Legislating the Future Look of Edgewater: Residential Design Standards Ordinance

Townhome for sale at 2442 Ames Street. Photo from REcolorado.

What will Edgewater look like in five to ten years? Most residents hope an empty retail store and parking lot no longer sit at the northeast corner of 20th and Depew. But what will the homes look like? With growth pushing over from the Highlands and new townhomes on the market for a half a million dollars on Ames Street, residents are wondering if the small town character of Edgewater will be maintained. How do Edgewater’s leaders balance the will of landowners in Edgewater with maintaining the current character of Edgewater’s neighborhoods?

Edgewater City Council has begun to discuss this very issue and is debating the wisest course of action moving forward. At its June 2 meeting, the Edgewater City Council discussed a possible Residential Design Standards Ordinance and will revisit the issue at its next Council meeting on July 7.

The discussion and adopting of a Residential Design Standards Ordinance stems from the 2013 Comprehensive Plan which involved numerous opportunities for input from the community. One of the goals of the Comprehensive Plan was to “preserve and enhance the residential character of lower density neighborhoods.” Under this goal was the objective to “encourage compatible architectural styles, scale of structures and lower density.” (You can read the full 2013 Edgewater Comprehensive Plan here.) The Plan outlined the action to achieve this goal and objective was developing residential guidelines and/or standards.

At the June 2 Council Meeting, amendments to the three following existing regulations were discussed:

• Bulk plane
• Maximum building height
• Lot coverage

These amendments would impact what type of new homes and additions that could be built in residential areas throughout Edgewater. The regulations would also impact the price of homes in Edgewater as developers look to scrape older houses to build new homes.

Residents are encouraged to voice their opinions on what they would like Edgewater neighborhoods to look like at the next Edgewater City Council meeting on Thursday, July 7 at 7 pm. City Council meets in the Council Chambers at 2401 Sheridan Boulevard.

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.