OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Community Planning and Housing Committee Meeting – August 4, 2026

Council Committees — Tuesday, August 4, 2026
BodyDenver, Colorado
SessionCouncil Committees
DateTuesday, August 4, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:35:05
Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Welcome back to this weekly meeting of the Community Planning and Housing Committee with Denver City Council.

0:09

Your community planning and housing committee starts now.

0:19

Hey everybody.

0:20

Thank you for joining us on this cooler August 4th day.

0:24

It's not 100 degrees out.

0:27

We have a great meeting in front of us.

0:29

We have one action item and two briefings.

0:32

And before we get started, I'll go out around the room and do introductions, and I'll start to my left.

0:37

Councilwoman Lewis Chantel Lewis, District Eight.

0:41

Thank you.

0:45

I need a second stake.

0:47

Wow.

0:48

Good afternoon, Paul Josh.

0:52

Jamie Torres, West Denver District 3.

0:58

Great, thank you.

0:59

And I think I forgot to introduce myself from Anderson Valley North West Denver District 1.

1:03

And with that, we have community planning on development on deck.

1:12

And you could take it away.

1:13

The floor is yours.

1:18

Good afternoon, Council members.

1:19

My name is Will Prince, and I'll be presenting the rezoning case for 3201 North Spear Boulevard, a request from USUA to UMX2X.

1:30

Today we'll review the requests, the location and context, the process, and the review criteria.

1:37

So again, this is a request to rezone from urban single unit A to urban mixed use two stories X.

1:44

The property itself, there in the center of the aerial is about a little over 5,500 square feet.

2:01

Continue on to the location and context, is located in Council District 1 with Councilmember Sandoval.

2:07

And is in the West Highland Statistical Neighborhood.

2:12

As for the existing zoning, again, it's USUA, which is the majority of the area, as well as USUB.

2:17

There is a PUD just south at the corner of 32 and Spear.

2:22

And there's another UMX2X on the same block of 32nd.

2:29

As for the existing context regarding land use, again, this is commercial uh mixed use, uh, but a good chunk of the area is single unit residential.

2:37

There's a church across the street for public quasi public, and there's some office commercial retail along the Spear and 30 second hub.

2:46

As for the building form and scale, you can see the subject property here on the bottom right corner.

2:51

And across the street, some of the commercial uh car wash and office across the street along Spear, and then typical single unit uh example to the north.

3:03

Continuing on to the process.

3:05

Uh this received its informational notice in May.

3:08

Uh Planning Board in June, and there's an error on the planning board hearing, but uh date, but it was uh voted uh unanimously in support.

3:16

And we are here today at the CPH committee and is tentative for its public hearing on November September 14th.

3:27

I was good at August and September, the eight and nine always get me mixed up.

3:31

Um as of today we have received uh two written comments of moderate opposition noting potential future development and one verbal comment and support noting uh business opportunities during the planning board hearing, and today we received a letter of support from uh the RO HANAY uh supporting this rezoning, which you should have hopefully received today.

3:52

Oh yes.

3:53

Getting my area plans mixed up.

3:57

Um to the review criteria.

4:02

Uh we'll review all three criteria uh for this property.

4:06

Starting with consistency with adopted plans, the comprehensive plan 2040.

4:11

This proposed rezoning is consistent and furthers comprehensive plan 2040, and we'll promote and enable commercial options or infrastructures in place in close proximity to the surrounding neighborhood.

4:22

Uh looking at vision one, equitable and affordable and inclusive.

4:25

This will meet two goals uh related to goal one, create a city of complete neighborhoods, as well as goal four, ensure every neighborhood is economic, strong and dynamic.

4:36

Uh this will also meet Vision 4 Economic Diverse and Vibrant, meeting goal three, sustain and grow Denver's local neighborhood businesses.

4:45

And vision five, environmentally resistant, clean our soils and conserve our land and grow responsibly.

4:53

Continue on to Blueprint Denver.

5:00

This is identified as urban, which this context includes small multi-unit residential and mixed use areas, typically in one and two unit residential areas.

5:07

As for future place type, is identified as local center, which has a mix of dining, entertainment, and shopping, may include some residential and employment areas and activity levels are lower than other center types with the highest activity during evenings and weekends.

5:20

The public realm is defined by lower scale buildings with active frontages.

5:25

And as for future street type, uh Spear is identified as a mixed use arterial and West 32nd a residential collector.

5:33

And for growth areas, it's identified as all other areas of the city with 10% job growth and 20% housing growth by 2040.

5:41

In addition to the maps we just reviewed, this also meets additional uh blueprint policies the uh uh to uh meet our uh uh climate and equity goals and particular land use and built form economics policy six ensure Denver and its neighbors neighborhoods have a vibrant and authentic retail and hospitality marketplace, meeting the full range of experiences and goods demanded by residents and visitors.

