Pro-Developer Votes Create Backlash From Neighbors
Congratulations to Dave Felice on an outstanding article in last month’s newspaper regarding rezoning approvals for developers in Crestmoor Park and citywide (the story can be read online at greaterparkhill.org).
This is a very serious issue for all neighborhood organizations in Denver. The only win by neighborhoods in the last four years was when the hospital neighborhood stopped Walmart at 9th and Colorado Boulevard. Unfortunately, they were not able to ensure the nearby Trader Joe’s with enough parking to avoid impacting the neighborhood.
Neighbors have limited options if they cannot stop a zoning request at a City Council public hearing.
However, this year’s city council election illustrated one option for residents. Councilwoman Susan Shepard voted to rezone the St. Anthony’s redevelopment to allow high rise-condominiums on 17th Avenue directly across from Sloan’s Lake Park, even though the neighborhood plan (three years in the making) limited high rises to south of 16th Avenue.
This was a huge win for developers, who can charge significantly higher prices for units facing the park because views will never be obstructed by future development. As a result, the residents voted Ms. Shepard out of office, the first incumbent defeated since 1987, by a two to one margin.
Other council races showed candidates needed to be cognizant of development issues if they wanted to be elected.
This backlash may have contributed to Chris Nevitt’s loss in the Auditor’s race as he followed “council courtesy” and voted along with Shepard and the rest of council approving the rezoning. Nevitt had also demonstrated a pro-development leaning by approving two 30-story high rises in his district across Downing Street from the Denver Country Club against neighborhood desires, when the tallest building outside downtown is 22 stories.
If you are not familiar with “council courtesy,” it is a long-standing informal rule on council where zoning issues in a district are determined by the local council representative. This prevents developers from using undue influence on other council members to get changes in a district if the local council representative objects. In a low voter turnout election, this could have easily tipped the balance against Nevitt, since it was in District 1 – Dennis Gallagher’s old district – where despite Dennis’ endorsement of Nevitt, he endorsed Shepard’s opponent due to her pro-developer stance.
The neighbors’ only option now may be a ballot initiative to overturn the Council approval of that project.
It is unfortunate that it is coming down to elected officials versus neighborhoods when we have a public process. Maybe they need to be cognizant of who put them there, and who can remove them.
Dennis Royer, Park Hill