DRAFT ZONING TEXT & DESIGN STANDARDSCentral Platte Valley – Auraria Implementation

Community Open House #2 – October 4, 2018

Goals for the Open House

1. Review the vision established for CPV-Auraria through the

Downtown Area Plan Amendment, Blueprint Denver, and

Community Open House #1 (10 mins)

2. Review the draft zoning proposed to implement Plan

Amendment recommendations (30 mins)

3. Gather feedback on the Draft Zoning Text Amendment and

strategy for Design Standards and Guidelines (30-45 mins)

Downtown Area Plan Amendment – Adopted June 11

• Central Platte Valley – Auraria

• Plan Area bounded by I-25,

Speer Blvd, and Auraria Pkwy

Downtown Area Plan Amendment – Adopted June 11

What You Told Us

Plan Amendment Objectives – Zoning/Design• PROSPEROUS CITY

• Extending Downtown land use

• Diverse mix of uses

• Active ground floor

• DISTINCTIVE CITY• New/updated zoning standards and DSG to

promote quality design

• Ensure a minimum intensity

• Variety of building intensities/heights

• Calibrate intensity and transitions by area

• Pedestrian-oriented street frontage and

human-scale building design

• Streetscape and public realm standards

• Utilize the river as a public amenity

• WALKABLE CITY• Prioritize the pedestrian, not vehicles

• Connected, multimodal street network

• Flexible street grid with smaller, walkable blocks

• Connections to and along the river

• DIVERSE CITY• Range of housing options

• Variety of neighborhood serving businesses and

job opportunities

• GREEN CITY• New parks and public spaces and enhance

existing open space

• Energize edges of parks and public space with

active uses

• Embrace the river as a natural resource

• Address floodplain and environmental conditions

Downtown Area Plan Amendment (2018)

• “This significant land resource allows the city to continue to evolve and prosper with new businesses, jobs, and residents in its core.”

• “Enable a deliberate mix of uses to create a prosperous neighborhood that is vibrant throughout the day and night.”

• “Promote new development that creates diverse places and activities through a variety of building densities and intensities within a mixture of building forms that reinforce a comfortable, human-scale pedestrian experience.”

Blueprint Denver (2002)

• Downtown Concept Land Use

“the centerpiece of the city and region with

the highest intensity of uses in Colorado.

Many uses are attracted to the centralized

location — government entities, employers,

entertainment venues, educational facilities,

restaurants, nightclubs, cultural facilities and

hotels. Downtown is not only a significant

source of employment, with more than

100,000 employees, but also a unique

neighborhood offering a special variety of

housing for people who prefer to live in the

midst of its activity and amenities”

• Area of Change

Blueprint Denver (PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT)

• Guide most growth to regional/community centers, corridors, and select districts of high intensity near downtown

• Ensure high growth areas are linked to existing or planned quality, high-frequency transit, specifically the medium- and high-capacity transit corridors from Denver Moves: Transit

• Downtown Context - High“A high mix of uses throughout, including high density multi-unit residential, commercial, civic, and institutional uses … the most intense and greatest heights are found downtown with very high lot coverage and active uses.”

Community Open House #1 – July 31

• 32 attendees including Auraria residents, downtown residents, and representatives from Auraria campus, River Mile, Water Street, and DDP

• “Use design guidelines to encourage diversity in architecture”

• “Love parking maximums”

• “Don’t encourage height maximums on towers”

• “Need a Transition zone along Speer across from existing buildings”

• “Create a tool that encourages diversity in unit type and attainability”

How do we move from the vision toward reality?

What zoning tools will promote a new neighborhood within Downtown?

What zoning tools will promote a new neighborhood within Downtown?

FLEXIBILITY FORDEVELOPMENT INTENSITY

What zoning tools will promote a new neighborhood within Downtown?

Flexibility for Development Intensity

ACCESS TO LIGHT AND AIR

What zoning tools will promote a new neighborhood within Downtown?

Flexibility for Development Intensity

Access toLight and Air

DIVERSE AND CONTEXT-SENSITIVE DESIGN

What zoning tools will promote a new neighborhood within Downtown?

