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Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting - October 14, 2024: Proclamations, Rezonings, and Kroenke Bills

City Council — Monday, October 14, 2024
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, October 14, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:00

I'll now give the instructions on how to access interpretation.

0:39

And thank you very much.

0:41

Thank you, Sam.

0:45

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, October 14th, 2024.

0:51

Members and audience, please rise as you are able and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:58

My Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

1:03

And to the Republic for which it stands.

1:17

Council members, please join Councilmember Lewis as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement.

1:27

Thank you.

1:28

The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is in the territory traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples.

1:36

We also recognize the 48 contemporary trial nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado.

1:44

We honor elders, past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations.

1:50

We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples.

2:00

May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver.

2:12

Thank you, Councilwoman.

2:13

Madam Secretary, roll call.

2:17

El Vas here.

2:20

Here Gilmore.

2:21

Here.

2:22

Gonzalez Gutierrez.

2:23

Here.

2:24

Heinz.

2:25

Here.

2:25

Cashman.

2:26

Here.

2:26

Lewis.

2:27

Present.

2:28

Parody.

2:30

Romero Campbell.

2:31

Here.

2:31

Sawyer.

2:32

Here.

2:33

Torres.

2:33

Here.

2:34

Watson.

2:35

Here.

2:35

Madam President.

2:37

Here.

2:37

Madam Secretary.

2:40

Twelve members present.

2:42

We have 12.

2:43

There are 12 members present.

2:45

Council has a quorum.

2:47

Approval of the minutes.

2:48

Are there any corrections to the minutes of October 7th?

2:55

Seeing none, the minutes stand approved.

2:57

Council announcements.

2:59

Are there any council announcements by my colleagues this afternoon?

3:04

Councilman Hines, why don't you start us off?

3:07

Thank you, Madam President.

3:08

Um two announcements.

3:10

First, uh, this Saturday is a zombie crawl, the Denver Zombie Crawl in Larmer Square on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.

3:19

and going into the evening.

3:21

Um so if you want to check out some zombies, uh please do so uh in the Denver's Perfect 10 uh in Lambert Square.

3:30

Uh from it looks like 2 to 8 p.m.

3:33

Uh the second announcement is um we have I notice we have some folks from Cronke here.

3:38

I want to thank uh KSE and Craigy Sports Entertainment uh for having the conversation Thursday afternoon about the um uh uh ballerina redevelopment, but specifically how the viewplane modification might impact views uh for residents downtown.

3:59

Um if you have interest in attending that, uh please do reach out to my office, uh District 10 at Denvergov.org.

4:05

It is on Thursday afternoon.

4:06

Uh so we do have a little bit of time between now and then.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Zoning███████████████████████23%
Affordable Housing████████████████████20%
Community Engagement█████████9%
Procedural████████8%
Historic Preservation████████8%
Elections Administration███████7%
Indigenous Partnerships██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Mental Health Awareness████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting - October 14, 2024

The Denver City Council met on Monday, October 14, 2024, at 3:30 PM in the Cathy Reynolds City Council Chamber. The meeting included proclamations, approval of numerous resolutions and bills, and three public hearings on zoning changes. Councilmember Parady was absent. The meeting adjourned at 8:16 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: Minutes from October 7, 2024 (24-1408) were approved.
  • Resolutions Adopted En Bloc: 13 resolutions were approved by a 12-0 vote (Parady absent). These included:
    • 24-1247: Master purchase order with Garage Door Specialties, Inc. for $1,500,000 at Denver International Airport (DIA).
    • 24-1248: Master purchase order with Rohde & Schwarz USA, Inc. for $900,000 for walk-through weapon detection systems at DIA.
    • 24-1250: Contract with Eckerd Youth Alternatives (Eckerd Connects) for $6,900,000 for workforce development services citywide.
    • 24-0806: Purchase and Sale Agreement for a 50% interest in the 167-acre Tibaldo Property in Evergreen for $3 million.
    • 24-1241 & 24-1242: Grant agreements with RTD for microtransit programs in various neighborhoods (total city match $4.2 million).
    • 24-1245 & 24-1246: Dedication of public right-of-way for streets and alleys in District 1.
    • 24-1249: Grant agreement with Caring for Denver Foundation for $632,072 for the Denver DA Adult Diversion Program.
    • 24-1254: Contract with ESO Solutions, Inc. for $800,000 for fire incident and health reporting software.
    • 24-1263: Contract with The Gathering Place for $1,202,543 to operate a micro-community site for transgender and non-binary people and women in District 10.
    • 24-1126: Loan agreement with Atlantis Community Foundation for $3,000,000 for 60 income-restricted units in District 7.
    • 24-1244: Contract with Hamon Infrastructure, Inc. for $2,574,770 for the Jewell/Evans Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge project.
    • 24-1252: Amendment to funding agreement with Urban Peak Denver and The Peak, Inc. adding $700,000 for a shelter facility for minors and transition-age youth in District 7.
  • Resolution Postponed: 24-1240 (East Colfax Safer Streets Collaborative grant) was postponed to October 28, 2024, by a 12-0 vote.

