Denver City Council on Aug. 4 approved a rezoning request to change a portion of the Steam on the Platte development site at 2420 West 14th Avenue from CMX‑5 to CMX‑8. The council vote approved the map amendment after staff recommended approval and after public comment and neighborhood registered‑organization support. The final roll call recorded 12 ayes.

Staff presentation and plans: Community Planning & Development staff said the rezoning removes a split zoning condition on the combined Steam on the Platte platted area and aligns zoning across the parcel. The property sits within a transit‑oriented area and is subject to two state and city viewplane restrictions that cap allowable heights; CPD advised that the maximum allowable height is limited on the parcel by viewplane restrictions to 115 feet. The requested CMX‑8 district generally allows larger mixed‑use building forms suitable for transit‑served, urban center contexts. The applicant also presented a negotiated affordable‑housing agreement with the Department of Housing Stability: the agreement requires 12 percent of the development’s dwelling units to be income‑restricted at 60 percent of area‑median income (AMI) or less with a 99‑year covenant covering the broader Steam on the Platte property (the covenant replaces an earlier agreement).

Public comment: Two community speakers addressed council during the public hearing. Jeannie Granville of the Sun Valley Community Coalition (a registered neighborhood organization) said the coalition voted in support and highlighted the project’s promise for jobs, riverfront activation and affordable housing — the coalition letter of support appeared in the record. Other community speakers raised questions about nearby noise, traffic and environmental impacts but staff and the applicant discussed planned site access, a primary curb cut on Colfax and a concept for pedestrian/bike access to the South Platte Riverfront.

Vote and outcome: The council approved the rezoning by recorded vote (12 ayes). Councilmember Torres urged a coordinated approach to riverfront planning and said the added affordable units were meaningful. The rezoning moves the parcel into a single zone district and clears the way for the applicant to pursue design review and subsequent development approvals under the new code.

Why it matters: The approval allows the Steam on the Platte site to proceed under a single CMX‑8 zone district and establishes an enforceable affordable‑housing commitment that runs with the land. The change is consistent with an adjacent transit station area plan and staff found the rezoning consistent with city plans and the neighborhood’s goals for mixed‑use redevelopment along the riverfront.

Next steps: The applicant will proceed with concept and site‑development planning and pursue building permits subject to design review, viewplane limits and the affordable‑housing covenant. The city will monitor implementation of the 99‑year affordability covenant and the parties said they intend to further coordinate public access and riverfront improvements as the site advances.