Home Contact Us

Development

development

Area Growth Overview

Former Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie commented on her Web site: "One of the basic principles of Blueprint Denver was balancing the need for growth and redevelopment in our central city while preserving the character of neighborhoods. The old Gates factory site was defined as an 'Area of Change,' meaning that it could accommodate more growth than other areas [including the Platt Park residential neighborhood, designated an 'Area of Stability']. Denver is expected to grow by 132,000 people, or 60,700 households, by 2020. If managed wisely, this can be a good thing: By concentrating new residents in well-planned, urban redevelopment areas, we can preserve what makes Denver's physical environment attractive in the first place--our established single-family neighborhoods and the state's open spaces--while benefiting from the increased prosperity accompanying growth."

The Platt Park Pattern Book

picture from the pattern book power point presentation

To view the Platt Park Pattern book click here(this is a PowerPoint file, download a free viewer for Windows or forMac). �

The pattern book is a:�

��

City Plans

What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Plan 2000 is the Comprehensive Plan for Denver, and is intended to guide Denver in responding to problems, conditions and opportunities for the early part of the 21st Century. Annual reports update Plan 2000 and Blueprint Denver is the subsequent integrated Land Use and Transportation Plan developed as the first major implementation tool.

Click here to view plan 2000.

What is Blueprint Denver?

Blueprint Denver, adopted in 2002, was the City's first step in implementing the vision of its Comprehensive Plan 2000. It serves as an integrated Land Use and Transportation Plan and is a supplement to the Comprehensive Plan.

Click here to view Blueprint Denver.

What Plans are on the Books for Platt Park?

The city completed a Platt Park Neighborhood Assessment in 2003 and updated it in 2004. View and download the document.

What is the Broadway Area Redevelopment District?

In 1999, the City commissioned a study of South Broadway to propose solutions for the redevelopment of the area. The South Broadway Corridor Transportation and Urban Design Study, dated June 1999 -July 2001. Click here to download



Projects in and around Platt Park

  1. �Potential Change in Emerson/Washington Couplet
  2. Committee for Responsible Development (CFRD)
  3. Louisiana-Pearl Station Area Plan
  4. Redevelopment of the property formerly owned by Gates Rubber Company
  5. South Broadway Corridor National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process
  6. South Broadway Reconstruction
  7. Valley Highway Project

Potential Change in Emerson/Washington Couplet

Our neighbors to the north, in West Wash Park, are requesting that the City make Washington and Emerson two-way streets, from I-25 to Speer. West Washington Park Neighborhood Association commissioned Fox Higgins Transporation Group to conduct a traffic analysis. (The Fox Higgins study did not address the impact on Platt Park, and the 3PA board would like to see the City come up some numbers and projections for our neighborhood under both the one- and two-way scenarios. The likelihood of obtaining this information in short order is questionnable.)Click here to download the WWPNA_Trafic_Analysis (pdf) study.

Findings include:
+ Traffic in West Wash Park will be diverted to Downing, Logan and Broadway
+ With about 15,000 cars per day, Logan is not at capacity but Downing is, with about 20,500 cars.
+ Washington carries about 5,000.
+ Emerson carries about 4,000.
+ About 30%-50% of the existing traffic on S. Washington St. and S. Emerson St. would shift to Broadway / Lincoln St., Logan St., Downing, and I-25.

Background:
In the 1950s City converted Broadway / Lincoln St., S. Washington St. / S. Emerson St., and Logan St. / Grant St. to one way. In the 80s, the City reverted streets south of I-25 to two way. In 1998, the Central Denver Transportation Study supported changing Washington / Emerson north of I-25, depending on the impact on Logan.

Factors to consider are traffic capacity, traffic flow, traffic shift to other streets, safety, property values, livability, Gates traffic and impact to Platt Park.

3PA is seeking your input, in order to represent the members of 3PA. Do you favor, oppose or have no opinion?