Proclamations

  • 24-1426: Global Peer Support Celebration Day – Adopted 12-0. Sponsored by Gonzales-Gutierrez. Acknowledged peer support providers and their role in mental health and addiction recovery.
  • 24-1427: Honoring Denver's Election Workers – Adopted 12-0. Sponsored by Kashmann. Recognized the Elections Division and the 1,200+ bipartisan election judges for the 2024 presidential general election. Clerk Paul Lopez accepted.
  • 24-1428: Indigenous Peoples' Day – Adopted 10-0 (Hinds, Parady, Sawyer absent). Sponsored by Torres. Recognized the ninth annual observance and committed to working with Indigenous communities.

Public Hearings - Bills for Final Consideration

Bill 24-0916: Rezoning 1920 South King Street, Harvey Park

  • Staff Report: Robert Haigh of Community Planning and Development (CPD) presented. Rezone from S-SU-D to S-SU-D1 to allow an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). The property is 0.14 acres. The ADU was built without permits; rezoning is a step to legalize it. Citywide ADU rezoning will occur in November.
  • Public Testimony: No speakers in favor or opposition. The applicant's representative, Bruce O'Donnell, spoke briefly in support.
  • Council Discussion: Councilmember Flynn expressed concerns about the existing non-conforming structure but noted the criteria are met.
  • Outcome: Approved 11-0 (Parady and Sawyer absent).

Bill 24-0732: Rezoning 3821-3897 N. Steele Street and 3800-3840 N. York Street (York Street Yards), Clayton

  • Staff Report: Chelsea Bennouna of CPD presented. Request to rezone approximately 31 acres from PUD-G 32; I-1, UO-2 WVRS; I-0 WVRS to I-MX-5 and PUD-G 35. The rezoning facilitates development of 75 units of 100% affordable LGBTQ+ affirming senior housing on a one-acre parcel, plus a satellite office of The Center on Colfax. CPD staff initially recommended a waiver to limit residential uses, but the applicant declined. Planning Board recommended approval unanimously. Over 100 public comment letters in support; one from Historic Denver led to an MOU.
  • Public Testimony: 18 speakers registered in favor, including Fred Glick (applicant), Rebecca Arnold (York Street Yards manager), representatives from Penrose Development, The Center on Colfax, and Clayton neighborhood residents. No opposition speakers. Key themes: need for affordable LGBTQ+ senior housing, community support, modernizing outdated Chapter 59 zoning, preservation of existing mixed-use character via MOU.
  • Council Discussion: Extensive questions about the scope of the rezoning (entire 31 acres vs. just the housing parcel), the absence of a Large Development Review (LDR) requirement, the MOU with Historic Denver, and the lack of a community benefits agreement. Councilmembers expressed concerns about setting a precedent and inconsistent zoning procedures. Councilmembers Watson, Torres, and others argued the criteria were met and the community overwhelmingly supported it.
  • Outcome: Approved 9-2 (Councilmembers Lewis and Sandoval voted no). Parady absent, Sawyer absent from vote.

Bill 24-0878: Rezoning 3801 East Florida Avenue, Cory-Merrill

  • Staff Report: Not presented as the bill was postponed.
  • Public Testimony: None.
  • Outcome: Postponed to January 27, 2025, by a motion from Council President Pro Tem Romero Campbell, seconded by Flynn, adopted 11-0.

Bills for Introduction

The following bills were ordered published (first reading):

  • 24-1251: Transfer of $8,000,000 from General Fund Contingency to the Affordable Housing Fund for the Temporary Rent and Utility Assistance (TRUA) program.
  • 24-1253: Classification and pay plan amendments for various career service positions and new airport maintenance classifications.
  • 24-1243: Relinquishment of an easement at 1280 N. Umatilla Street.
  • 24-1141: Amendment to the Old City Hall view plane exemption for the Downtown Central Platte Valley-Auraria Center zone district.
  • 24-1142: Development agreement with Kroenke Arena Company, LLC, for redevelopment of about 64 acres near 1000 Chopper Circle (future public hearing Oct 21).
  • 24-1143: Amendment to the development agreement with KSE Elitch Gardens / Revesco / Second City, extending the end date to June 30, 2050.
  • 24-1169: Approval of service plans for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Metropolitan Districts 1-5 (future public hearing Oct 21).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved Resolutions: 13 resolutions adopted en bloc; one postponed.
  • Proclamations: Three adopted.
  • Rezoning 24-0916: Passed 11-0.
  • Rezoning 24-0732: Passed 9-2.
  • Rezoning 24-0878: Postponed to Jan 27, 2025.
  • Upcoming Hearings: On October 21, 2024, Council will hold required public hearings on Kroenke-related bills (24-1142, 24-1143, 24-1169) and other items.

Meeting Transcript

I'll now give the instructions on how to access interpretation. And thank you very much. Thank you, Sam. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, October 14th, 2024. Members and audience, please rise as you are able and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. My Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Council members, please join Councilmember Lewis as they lead us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement. Thank you. The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is in the territory traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary trial nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. We honor elders, past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver. Thank you, Councilwoman. Madam Secretary, roll call. El Vas here. Here Gilmore. Here. Gonzalez Gutierrez. Here. Heinz. Here. Cashman. Here. Lewis. Present. Parody. Romero Campbell. Here. Sawyer. Here. Torres. Here. Watson. Here. Madam President. Here. Madam Secretary. Twelve members present. We have 12. There are 12 members present. Council has a quorum. Approval of the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes of October 7th? Seeing none, the minutes stand approved. Council announcements. Are there any council announcements by my colleagues this afternoon? Councilman Hines, why don't you start us off? Thank you, Madam President.

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