Briefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.
Housing affordability. Denver needs to mandate more affordable housing from private development or higher linkage fees. There need to be vacancy taxes, luxury sales taxes, flipping taxes and short-term rental fees sourcing a housing fund. First right of refusal for the city would allow the city to increase land stock to begin implementing social housing and Denver needs local control over rent stabilization.
Housing affordability. Denver needs to mandate more affordable housing from private development or higher linkage fees. There need to be vacancy taxes, luxury sales taxes, flipping taxes and short-term rental fees sourcing a housing fund. First right of refusal for the city would allow the city to increase land stock to begin implementing social housing and Denver needs local control over rent stabilization.
What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?
Amend the Expanding Housing Affordability policy recently passed that locks in essentially the status quo expectations of developers and increase both the linkage fee and mandate on affordable units and depth of affordability. Denver needs to use city-owned parcels to develop housing, change zoning to allow more single room occupancy, de-segregate housing types and adaptively reuse abandoned commercial units in the downtown area for housing. Also, we need to continue purchasing and converting motels and hotels to housing.
Amend the Expanding Housing Affordability policy recently passed that locks in essentially the status quo expectations of developers and increase both the linkage fee and mandate on affordable units and depth of affordability. Denver needs to use city-owned parcels to develop housing, change zoning to allow more single room occupancy, de-segregate housing types and adaptively reuse abandoned commercial units in the downtown area for housing. Also, we need to continue purchasing and converting motels and hotels to housing.
Do you support redevelopment at the Park Hill golf course property? Why or why not?
No. It is a false choice to say that in order to have affordable housing we need to develop green space. Green space is limited and shrinking as we develop and once you develop green space, you never get it back.
No. It is a false choice to say that in order to have affordable housing we need to develop green space. Green space is limited and shrinking as we develop and once you develop green space, you never get it back.
We currently own this incredibly valuable asset in the form of the easement. We the taxpayers paid $2 million for this restriction on the uses of the space that has value to the people of Denver and has a clear market value. Westside bought that land under that incredibly depressed market value. They are now trying to get rid of the easement and make that property value sky rocket for them and that is why they are willing to trade us a “free” park and some “affordable” housing. We could use eminent domain to buy the land instead.
What should Denver leaders do to revitalize downtown Denver?
Adaptively reuse the abandoned commercial buildings for vertical neighborhoods. The entire downtown has been built around people who come and go daily. We lack any “glue” to make the downtown a community. Instead of looking for a scapegoat (homeless people) to blame for our deep failures in city planning, we should be trying to create the “glue” that makes a place able to endure hard times and transitions. Commerce and “work” will never be the same again post-COVID and we need leadership that recognizes this is a permanent shift and is capable and visionary enough to plan for a real future of downtown rather than cowardly bending to the bust/boom profit interests of the era.
Adaptively reuse the abandoned commercial buildings for vertical neighborhoods. The entire downtown has been built around people who come and go daily. We lack any “glue” to make the downtown a community. Instead of looking for a scapegoat (homeless people) to blame for our deep failures in city planning, we should be trying to create the “glue” that makes a place able to endure hard times and transitions. Commerce and “work” will never be the same again post-COVID and we need leadership that recognizes this is a permanent shift and is capable and visionary enough to plan for a real future of downtown rather than cowardly bending to the bust/boom profit interests of the era.
What is Denver’s greatest public safety concern and what should be done about it?
Sadly, police violence and lack of trust and faith in police is our greatest safety concern. We cannot even recruit/attract a revived safety department to begin “reforming” or “replacing” the “bad apples” in DPD and DSD. Nothing we are doing is coherent/cohesive nor outcomes-based. We spend money to say we are doing more yet there is no mechanism for measuring return on investment when it comes to safety. Cops don’t investigate crime effectively, cases are closed because they hit walls and transparency and accountability are seen as a threat to the jobs of public servants. We need a renewed understanding of safety and an approach that is rooted in public health and the protection of life and deep understanding and interruption of violence. Until then, nobody is safe.
