Denver Mayoral Race: ISSUES: Planning and Development
In 2000, Denver’s City Council produced the Denver Comprehensive Plan with goals that include the preservation and enhancement of the city’s natural environment; growth and change management via effective land use policies; citywide neighborhood programs; and the integration of the arts and culture into the city’s social and economic fabric. Since then, the document has been supplemented by various city departments’ individual plans for projects ranging from parks and recreation to land use and transportation.
In 2007, the Downtown Area Plan was “created by the City and County of Denver, Downtown Denver Partnership, and other public and private groups to keep Denver’s core vibrant and attractive to businesses, residents and visitors,” according to the Denver Business Journal. Plan projects include “transforming” Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue, connecting downtown to nearby neighborhoods and the Auraria Campus, and improving Arapahoe Square and the Civic Center area.
The following insights into how each candidate stands regarding such development projects in Denver as well as planning issues involving DIA, parks and recreation, neighborhood programs, or the arts are gathered from comments either made at recent campaign events or published on-line or in printed campaign materials. Candidate names are listed in the order in which they appear on the ballot.
Michael Hancock
Bottom line:
Says it is time for the city to “re-think its park system” and supports admission-based events as an innovative public-private approach to city parks.
On his campaign website:
Under “Arts and Culture,” Hancock promises as mayor to:
• coordinate partnerships between the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, Theaters, and Arenas with the Office of Economic Development and other city agencies including parks and recreation and the libraries and private organizations to thread the creative arts throughout all activities and projects in the city
• retain and attract creative industry employers, entrepreneurs, and cultural opportunities through the formation of a strategic creative district plan
• facilitate efforts of the city, commercial industry leaders, higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the talent inherent within the community so creative businesses become an integral part of making Denver the “start-up and small business capital of the country”
• increase student access and exposure to cultural and creative arts through public-private collaborations
• ensure every Denver student has a pathway to creative success through access to arts education, enrichment, career exploration, and internships
• leverage city assets and educational institutions to expand creative industry opportunities by pursuing partnerships that help incubate the music and film industries in Denver by creating opportunities for filmmakers and creative entrepreneurs to develop their skills and create and exhibit their work
• foster local talent by strengthening existing programs to build the viability of Denver artists nationally and by ensuring that the public commissioning process is one of balance and transparency
• enrich and expand the city’s horizons by bringing in national and international talent
• bolster community-based creative and educational opportunities to participate in the arts, including strengthening community theaters and civic choruses through smart development planning and strategic economic incentives
• act as the city’s cultural liaison/ambassador around the country to create and expand opportunities for local artists at a national level and to reinforce Denver’s standing as a destination city for cultural tourism
• enhance workforce and business development opportunities through public-private partnerships
• create multicultural destinations for all of Denver citizens across all neighborhoods
• ensure the diverse voices of Denver’s many cultures and styles are heard and listened to.
In his campaign flyer:
No mention of development
Issue-specific ideas or solutions presented at March 24 and April 6 events:
No mention of development
Issue-related comments:
In a January Denver Post article on a mayoral forum focused on parks issues, Hancock was quoted as calling Denver’s recreation centers “the heartbeat of the city” and credited them for helping him succeed.
