Yes. TBJ just posted an article about it. Baldwin and Melton the only ones opposing the motion to deny.
“I just can’t see where we can get to 30 stories here given the comprehensive plan guideline. I don’t want to move us further down this path talking about the park because we are getting away from the simple question of whether the form is appropriate,” Council member Jane Harrison said. “I appreciate the potential for this site, as currently zoned for 12 stories it would contribute to a wonderful, dense, walkable community. I still hope we will have a partnership with the applicant on the park.”
While 12 stories would be fine at this location, I suppose, this feels like the beginning of a slippery slope where council wants to artificially cap the density of this city outside of the extreme inner core of downtown, which as we all know will have ripple effects going all the way out to JoCo and beyond. Hope I’m wrong and this is just one of those one-off cases, but we’ll see.
…and they denied it? WTF is the point of having a 2030 Comprehensive Plan, a Future Land Use map, and an Urban Form Map if the council will literally ignore them? WOW. These newbies clearly f**king suck, no more “let’s give them a chance” - I’m done with them.
Well that is literally what Harrison got elected on - “protecting” the wealthy NW inner ring neighborhoods from scary development that barely touches them. It’s the others I’m more disappointed in.
“Another concern regarding the rezoning was what would happen to businesses that are currently on the site, such as Endless Grind, a skateboard shop, and Knuckle Up Boxing Gym and Fitness Center. This has been a recurring theme in rezoning discussions – what happens to current small businesses when redevelopment occurs? Many are often displaced, such as [Berkeley Cafe]”
Eh, that feels like throwing the baby out with the bathwater to me. As much as I’d like to see local businesses remain in place (especially considering these new developments always leaving their storefronts vacant), there has to be a way to protect them while still accommodating this city’s needed growth. Relocation assistance, maybe?
This has come up in a bunch of threads as something everyone agrees with - our development rules as written don’t incentivize creating small, flexible, relatively affordable spaces for independent businesses.
Does anyone have good ideas for how to change that?
Because while I think it’s not a good enough reason to toss this rezoning, it’s a real issue.
Well, its not just one business or building. Its a long list. I would say - preserving the Berkely Cafe and the building it occupies is in the interests of city as a whole.
Would they have considered the “casino,” or whatever that slot machine check cash business was that was in there previously, a local business worth saving?
Where else are we preserving the unique characteristics of a gym building?
There is a cycle shop, Endless Grind, and the boxing gym all in the same building. Although I rather like the building, I’m not defending its architectural merits but I do think its important to keep those types of business thriving in DT.
I guess concentrating on height is the key thing here. To me, zoning is about land use so denying a rezoning because it MIGHT take out a local business doesn’t feel appropriate to me. Businesses fail and leases are not renewed all the time without rezoning cases on the table. That doesn’t mean we’ve now protected these businesses here. They’ve probably just bought some more time if we’re being honest.
Second, I thought the comments on this case about “protecting historic neighborhoods” was disingenuous. The Glenwood-Brooklyn HD goes up to the train tracks, a natural barrier for not just cars but people too. It just seems highly unlikely that you get any real negative affects from a tall tower other than blocking somewhat of a view. That seems like privileged power to me.
To show how stupid that argument is, you don’t have to look far or need to remember that long ago.
Lets use the adjacent corner as an example. Comedy Workx and Peace Camera obviously benefited from the cheap rent they were able to find in this location, both were forced to search for a new location and both have relocated and are both currently still in business (Comedy Workx near Meredith and Peace Camera in Qual Corners).
Had the city council withheld this development because of these two business, and the fear they may not be able to relocate, the Publix and hundreds of new residents wouldn’t have moved in.
We are starting to learn our lesson the hard way with this city council. Voting for candidates because they seem nice or whatever virtue signaling they display instead of actual qualifications.
So denied by city council, that’s the last step right? No more submissions, meetings, or appeals? Can only build a 12-story building now unless they go through the whole process from the beginning again?
Wild that that’s the resolution after unanimous approval from the planning commission too?