Sadly, police violence and lack of trust and faith in police is our greatest safety concern. We cannot even recruit/attract a revived safety department to begin “reforming” or “replacing” the “bad apples” in DPD and DSD. Nothing we are doing is coherent/cohesive nor outcomes-based. We spend money to say we are doing more yet there is no mechanism for measuring return on investment when it comes to safety. Cops don’t investigate crime effectively, cases are closed because they hit walls and transparency and accountability are seen as a threat to the jobs of public servants. We need a renewed understanding of safety and an approach that is rooted in public health and the protection of life and deep understanding and interruption of violence. Until then, nobody is safe.
Should neighborhoods help absorb population growth through permissive zoning, or do you favor protections for single-family neighborhoods?
Yes, everyone in the city should share the burden of solving the housing crisis, not just a few communities who don’t have the financial, political or social capital to resist protection of their single-family neighborhoods. Sharing that burden doesn’t have to mean skyscrapers everywhere but gentle density everywhere can help alleviate the burden.
Yes, everyone in the city should share the burden of solving the housing crisis, not just a few communities who don’t have the financial, political or social capital to resist protection of their single-family neighborhoods. Sharing that burden doesn’t have to mean skyscrapers everywhere but gentle density everywhere can help alleviate the burden.
Should the city’s policy of sweeping homeless encampments continue unchanged? Why or why not?
It should not continue. The amount of money and police resources we are spending to play whack-a-mole with homeless people is counter to what is being asked of the public. The public wants cops solving crime, this does not allow the proper deployment of police. The public wants roofs over their heads, this absorbs limited dollars for a failed policy. If sweeps worked, we wouldn’t have encampments, period. Additionally, it does not serve us well to move people who are hard to pin down if we actually want to case manage them. The service providers express this challenge repeatedly.
It should not continue. The amount of money and police resources we are spending to play whack-a-mole with homeless people is counter to what is being asked of the public. The public wants cops solving crime, this does not allow the proper deployment of police. The public wants roofs over their heads, this absorbs limited dollars for a failed policy. If sweeps worked, we wouldn’t have encampments, period. Additionally, it does not serve us well to move people who are hard to pin down if we actually want to case manage them. The service providers express this challenge repeatedly.
Should Denver change its snow plowing policy? Why or why not.
Yes. I think there are several ways to improve plowing. I have proposed several process improvements and fleet conversion kits for all trucks but council does not have authority over implementation or planning. Snow is a life safety hazard and we have enough fleet vehicles that we could have plow kits and not necessarily need expensive plows.
Yes. I think there are several ways to improve plowing. I have proposed several process improvements and fleet conversion kits for all trucks but council does not have authority over implementation or planning. Snow is a life safety hazard and we have enough fleet vehicles that we could have plow kits and not necessarily need expensive plows.
What’s your vision for Denver in 20 years, and what would you do to help the city get there?
I want to rebuild a city where people can plant roots and plan for Denver to be home for generations. I see a city that is clean, connected and family friendly. I see us returning to a time when people felt like they knew their neighbors. I would love for every neighborhood to have every type of housing and every neighborhood has all of the basics/essentials in a walkable distance.
I want to rebuild a city where people can plant roots and plan for Denver to be home for generations. I see a city that is clean, connected and family friendly. I see us returning to a time when people felt like they knew their neighbors. I would love for every neighborhood to have every type of housing and every neighborhood has all of the basics/essentials in a walkable distance.
How better can city officials protect Denver’s environment — air quality, water supply, ground contamination? And should the city take a more active role in transit?
Denver has zero standards for the environment. I have pulled together our DDPHE air team several times and unfortunately their only goals are to be in compliance with federal and state standards rather than striving for a higher standard. With most other things, Denver is happy to set the pace/trend but not on environment. We should strive for higher levels of accountability for polluters and higher quality metrics on environment even if the floor is set by state and feds. We know our state has failed to protect our environment.
Denver has zero standards for the environment. I have pulled together our DDPHE air team several times and unfortunately their only goals are to be in compliance with federal and state standards rather than striving for a higher standard. With most other things, Denver is happy to set the pace/trend but not on environment. We should strive for higher levels of accountability for polluters and higher quality metrics on environment even if the floor is set by state and feds. We know our state has failed to protect our environment.
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