The Chronicle has received scores of emails and telephone calls relating to our June editorial “Task Force’s Solution For Cherry Creek’s Parking: Of Course Provide Even Less Parking.” Most of the communications from residents and businesses praising us for bringing forth the apparent absurdity of solving Cherry Creek North’s parking and traffic problems by approving massive height and density while at the same time providing a fraction of the needed parking, a point every other news outlet ignored or failed to mention.
However, we also received communications from various members of the Cherry Creek Zoning Technical Task Force and its supporters informing why we were wrong. We reproduce in full, three of the more articulate critiques of our editorial from two members of the task force (Brooks Waldman and Wayne New) as well as a leading candidate to replace Jeanne Robb as the councilmember for District 10 which includes Cherry Creek (Roger Sherman).
Each of the individuals is an articulate spokesman for the work of the Task Force. In addition members of the Editorial Board have met in person with each of them and each evidenced a real concern for the well-being of the Cherry Creek neighborhood and the people who live and work in the area. Nevertheless, it is not easy to defend the indefensible as they valiantly try to do.
Various members of the Editorial Board have been part of developer teams and/or have represented developers before city boards and city councils. We know that most developers almost always underestimate the amount of parking that their projects need and demand that the public fix the problem on the public’s dime after the project is completed. Case in point is the highly successful City Set project in Glendale recently completed at the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Cherry Creek Drive South.
The developer Stonebridge Companies based in Englewood demanded that the city approve the development plan with 20% less parking than required under the city’s regulations and ordinances based on a misleading parking study. Now that the project is a success the entire development is constrained by the lack of parking Stonebridge refused to provide. As is standard operating procedure Stonebridge wants the city to solve Stonebridge’s self-induced parking problems by giving the development 70 dedicated parking spots along Ash and Exposition streets. In the end, Glendale will undoubtedly be helpful and give Stonebridge what it wants with some modest modifications.
The problem with the recommendations by the Task Force is that they are so extreme in favor of developers that any future attempts to remedy them will be impossible or so expensive that they will bankrupt the area, its residents and small businesses. With that caveat in mind, here are the responses to our editorial without edits or deletions:
The opening statement in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle’s editorial of June 2014 is: “Notwithstanding the general popularity of the Cherry Creek area, the reasons some people give for not wanting to visit Cherry Creek North include the lack of off-street parking and, more recently, traffic jams.” This is probably accurate, as far as it goes, but just one piece of a much larger story behind the BID/rezoning Task Force’s work.
The Cherry Creek Business Improvement District (BID) and the Cherry Creek area in general is experiencing a surge of residential growth, predominantly multi-story rental housing, which reinforces the “regional center “ designation identified in the 2012 update of the Cherry Creek Area Plan. Traffic and parking were a big part of the 2 year community discussions leading up to the approval of the plan. Currently the surge in building and infrastructure construction (University out-fall storm sewer) has contributed to the validity of the opening statement in the editorial. However, the much larger and overlooked story that should have been told is about the start of implementation of a vision for Cherry Creek as a multi-modal and transit connected town center with much more reliance on biking, walking and transit connectivity. Indeed, Transportation Solutions, the area transportation management association, has worked with Glendale, Cherry Creek, and RTD leadership toward that goal.
The charge given the Rezoning Task Force, by Councilwoman Robb, was to create a new zoning district that encourages and supports the plan vision. The parking recommendation from the Task Force is equal to or higher than minimum suburban parking ratios in the 2010 Denver zoning code (though slightly less than what the Urban Form Study recommended for retail/ restaurant parking). In discussion, the Task Force realized that with viable and inviting alternative modes of movement people are making transportation choice less dependent on automobile ownership. In fact, the recent growth in Cherry Creek of B-Cycles, Car2go and other alternatives are rapidly changing the equation. An explosion of new residents, living, walking, working, shopping and playing in CC will help support the lower parking ratios. I would bet that nearby Glendale will find themselves moving in the same direction in years to come. Thank you for the parking piece, but more complete coverage of the larger story would be appreciated.
