Speaker 3: It has been moved and seconded. The public hearing for Council Bill 34 is open. May we have the staff report?
Speaker 6: Good evening. Chris Glasner Community Planning in Development. The first item in front of you today is Council Bill 34. This is a proposed rezoning at 351 South Jackson Street. The site is currently B4 with waivers and old Chapter 59 Zone District. The proposal is for a mix of CMCs eight and CMCs 12 or mixed use eight story and mixed use 12 story. We are in Council District ten in the Cherry Creek Statistical neighborhood. The location itself is the northwest corner of Jackson and Dakota. It's a standard rectilinear block. It's approximately 1.3 acres in size for the site. Currently, most folks know it as the Colorado Private Reserve Club, along with the Associated Parking for it. We do have a variety of building forms surrounding this site. The applicant is 351 South Jackson, LLC. They are rezoning to conform to the Cherry Creek Area Plan recommendations and again rezoning that before with waivers to the CMCs eight and CMC's 12 zone districts which are the urban center context mixed use zone districts eight and 12 stories respectively. The general character is an emerging mixed use neighborhood in what we call the Cherry Creek Triangle, including residences, offices, hotel and residential uses. We have a standard district block pattern. We are very close to Colorado Boulevard, which aids our mobility. Colorado has a surprising amount of transit access with sub 15 minute service along the route for pretty much the entire day. Our existing context we have Talavera just across the street is the picture. On the left is a residential building. We have Monroe Point, which is the top right picture, as well as quite a bit of open space along the Cherry Creek Trail, which is the bottom right picture there. The existing building on site is this one. Most folks will recognize that if you spent any time down in the triangle and as you can see, our land use is quite varied throughout the district, but it does point to a mix of existing land uses consistent with where we anticipate the future being. Planning Board did review this and the applicant has conducted public outreach. We'll walk through our criteria, starting with our adopted plans and comprehensive plan 2000. We do find that this is consistent with Comprehensive Plan 2000, addressing several strategies, including land use strategy. One See incorporating relevant recommendations from small area plans. In this case, the Cherry Creek Area Plan Land Use Chapter Strategy one H encouraging development of housing that meets our increasingly diverse needs. And then new strategy three Be encouraging quality infill development consistent with the character of the surrounding neighborhood blueprint. Denver identifies this as an area of change, which was confirmed in 2012 Cherry Creek Area Plan and as a regional center, anticipating a balance of retail employment and residential uses and accommodating a variety of uses across that that can be either mixed vertically or mixed horizontally, as we often talk about mixed use areas. Finally, the Cherry Creek Area plan looks to improve the pedestrian realm. So the recommendations from page 76 include this being part of our pedestrian priority zone. This is only the second pedestrian priority zone in Denver, with downtown being the first and looking to increase pedestrian mobility, making sure that that's a high priority in the neighborhood, we seek to encourage positive change. With Cherry Creek Triangle remaining an area of change, we anticipate further growth in the area looking for new development, including a mix of uses, as we already discussed in adopting form based and concern. Text based zoning for the Cherry Creek Triangle properties is what this proposal will do tonight. We will also be seeking to create an identity for the Cherry Creek Triangle if you've been there. Several years ago it was often seen as quite a few surface parking lots and some office buildings. Since the Cherry Creek Area plan passed, we've already seen quite a bit of development happening in the district and this will continue that evolution of Cherry Creek Triangle. This will result in a uniformity of district regulations across the site and redevelopment of the site will further the health, safety and public welfare of the surrounding neighborhood. We'll dove into our justifying circumstances and that this is a change of conditions and rezoning. This site will bring the property into alignment with the recommendations of the 2012 Cherry Creek Area Plan. And we do conclude that the existing conditions of the property are consistent with both the urban center neighborhood context and the CM zoned district. Purpose and Intent Planning Board did unanimously recommend approval of this rezoning application and CPD recommends approval as well. Thank you.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mr. Glasner. We have four speakers this evening and I'm going to call all four of you up and ask you to come to the first pew. They are done and I apologize if I say anyone's name incorrectly. Don Ruggles, Ray Terrill, Thomas Petrie and Chairman say COO. And Mr. Ruggles, when you feel free to come on up and begin your remarks. I'm Don Ruggles. Thank you for having us.
Speaker 6: We're white. We haven't prepared in a final plans or even actually in initial plans were the beginning ideas for this was that we wanted to develop a project that is pedestrian friendly, high.