6:05

Uh for the remaining criteria, this will meet public interest as it will provide opportunities for commercial opportun for commercial businesses in the neighborhood, and has it's and also implements our citywide plans and is also consistent with neighborhood contact zone district purpose intent, meeting the regulations of UMX2X.

6:24

And based on the information provided today, as well as the staff report, CPD recommends and recommends forwarding the application to the full city council finding all review criteria have been met.

6:34

Uh we'll be available for questions, and the applicant is available virtually.

6:39

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████76%
Community Planning████6%
Contracts And Procurement███5%
Data Management███5%
Community Engagement██3%
Land Use Zoning█2%
Performance Measurement█1%
Housing█1%
Family Reunification█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Community Planning and Housing Committee Meeting – August 4, 2026

The Community Planning and Housing Committee of the Denver City Council met on August 4, 2026, to consider one action item and receive two briefings. The action item was a rezoning request for 3201 North Spear Boulevard. Briefings covered the HOST department's performance-based contracting pilot results for non-congregate shelters and an update from Urban Alchemy on its operations at the Aspen shelter and community care team.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • For the rezoning case (3201 North Spear Boulevard): Two written comments of moderate opposition were received, noting concerns about potential future development. One verbal comment in support was offered during the Planning Board hearing, citing business opportunities. The committee received a letter of support from the RO HANAY organization.

Discussion Items

  • Rezoning 3201 North Spear Boulevard (USUA to UMX‑2X): Will Prince from Community Planning and Development presented the request to rezone a ~5,500 sq ft property from Urban Single Unit A to Urban Mixed Use 2 stories X. The property is in Council District 1, West Highland neighborhood. The rezoning would allow commercial uses while preserving the existing building. The Planning Board had voted unanimously in support in June. Applicant Cody Sidaroff (Real Architecture) confirmed the building would be kept as-is. Councilmember Sandoval noted the UMX‑2X zone district restricts uses like marijuana shops and liquor stores, making it compatible with the surrounding residential area. Councilmember Torres asked about the building’s future use; the applicant stated it would remain for commercial use.
  • HOST Performance‑Based Contracting Pilot: Polly Kyle (Government Affairs Officer), Jeff Kesitsky (Deputy Director), Kelsey Anton (Director of Shelter Systems Operations), and Sarah Ledgerowa (Data Analytics Supervisor) presented results from the pilot launched January 2026 covering seven shelter contracts (769 units, over $50M over 3 years). Key metrics and Q2 2026 results compared to Q2 2025:
    • Occupancy rate: Six of seven shelters improved, average increase of 9 percentage points (target 90%).
    • Rapid resolution conversations: 97% of households received a conversation at intake (target 90%); no comparable 2025 data due to standardization changes.
    • Housing-focused case management: Households receiving at least four sessions per month rose from 51% to 83%; engagement (at least one session) increased from 73% to 91% (target 80%).
    • Active coordinated entry assessments: All shelters more than doubled the number of households active on the housing queue (target 90%).
    • Exits to permanent housing remained at 45% (comparable to 2025). Exits to unhoused increased from 19% to 23% (an increase of 12 people), while unknown destinations dropped from 23% to 17%. 911 calls dropped 22%, critical incident reports fell 50%, and guest satisfaction averaged above the national 70% standard at 72%.
    • Lessons learned: Providers reported more time for services, stronger teamwork, and improved accountability. HOST plans to expand the model in 2027 to include family non-congregate shelters (Theodora, The Crossing) and three city-owned congregate shelters (48th Men’s, 48th Women’s, Crossroads). Adjustments include raising the occupancy target, replacing the rapid resolution process measure with a 5% success rate goal, requiring documented case notes, and adding medical/behavioral/employment referrals as case management activities. For congregate shelters, case management will be measured by encounters per case manager (25/week, 100/month) and coordinated entry targets will apply only to guests staying 45+ days.
    • Councilmember Alvidrez requested data on exits by population and metrics for community neighbor relations. Councilmember Torres asked about coordinated entry participation and budget management. Councilmember Cashman discussed changes to metrics for quality. President Romero Campbell inquired about qualitative data for 911 calls, satisfaction, and length of stay (Tamarack shelter at ~10 months). Councilmember Lewis raised concerns about “warehousing,” the difference between 911 calls and incident reports, and the timing of guest satisfaction data collection. Councilmember Lewis also urged caution about adding referral metrics without tracking successful outcomes.
  • Urban Alchemy Operations Update: Tyler (Director of Operations), Carrie Bell (Deputy Director), and Dr. Lena Miller (CEO/Co‑founder) presented results from their operations at the Aspen shelter and the C.A.R.E. Team (Community and Compassionate Ambassadors doing Respectful Engagements) since January 1, 2026.
    • Aspen shelter: Urban Alchemy exceeded all contractual obligations. Operational changes included assigning two practitioners per floor, opening doors for guests to build community and safety. Overdose incidents dropped from 1–2 per day to 7 total (all reversed). They provide services on-site (housing navigation, care coordination, substance use treatment, etc.) and partner with local organizations.
    • C.A.R.E. Team: Outreach in Quebec Corridor, East Colfax, West Colfax, South Broadway. Tracked 912 unique households served and 4,884 clean activities (meals, engagements). Average length of stay at Aspen is currently 137 days (down from 229 days at assumption of operations).
    • Councilmember Alvidrez praised the work on South Broadway. Councilmember Torres noted the positive culture change. Councilmember Lewis asked about exits from shelter: 34% exited to housing, 46% exited unhoused (small numbers: 22 vs 30 people). Urban Alchemy acknowledged the need to improve and noted safety is the priority. Councilmember Alvidrez shared a personal experience where a family member was reunified without prior contact, causing disruption; Urban Alchemy committed to investigating.

