony. I'm not sure I heard you correctly. Did you say 60 to 80?
Speaker 7: No, no. 6 to 8 units.
Speaker 4: 6 to 8 units. Are you going to build the four, eight stories?
Speaker 7: Well, I don't know yet. I mean, I have to look at construction costs right now. It's I mean, it's so cost prohibitive. But again, I want to be able to provide some meaningful housing for the neighborhood.
Speaker 4: And as part of the development there, as you indicated or somebody indicated in the pictures, there are no curbs, gutters, sidewalks.
Speaker 7: There's not.
Speaker 4: Redevelopment. Will require you to do that, correct? Correct.
Speaker 7: Currently, right now, there's no multi-modal transportation or no infrastructure currently to help facilitate any of that process. So right now, if you ride a bike, get lucky because you're going to be riding around on the street. So hopefully with this development, we can get a nice bike path. In fact, we can hopefully we can get a a flyover so the kids can walk to garden place and don't have to try. I had a kid, a friend. They got ran over on that highway when I was in second grade. So I know what it's like to feel death and next to a companion at that early age.
Speaker 4: Thank you for your call. Thank you. I have no further questions.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Councilwoman Ortega, Councilman Cashman, you're up.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Mr. President. And for planning, please. So we're we're zoning from a maximum of eight storeys so we can go to story stage stories. Correct.
Speaker 11: From the Air Zone district currently doesn't have a maximum height recommendation in stories it's regulated by IFR, and the request is to rezone to an eight story district.
Speaker 4: That is correct.
Speaker 9: Exactly. Exactly. So it we'll be anywhere from, I guess, one story to at eight stories. What I'm where I'm going is so we've we've looked at a number of rezonings in this general area over a period of weeks. And so here we are going again with a size we really don't know what it's going to look like. And I wonder if you can just speak to how we project traffic demands and how we assess our ability to handle that.
Speaker 11: Sure. That's a great question and exactly to your point. At the time of rezoning, we're not able to predict specifically what the product will be built on a particular site. So the traffic impact analysis that you're referring to does take place during the development review process. Exactly. For that point, to understand the mix of uses and the implications from a specific proposed development. So our colleagues at Public Works are transportation engineers would review a proposed development for traffic impacts along with the range of other development standards to understand if any improvements need to be made at the time of rezoning. But the see our x eight zone district does introduce a greater sense of predictability. I would like to think than the current zoning currently applies affords today because of the AIA zone district that doesn't regulate building heights in terms of stories and instead by far so which is more unpredictable. Buildings can be very tall and skinny, can be very low and flat. The current zoning would also allow for parking in between. The building in the street doesn't have standards like transparency and entrance requirements, so those standards are all built into the C r zone district. So there definitely does increase the sense of security and predictability, both for a property owner and the surrounding neighbors as well.
Speaker 9: Right. So the traffic study is is obviously done after any zoning.
Speaker 11: That is correct.
Speaker 9: Okay. And since we have no idea what's going to be built on this land, and I'd be welcome to hear from you, sir, as well. But the question is, is there any thought about affordable housing as a component of this?
Speaker 11: Sure, I'd be happy to answer. And then Mr. Pine can speak to his specific project. So if the rezoning were to be approved tonight, any development proposal for the subject site would of course, comply with the standards of the S.R. X eight zone district. So in terms of our staff review, we do look to the entitlement that would be allowed by that zone district. So the permitted uses the building forms to see if it implements our adopted plan. So that is primarily the purpose of some of the criteria you saw before you tonight. And in terms of affordable housing, the Denver zoning code generally attempted to reduce barriers in 2010 during the drafting of the code to affordable housing to facilitate it. Of course, zoning is just a very small portion of the conversation about affordable housing, but reduced parking requirements, smaller unit sizes before, and based approach that doesn't regulate development by maximum unit counts, that sort of thing all incentivize affordable housing in a variety of different ways.
Speaker 4: All right.
Speaker 9: I just take the opportunity to say that this form of approval, before we have any idea of what's going on, on the land, it makes, it's informed me difficult to assess any vision that's going to unfold. A little too vague. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Sir, did you have something you wanted to add?
Speaker 7: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I work at the.
Speaker 2: Go ahead, Mr. O'Brien.
