Frequently Asked Questions

Zoning is a tool used to regulate land development. Traditional zoning regulates where certain land uses – such offices, houses, apartments, or warehouses – are allowed. It also includes development standards that regulate items like minimum lot size, building height, and parking requirements.

Wheat Ridge’s current zoning code is like many codes from the 1950s and 1960s. It focuses on a suburban pattern of development that separates uses. In addition to being outdated, the current code does not apply well to redevelopment and infill, the primary development type that occurs in Wheat Ridge since it is almost completely built-out.

Mixed use zoning allows, encourages, or may even require that more than one land use is developed within a single building or development site. Mixed use zoning often includes design standards for building architecture, site design, and other elements that encourage pedestrian connectivity. Mixed use zoning is intended to create communities where residents are able to walk to restaurants, shops, or even their place of work.

Mixed use development incorporates more than one land use within a single building or property. An example would be a building with retail use at the ground floor, and residential or office uses above. Successful mixed use development typically includes higher densities, compact form, and a high level of pedestrian connectivity between land uses. Benefits of mixed use development include:

• Promotes alternative modes of transportation, such as walking and biking, by co-locating several uses in one place and focusing on connectivity
• May reduce road congestion through reduced automobile trips
• Provides a more sustainable form of development
• Encourages a more active lifestyle
• Often creates vibrant places where people can live, work, and play

Many of the city’s planning documents, which set the vision for the future of Wheat Ridge, encourage mixed use development in certain areas, including commercial corridors like Wadsworth and 38th Avenue. Mixed use development could bring many benefits, including more walkable communities and the diverse mix of land uses needed to sustain a broad tax base. Mixed use zoning will allow Wheat Ridge to be competitive with surrounding jurisdictions, most of whom already have mixed use zoning in their codes.

The city’s current zoning code has very limited allowances for mixed use development and in many cases discourages it through a lengthy and unpredictable Planned Development (PD) review process. The new mixed use zoning will encourage development that is more pedestrian-friendly and compact, that incorporates a sustainable mix of land uses, and that is subject to a more timely and predictable review process.

Mixed use zoning is not being contemplated for established residential neighborhoods. Instead, the new zoning is intended for commercial corridors and centers where redevelopment is most likely to occur. These areas include:

• Wadsworth Boulevard
• Kipling Street
• West 38^th Avenue (between Sheridan and Wadsworth)
• West 44^th Avenue (between Sheridan and Wadsworth and west of Kipling)
• Ward Road Commuter Rail Station Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

The current task is to write the new mixed use zoning code, which must be adopted by Planning Commission and City Council. This task does not include the actual rezoning of any property.

The first step in writing the new code, which started in January 2010, is meeting with property owners in areas envisioned for mixed use development. These initial meetings will give property owners the opportunity for feedback on a variety of issues, including the idea of city-initiated rezoning. We have also formed a technical task force of local experts – composed of designers, developers, and property owners – to provide input and help shape the new code, which will be written by staff in the Department of Community Development.

Utilizing input from property owners, the task force, and the community, city staff will work throughout the spring and summer to draft the new code. Drafts will be available here on the website for review and comment. We also plan to hold a city-wide meeting for input on the draft code on May 12, 2010 -- find details on our calendar. Final adoption of the code is expected in late summer/early fall, with public hearings before Planning Commission and City Council. This would entail adoption of the code only; actual rezonings would require a separate public process. Please visit the calendar to learn more details about meetings and other milestones in the process.

All stakeholders are invited to give their input as the new zoning is created. Here are just a few ways for you to learn more and become involved:

• Take our survey, which asks important questions about items that will be addressed in the mixed use zoning, including allowable uses and the appropriate scale of development
• Upload images of the types of development that you would like to see in Wheat Ridge to the community photo journal. You can also view other people’s photos and comment on them
• View the calendar for important milestones in the process, including meetings and when drafts of the code will be available for view and comment.
• View drafts of the code as they become available and send comments to the Department of Community Development at sshowalter@ci.wheatridge.co.us

Yes, there are several examples of mixed use development close by, including:

• Olde Town Arvada – most of the development that forms the heart of Olde Town is mixed use by nature, dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Newer mixed use development has complemented the historic backbone over the last decade, bringing new shops, restaurants, homes, and offices to the area.
• Highlands Garden Village, Denver – once the site of Elitch Gardens at 38^th and Tennyson, this new community contains retail, office, and a variety of housing types oriented around sidewalks and open space.
• Belmar, Lakewood – formerly home to the Villa Italia mall, this site in the center of Lakewood now contains a wide range of retail and restaurant uses, in addition to office space and housing. Pedestrian-friendly streets and quality plazas knit the district together, forming a vibrant town center.

Yes.  A study conducted by UCLA correlates the walkability of neighborhoods with increased walking of residents.  The study also found that neighborhood environments – including the availability of parks – impacts individual behaviors.  (Public Health Law and Policy, 2010)

Residents are 65% more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks. (Public Health Law and Policy, 2010)

Yes.  A study of traffic accident reports in Longmont found that street width had the highest correlation to accidents. (Public Health Law and Policy, 2010)

Yes.  A study in Portland, Oregon showed a 74% increase in bicycle commuting when the city made changes to their streets to accommodate all kinds of transportation, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, and automobiles. (Public Health Law and Policy, 2010)