Community Planning and Housing Committee: January 20, 2026 – Rezoning and Landmark Designation
Denver City Council Community Planning and Housing Committee Meeting – January 20, 2026
The Community Planning and Housing Committee met on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. to consider two action items: a rezoning along West 32nd Avenue in West Highland to add the Design Overlay 8 (DO8) and increase heights, and a revised landmark designation for the Knights of Columbus building at 1555 North Grant Street. Both items were moved forward to the full City Council.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Rezoning (West 32nd Avenue): No live public testimony was given. Written comments included a letter of support from the West Highland Neighborhood Association and 16 comments from neighbors: 14 in support (many from business owners), one expressing concern about parking, and one requesting more information.
- Landmark Designation (1555 Grant): One letter of support was received from Historic Denver.
Discussion Items
Item 1: Rezoning of West 32nd Avenue (Perry to Julian) – Design Overlay 8 and Height Increase
Libby Gluck (Community Planning and Development) presented a proposal to rezone a portion of West 32nd Avenue in West Highland from Urban Mixed Use 2 stories (UMX-2) and PUD 162 to Urban Mixed Use 3 stories (UMX-3) on the western portion, and to apply Design Overlay 8 (Active Centers and Corridors) to the entire corridor. The eastern portion is already zoned Urban Main Street 3 (UMS-3) and would also receive the overlay. The overlay requires active ground-floor uses (e.g., commercial/retail) to prevent the corridor from converting to purely residential. Council President Sandoval, the sponsor, described extensive outreach including mailers, four town halls, and walking the corridor with aides. She noted that the overlay builds on similar efforts on Tennyson, Santa Fe, East Colfax, and Federal. The PUD currently allows one-story height and paint-shop uses; the change to UMX-3 aligns with Blueprint Denver’s growth plan for local corridors. The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval on December 16, 2025. Staff found all review criteria met, including consistency with the comprehensive plan and Blueprint Denver equity concepts.
Concerns: Council Member Alvidrez asked about accessory uses and EV charging stations under DO8, referencing a prior issue on East Colfax. Ms. Gluck said she would follow up. Council President Sandoval explained that historic districts along the corridor were excluded from the rezoning (the “Swiss cheese” effect).
Item 2: Revised Landmark Designation – 1555 North Grant Street (Knights of Columbus Building)
Abigail Christman (MREC Preservation) presented a revised application for landmark designation of the Knights of Columbus District 539 property. The original application (December 2, 2025) had been deferred due to concerns about including a parking lot as a contributing element. The revised application keeps the parking lot within the boundary but designates it as non-contributing, allowing future redevelopment (e.g., park, additional building) with Landmark Preservation Commission review. Two structures remain contributing: the 1928 event hall and the 1963 meeting hall. The building is being recommended for designation for its association with the Knights of Columbus, its role as a USO center during WWII, its mid-century modern architecture by prolific Denver architect John Melan, and its innovative use of pre-stressed double T concrete (possibly the first such use in Colorado). The period of significance is 1928–1982. Council President Sandoval worked with the applicants to revise the application quickly, and also coordinated with the Assessor’s Office to delay any tax reassessment. Council Member Torres, Alvidrez, and others thanked the sponsor for resolving the parking lot issue. The Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously to approve the revised designation.
Key Outcomes
- Rezoning (West 32nd Avenue): A motion to forward the rezoning to the full City Council was made and seconded; all committee members signed off (voice vote). The item will proceed to the full council.
- Landmark Designation (1555 Grant): A motion to forward the revised landmark designation to the full City Council was made and seconded; all committee members approved. The item will proceed to a public hearing and full council vote.
- Both items were moved to the full council without opposition.
Meeting Transcript
Hi everyone, Jay Adams here from Denver Water. You know a drip system is really the best and most efficient way to water your plants. So in this video we're going to show you how to set one up for your WaterWise garden. Before installing a drip system you'll need to reduce the water pressure on one of the zones of your irrigation system. This is an important step so you don't blow out your new drip system. Let's look at two ways to reduce your water pressure. One way is to add a pressure reducing valve at your sprinkler valve box. If you're not comfortable doing this, contact a professional from the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. So another option for you is to use one of these spray to drip conversion kits in one of the sprinkler heads in your yard. You can learn how to install a conversion kit by clicking on this video link. So here you can see we've rounded up all the different parts that you're going to need to set up your drip system and you can find all these at your local hardware store or online. A half inch or three quarter inch polyethylene or poly pipe. Quarter inch drip line tubing, aka spaghetti lines. Drip emitters. Plastic barb connectors. Some goof plugs. A hole punch. A saw or scissors. A rubber mallet. Landscape pins. And a drip line end clamp or plug. Okay, now that we've got all these parts, let's go see how they all fit together. First off, unroll the poly pipe, which is called the main line. Then use the rubber mallet to hammer down the landscape pins to hold it down. Now we're ready to start connecting the smaller quarter inch spaghetti line to the plants. Grab the hole punch and poke a hole into the main line. Then push in a plastic barb connector and connect it to the spaghetti line. Next, run the spaghetti line to the plant, cut it to the length you need, and put the appropriate dripper on the end. Then stake down the line so it stays in place. Another option is to push the emitter directly into the main line and connect it to the spaghetti line. Then just run the tubing to the plant, cut it to the right length, stake the line. So it's okay if you do make a mistake. Just use the goof plugs in the main line to plug the hole. Once you're done installing everything, run some water through the main line to flush out any dirt. Then either cap it or fold the line and put on an end clamp. When you're finished, it might look a little crazy seeing all those tubes twisting around like a bunch of snakes, but your hard work will pay off, and your new drip system will really make it easy to water your plants and keep them healthy. So it's important to remember the water needs of your plant when picking out the emitters. These come in a variety of flow rates, and that's based on gallons per hour. Hey, thanks for watching, and for more landscaping tips, check out denverwater.org. slash conserve. Welcome back to this weekly meeting of the Community Planning and Housing Committee with Denver City Council. Your Community Planning and Housing Committee starts now. Alright, we are on air. This is the Community Planning and Housing Committee of Denver City Council. It is Tuesday, January 20th at 1.30 in the afternoon. We have two action items today and I will start with committee introductions on my left and I'm Sarah parity one of your council members at large. Jamie Torres West Denver district 3. Amanda Sandoval Northwest Denver district 1. Amanda Sawyer district 5. Laura Vitres Lucky district 7.
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