Why is Charlie Brown Making So Much Sense?

Have you been paying attention to the New (Proposed) Denver Zoning Code? My guess is probably not so much. You may have heard about it but have you looked up your property to see what our City masterminds have in store for the future? You can go here and locate your address and see what the new code dictates for you. Then you can look up the new designation and see what that actually means...maybe.

With your new designation in hand you can go to this Interim Draft and...totally lose your mind as you try to figure out what the heck is going on. I have to admit, with all of the strike-throughs and cross-outs it is almost impossible to see what will or may happen to your property designation. Keep in mind that the ultimate value of your property will depend very directly on this new designation.

But wait,

Denver City Council and Denver Planning Board are hosting two public listening sessions in November on the proposed New Zoning Code. This is another opportunity for you to provide comments on the proposed New Zoning Code and ask questions.

We thank the thousands of citizens who helped shape the first and second drafts of the New Zoning Code. A third draft is being completed that will be published on newcodedenver.org for community review and comment in advance of the listening sessions.

Come Join Us On:

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm (Sign–up to speak between 5 pm and 5:30pm)

Or

Thursday, November 19, 2009 from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm (Sign-up to speak between 12 noon and 12:30pm)

Both sessions will be held in the Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Avenue, Fourth floor conference rooms 4G2/4F6.

-The sessions will be held in a public hearing format. Speakers are limited to 3 minutes and one opportunity to comment or ask a question over the course of the two listening sessions.
-Input will be used to inform the final draft code to be released in December.
-Adoption of the New Zoning Code is planned for February 2010.

The New Zoning Code fixes Denver's 53-year-old, unwieldy, patch worked zoning code. The New Denver Zoning Code, a comprehensive rewrite, will support a growing economy, a sustainable environment, a diverse mix of housing, strong neighborhoods and a high quality of life. Learn more at www.NewCodeDenver.Org.

I'm always suspicious when government asks for "citizen input". Countless times I have seen citizens express their opinion before City Council only to be totally ignored when it comes to a vote. "Listening Sessions" sound even more bogus, but maybe that's just my anti-government bias showing, especially when I learn that a consulting firm has been hired to conduct these sessions (not clear who will be listening in this case).

And then I discovered this 3-part gem, Downzoning Denver, from KBDI on YouTube. I'm posting Part 3 here but if you are concerned you should watch all three parts. Councilman Charlie Brown speaks to the issue of property rights. He is one of my favorites since he made the abusive "Overlay Railroad" (my term) to which my neighborhood was subjected require a 50% agreement of the owners before passage. The new code incorporates many of the existing overlays.