Speaker 3: Quality, and it's a sustainable project.
Speaker 6: There's a.
Speaker 3: Good structure currently on the.
Speaker 6: Property and we want to save that and utilize that as we carry forward. And actually the new architecture would work with the style and sense of the old architecture and try to incorporate sustainable ideas to be a pedestrian friendly project. And I think we're aiming.
Speaker 3: To develop something as high.
Speaker 6: Quality as we possibly can.
Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Ruggles. Mr. Terra Caspi. Okay. In that case, Mr. Retreat Petrie.
Speaker 6: Thank you. My name is Tom Petrie, and I'm one of the three owners of the property. We acquired it at the beginning of the last financial meltdown right after the Lehman event, and felt that the existing structure was was very solid. And we've been looking for the right, right opportunity to see how the the overall property could be brought into line with the neighborhood. There's a lot of senior living there, senior apartments. And we envision something that could very well be consistent with that, but also have the amenity of this clubhouse structure that's there, which would be good for the whole neighborhood.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mr. Petrie. Mr. Sekou.
Speaker 8: Yes. Say. Blacks are actually a movement advocate for poor, working, poor and homeless people. We support this project for a couple of reasons. One, the building is outstanding in the history of the area, is outstanding in terms of neighborhood and friendliness. And we have a crisis for the city, for existing families who have experienced foreclosures and are being displaced and need a place to come back up. And this would be a great opportunity for them to be an environment that's nurturing and also a place where they could bring families and there would be safety issues. And so that can happen. Now, one of the things I heard tonight was that with the money being transferred in from this disaster fund to build a new recreation center. I suggest since but since we're not going to go according to any accounting measures and look at the numbers, we considered that housing for displaced family and poor people is emergency. It appears right into the funding that you got $108 million. Why not put some of this money in partnering with these people so they can make this happen for us? We have to put some kind of urgency on the real emergencies in the city, and the need for these families ranks up there with the need for recreation center. I mean, come on. I mean, let's be for real with it. But the concern for the people is that we're not considered when these things are being done. So I want to put the kind of thought process among these gentlemen here who look like, all right, folks, you and me, by noting the possibility that that could happen. And with that, with the money being available, with funds everywhere, we got plenty of money in different plans everywhere. We can figure out how to match the bridge to get this done. Like Charlie Brown would say right now, get it over and get it done. Like in the name of it, we can rename the house. In the name of Joe Shoemaker is what Joe would do. All right. Thank you very much.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mr. Sekou. That concludes our speakers for this public hearing. Do we have any questions from members of council? Catamaran?
Speaker 7: Yes. My question is for Mr. Pietri or Mr. Ruggles.
Speaker 3: Microphone and microphone on Catamaran.
Speaker 7: I'm wondering, from what I heard tonight, if you have a firm timeline yet. I mean, it sounds like some of the specifics you're still working out. But I wanted to know if you have a timeline.
Speaker 6: We do not at this point do we think the timing is right in terms of where the economy is and other things that are happening in the area. So I expect this to move ahead following the decision, assuming the decision is favorable.
Speaker 7: And then just some other follow up questions. Are you still looking at the idea of residences for older adults a year?
Speaker 6: Senior living is is definitely what we're thinking about.
Speaker 7: And do you have a potential unit number.
Speaker 6: To about 200?
Speaker 7: Okay, great. Thanks. Those are just the sort of details they wanted on the record. Mr. President, I have one other question. If I could ask Chris Meissner to come to the microphone. Chris, your presentation showed the open space along the Cherry Creek corridor there, and you also talked about Cherry Creek being a pedestrian priority plan. If you have a slide that will help us see it, that would be great. Otherwise, could you just describe how pedestrians are going to get across Cherry Creek.
Speaker 4: Drive.
Speaker 7: To the creek, and what the plan is there?
Speaker 6: It's a great question. I don't know if folks have tried to cross that stretch of Cherry Creek North Drive. Sometimes it's nice and quiet and you can saunter across. Sometimes there's cars that are kind of in a hurry and you have to hustle a little bit. What we know is that with our re-envisioning of Alameda, this stretch of Alameda, believe it or not, is a designated as a parkway. With this stretch of Alameda, we do anticipate improvements to the western terminus of that parkway. So that helps facilitate crossings. We know that the crossing down at Virginia, while not necessarily local to this project, we know that the timing of that signal is fairly generous. So that helps facilitate that crossing. The missing link is really Dakota and how we get across Cherry Creek North Drive at Dakota with some of the investments that are going in at 367, South Monroe, 3360 South Monroe coupled with Monroe and Alameda redevelopment coupled with this development. We've started discussions with public works to look at what types of enhanced crossings we may be able to put in place. At that point, I don't have a firm commitment, but that is on everyone's okay.