Committee for Responsible Development (CFRD)

CFRD Chair: Brenda McHenry, 303-778-0345, bmwchenry@hotmail.com

The Platt Park People's Association Committee for Responsible Development (CFRD) reviews applications for residential and business zoning variances within the neighborhood. The purpose of 3PA in forming this committee also included establishing a neighborhood plan-- an on-going process.

Your CFRD works hard to strike a balance between maintaining the character of our neighborhood and supporting thoughtful residential and commercial growth. When a variance request is received from the City Board of Adjustment, the committee distributes that notice and an informational flyer to neighbors living near the subject property, announcing the pending review of the project and listing the ways concerned neighbors may voice their opinions. After discussion and review, CFRD takes a position on the variance request. Some variances may be heard more than once because CFRD asks the applicant to revise his or her plans or the Board of Adjustment mandates a revision, requiring further review.

For information on the Board of Adjustment, visit http://www.denvergov.org/BOA/51aboutus.asp

The committee meets at South Presbyterian Church, 1700 S. Grant St., at 7 p.m. the third Monday of every month. Meeting dates may change; please call Brenda to confirm.

Buchtel zoning. Early in 2005, several 3PA CFRD members -- along with the West University Community Association (WUCA), West Washington Park Neighborhood Association (WWPNA) and Old South Pearl Street Association -- met with two representatives from and the head of Planning and Development (CPD), and City Council representatives Kathleen MacKenzie, Carol Boigan and Doug Linkhart in an effort to get the Planning Department to create special guidelines for business and residential development around the light rail states before development gets out of hand. As a result of this meeting and other longstanding CFRD efforts, the City has organized a citizen steering committee, led by representatives from Planning and Zoning, to examine zoning around the Louisiana/South Pearl St. light rail station. (See the Louisiana-Pearl Station Area Plan on this site.)

Hirschfeld/Asbury Communities Project. Project borders are Marion, Downing, Asbury and the Walgreen's parking lot. Although is not in our boundaries, the project will have an impact on our neighborhood. Therefore, nearby neighbors received flyers notifying them of two meetings.

Do I Need a Permit?

The Board of Adjustment for the City and County of Denver has asked neighborhood associations to let residents know what items do and do not require permits. Many minor items that require a permit end up bogging down the board's hearing schedule when homeowners fail to obtain a permit. This slows down the process for important items that need a quick hearing, such as requests for structures/additions to be built outside of the current zoning regulations. Failure to obtain a permit could cost you time and money.

Coping with Construction

3PA has a pamphlet describing guidelines that can assist neighbors who have construction near their home. The pamphlet addresses issues that may arise during construction and lists various city phone numbers and Web sites to contact for help. The pamphlet may not contain all of the information you will need, but it is useful.

If you are aware that a property is going to be torn down, please contact Brenda McHenry as soon as possible so that CFRD can distribute construction pamphlets prior to demolition. If you would like to help distribute them around construction sites, please call Brenda. Click here to download information.

Top of page


Louisiana-Pearl Station Area Plan

3PA representative Jim Schneck, 720-495-2129, jimschneck@comcast.net

City Contacts

Department of Planning

Caryn Wenzara, caryn.wenzara@ci.denver.co.us

Catherine Cox-Blair, Catherine.Cox-Blair@ci.denver.co.us

After several years spent meeting with Denver's Department of Community Planning and Development (CPD) and pushing for design guidelines for development around the Louisiana- Pearl light rail station, 3PA saw some results. CPD formed a working group of representatives from neighborhood organizations and merchants to come up with a station area plan, now ready for adoption by City Council. The plan examines land use, zoning, redevelopment, circulation, parking, signage and way-finding.

Platt Park People's Association board has been very concerned about the possibility of inappropriate development around the light rail station that is not compatible with Blueprint Denver or the neighborhood character.

The station area plan is a two-phase plan: vision and implementation. The document that City Council will adopt sets the vision and makes recommendations for implementation. It has yet to resolve the zoning issues around the station, and it is expected that will happened in the implementation phase. To view a copy of the plan, visit http://www.denvergov.org/TOD and select the Louisiana Pearl station area plan.

