Committee forwards rezoning for 385 South Noon High Street to full City Council

The Community Planning and Housing Committee on Feb. 3 voted to forward a rezoning request for 385 South Noon High Street to the full Denver City Council.

Joe Green of Community Planning and Development told the committee the applicant seeks to rezone the site from an older B1 district that includes specific use waivers to EMX3, a mixed-use urban-edge district that permits up to three stories and up to 45 feet in height. "So with that, we do recommend approval," Green said. He added the applicant intends to use the existing building as a medical office, though redevelopment would be possible if the rezoning is approved.

The staff presentation described a waiver regime dating to the 1980s that removes roughly 20–25 typical B1 uses from the site, imposes first- and second-floor area limits (the presentation identified a 2,500 sq ft minimum for the first floor and up to 1,800 sq ft on the second), and would raise permissible height from about 32 feet under the existing waiver to the 45-foot EMX3 maximum. Green said the Planning Board reviewed the application and unanimously recommended approval; staff reported no public comments to date from Registered Neighborhood Organizations or individual members of the public.

Why it matters: CPD said the proposal aligns with the city’s Comp Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver guidance for Urban Edge and community-center designations, and the site sits within the Athmar Park neighborhood near the Alameda Square Shopping Center. Staff noted the parcel just exceeds the threshold that triggers an equity analysis and that, if residential development occurs, the zoning would require income-restricted units.

Councilmembers pressed staff for context. The District 7 councilmember asked when the waiver list was adopted and why certain uses were excluded; staff said the waivers appear to date from the 1980s and do not include an explanatory record. The same councilmember also asked about locating a medical facility immediately adjacent to a city-owned property that is being used as a day/cold-weather shelter and said she would reach out to neighborhood organizations and the shelter operator before the full council hearing.

Committee action and next steps: Councilmember Laura Alvidrez moved and Councilmember Amanda Sawyer seconded forwarding the rezoning to the City Council floor; the committee signaled its support and the item will be scheduled for a council hearing. The presentation materials and staff’s equity analysis will be part of the public record when the item reaches the full council.

Clarifying details: Planning Board recommendation — unanimous; public comments to committee — none reported; waivers listed in staff report — described in presentation as about 20–25 specific uses; floor-area and height limits — first floor ~2,500 sq ft, second floor up to ~1,800 sq ft, requested height up to 45 feet; nearest neighborhood — Athmar Park; city-owned shelter adjacent to the property — described by staff as being used as a day/cold-weather shelter.