Council approves airport‑influence variance allowing possibility of multifamily redevelopment at 6901 S. Havana with noise, disclosure and avigation conditions

City Council approved on Feb. 4 a Centennial Airport Influence Area variance for a roughly 19‑acre site at 6901 South Havana Street that clears the way for the possibility of future multifamily development, subject to conditions including an avigation easement, required noise‑attenuation construction and conspicuous disclosures to purchasers or renters. The council vote was 8–1.

Staff presented the variance request and recommended approval after concluding the application met one of three AIA variance criteria in the land development code. Michael Grama, senior planner for the city, told council the site sits in the LDC’s restricted development area and the 55 DNL contour, where “noise sensitive uses are not permitted” unless a variance is granted. Grama said staff concluded the first AIA variance test was met because the property faces a market‑driven hardship: the aging office asset (formerly occupied by Centura Health) sits in an office market with high vacancy, limiting viable nonresidential reuses and reducing the property’s market value.

The applicant, represented by Colin Waterworth, argued that multifamily redevelopment is a viable path and that required construction techniques can reduce outside‑to‑inside noise transmission to acceptable levels. Waterworth said the project team would meet the code’s noise‑attenuation requirement (a minimum 25‑decibel outside‑to‑inside reduction) and that such mitigation would “reduce that (airplane) noise to what we consider to be a barely noticeable sound.” He said the applicant’s market analysis showed sustained office vacancy in the Inverness‑Centennial submarket and that a residential reuse would better match the city’s Midtown Centennial place‑type and the site’s location near transit and commercial services.

Staff and the applicant described the approvals as a multi‑step process: the AIA variance authorizes consideration of multifamily at the site but does not change the underlying BP‑100 zoning, so any residential development would still require rezoning and site‑plan review. Grama cautioned that approval of a variance does not guarantee a rezoning or site plan approval; it merely removes the AIA prohibition as a barrier so the property owner can pursue subsequent land‑use steps.

The airport authority had submitted referral comments expressing concerns about potential residential uses and noise exposure in the area. Staff reviewed Centennial Airport noise‑complaint data and reported 305 households filed noise complaints in the airport’s data collection area in 2024; staff noted complaints tend to be highly clustered and heavily influenced by repeated calls from a limited number of households.

Public comment was mixed. Resident Andrea Suhaka urged denial, saying the criteria were not met: “1, there is no hardship. The property is current it was used as already zoned, so it can be used as it is zoned. 2, there's no benefit to the public health or where welfare… 3, I don't believe this will advance city policies in any way by subjecting residents to so much very loud noise.” Another speaker, Bennett Rutledge, supported allowing the airport and training activity and urged clear disclosure so incoming residents understand the context.

Council debate covered the competing priorities of housing supply, market reality for office property and resident exposure to aircraft noise. Several members — while expressing concern about flight patterns and aircraft training boxes that produce sustained overflights — said the variance advances Midtown Centennial goals and that construction and disclosure conditions would limit indoor noise impacts. Council also asked staff and the applicant to make disclosures to prospective renters as well as purchasers; the council adopted language to require the disclosure be provided to “all prospective purchasers or renters” and to add “or lease” to the disclosure requirement in the approval resolution.

The council motion approved Resolution 2025‑R‑04 (Case VAR‑24‑0004) with conditions that include: recording an avigation easement; requiring that any multifamily residential design meet the city’s noise attenuation standards (minimum 25 dB outside‑to‑inside reduction); conspicuous disclosure to purchasers and renters and inclusion of the disclosure in sales/lease paperwork; and a three‑year limit on the variance to allow the applicant to make tangible progress on redevelopment (staff may consider extensions under certain circumstances). The motion was made and read into the record by the mayor pro tem and seconded by Council member Austin; the final recorded vote was eight ayes and one no (Council member Sheehan).

Grama reminded council that, even with the variance, the applicant would still need to apply for and obtain a rezoning and a site plan that demonstrate the required noise attenuation and other conditions before any building permits would be issued. Waterworth said the applicant intends to pursue buildings of 10 units or more (the LDC threshold for multifamily in this context) and described product prototypes including 12‑unit walkups and larger apartment buildings that together could total roughly 200 units on the site if approved and built.

The council vote removes the AIA prohibition as a regulatory barrier, but it preserves multiple safeguards — avigation easement, explicit noise construction requirements, and required purchaser/renter disclosures — that staff and council said are intended to protect future residents and make potential buyers and renters aware of airport operations.