Why the Louisiana Pearl Station Area Plan is important to Platt Park

Top of page

Redevelopment of the property formerly owned by Gates Rubber Company

History

In 1911, Charles Gates, Sr. paid $3,500 to buy the Colorado Tire and Leather Company, manufacturer of only one product--the Durable Tread, a steel-studded band of leather that fastened to car tires to extend mileage.

In 1914 Gates purchased six additional lots along Broadway and began construction of a two-story administration building.

In 1917 Charles's brother, John Gates, invented the rubber and fabric V-belt. Within 10 years, Gates became the world's largest manufacturer of V-belts. The company continued to expand, buying lots along and adjacent to Broadway.

In the early 1970s, Gates Rubber Company purchased the area with the high concentration of TCE from Shwayder Brothers, manufacturers of trunks and bags in Denver since 1910. In 1959, Shwayder had installed a 12,000-gallon storage tank adjacent the railroad spur. During the 1960s, Shwayder--which became Samsonite Corporation in 1965--produced hundreds of thousands of laminated cellulose luggage pieces. The immense popularity of the luggage required around-the-clock production. In order to increase production efficiently, the mold machines were cleaned with the solvent TCE. Spills were not unusual.

In 1996, Gates became a subsidiary of Tomkins, ending 85 years of ownership by the Gates family. At that time, Gates began moving to its current headquarters in LoDo.

In 2001, Gates sold the 50 acres west of Broadway to Cherokee Denver, Inc., a redeveloper that acquires environmentally impaired properties, or "brownfields," with a commitment to remediate the properties and return them to a productive community use.

In 2005, Gates sold 30 acres east of Broadway to Houston-based Lionstone Group, in a development partnership with Denver-based McKinnon Associates.

Cherokee Denver Redevelopment Advisory

http://www.cherokeedenver.com/community/index.html

3PA Representative

Jim Schneck, 720-495-2129, jimschneck@comcast.net

The Cherokee Denver Redevelopment Advisory Committee (CDRAC) is a community group organized in the summer of 2002 to involve the citizens in the redevelopment process in greater detail than large community meetings allow. The CDRAC is composed of representatives from 13 registered neighborhood organizations (RNOs) that are adjacent to or in the vicinity of the Cherokee Gates site. The CDRAC members represent their respective neighborhood interests and are liaisons between the neighborhood organizations and Cherokee's team. Monthly CDRAC meetings provide an opportunity for neighborhood representatives to express desires and concerns directly to Cherokee and their consultants in order to help shape the redevelopment plan. The CDRAC remains an integral part of the redevelopment process. If you have questions or suggestions regarding Cherokee redevelopment of the Gates property west of Broadway, contact one of the 3PA representatives.

Cherokee Gates site clean up

Denver City Council members organized numerous meetings on the Cherokee redevelopment of Gates. Representatives from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), Denver's Department of Environmental Health (DEH) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have attended some of the meetings. After cleanup CDPHE, DEH and EPA agreed that residents are currently safe by all measures with respect to potential exposure to TCE emanating from the former Gates Rubber Factory.

Cherokee Design Guidelines

At 3PA's Sept. 13, 2005 general meeting, Cherokee presented its proposed design guidelines. Based on members' questions and suggestions, 3PA drafted a letter to Cherokee expressing our concerns about the project. Click here to download the 3PA Response.

Gates East Redevelopment

Rezoning

In mid-December 2004, the Denver City Council voted unanimously to approve a controverisal five-parcel rezoning of about 28 acres still held by the Gates Rubber Company on the east side of Broadway. Because the Gates East campus abutted the Platt Park neighborhood to the south, a citizen advisory group felt that the TMU-30 rezoning would be far too dense for property south of Mississippi. After much consideration, the final configuration allows the existing private R-2 zoning to "trump" the new Residential Mixed Use zoning (RMU-20) requested by Gates. The area along Broadway south from Mississippi to Arizona flanked by Lincoln has been rezoned to RMU-30, which allows for a certain building height, density and uses. The maximum RMU-20 building height will be 35 feet as the site transitions into the neighborhood. Several buffer areas were built into the zoning plan to accomplish this step down. 3PA board members, led by Bill Moon, and neighbors spent many hours negotiating with Gates and the city for concessions in the zoning, especially for the larger step-down buffer zones and more residential designation.

