Denver Zoning Reform Timeline

Per the Denver Post, Your Hub section today, the timeline for Denver's overhaul is as follows, pursuant to a schedule adopted 11-0 by the City Council:

* Late October - Publication of Semi-Final Draft
* By Third Week In November - At least two listening sessions and/or prehearings for public comment held jointly by City Council and Planning Board.
* December 22, 2009 - Department of Community Planning and Zoning shall submit to Blueprint Denver Committee of City Council the final draft of the new zoning code and map.
* By December 22, 2009 - Publication of final draft at www.newcodedenver.org
* A single bill for the an ordinance adopting the new zoning code and map in one legislative enactment will be filed by the Department of Community Planning and Development.
* January 6, 2010 - Planning Committee public hearing.
* January 13, 2010 - Blueprint Denver Committee will consider final draft of zoning code and map.
* January 21, 2010 -- Ordinance introduced by Department of Community Planning.
* January 25, 2010 -- First Reading of Ordinance by City Council.
* February 22, 2010 -- Final vote on Ordinance after formal public hearing.

In other words, the basic outlines of Denver's zoning code proposal are a done deal. A last round of meaningful modifications within the basic outline of the proposal will be considered for good cause between late October when a semi-final draft is proposed and Thanksgiving.

The final two months of the process will give Denver a chance to know what is about to hit them and to propose trivial modifications through January 25, 2009. The Ordinance will be adopted with only slight modification on February 22, 2010 unless a tidal wave of opposition has surfaced to the proposal.

UNRELATED NOTE: In a few days, ballots for the November 2009 election are going out. It will contain school board contests (one at large and district seats in about half of the districts. It will also contain one ballot initiative, Issue 300.

Issue 300 is an anti-immigrant, anti-civil liberties, anti-police proposal to require mandatory car impoundment of certain people. The last one was found to be unconstitutional in some respects. The one is opposed by the City Council and just about everyone else. It is a bad proposal. Vote No On Issue 300.