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Denver staff outline feasibility for "Unlocking Housing Choices," councilors press on taxes, equity and zoning concept
Summary
City planning staff and consultants presented preliminary financial-feasibility results for the "Unlocking Housing Choices" zoning project, saying preserving front houses with infill units can be financially viable; councilmembers questioned property-tax effects, infrastructure costs and whether limiting single-family-by-right zoning should be pursued.
Denver planning staff and consultants on Tuesday presented early financial-feasibility findings for "Unlocking Housing Choices," a Phase 1 zoning text-amendment project that aims to increase missing-middle housing while preserving existing houses in urban neighborhoods. The presentation said several proposed bonuses and revised form standards could produce more attainable units without enabling broad scrape-and-rebuild development.
The presentation from City Planning staff and consultant Arland Land Use Economics explained the study focused on an "urban neighborhood context," using pro formas that include land, construction, soft costs and system development charges to test scenarios under current rules and the proposed bonuses. "When an existing home is preserved, we generally found that the development of additional missing middle housing on these properties is feasible," a consultant said, and staff noted a modeled backyard cottage sale price of about $361,000 in their urban scenario.
Why it matters: The project seeks to…
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