“Some men see things as they are and say, ‘why’; I dream things that never were and say, ‘why not.’ Robert F. Kennedy’s famous quote frames this column regarding the pending Clear Creek Transit Village development proposal.
This 21-acre Transit Oriented Development (TOD) plan, located at 60th Avenue on the west side of Federal Boulevard, will be before the Adams County commissioners at its Monday public hearing.
The plan is much more than a dream. It is a tangible multi-use development plan which could be the pivotal point to set the tone for re-development in unincorporated southwest Adams County along Federal Boulevard.
It is property owner John Renne’s vision of residential, retail and office development arranged in a compatible plan that would bring housing, job creation and tax base to a down and out part of the county adjacent to Clear Creek and its amenities.
The plan has been in the making for more than three years. Throughout that time, Renne patiently worked with the neighbors, Regis University, RTD, CDOT, BNSF Railroad, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District and Adams County government to craft a viable plan that works for neighbors and developers.
At one point, the Gold Line commuter rail station for Federal Boulevard was planned to be adjacent to his property, but ultimately this opportunity got politicized. His plan calls for a combination of land uses with the bulk of the property earmarked for residential development. Originally, the plan called for a maximum of 1,600 dwelling units, but Renne reduced the number by nearly 500 in an effort to compromise with concerned neighbors and business owners.
It calls for three- to seven-story buildings with a maximum of 1,125 residential units strategically spread over the property. Also, neighborhood retail and office development are included to support a de-emphasis on vehicular travel. Jobs would be created where area high school and college students could work along with adult employees. Office development would also create jobs and augment new tax base for the county and Adams County School District 50.
The critical component to making this development work is the number of dwelling units realized on the site. In order to support the 7.5 acres of open space and park given to the county by Renne along with being able to attract retail and office, density of units is fundamental to the business plan.
The three- to seven-stories configuration is representative of other transit-oriented development (TOD) plans not only along the Gold Line, but along other commuter rail corridors.
For example, height limits are eight stories in Wheat Ridge, Arvada Ridge and both Sheridan Boulevard and Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood.
As you drive southbound along Federal from Westminster into unincorporated Adams County, you observe a maze of older buildings. The land use is a checkered pattern of retail, commercial, office, residential, motel and light industry.
Some of the businesses are less than desirable including strip clubs, adult entertainment, auto repair, former landfills and others which create a less than positive visual landscape along this busy state highway.
In order to achieve enhanced re-development along this gateway into Adams County and Westminster, change is a critical factor. The re-development of this main entry way will not happen overnight even if the economy was back to full steam.
It will likely be a 10- to 20-year endeavor with the Adams County government leading the way. But property owners and developers have to be convinced that the opportunity is really there and higher land uses such as residential would be viable.
Density is the key. And density can be done in a positive way based on how you arrange the buildings on the site along with the quality of design and building materials. Clear Creek Transit Village could be the trendsetter for the area and set a quality tone for others to follow.
Will the Adams County commissioners decide to be the “why” or “why not” in Kennedy’s statement? I certainly hope the outcome of Monday’s public hearing will support a positive, forward-thinking vision for the future of southwest Adams County rather than a short-sighted, politically compromised decision. We need a positive vision and this TOD development would be a solid start.
Bill Christopher is former city manager of Westminster and used to represent District J on the RTD board of directors.