Gates Historical Landmark

3PA board member Jim Lindberg led 3PA discussions with Gates consultants regarding the former Ford Motor Company Building, the six-story brick structure at Broadway and I-25. Gates agreed to add language to the rezoning packet for the Gates East parcel that will make it easier to designate the building as a historic structure, should that be desired in the future. A condition in the zoning states that current and future owners of the property "shall not object" to future historic designation. Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie worked with city staff to develop this addition.

Gates East Clean-up

When Cherokee found TCE (tricholoroethylene) contamination on its property, Gates investigated for TCE and began remediation of on-site contamination east of Broadway. Clean up to "no further action" status was a condition of sale. Gates has cleaned up most of the 30-acre property east of Broadway bounded by I-25, Logan, Arizona and Logan and is working on the remaining two acres.

Lionstone

n May 2005, The Lionstone Group, a Houston development firm, purchased the Gates property east of Broadway. In a development partnership with Denver-based McKinnon Associates, Lionstone will develop the transit-mixed-use site of residences, offices, restaurants and retail with easy access to the Broadway light rail station. The site includes about 300,000 square feet of existing office space, which Lionstone is renovating and will begin leasing in January 2006. The historic Ford building is part of the renovated office space.

Lionstone hired David Owen Tryba Architects to complete the master plan and the GDP. Lead architect is Bill Moon, past president of 3PA and a long-time Platt Park resident who understands and is committed to the character of our neighborhood. The plan will use the existing grid for new development that is oriented to integrating the existing neighborhood. The Lionstone concept for Broadway is a pedestrian-oriented retail neighborhood street with parallel parking. Lionstone is working with Cherokee to make the east and west sides of Broadway compatible. Both Cherokee and Lionstone are involved in the NEPA study.

McStain Neighborhoods

Website

Lionstone Development contracted with McStain Neighborhoods to develop the 3.25 acres of R-2-zoned property located in the northern end of the Platt Park neighborhood. The R-2-zoned homes are located within a triangle in the southeast section of Logan on the east, Lincoln on the west, Arizona on the south and Mississippi on the north. Gates has worked with tenets in these rental properties for years in preparation for this change.

McStain is building 40 duplexes and possibly a couple of single-family homes on 43 lots. They will offer four different elevations. Each unit ranges from 1,950 square feet to 2,200 square feet and will sell for about $500,000.

The remainder of the property is subject to a general development plan (GDP). Lionstone hired David Owen Tryba Architects to complete the master plan and the GDP. Lead architect is Bill Moon, past president of 3PA and a long-time Platt Park resident who understands and is committed to the character of our neighborhood. The plan will use the existing grid for new development that is oriented to integrating the existing neighborhood. The Lionstone concept for Broadway is a pedestrian-oriented retail neighborhood street with parallel parking. Lionstone is working with Cherokee to make the east and west sides of Broadway compatible. Both Cherokee and Lionstone are involved in the NEPA study.

Gates East Zoning

Gates East Nodes Entrances

Gates East Open Space Greenways

Gates East Proposed Land Use

Gates East Sections Broadway

Gates East Sections Interior Streets

Voluntary Cleanup Advisory Board (VCAB)

Website

3PA Representative

Jim Schneck, 720-495-2129, jimschneck@comcast.net

V-CUP--Voluntary Cleanup Program--is a state-run program that allows private companies to come up with their own plan for cleaning up a contaminated site, subject to the state's approval. A time-tested program, it has proved both flexible and highly effective. It is a program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). VCAB--Voluntary Cleanup Advisory Board--is a pilot project that provides an avenue for citizens to monitor the cleanup of the Gates Rubber Company site. Neighbors who live near the Gates site established the committee, which includes representatives from neighborhood associations.