Diverse and Context-Sensitive Design

HUMAN SCALE AND ACTIVE ENGAGING STREETS

Flexibility for Development Intensity

Access toLight and Air

Appropriate Intensity of New D-CPV Zone Districts

Downtown Area Plan Amendment

Lower overall building intensity is appropriate

near the river and around existing lower-scale

buildings.

• Limits on building mass.

• Significant spacing between towers

and/or a specific limit on building height.

Lower Intensity Does Not Always Mean Lower Height

• Bulky buildings can have a

greater impact on the

public realm, and views

than taller slender towers

with equivalent floor area

• CPV-Auraria does NOT

equal the Downtown Core

• Similar level of intensity,

but significantly more

building design standards

at both the street level

and upper stories

Appropriate Intensity of New D-CPV Zone Districts

TRANSITION DISTRICT

RIVER DISTRICT

CENTER DISTRICT

Downtown – Central Platte Valley-Auraria – Transition

D-CPV-TLocated within approximately 1 block

of established neighborhoods and

buildings adjacent to and within

Central Platte Valley – Auraria.

• Lower overall intensity

• Appropriate transitions to

neighborhoods & buildings

• Height Limit (12 stories)

Downtown – Central Platte Valley-Auraria – River

D-CPV-RLocated within approximately 1 to 1.5

blocks along both sides of the South

Platte River.

This district encourages active uses

that engage the river edge, with an

emphasis on visual and physical

permeability between taller, more

slender buildings along the river.

• Lower overall intensity

• Visual permeability and active

engagement of the South

Platte River

• Tower Standards (5-story base)

Downtown – Central Platte Valley-Auraria – Center

D-CPV-CLocated within approximately 2 to 3

blocks of existing transit facilities, the

Consolidated Main Line, Pepsi Center,

and near the intersection of Interstate

25 and Speer Boulevard.

• Highest overall intensity near

transit stations

• Flexibility of building forms

• Employment and

entertainment centers

Overall Lower Intensity Overall Highest Intensity

Appropriate Intensity of New D-CPV Zone Districts

112 3

12 stories

Access to Light and Air = Tower Standards

• Taller buildings should have

stronger dimensional standards

• Protect access to sun, sky, and

views and limit impacts of shadows

• Tower Floor Plate maximum

• Tower Dimension maximum

• Tower Separation minimum

Access to Light and Air = Tower Standards

DRAFT Standards Point Tower Standard Tower

Zone Districts River & Center (D-CPV-R/C) Center (D-CPV-C)

Tower Floor Plate

(max)11,000 sf 25,000 sf

Tower Linear

Dimension (max)165’* 250’*

Tower Separation

(min)

D-CPV-R = 120’*

D-CPV-C = 80’

80’ (floor plate < 22,000 sf)

100’ (floor plate > 22,000 sf)*

* Design Review Alternative allows limited flexibility on these standards under

specific circumstances.

Diverse and Contextual Design = Variety in Building Forms

GENERAL STANDARD TOWER POINT TOWER

BUILDING FORMTRANSITION RIVER CENTER

General

Standard Tower

Point Tower

Diverse and Contextual Design = Variety in Building Forms

Human-Scale and Active Streets

• Create richness and scale in

architectural massing and details• Mass reduction

• Street-level and upper story setbacks

• Residential setbacks and entry features

• Open space requirements on larger lots

• Activate the street with a mix of

residential and commercial uses • Build-To requirements

• Street-level Active Use

• Non-Residential Use standards on Key Streets

• Design Standards and Guidelines

Limiting Effects of Vehicles and Parking

• Parking structures create large “dead”

zones and vehicular access points

disrupt an active street environment

• Limit visible parking (majority must be wrapped with

Active Uses)

• Parking Maximum (no minimum requirement)

• Limit vehicle access to Alleys and Secondary Streets

• Parking areas are included in total Floor Area

calculations in D-CPV districts

P

Value Sharing to Promote Affordable Housing Objectives

• The CPV-Auraria Plan Amendment sets specific policy to promote a diverse community

