Save DU Station
Transit Oriented Development at it’s worst… At only six months old half of this light rail station at the University Denver might be bulldozed.
It appears ridiculous, but Mile High Development is actually attempting to cram a 12 story high rise into this tiny wedge shaped piece of land adjacent to the University of Denver light rail station. This triangular corner, between Buchtel Boulevard and the tracks is no more than a few hundred feet long and much less than that in width. A high rise here would dominate the surrounding landscape, and completely alter the open-plaza space feel of the University of Denver Station, located across from the University of Denver.
An enormous building would be an incredible imposition on the train station and neighborhood. It would block all light coming in from the west, turning the station into a dark and gloomy locale, not to mention cold and icy in the winter.
I met with some residents picketing this small field and raising awareness about the project. Keep the bright atmosphere of the University of Denver Station. On April 30th a vote will be taken by city council on whether or not to allow construction to proceed. The transit agency of Denver, RTD, currently owns the property, and would be selling the land to them for profit.
Here’s further reading Eileen Abbattista of the Washington Park Profile.
An awkward, remnant wedge of land at the western edge of RTD’s University light rail station property – and the 11-story high-rise building proposed by Mile High Development for construction there – is at the heart of a currently escalating rezoning controversy.
Many neighbors strenuously object to obscuring the impact of the high-rise (which also seeks to add a top floor for resident parking on to the existing light rail station garage), by the City’s seemingly under-examined embracing of TOD at this specific location. Community Planning and Development staff and the City’s Planning Board have each expressed support for the rezoning application. If the zoning change is approved, CPD will only then review any proposals for future buildings and site improvements (including any by Mile High Development) as a matter of compliance with the new zone lot designation. No public input is allowed in that process.
Another sticky issue is that this parcel is owned by RTD, hence making it public land for all. Should this really be sold to a private developer? Many agree the land should remain public. Or at least be used for purposes directly related to transit. Here are additional negative factors by neighborhood resident Allan Ferguson:
Parking and traffic: This structure will dump 300-400 new residents and their cars onto the perimeter of a quiet residental area and into the midst of the already crowed DU area.
Aesthetics: People along the south side of the Buchtel corridor have worked long and hard to maintain the views to the north, and chose not to have sound walls along sunken interstate 25. A 12 story building would obliterate these views.
Safety: This building would cast a dark and dangerous shadow north over the light rail station and the highway. In winter, snow and ice would accumulate around the station, on the steps, and on the platform, posing serious dangers to transit riders.
Setback: Unlike the 10 story high rise a few blocks to the east, this building would have little or no setback from the sidewalk.
Even if you live outside of this district, or even the city, please forward a note, or forward this post to them and keep a tiny piece of open space intact. Or attend the public meeting at the City and County building, April 30th, 5:30pm.
Denver City Council site Reference council bill 149
We need to remind the City’s Planning Board they hold an elected postion, and can be removed!
Planning Board is appointed by elected officials. Many on Planning Board pay no attention to agenda they are tasked with. for example, in the case of historic designation of our property and that next door, they simply ignored the criteria they were asked to examine, and one member actually drove by and decided it did not “look” historic, or large enough for a district. Neither of those were relevent to his task, which was to determine whether the historic district had an impact on City infrastucture planning in some way. He did not consider ANY legal criteria because all that mattered to him was seeing developers win out over the wishes of the citizens. This was the DeBoer property, one which had national significance! I support what neighbors want and the protection of the majority in a neighborhood against outside developers/special interests with no stake in a neighborhood’s future. I pity any neighborhood at the mercy of the unethical anti-character activists on the Planning Board. Our neighbors will support efforts by those who who would be negatively impacted and have their choices taken away on this DU station. Voters in Council District 7 should pay careful attention to the developer interests and who they are backing financially on this election.
Thanks for the insight Leigh. I’ve written some posts regarding the amount of “tear downs” too I see daily when I bike to work through southeast Denver.
The high rise they’re planning isn’t much different than some of the box mini McMansions near Bonnie Brae.