Speaker 7: I work at the Colorado Department of Transportation, so I have a good, comprehensive understanding in terms of traffic counts, multimodal transportation, not only through the state of Colorado or throughout the entire country and around the world. So in terms of multimodal transportation, believe me, I've been looking at a circulator bus, how to get our residents to the grocery stores, to the brand, to the branch banking and how to make it more efficient and effective. Get the people out of their out of their cars and encourage them to use multimodal transportation and make this building more efficient and effective. I have done some research with Denver Urban Housing and Renewal to make these units affordable. I'm not a big time developer. These aren't million dollar units. This is just something affordable that can maintain the character and the nature of our our community and to be able to enhance the quality of education that our kids receive in our neighborhood. So, again, yes. Am I cognizant of those traffic studies? Have I've done any? No, but I am aware of the traffic council, what I can do as a resident. But more importantly, as I mentioned earlier about smart growth, a smart town. I take all those principles into consideration to make sure and have a good quality product, one that's going to exemplify the city and county Denver, and one that's one that will set the tone for the rest of the world to follow, such as the one called Psaki call smart town. Thank you.
Speaker 9: Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. President.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Casper. Any other questions? 642 Seen on public hearings now closed comments. Councilman Brooks, rep.
Speaker 5: Yeah. Thank you, Mr. President. You know, I think my colleagues bring up some valid points in this area. You know, in the last three months, we've received multiple rezonings in this area. And the access points around the 44, 41st and Fox Tod Station is few. We're grateful for the transportation and the light rail, but we're concerned about the number of the amount of development that that may be happen in the future. And so we just here at the city of Denver and to your manager, many of you know, up here, Chris Nevitt, who has been looking at this area with us and this is going to take a multifaceted approach from CPD Public Works, North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative Collaborative with Kelly lead at the at the lead of this bringing all of these things together to figure out what these actual traffic counts look like, what are some alternate modes of transportation and also trying to figure out, you know, and I think Councilwoman Ortega, I know she will comment on this, but the rail that is so close to the development here. And so, you know, I invite any of my colleagues to be a part of those conversations. We were just starting those. The good the good news about this development is these are these are rezonings. And so the development has not yet come. I don't think the market is quite there yet for the financing of some of these developments. And so it's going to give us some time to make sure that that we get it right as a city in planning in this community. I just want to give a real shout out, though, to Armando Payan, who, you know, most most developers that you work with, you know, maybe they give a little something back to the community or whatever. But few are a part of the fabric of the community. And wherever you go in Globeville, everybody knows Armando's name. And, you know, if someone's respect when you go down the street and everyone says hello. And so I thank you for doing a lot for the community and thank you for always bugging us about Garden Place Elementary . And that's the kind of that's the kind of leaders we need in the city, folks who understand it from from micro and macro. So thank you for your leadership. I'll be supporting this and I hope the rest of my colleagues will. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Councilman Brooks. Councilman Espinosa.
Speaker 5: Sorry about the multiple clicks there wasn't getting her response. So there are plans in place. Globeville, residents and constituents opined about it and they generated something and it's got a real grand vision. And so but the problem is, is that there are some missing pieces. And I want to sort of talk about that, even though this is not necessarily the right place. The zoning. Yeah. To quote you said, zoning is just a small piece and maybe it needs to be a bigger piece in the in the affordable question, because we still have in a time of incredible prosperity in this city, we we are lagging behind in delivering those affordable units. And maybe our piece isn't big enough for affordability. So to that end, what I would like to encourage my colleagues, because, again, not the process is what it is. And there's sort of the you know, all the checkboxes are checked to approve the rezoning without a project, but maybe we need to work on this displacement and accommodation ordinance of some sort. Because while we're not losing a lot of of residents in this area, I can tell you, as somebody who came from Jefferson Park, where new development did displace a lot of residents, and we had a neighborhood plan in place that we worked on together as a community, and we wanted to capture that and we couldn't. And so the ordinances are aren't there? They weren't there in 20 in 2005. They're not there in 2010. I really hope that in 2025 we're not talking about how this this whole area doesn't have an affordable component, a robust, affordable component in a tod. And so, you know, it's again, it's it's it's a bigger issue and it's a problem that we as a body, I feel we need to address. But it's not particular to this zone, this rezoning. It's a it's a larger context. Thanks.
Speaker 3: And Councilman Espinosa.
Speaker 2: Councilman Flynn, you're up.
