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NOTICE to ALL DENVER REGISTERED NEIGHBORDHOOD ORGANIZATIONS
RE: 2024 DENVER ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT BUNDLE CHANGES
The INC Executive Committee would like to make sure your neighborhood knows about a set of zoning code changes called the 2024 Denver Zoning Code Text Amendment Bundle currently being considered by Denver City Council's Land Use Transportation and Infrastructure (LUTI) committee this week, and which will be voted on by the full City Council in the coming weeks.
While your Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs) did get City notice about the October 12th Planning Board public hearing where the Text Amendment Bundle was voted on, likely this was the first your RNO heard of these changes, because the City’s Community Planning & Development Department failed to notify neighborhoods this July when a public review draft was posted on their website. Normally RNOs are notified early on and invited to provide feedback while a text amendment is still being actively revised. INC’s Zoning and Planning committee normally hosts a meeting during that time frame where the City comes to walk us through the proposed changes, their purpose and impact. None of that happened this time due to the lack of public review draft notice. It should be noted that a notice for a public review draft informs the community that a draft version of proposed changes is available for public feedback, while a notice for a public review hearing announces a formal event where final decisions will be discussed and public input may be shared before a decision is made. A review hearing typically occurs long after a draft has had input and is generally done being revised.
To be clear, INC is not taking a position on the content of the bundle. However, we do urge your zoning, land use, or other neighborhood committees or experts to take a look at the bundle and be sure you understand if it affects your neighborhood in any way you would want to communicate with Denver’s City Council before they vote on it. We’ve included resources to do that below.
To help ensure that the City never fails to notify RNOs about important public input opportunities for Zoning Code changes (“text amendments”) again, last week INC’s Board voted unanimously to send the attached letter to City Council, asking them to make RNO notice for public review drafts mandatory. This continues INC’s consistent call, since 1975, for open and authentic neighborhood engagement on the city issues that affect neighborhoods. The City let us down this time – let’s help them never miss notifying us again by adding these public review opportunities to the list of required public notices. You may wish to add your RNO and/or personal voice to this request by letting your City Council members know you expect required notice of public review drafts in the future. Here is a link to the INC Letter to Denver City Council.
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Here are some links to help with your review of the 2024 Denver Zoning Code Text Amendment Bundle:
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Copy of 11/7 INC Letter to Denver City Council
To: Denver City Council and City Council LUTI Committee
Re: Request to Add Required RNO public notice of future Denver Zoning Code text amendment public review drafts to the 2024 DZC Text Amendment Bundle
This year, for the first time in our memory, Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs) did not receive a public notice about the availability of a draft for public review of a Denver Zoning Code Text Amendment Bundle. As a result, most RNOs were unaware of the opportunity to provide feedback while the draft was available for public comment over the summer through early August. Consequently, the feedback that was received came mainly from design and development professionals — regular users of the code — and from a small group of residents who were specifically concerned about proposed changes in one small part of the very large bundle. Broader community input from RNOs and other residents was not received, largely because the Community Planning and Development (CPD) office omitted the usual, expected notification process.
In the past, CPD has consistently provided notices about public review drafts for changes to the Denver Zoning Code. We understand that the lack of notice this time was an oversight. Typically, these notices are followed by an invitation to speak with citywide RNOs at our INC Zoning and Planning (ZAP) committee. However, this step was also missed because INC, as a coalition of RNOs, did not receive the usual notification. It should be noted that a notice for a public review draft informs the community that a draft version of proposed changes is available for public feedback, while a notice for a public review hearing announces a formal event where final decisions will be discussed and public input may be shared before a decision is made. A review hearing typically occurs long after a draft has had input and is generally done being revised.
INC has taken no position on the overall content of the 2024 DZC Text Amendment bundle. However, the absence of RNO notification for the public review draft highlights a gap in the process. Therefore, INC requests that the City Council amend the 2024 Denver Zoning Code Text Amendment Bundle to require that all future public review drafts of text amendments to the Denver Zoning Code include mandatory notification for RNOs. This change is appropriate for this amendment bundle, as the purpose of a “bundle” of small updates to the Denver Zoning Code is to make corrections, clarifications, or improvements based on practical experience with the code — especially when unexpected issues arise that show a need
for adjustment. The lack of RNO notification for the public review draft has exposed an optionality in public notice that should instead be a required process. Adding this notification requirement as a small amendment to the current 2024 DZC Bundle would help address this oversight.
Thank you,
Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation Board of Directors
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INC has several committees that might interest you. Please use the buttons below to sign up for their email and announcements of their meetings
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About INC
Established in 1975, Denver INC (Inter Neighborhood Cooperation) is a voluntary, non-profit coalition of representatives from Denver’s registered neighborhood organizations (RNO's), city agencies and others that gather to promote responsible city change and growth for Denver. . We focus on citizen education/advocacy and fair-balance presentations on issues impacting Denver residents.
For many years, INC has increasingly become the vital voice of Denver's neighborhoods on municipal public policy. Through its committees, INC has developed the first comprehensive Citizens Education Academy, provided representatives to City task forces, furnished resources and tools to promote neighborhood organizational development and been involved in shaping recent marijuana initiatives and short term rental conditions.
Mailing: INC, PO Box 181012, Denver, CO 80218 Website: www.denverinc.org Email: communications@denverinc.
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