• Provide a variety of market rate and affordable housing

• Leverage increased development potential to require on-site affordable housing

• Affordable at low and moderate income levels

• A variety of unit types and sizes (including family-size units)

• For-sale and for-rent units

• The proposed zoning includes an incentive system to leverage increased development potential

• 5 story ‘base height’ not subject to special requirements

• Affordable housing incentive system applies above 5 stories

Value Sharing to Promote Affordable Housing Objectives

• Requirements for development above 5-stories

• Small Projects/Individual Buildings

• Residential buildings must build on-site affordable housing according to specific formulas for base and incentive square footage

• Non-residential buildings may build on-site units, pay an increased fee or negotiate a community benefits agreement

• Large/Phased Developments

• Option to negotiate an incentive housing plan

• Plan provides an opportunity to discuss detailed objectives including housing affordability at very low incomes, family-sized units, and the phasing and distribution of affordable housing throughout a large development

• Specific affordable housing requirements will be drafted into the Municipal Code rather than the Zoning Code

Zoning vs. Design Standards and Guidelines

ZoningP

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• Generally quantitative…• Height, mass reduction, tower spacing• Ground & upper-story setbacks• Street level build-to and transparency• Parking location• Permitted uses

Design Review with Guidelines

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• Generally qualitative…• Building placement & open space• Vehicular access and parking• Building massing & articulation• Building materials & transparency• Scale transitions• Guidance for key streets

CPV-Auraria Design Standards and Guidelines

• Currently in progress on a

coordinated schedule with zoning• Oct 3 – Planning Board Info Item #1

• Mid-Nov – Release Public Review Draft

and Planning Board Info Item #2

• Dec 5 – Planning Board Public Hearing

CPV-Auraria Design Standards and Guidelines

• Based on Arapahoe Square DSG

(2016) with revisions/additions

from other cities

CPV-Auraria Design Standards and Guidelines• Structure of document relates

to typical project design process

• Intermediate design review submissions will be coordinated with each chapter and build upon each stage:1. Concept = Site Design, Building

Scale and Massing2. Preliminary = Concept +

Architecture and Details, Public Realm

3. Final = Preliminary + Streetscape Design

DSG and Design Review Stages

CONCEPT FINAL

DSG and Design Review Stages

CONCEPT FINAL

DSG and Design Review Stages

CONCEPT FINAL

Proposed Rezoning – 1901 7th Street

• Text Amendment only creates new

districts in the Denver Zoning Code

• Landowner must apply for rezoning

(Map Amendment)

• Elitch Gardens / River Mile property

is proposed for rezoning from CMP-

ENT to D-CPV-R and D-CPV-C

• Will also be addressed at Oct 17

Planning Board Public Hearing and

Dec 10 Council Public Hearing

D-CPV-R

D-CPV-C

Implementation Process and Next Steps• June 11 – Adoption of Downtown Area Plan Amendment

• July 11 – Planning Board Info Item #1 – Zoning Tools and Concepts

• July 31 – Community Open House #1 – Zoning Tools and Concepts

• August 15 – Planning Board Info Item #2 – Public Feedback and Refined Zoning Tools

• September 7 – Public Review Draft of Zoning Text Amendment Released

• October 4 – Community Open House #2 – Draft Zoning Text Amendment

• October 17 – Planning Board Public Hearing

• December 10 – City Council Public Hearing

Public Review Draft – Please Comment

• Public review draft released on September 7

• Available on our website:

• https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/646/documents/Zoning/text_amendments/CPV-

Auraria_Plan_Implementation/Central_Platte_Valley_Auraria_Zoning_Text_Amendment_Public_Review_Draft.pdf

• Or google “Denver text amendments central platte valley”

• Comments received by 5:00 pm, Monday, October 8, will be included in Staff Report

• Email feedback to kristofer.johnson@denvergov.org

Topic Stations

• Create a New Neighborhood in Downtown

• Ensure Access to Light and Air

• Encourage Diverse and Context-Sensitive Design

• Promote Human Scale and Active Engaging Streets

• Raising the Bar on Design Quality

• Downtown Area Plan Amendment and Additional Topics