Denver City Wire

Near Southeast Area Plan Focuses on More Housing Options, Safer Streets and Responding to Climate Change

DENVER – After  two years of collaboration by residents, business owners, neighborhood leaders and city staff, the Near Southeast Area Plan was officially adopted by the Denver City Council at its meeting today, Monday, May 22. Council members vote unanimously to approve this long-term vision for the neighborhoods of Goldsmith, Indian Creek, University Hills North, Virginia Village and Washington Virginia Vale. The plan was also approved unanimously by the Denver Planning Board at its meeting Wednesday, April 19; it was reviewed and advanced to the full City Council by the Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at its meeting Tuesday, May 2.

Read the newly adopted plan(PDF, 30MB)

The plan puts in place policies that will guide city decision-making for the next twenty years. It aligns city goals with priorities identified by community members during the planning process, including:

• Modernizing key areas and streets to serve community needs better, improve design and make it easier for locals to get around
• Addressing the need for housing that residents can afford and providing more options for housing while preserving what makes Near Southeast neighborhoods great places to live
• Improving sustainability by making it easier and safer for people to get out of their cars and through infrastructure and landscapes that support the local ecosystem

“Every neighborhood plan presents unique opportunities and challenges, and both city staff and the community came ready to tackle the challenges of housing affordability, getting around safely and protecting our planet,” said Laura E. Aldrete, executive director of Denver Community Planning and Development. “The resulting work reflects ideas and innovations that will serve these neighborhoods well into the future.”

“The Near Southeast Area Plan has been a true labor of love for me and community members who created what they want for the future of their neighborhoods,” said Councilwoman Kendra Black (District 4). “I’m thrilled that we’ve come so far and accomplished so much.”

“The Near Southeast planning process was an impressive blend of community and city resources coming together to craft a thoughtful, forward-thinking guide for future development of the Washington/Virginia Vale, Virginia Village, Indian Creek, Goldsmith and University Hills North neighborhoods,” said, Councilman Paul Kashmann (District 6). “I’m excited to continue this important discussion in the implementation phase.”

“I’m proud of the work that was done to engage with community in this planning process,” said Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer (District 5). “It was a true collaborative effort, and the result is a vision for the future of these neighborhoods that our residents want to see.”

About the plan and planning process

The plan came together through staff collaboration with a steering committee of residents, business owners and neighborhood leaders as well as community navigators, who ensured equitable outreach and fidelity to the community’s vision. Intentional engagement work included pop-up events at cultural and faith-based centers and targeted outreach to refugees, immigrants, students, and renters. In total, the planning process captured input from more than 7,255 survey responses, 46 community events, 10 focus groups and 4,082 additional community touchpoints.   

The plan reflects what community members advocated for:

• Development that supports a strong a sense of community
• Directing growth to regional centers, community centers and community corridors with improved infrastructure, enhanced design and opportunities for more affordable housing, dining, entertainment, and local retail
• A variety of high-quality and affordable housing options that help maintain the unique character of the area’s neighborhoods
• Preserving existing affordable housing and prioritizing new affordable housing in areas near transit
• Connecting at-risk community members to support services
• Enhancing the business, arts, and cultural environment 
• Improving 13 key corridors, through investment in pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and expanding and promoting transit and multi-modal options
• Investing in neighborhood traffic calming and safety
• Improving the quality and access to parks and trails
• Implementing climate-sensitive landscaping
• Enhancing green infrastructure, stormwater and flood management and the efficient use of natural resources
• Promoting community wellbeing through safety, food access, and improvements to cultural resources

Visit www.DenverGov.org/nearsoutheastplan for more on the plan, the planning process and how to participate in the hearing.

Original source can be found here.