In a Downtown Denver Partnership questionnaire, Hancock was quoted as saying as mayor he would:
• support exploring the extension of the Business Improvement District, which is responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the 16th Street Mall, for an additional 25 years as opposed to another 10-year term in order to create greater certainty for planning while still giving property owners the ability to vote on BID again in the future
• pursue creative public-private solutions for 16th Street Mall reconstruction
• support to any private capital campaign for 16th Street Mall reconstruction
• actively seek available federal funds for 16th Street Mall reconstruction
• instruct the manager of Community Planning and Development to work closely with community members, including the business community, to gather input on design and improve regulatory
certainty and ensure that development is not hindered by any new reviews or processes
• continue to implement the new form-based zoning code allowing for contextual consistency and
further development with regard to transit opportunities around multimodal development and areas in transition such as Arapahoe Square
• ensure the new zoning code is workable via his Peak Performance initiative, which will streamline permitting and regulatory processes, allowing projects enabled by the new zoning code to be developed quickly and efficiently
• support more flexible zoning models that allow for mixed-use neighborhoods and developments to supplement capital improvement and pay for maintenance of facilities that best serve everyone in the community
• support admission-based events as an innovative public-private approach to city parks
• support a balanced and managed program that follows specific criteria for admission-based park events, including parking and traffic plans
• call for ongoing evaluation of the admission-based park events program in order to address the concerns of residents and park users
• work to find innovative solutions to support and supplement city-funded park maintenance and operations, including stewardship agreements with non-profit organizations such as the Civic Center Conservancy to provide maintenance, programming, security, and safety within city parks
• examine how to:
--remove barriers to high-density housing
--provide a range of housing options that appeal to a variety of renters and buyers such as young professionals, families, and senior citizens
--provide services, retail, and amenities such as a downtown grocery store
• re-examine policies like the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to make sure they don’t discourage development, particularly high-density development, in downtown Denver
• encourage builders and developers to look to downtown as an option for all product types
• retain the Development Services Division for continuity in improving the redevelopment review process
• improve upon efforts to streamline the development process and remove the “silos” that keep city departments from communicating and lead to costly revisions.
Experience Potentially Related to this Issue:
• City Councilman 2003-Present
--President 2006-2008
--Led the Better Denver Neighborhood Improvement Program
• Former President, Metro Denver’s Urban League
• Former Employee, Denver Housing Authority
• Former Employee, National Civic League
Chris Romer
Bottom line:
Supports keeping Denver parks accessible to the public and expanding the parks program and funding other city projects via partnerships.
On his campaign website:
Under “Arts and Culture,” Romer states as mayor he would:
• leverage Denver’s creative community to work with the private sector to attract arts-related jobs, companies, and industries to the city
• support Denver arts, museums, and culture through public-private partnerships
• make the Scientific Cultural Facilities District permanent if approved by the SCFD Board
• cut the red tape that makes it difficult for arts and culture to thrive in Denver
• work with Denver schools to get enriching arts and culture curriculum in every school.
In his campaign flyer:
No mention of development
Issue-specific ideas or solutions presented at March 24 and April 6 events:
No mention of development
Issue-related comments:
In a January Denver Post article on a recent mayoral forum focused on parks, Romer was quoted as saying the city needs to look at “efficiencies” first related to its parks system and “should work with agencies like the Trust For Public Land, Great Outdoors Colorado and with developers to carve out pieces of open space.”
In a Downtown Denver Partnership questionnaire, Romer was quoted as saying as mayor he would:
• ensure collaboration on 16th Street Mall reconstruction among Denver’s businesses, nonprofits, the Downtown Denver Partnership, and city government
• use a creative combination of local, state, and federal financing and engaging the business community to fund 16th Street Mall reconstruction
• use the new Denver zoning code switch from use-based zoning to form-based zoning to revitalize Arapahoe Square and promote growth in the Golden Triangle with high-density development that builds upon the neigborhoods’ character and is consistent with long-term transportation plans
• establish a Model Service Plan and streamline the process to get Business Improvement, General Improvement, and Metropolitan Districts approved quickly
• keep Denver parks accessible to the public
• ensure Denver’s park system is economically and environmentally sustainable
• support the new parks policy as a pilot program
• encourage smart, multimodal, high-density housing development via tax incentives and a more business-friendly City Hall
• ensure the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance aligns with the current weakened state of the real estate market in Denver
• use public-private partnerships and other programs that incentivize rather than mandate development
• aggressively market the 16th Street Mall as a safe, vibrant, high-quality destination for tourists, business people, and residents
• continue the Development Services Division.
Experience Potentially Related to this Issue:
• Senator 2007-2010
• 25 years’ experience as a banker focused on municipal projects
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