Why the Gates Redevelopment project is important to Platt Park

Top of page

South Broadway Corridor National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process

Website

3PA Representative: Jim Lindberg, 303-722-3306, james_lindberg@nthp.org
3PA Representative: Jim Schneck, 720-495-2129, jimschneck@comcast.net
City Representative: Jason Longsdorf, 720-865-3162, jason.longsdorf@ci.denver.co.us

The goal of the South Broadway Corridor National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process is to find the best way to minimize the impact on the environment and surrounding neighborhoods resulting from traffic generated by the Gates/Lionstone and Cherokee redevelopments and increased population in general. The study area includes Broadway, the I-25 couplets and the Cherokee and Gates redevelopment properties. A consensus committee of 13 stakeholder groups, including 3PA representatives Jim Lindberg and Shelly Watters, developed goals, needs and recommendations. Lionstone and Cherokee have an agreement with the City to conduct a major traffic engineering study under the auspices of NEPA.

On April 19, 2007, the Consensus Committee unanimously endorsed a preferred alternative which includes:

To finalize this project several additional approvals and clearances are required, which the City expects to see finalized in the next year.

Platt Park Peoples Associations Position

Platt Park Peoples Association lobbied heavily for a pedestrian-friendly street. Nonetheless, the profile of Broadway will widen significantly from 100 feet to 140 feet, ultimately allowing eight through-travel lanes on Broadway with double left turn lanes for critical left-turn movements. Parking, however, will initially limit Broadway to six lanes, a request of 3PA.Through negotiation, 3PA was able to achieve some additional objectives. We successfully narrowed the intersection of Tennessee and S. Broadway, making it more pedestrian friendly and easier to cross. We gained agreement to traffic calming measures on Mississippi. We gained agreement to the delay of implementing double left turn lanes at S. Broadway and Mississippi.

From time to time The City and County of Denver, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) hold public meetings to obtain feedback on the work of the Consensus Committee.

At the Nov. 2 meeting, the following information was available for review and comment:

Why the NEPA process is important to Platt Park

Top of page

South Broadway Reconstruction

The City plans to use federal funding to redo poor storm drainage along S. Broadway from Arizona to Iowa. Planners will take this opportunity to install some new infrastructure per the South Broadway Corridor Plan. Visible elements of this infrastructure will include: a raised center median, corner bump-outs with wheelchair ramps, street trees and grates, and sleeving for irrigation and pedestrian-scaled lighting.

Small scale landscaping, decorative pavers, pedestrian-scaled lighting, bike racks, planter pots, benches, signage, etc., will not be federally funded, but must be purchased and maintained by the merchants. The infrastructure for these elements (irrigation lines, power lines, curbing) will be part of the federally funded work, however. It is up to the merchants to commit to supporting these features.

Broadway will be widened approximately 5 feet on each side, and the existing sidewalks narrowed approximately 5 feet to accommodate the 10-foot median. Street trees and native grasses are planned for the vegetated portions of the medians. Planners are considering constructing raised planter boxes/bench seats at corner bump-outs. Roughly 10% of existing Broadway parallel parking would be lost to bump-outs.

At no time will traffic be routed to residential streets. Construction is expected to begin in March 2008 and take about one year. Phase II could happen in 3-5 years and would extend the streetscaping from Asbury to Evans. Phase III would complete the sections from Iowa to Asbury.

The overwhelming majority of concerns raised during question and answer periods at public came from local residential neighbors and generally focused on the anticipated increase in off-Broadway parking by non-residents. Though outside of the reconstruction planning teams scope of responsibility, 3PA is lobbying to include parking in the plan, and will advocate for neighbors parking needs.

Top of page

The Valley Highway Project

Website

The Valley Highway Project includes the reconstruction of Interstate 25 and reconfiguration of interchanges from Logan Street to 6th Avenue, 6th Avenue from I-25 to Federal Boulevard, and the Santa Fe/Kalamath/light rail intersection. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) are in the process of preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the Valley Highway Project. More than 150 meetings were held with advisory groups, neighborhood associations, government agencies, individual businesses, business groups, property owners, tenants, developers and the general public. Although the period for public comment ended June 14, 2005, you may call the project hotline at 720-489-7923 with any questions or concerns.

Top of page