Brooks Waldman
Past President, Cherry East Association
Vice Chair, Cherry Creek Steering Committee
Member, BID/rezoning Task Force
The Cherry Creek Area Plan was adopted two years ago and there has been considerable effort to implement the plan since then. The Cherry Creek Steering Committee and the Zoning Technical Task Force are to be commended for accomplishing one of the plan’s most important recommendations — recalibrating the C-CCN zoning.
Contrary to your editorial position, the Task Force’s recommendation strikes the right balance on parking requirements. The task force evaluated parking conditions in Cherry Creek North and reached consensus on the appropriate parking requirements for an area that prizes its walkability. Too much required parking can prove to be just as challenging to the prosperity and quality of a district such as Cherry Creek as too little.
Now, it is time to implement the plan’s multimodal transportation recommendations. Enhancing the quality of place throughout Cherry Creek should be our focus — along with making walking, biking, transit and, yes, driving viable options for all our trips in and around Cherry Creek. If you design communities for automobiles, you get more automobiles. If you design them for people, you get walkable, livable communities.
As a candidate for City Council, I know people are rightfully looking to me for ideas on these critical issues, so let me suggest we start with four priorities:
- Improve transit service between Cherry Creek and downtown and along Colorado Blvd. The private-sector and city are rightly looking at alternate funding scenarios as RTD can’t do it alone.
- Designate the Cherry Creek area as a “Pedestrian Priority Zone” and fund additional pedestrian improvements such as raised crosswalks, median crossing islands and sidewalk bulb-outs, which are especially needed along Steele as well as Alameda Parkway and First Ave.
- Install protected or dedicated bicycle lanes and improve connections between Cherry Creek and surrounding neighborhoods as well as the Cherry Creek Bike Path.
- Identify traffic calming measures to lower speeds along Speer Blvd. and 6th Ave. which might include wider sidewalks and narrower travel lanes. Perhaps if we actually reduce speeds, safety would be improved and the photo-radar debate would become moot?
I appreciate your interest in Cherry Creek and enhancing the area’s best qualities. I look forward to continuing a spirited dialogue about this community that we all care about so much.
Sincerely,
Roger Sherman
Candidate, Denver City Council District 10
I would like to state right off the top that I appreciate the Chronicle’s questioning the decisions of both elected officials and community leaders, especially including those of us who are running for office. Transparency and accountability are of paramount importance, and I hold myself to these ideals. I also appreciate your inviolate commitment to these ideals.
In your June 2014 Editorial, you quoted me correctly. I did say that the proposed Technical Task Force zoning parking ratio recommendations fit “very well” (with proposed CCN BID development). The mistake I made was that I did not take the time to explain that, if the parking ratios are not met, then it will require a decrease in building size and density. My support was due to a thorough analysis of the issue and was discussed with CCN residents. It was surely not an overnight decision nor one that was pressed upon me at all by Planning, developers, or any other party.
The parking ratios were thoroughly analyzed and discussed by Task Force members, BID property and business owners, and neighborhood residents who attended our meeting. With professional architect advice I personally analyzed over 40 parking ratio test cases on BID properties to determine parking ratio fitness and building effect. As shown in the parking ratio comparison chart*, there is no doubt it was a zoning compromise but one that should benefit all residential and business parties.
I am confident you realize that these C-CCN District rezoning recommendations were determined through years of volunteer hard work, time consuming research, expensive analyses, discussions, and negotiations with our residents and community leaders. To explain further I am attaching a more detailed description on how parking has been a major concern over the past several years.
All members of the Technical Task Force have worked diligently and thoughtfully to reach the best possible balanced outcomes on C-CCN Rezoning. My only hope is that zoning agreements will be fully enforced and utilize “smart development” — a balanced approach that enhances the quality of residential life while promoting commercial growth and success.
Thank you for expressing your concerns and allowing me the opportunity to explain and emphasize how the C-CCN rezoning was determined and will benefit Cherry Creek North.
Sincerely,
Wayne New
Past President, Cherry North Neighborhood Assn.
Member, Rezoning Task Force
Candidate, Denver City Council District 10
Supporting Documents Submitted by Wayne New: