OWN meeting in restaurant/bar proves popular
OWN President Welling Clark and other board members expressed satisfaction with the arrangement during the meeting at Meadow Muffins in Old Colorado City, receiving a vocal affirmation from attendees when he asked if they preferred a similar venue again. Meetings in the past have been held in community rooms at the Westside Community Center or Gold Hill police station. The meeting's business included a question/answer with City Council President Keith King, whose district includes the OWN Neighborhood Strategy Area (NSA); as well as the filling of a vacancy on the OWN board. Among the subjects discussed by King was “form-based code,” a city construction-review strategy that was conceptually suggested for the older Westside five years ago but temporarily postponed. At that time, a city planner had defined it as a way of streamlining reviews by pre-establishing standards that are considered compatible with neighborhoods. A benefit to the Westside could be to address the current situation in which owners of older homes often find that existing construction does not comply with modern zoning.
King said his idea is to establish form-based code along Colorado Avenue between the city limits with Manitou and around 23rd Street so as to establish a “consistent philosophy” for development. Clark expressed support, saying the strategy could provide “synergy” to that part of the avenue, which includes the west-of-31st area nicknamed “No Man's Land.” The public will get a chance to be involved in the form-based effort, although King said he did not think that would happen for “a month or so” because of the unavailability till then of the necessary city staff. The new OWN board member is John Whitmire, who said he has lived on the Westside for three and a half years and has a background in construction management. He was the only candidate for the vacancy, which has one year left on a three-year term. The OWN board has nine members in all. Unopposed and reaffirmed for three-year terms at the town hall were incumbents Clark, Vice President Mary Gallivan and Secretary Chris Baum. In other issues:
Westside Pioneer article |