Key Outcomes

  • Rezoning (3201 North Spear Boulevard): A motion was made and seconded to forward the application to the full City Council with a recommendation of approval. The committee voted to move it forward; no opposition was noted. The item is tentatively scheduled for City Council public hearing on September 14, 2026.
  • HOST Performance‑Based Contracting: No formal vote was taken. The committee received the briefing and discussed plans for 2027 expansion. HOST will proceed with incorporating family non‑congregate and city‑owned congregate shelters into the performance‑based model, with modified metrics as outlined.
  • Urban Alchemy: No formal action was taken. The committee acknowledged the progress and discussed areas for improvement, particularly regarding exits to unhoused destinations and family reunification protocols.

Meeting Transcript

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. Hey everybody. Thank you for joining us on this cooler August 4th day. It's not 100 degrees out. We have a great meeting in front of us. We have one action item and two briefings. And before we get started, I'll go out around the room and do introductions, and I'll start to my left. Councilwoman Lewis Chantel Lewis, District Eight. Thank you. I need a second stake. Wow. Good afternoon, Paul Josh. Jamie Torres, West Denver District 3. Great, thank you. And I think I forgot to introduce myself from Anderson Valley North West Denver District 1. And with that, we have community planning on development on deck. And you could take it away. The floor is yours. Good afternoon, Council members. My name is Will Prince, and I'll be presenting the rezoning case for 3201 North Spear Boulevard, a request from USUA to UMX2X. Today we'll review the requests, the location and context, the process, and the review criteria. So again, this is a request to rezone from urban single unit A to urban mixed use two stories X. The property itself, there in the center of the aerial is about a little over 5,500 square feet. Continue on to the location and context, is located in Council District 1 with Councilmember Sandoval. And is in the West Highland Statistical Neighborhood. As for the existing zoning, again, it's USUA, which is the majority of the area, as well as USUB. There is a PUD just south at the corner of 32 and Spear. And there's another UMX2X on the same block of 32nd. As for the existing context regarding land use, again, this is commercial uh mixed use, uh, but a good chunk of the area is single unit residential. There's a church across the street for public quasi public, and there's some office commercial retail along the Spear and 30 second hub. As for the building form and scale, you can see the subject property here on the bottom right corner. And across the street, some of the commercial uh car wash and office across the street along Spear, and then typical single unit uh example to the north. Continuing on to the process. Uh this received its informational notice in May. Uh Planning Board in June, and there's an error on the planning board hearing, but uh date, but it was uh voted uh unanimously in support. And we are here today at the CPH committee and is tentative for its public hearing on November September 14th. I was good at August and September, the eight and nine always get me mixed up. Um as of today we have received uh two written comments of moderate opposition noting potential future development and one verbal comment and support noting uh business opportunities during the planning board hearing, and today we received a letter of support from uh the RO HANAY uh supporting this rezoning, which you should have hopefully received today. Oh yes. Getting my area plans mixed up. Um to the review criteria. Uh we'll review all three criteria uh for this property. Starting with consistency with adopted plans, the comprehensive plan 2040. This proposed rezoning is consistent and furthers comprehensive plan 2040, and we'll promote and enable commercial options or infrastructures in place in close proximity to the surrounding neighborhood. Uh looking at vision one, equitable and affordable and inclusive. This will meet two goals uh related to goal one, create a city of complete neighborhoods, as well as goal four, ensure every neighborhood is economic, strong and dynamic. Uh this will also meet Vision 4 Economic Diverse and Vibrant, meeting goal three, sustain and grow Denver's local neighborhood businesses. And vision five, environmentally resistant, clean our soils and conserve our land and grow responsibly. Continue on to Blueprint Denver.

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