Speaker 7: I am glad those conversations have begun because that's an important point for me to make in this hearing. And the plan contemplates a bridge possibly over the creek at Garfield as well, does it not?
Speaker 6: Some sort of pedestrian kind of connection? Yes.
Speaker 7: Okay. Thank you.
Speaker 3: Thank you. Councilwoman Robb, do we have any other questions from members of council? Seen on the public hearing for council bill 34 is close comments by members of Council Councilwoman Rob.
Speaker 7: Thank you, Mr. President. I can just continue from my questions right into my comments. Exciting times in Cherry Creek. You can see there is no opposition to this project. I do know that it's been vetted primarily with the Cherry Creek East neighborhood because this triangle that some of you will think of as the neighbor to Glendale, right across Colorado Boulevard from Glendale, really great connections to Glendale along the creek. Has it really developed its own neighborhood group yet? It's young enough where the transition from parking lots to residences is just begun. But the thing that I you'll probably hear me say in every Cherry Creek rezoning is we are looking at tremendous growth. This project with 200 units puts us well over 1300 units on either in the ground or on the drawing board for Cherry Creek. That's a lot of new residences. And we talk about land use and transportation going together a lot, but we're not seeing a lot of investment in Cherry Creek in transportation infrastructure, like a pedestrian bridge that we've been doing in other parts of the city. And and we've been looking at the Steele Street intersection, but particular to this project, I think getting all the residents that will eventually be in the Triangle connected south and across Colorado Boulevard is going to be an important thing so that we're not always hopping in our cars . I will be supporting this. Thank you.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Councilwoman Robb. Councilwoman Fox.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to make a comment because a couple times tonight we've had reference to this large amount of reserves that we have and I want for especially for the people at home, to understand the nature of them, because they are not sitting around waiting for good ideas to come up for us to spend them. The large majority of it's in fund balance. The city policy is that we will have 15% in fund balance, which we don't have yet. And that, of course, is well over $100 million would even be the 10%. If you go below 10%, the bond houses will go bananas. You really need to keep that amount in there to protect our bond ratings. The other 2% that makes up that large amount is the contingency reserve, and that's for the spending that runs over in various agencies, whether it is overtime, that was unexpected for some kind of incident that comes up. Police overtime quite often takes advantage of it or we have had large snowstorms where we've had unexpected amounts of money needed to clean up the snowstorm of deposits. And so it's that type of use that people are now calling reserves, not exactly like my savings account, that I could go out and blow on a new dress. So I just wanted to make it clear.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Councilwoman. But do we have any other comments from members of council seen on Mr. Secretary? Roll call from my boss I Laman. Hi, Lopez. Hi, Monteiro. I never i. Rob I. Shepherd I. Mr. President. Hi, Councilman Lopez. Voters and fire. There we go. Mr. Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 9809990 nays council bill 34 has passed. Now we are moving on to Council Bill 35 before an ordinance change the zoning classification for 1465 South Colorado Boulevard. Councilwoman Sheppard, will you please put Council Bill 35 on the floor for final passage?
Speaker 5: Thank you, Mr. President. I move that Council Bill 35 series of 2014 he placed on final consideration in due passed.
Speaker 3: It has been. Just 1/2. We're going to pass on one technology to catch up with us. It has been moved. I need a second.
Speaker 4: Second.
Speaker 3: Moved in second in the public hearing for council Bill 35 is now open. May we have the staff report?
Changes the zoning classification from B-4 with waivers and Use Overlays 1 and 2 (Former code, relatively high density mixed use and overlays allowing billboards and adult businesses) to C-MX-8 and C-MX-12 (Urban Center context, Mixed Use, 8 and 12 stories maximum) for property at 351 S. Jackson in Council District 10. (LAND USE, TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE) A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD AT LEAST FOUR WEEKS AFTER PUBLICATION. The Committee approved filing this bill at its meeting on 1-28-14.