Zoning Matters in Denver
Reasons for Reform: Denver's code has become overly complex and burdensome. The city's first zoning code, which was adopted in 1923, was 25 pages long with 13 district classifications. Today, the Denver zoning code is 639 pages long with 44 basic districts and 14 sub-districts. The last major revision was in 1956.
Reform timetable: The Zoning Code Update project started in January 2005. There is a Zoning Code Task Force and a Community Advisory Group that oversee the work. The work of the group has been divided into four phases. The first phase, Analysis and Problem Definition, resulted in the publication of a Diagnostic Report and list of Problem Statements. The Alternative Approaches phase produced a consensus to replace the city's current Euclidian zoning code with a form-based code. The third phase, Drafting, culminated in the presentation of a draft of the new code. Currently, Denver is in the fourth phase, Public Review, in which the public has the opportunity to offer commentary on the code in a series of public meetings and on the NewCodeDenver website.
Reform Elements: Some objectives of the reform are articulated on the Problem Statements list. They include the development of a code that is aligned with the city's comprehensive plan, that has more consistent and less complicated procedures, and that has a standardized, user-friendly format.
Reform Innovation: Logistically, the incorporation of the Community Advisory Group to help oversee the process offers a very high level of public participation. In terms of its code, Denver has decided to dedicate as much time as is necessary to develop a form-based code, since it believes that this type of code will be best suited to guiding development and preserving the unique character of its neighborhoods.
Link: You can follow Denver's progress at http://www.newcodedenver.org/.