John Rebchook is a former Rocky Mountain News reporter with more than 30 years of experience in writing and communications... The Denver City Council and Denver Planning Board today announced they will be hosting two public sessions in November on the proposed new zoning code. These will give the public two more opportunities to make comments and ask questions.
So far, thousands of citizens have helped shape the first and second drafts of the new zoning code.
A third draft is being completed that will be published on newcodedenver.org for community review and comment in advance of the listening sessions.
The first hearing will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18 on the fourth floor, conference rooms 4G2 and 4F6, in the Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave. If you want to speak, you can sign up to do so from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on that day.
The next meeting, in the same room in the Webb building, will be from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 19. Again, there is a half-hour window from noon until 12:30 p.m. to register as a speaker.
Both sessions will be carried live on Denver 8 TV as well as repeated over the weekend. The video coverage will also be available live on the city website and available for review at user convenience via streaming video also at DenverGo
The sessions will be held in a public hearing format. Speakers are limited to 3 minutes and one opportunity to comment or ask a question over the course of the two listening sessions.
Input will be used to inform the final draft code to be released in December.
The new zoning code is scheduled to be adopted next February.
The new zoning code id designed to fix Denver’s 53-year-old, unwieldy, patch worked zoning code. The new code, a comprehensive rewrite, will hopefully support a growing economy, a sustainable environment, a diverse mix of housing, strong neighborhoods and a high quality of life. Some critics have said it will stop appropriate infill development in some neighborhoods, while others applaud it for the potential of helping neighborhoods retain their housing character. If you are wondering how the new zoning may impact your house or property, check the blog that I wrote earlier. For more information about the new zoning: http://www.newcodedenver.org./
Contact John Rebchook at JRCHOOK@gmail.com or 303-945-6865.
