Planners recommend rezoning 4507 Rifle Way to SMX‑5 to allow suburban mixed‑use development

City planning staff on Tuesday recommended that the Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee forward a map amendment for 4507 Rifle Way (file 241794) to full City Council consideration. The request would rezone about 12 acres in the Gateway/Green Valley Ranch area from former Chapter 59 Planned Unit Development (PUD 319) into the Denver Zoning Code as SMX‑5, a suburban mixed‑use district that allows buildings generally one to five stories tall.

CPD planner Tony LaChuga told the committee the site is “approximately 12 acres” and largely greenfield land in the Gateway Green/Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, just east of Peña Boulevard. He said previous PUD rules limited the entire superblock H to 291 residential units; the new SMX‑5 district would permit additional residential development and a broader mix of neighborhood‑serving uses under current zoning standards.

City staff said the site already has roads and infrastructure planning completed under the older PUD. LaChuga said that because transportation, drainage and other infrastructure studies were already finished under the PUD, the city’s Large Development Review (LDR) process was not required. He recommended the committee move the map amendment to the full council; staff said they anticipate the council hearing in mid‑February (February 18, 2025).

Developer representative Tyler Carlson of Evergreen Development said the rezoning was initiated after conversations with neighbors and Councilman Gilmore. As Carlson put it, “the catalyst for the rezoning actually came from some conversations we had with, neighbors in the area and from Councilman Gilmore, who had indicated desire for some additional, for sale attached housing.” He said the team is under contract with KB Homes and is studying options that could yield roughly 100 for‑sale attached units (townhomes or stacked flats).

Committee members asked questions about transit access and traffic. Councilmember Chris Hines confirmed the parcel is outside the typical transit‑oriented development (TOD) boundary and has no internal light‑rail stop; LaChuga said the nearest stops are to the south in Aurora and to the north at 61st. Councilmember Amanda Alvidrez pressed staff on transportation impacts and expressed concern about additional demand on Peña Boulevard. LaChuga and staff said final site development review will involve transportation and other departments, and projects can be amended if agencies identify conflicts.

Committee members also asked about park and open‑space dedications. LaChuga said the Gateway subdivision rules set lower park dedication requirements for anticipated commercial parcels; because the rezoning would allow residential uses, staff is working with the applicant and Denver Parks and Recreation on a development agreement so the project’s parks and open‑space dedication will meet residential requirements. LaChuga said the development agreement is expected to be executed before the item goes to council.

LaChuga summarized the city’s equity and review findings: an applicability equity analysis was completed because of the site’s size; the area has an average access‑to‑opportunity score and a low vulnerability to involuntary displacement (staff noted the site’s small residential population can skew metrics). He said the SMX‑5 district would support a mix of housing types, including the “missing‑middle” housing the area currently lacks, and would better align future development with Blueprint Denver and the Far Northeast Area Plan.

No public comments on the rezoning were recorded in the CPD summary up to committee time. Staff recommended referral to the full council; the committee discussion recorded in the transcript focused on clarifying transportation and parks questions rather than a committee vote on the item.

If referred, the item would move to a City Council public hearing and final vote; staff indicated an anticipated council hearing date of Feb. 18, 2025. The committee did not record a formal roll‑call vote on the rezoning during the transcripted portion of the meeting.

Background: the property lies in Council District 11, near Green Valley Ranch Boulevard and Peña Boulevard, and was previously regulated under former Chapter 59 PUD 319. The SMX‑5 district is intended for suburban mixed‑use corridors and allows building forms up to five stories, designed to balance street presence and parking for less‑urbanized locations.

Next steps: CPD recommended the committee forward file 241794 to the full City Council; the applicant and CPD expect the council hearing on Feb. 18, 2025 and said they will present a development agreement addressing parks dedications before that hearing.