After over a year of community meetings and surveys, the West Area Plan is entering into the next phase of the planning process. Covering the westside neighborhoods of Barnum, Barnum West, Sun Valley, Valverde, Villa Park and West Colfax, the plan will serve as a guide for the area’s development and transportation over the next 20 years. Community members can now take a look at and provide input on the draft policy recommendations that will be incorporated into the final plan. The City has grouped these recommendations into three categories: Land Use and Economy; Quality of Life; and Mobility. We of course took a closer look at the Mobility section but also found some good mobility-related recommendations in the other two sections.
The Mobility recommendations aim to address a number of transportation challenges that have existed for decades in West Denver, such as the patchwork of missing and substandard sidewalks, a disconnected bicycle and trail network, and a lack of reliable transit service and amenities. The draft recommendations specifically mention the buildout of new sidewalks and bike facilities, as well as the implementation of traffic calming measures and frequent transit, as key elements to creating a more connected and accessible transportation network in West Denver. The Land Use recommendations that focus on increasing the diversity of housing types and affordability in West Denver would also enhance the proposed transportation investments. Be sure to read the recommendations for yourself and take the online survey to provide feedback to the City.
The West Area Plan is one of many planning processes that the City will be undergoing in the years to come. Next in line are the Near Southeast Area Plan which will cover the neighborhoods of Goldsmith, Indian Creek, Virginia Village, and Washington Virginia Vale and the Near Northwest Area Plan focusing on the neighborhoods of Chaffee Park, Sunnyside, Highland, and Jefferson Park. Both plans will be kicking off their public outreach efforts this summer, and we’ll be involved in the process all along the way.