Chaffee Park may become the first Denver neighborhood to be entirely rezoned for the sole purpose of allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on all residential lots of at least 4,500 square feet.  The Denver Planning Board unanimously approved the community-generated proposal on September 16, 2020, and the rezoning proposal now awaits City Council review and adoption.  The proposed zone districts are the same as the current districts except that they allow the ADU use, either within the primary structure or in a detached structure.  The Chaffee Park neighborhood extends generally from 48th Avenue on the south to 52nd Avenue on the north, and from Federal Boulevard on the west to Kalamath Street on the east.

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Yesterday, Colorado Springs further solidified its standing as “Olympic City USA” with the grand opening of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum.  The 60,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, soon to be connected to America the Beautiful Park via a 250-foot pedestrian bridge, cost $91 million to construct, and was aided by the Colorado Economic Development Commission’s 2013 dedication of up to $120.5 million of state sales tax revenue to Colorado Springs for its City for Champions initiative.  The initiative, designed to attract tourists to the City of Colorado Springs through the development of a host of unique destinations, includes the museum, the proposed Air Force Academy Gateway Visitor Center complex, a new downtown sports stadium, and the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine & Performance Center on the UCCS campus. Continue Reading Olympic City USA

On Wednesday, July 2, 2020, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a per curiam opinion holding that Colorado’s Governor cannot suspend, by executive order, the state’s constitutional requirements for ballot measure signatures.  The Governor had sought, among other things, to permit campaigns for ballot measures that have titles set or pending before the Colorado Supreme Court to collect signatures electronically by e-mail or by mail, rather than requiring a petition circulator to obtain signatures in person.  Overturning a district court order upholding Executive Order D 2020 065, the Court held that the Governor cannot suspend the in-person signature requirements established in Article V, Section 1 of the Colorado Constitution under the powers delegated to his office by the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-33.5-701 to -716.  While the proponents of some 2020 ballot measures have continued collecting in-person signatures during the pendency of the court challenges, others expect it will be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain the required number of signatures before the August 3, 2020 deadline.