I picked up the latest copy of The Washington Park Profile the other day while out at Wahoo’s for lunch. For those who missed the controversy earlier this year, a large section in West Highland and Sloan’s Lake was blanket rezoned, stirring a debate on property rights versus preserving the historical feel of the area. The city is now eying downzoning West Wash Park real estate and the debate will no doubt be starting in earnest after this year’s election.
Wash Park and the Highland area have seen a lot of the older, smaller homes be demolished to make way for larger duplexes with more modern floorplans and designs, also increasing the residential density. Blueprint Denver specifies these neighborhoods as "areas of stability," which is why City Councilman Chris Nevitt, District 7, is supporting a legislative rezoning to prevent the scraping an new development in the area.
Some of the conflict I’ve been hearing from people is that it’s nice to preserve the look of these areas. Some of the larger homes and duplexes that have been built in these neighborhoods and don’t exaclty fit in, though I’ve seen some that fit really well. Give the price of energy and the focus on quality of life, more people are looking to be closer to urban nodes, where they don’t have to commute as far to work and can walk to restaurants, shops, and be closer to neighbors. Since more and more people are looking to move in from the suburbs, increased urban density is a side effect of this trend.
Should we make it more difficult for people to move in from the suburbs and closer to these urbans nodes, or revitalize other areas that aren’t as prosperous, shaping them into the communities we want to live in, as we see to the north of downtown?