Thanks for the insight – I’ll definitely be attending the meeting on April 30th.
I’m not usually very sympathetic to NIMBYist appeals (some of those neighbors probably opposed the construction of the light rail station in the first place), but a 12-story building on that narrow strip of land just sounds inappropriate.
If you want to experience a truly depressing station, get off the train at Colorado. It’s nothing but tracks and platforms in the bottom of a concrete trench, with little light, no views and only one way out. I always feel confined and slightly unsafe there.
Leigh Lafon and those of her kind always make sure not to tell the other side to a story. The DeBoer situation is unlike a train station or a publicly owned entity. My family’s property isn’t public. I don’t care if you say it’s for the “greater good”. The only reason the landmark attempt at our entire 1.17 acres was attempted was because the neighborhood feared a development. That’s all, it’s all under the veil of some valiant effort to try and “save history”.
The reason Leigh Lafon doesn’t like those particular Planning Board members was because they didn’t vote in the direction of her faction, the DeBoer Preservation Committee. That’s right, Planning Board voted to REJECT their application because it had no merit. I won’t even mention her connections within the City of Denver that helped her group get as far as they did. Yes, we know more than you think we do. Need I mention Julie Connor’s personal efforts to help them?
The Planning Board saw through the blatant attempt at a theft in private property rights via fake historical preservation. Their MO has always been aggressive and been solely to defame my family’s good name and reputation, namely my mother, to their own benefit.
Not ONE of Leigh’s faction or “historical supporters” she used as loose and ridiculous references ever sought the personal knowledge and experience my family had with my Great Grandfather, S.R. DeBoer. Had they done that, I’m most positive the neighborhood wouldn’t be as irreparably fractured as it is today. But thanks to the mindset where people trying to “save” something, permission has been granted to do whatever it takes no matter the damage, right?
*HINT* Don’t be an ASS to your neighbors if you want to get something from them, like oh say… buildings you can live with should their property be prime for development. Didn’t you learn in primary school that you catch for bees with honey? Or was it flys…
I suggest those who are so against the building going on in Denver try and be more civil. Granted, some builders being unreasonable have brought this on, but not in our case. We were living our peaceful lives until Leigh Lafon, her husband and their neighborhood faction attacked us in many ways. The most recent? Physical attack. Emotions have gotten out of control with these situations and now people think it’s OK to trespass throw their bodies in front of running chainsaws to stop something (say tree trimming)or worse yet, physically attack my mother! You should be ASHAMED. Yes, that really happened on 4-22-07 at our property. Court documents and videos can back that up.
Has this world gone totally mad when such hateful behavior is actually acceptable? Uh yeah.
Let me clarify that the Lafons have never physically touched any of my family. It was Pam Pritzel, their friend, who assaulted my mother.
And I’m done.
Good Lord who the hell are you people and what are you talking about? Obviously not the land near DU Station.
Anyway does anyone know if this passed yesterday? (Yes I know I said I’d be there but it was dollar drinks Sunday night, hence a bad hangover come Monday)
I checked the website for CB149 and it says “passed with waiver” whatever that means.
http://www.denvergov.org/tabid/425943/Default.aspx
In the meantime Catherine and Leigh make nice and go have tea.
hehe… at least SOMEONE doesn’t know about it. That’s refreshing.
Tea won’t happen. Thanks and sorry for running off topic and adding confusion.
Take care…
Thanks for the great chuckle, James. You attract some interesting readers!
(especially that Caleb!… haha)
James;
I happened across your site today – this is an old conversation, but I am curious what has happened on this since May. I would hate to see a building go in that spot.
Hi Dan. Seeing as how this issue is front page on my blog I really should be more proactive in updates.
I emailed the Washington Park Profile, the local paper who has closely followed this corner.
They wrote me back stating “The plan is still in the works, but stalled for now.” Which means we’ll have to keep watching for updates. To my knowledge RTD is still offering that space as an opportunity for development.
Meanwhile how about some businesses in the first floor of the DU Station parking garage? It’s prime space in a commuter transit center and right across from the University. I’m ready for an Einsteins in there.