Wishing you all the best in 2021 |
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Dear readers,
It’s tough to describe the year we just made it through without dwelling on its challenges. Now that the calendar has turned and a COVID vaccine is being distributed, it’s a little easier to look back at all we were able to accomplish last year -- and look forward to continued progress in 2021 building a more inclusive, connected and healthy Denver.
My first full year as executive director of Community Planning and Development was certainly a strange one, but it was made easier by the staff, customers and residents who shared our commitment to prioritizing the health of our community.
I want to take this opportunity now to say thank you. Thank you for using our online services and e-permits platform; for meeting our staff on Zoom instead of in-person; for adopting procedures on job sites to keep our city's construction workers safe; for sharing parking spots, streets, and sidewalks with our businesses and residents who needed extra outdoor space for physical distancing; and above all, for lending a helping hand to those who have been hit hardest by this pandemic.
We've been through a lot together this past year and persevered. I am proud to call Denver my home and all of you my neighbors.
From my family to yours, happy new year.
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Laura E. Aldrete
Executive Director, Denver Community Planning and Development
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Here are some of our favorite moments from last year. |
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1 - Loretto Heights vision takes shape |
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The Loretto Heights area plan identified Pancratia Hall as one of several structures on this historic campus worthy of preservation. Based on community input, the plan recommended that Pancratia Hall be reused for affordable housing in the future. To implement this plan recommendation, in 2020, the city contributed a $3.3 million cash flow loan to kick off the restoration and adaptive reuse of Pancratia Hall.
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October 2020: Groundbreaking for Pancratia Hall affordable housing renovation |
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2 - New neighborhood plans along Colfax are adopted |
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In fall 2020, plans were adopted for 10 neighborhoods bordering Colfax from Broadway to Yosemite. Both plans -- the East Central [Broadway to Colorado] and the East [Colorado to Yosemite] -- were the result of three years of work by city staff, non-profit partners, local businesses and groups, and thousands of residents. Among other items, the plans contain policy recommendations to address affordability and climate change in a way older plans did not.
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3 - Three new landmarks are preserved |
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In December, Smith's Chapel at 910 Galapago in the La Alma-Lincoln Park neighborhood became Denver's 350th local landmark -- and the first to be designated using our new cultural significance criteria.
Earlier in 2020, Berkeley’s Howard Chapel at 4346 W. 46th Ave. was designated after extensive work by community members to save the beloved site from potential demolition. The Kittredge-Ginsberg-Forrest House at 4431 E. 26th Ave. was also designated in early 2020.
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Smith's Chapel at 910 Galapago becomes Denver's 350th local landmark
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4 - New program launched to explore incentives for affordability, sustainability |
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In 2020, we began testing permitting incentives for projects that align with Denver's values: projects that provide affordable housing or that meet our new Denver Green Code. We're still looking for a few more "green" projects. Interested? Learn more
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Our team spent countless hours last summer helping develop a citywide program to support outdoor dining and exercising -- which was vital to helping many restaurants stay afloat during the pandemic. Going forward, this experience may change how we all think about the public realm.
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6 - Neighborhood dashboards and a new GIS tool put the data in your hands |
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Our GIS data administrator, Grant Garstka, was awarded Employee of the Quarter for his work developing this map. |
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From e-permits to online planning workshops, 2020 was the year for creating virtual tools that will stay with us in 2021 and beyond. Among these, our data and GIS team launched an interactive dashboard of neighborhood-level data on housing, employment, affordability, and income and developed a map-based GIS tool where viewers and city staff can explore variables that may correlate with a vulnerability to displacement within Denver.
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7 - Webinars take a deep dive on topics that matter -- and can be replayed any time |
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We've already lined up an entire series on landmark preservation for 2021 and will also continue our green buildings videos with tutorials on Denver's energy code.
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Top to bottom: Irene Aguilar, Grace Rink, Scott Prisco, and Laura Aldrete speak to 300 attendees at the December 9 commercial permitting event |
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Still in need of a New Year's resolution?
Resolve to be a snow angel
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Everyone enjoys safe, clear sidewalks -- whether you are walking, rolling or delivering mail.
In Denver, residents must clear the sidewalks and wheelchair ramps around their home within 24 hours of a snowfall; businesses within 4 hours of a snowfall. Learn more at denvergov.org/snow.
Please remember to shovel this winter as soon as it’s practical and safe after a snow. Un-shoveled snow gets packed down and becomes ice.
Tips:
- Use the shovel to push the snow; don’t lift it.
- Shovel into your yard, so a plow doesn’t push it back onto your sidewalk.
- Become a snow angel and help other residents who need assistance with shoveling.
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BUILDING COMMUNITY:
About Community Planning and Development
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Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is responsible for visionary city planning and ensuring safe and sustainable building. Learn more at denvergov.org/cpd.
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