Speaker 8: Thank you, Mr. President. I want to echo everything that Councilman Brooks said. It is very inspiring to see Mr. Pion here as a member of the community. When we think of developers in Denver, we don't usually picture Mr. Pion. I worked for the previous five years before coming on this council on the project that is building the commuter rail that built a 41st and FOX station. And I've been in that neighborhood a lot, have been by that property a lot. And I've seen in my mind's eye what someone like you community based can do. I just want to commend you for doing it. And I want to commend you for your interaction with Chairman Sekou. And I want to invite you as you move along, to feel free to call us and keep us abreast of your progress and let us know what we can do to help this happen. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Councilman Flynn. Councilman Cashman, you're up.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Biden, I would echo that when Councilman Flynn said it is great to see a local man as a developer. The problem is we sitting up here. Zone vague concepts. And we don't know when they're going to unfold. I don't know if you're going to own the property when this gets when a development actually takes place. Yes, sir. You'll be free to respond when I'm done here. But yeah, I'm just letting you know that my questions are not about you as an individual. And no doubt, in no way doubt your commitment to your community or your intention. But it's a little bit like when when a liquor license is granted to to a restaurant, you don't know who's going to be operating that down the road. So you try to figure out the pros and cons of what's best, regardless of what human being is involved. So thank you for your time tonight. I appreciate it very much.
Speaker 7: Just just one quick comment, Mr. Cashman. I'm in the process of setting up a will to keep this property in my family. As I mentioned before, we've been there since 1963 and have no intentions of leaving. You know this the neighborhood has been dear to my heart. And right now, we're totally invested into into the school right now in the process of changing the school playground into learning landscapes, one where it's more productive. Because you know why when you walk up to that school.
Speaker 2: Mr. Pines, I appreciate your chance. Thank you.
Speaker 7: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Appreciate your passion. Councilwoman Ortega, you're up.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Mr. President. I wasn't sure if you officially closed.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we did go to comment. This is the comment period. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4: So I wanted to express my support for this. This site is three blocks east of Foch Street and the light rail site where we have other commuter rail or heavy rail, I should say, where we've got cargo that travels on that corridor is even further away. So this particular site would not be directly affected by the issue that I've raised in the past with development that's happening right next to rail. I have worked with Mr. Payan in the Globeville neighborhood for many, many years, and I know of his commitment to the Globeville community and appreciate the fact that he has stepped forward to build some affordable housing in the community. We're going to see a lot of development in this area. You know, we've got one site that's 45 acres, so you'll Denver Post site and we've seen piecemeal rezonings come forward on that particular property. We did one two weeks ago for a different site. That's an existing operating business. But I think the opportunity to ensure that affordability is a big part of what is being developed in that area is very important. As you all know, our work in trying to extract, if you will, affordable units is when we have public financing in the development. And so far, we haven't seen a public financing plan for any of the proposed development. So at which time that comes forward, and that gives us the opportunity to ensure that's part of the big picture conversation. So I will be supporting this rezoning application tonight. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilman Ortega. Any other comments? 642 Seen on Madam Secretary, roll call.
Speaker 6: Brooks Clark.
Speaker 8: Hi.
Speaker 6: Espinosa.
Speaker 4: Flynn. Hi.
Speaker 6: Gilmore. Cashman.
Speaker 4: I knew.
Speaker 6: Ortega. Sussman. Black. Mr. President.
Speaker 2: I. Madam Secretary, please close voting. And as a result, Lebanese Lebanese security is in place on final consideration and does pass. All right. That is the first one. Next, we are on the council, Bill 649. Councilwoman Blakley, please put 6.9 on the floor.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Mr. President. I move that council bill 649 be placed upon final consideration and do pass.
Speaker 2: It has been moved and seconded. Public hearing for 649 is now open. And when you are ready, we'll have the staff report for you.
Speaker 12: Mr. President. Good evening, counsel. My name is Steven Chester, senior city planner with CPD here to present the staff report for 2610 through 2638 West 13th Avenue. A rezoning from au0 to two C Amex eight. This case is very similar to the one you just heard, so forgive me if I go through this a little quickly, but
Rezones property located 4365 North Cherokee Street from I-A, UO-2 to C-RX-8 in Council District 9. (NEIGHBORHOODS AND PLANNING) Rezones property located 4365 North Cherokee Street from I-A, UO-2 (Light Industrial, Billboard Overlay allowed) to C-RX-8 (Urban Center, Residential Mixed Use, 8 stories) in Council District 9. IF ORDERED PUBLISHED, A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THIS ITEM.  REFER TO THE "PENDING" SECTION OF THE FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING AGENDAS FOR THE DATE. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 9-16-15.