Proposed Development Flouts Comp Plan, Makes No Sense
By John Leary and Ty Gee
November 30, 2003
StorageTek is moving toward the largest housing and
commercial development in Louisville in the last 20 years. To fill in
every part of its 390 acres of land, it proposes to build at least
1,080 homes and multiple high-rise buildings, 170 feet tall.
The residential development and improvement financing scheme proposed
by StorageTek virtually wipes out any benefits that might accrue to the
city of Louisville from rezoning their property. That scheme would be a
fiscal drag on the city for years to come.
Louisville's Comprehensive Plan governs all developments in the city.
It disallowed any new housing on the so-called South Sub-area where
StorageTek's land is located. The Planning Commission has ignored
public comment and succumbed to the StorageTek development team. It has
approved changes to the Comp Plan that places no limitations on the
number of new homes in the South Sub-area.
On Tuesday, the City Council will review the commission's changes to
the Comp Plan. In October, a group of citizens - who objected to the
city's allowing StorageTek to substitute its "vision" for the city for
that of the community - submitted its own proposal to amend the Comp
Plan. Its proposal continues the ban on new housing in the South
Sub-area, but allows StorageTek to build retail and commercial.
This citizen proposal is grounded on a community vision for Louisville.
It asks the council to consider the following principles in considering
StorageTek changes to the Comp Plan.
1. The Comp Plan should be the product of Louisville citizens,
and should reflect their vision of the community. The entire
purpose of comprehensive plans in general, and Louisville's
Comprehensive Plan specifically, is to capture the community's vision
of its city and to require all developers to conform to that vision.
Although citizens have repeatedly asked the city to begin a process by
which the community can create a vision for this gateway to Louisville,
city officials have denied these requests. Instead, they have let the
"tail wag the dog" - the city has improperly allowed StorageTek to
impose upon the community its own urban-planning vision.
2. Residential developments must be contiguous with existing
residential areas within the city. Unlike many urban areas around
the Denver metro area, Louisville has not succumbed to urban sprawl -
the tendency for a city to grow haphazardly in any direction without
rhyme or reason. Our city structure is simple: we have a downtown area,
from which the city has grown outward, maintaining a contiguous
residential base. Louisville has previously rejected every developer's
requests for non-contiguous residential development.
3. Our community has repeatedly said it wants to limit the
size of the city. For a decade, Louisville citizens consistently
have said we want to be a city of about 20,000 residents. Louisville's
facilities and services are premised on this population target. For
example, the new library the citizens approved at the recent election
is designed to serve a community of 21,000. StorageTek's development
will increase the population by a minimum of 15 percent. There is no
community support for dramatically expanding the city's population.
4. No development should occur in Louisville if it causes
greater traffic headaches. In parts of the city, traffic is a
significant problem. Any development must not worsen these traffic
problems.
5. Development must not contribute to urban sprawl.
Original plans for the Northwest Parkway were defeated more than 4-to-1
by Louisville voters. Among the factors used by Louisville in deciding
to support a later version of this toll road was an insistence that all
efforts be made to minimize the sprawl-causing effects of the parkway.
To mitigate sprawl, Louisville has bounded much of the Parkway with
open space. This policy needs to be continued and can be while allowing
StorageTek to develop its land appropriately.
6. Development in Louisville must not harm taxpayers
or Louisville's character. The current Comp Plan recognizes that
houses do not pay for themselves. City services provided to each house
cost more than each house generates in sales tax revenue to pay for
those services. In the South Sub-area, houses make little sense.
StorageTek proposes at least 1,080 homes within a stone's throw of
Broomfield's FlatIron Crossing mall and a massive Broomfield
2.5-million-square-foot retail/commercial development across the street
from StorageTek's current campus. These residents will pay their sales
tax dollars to Broomfield, not Louisville. As a result, existing
Louisville taxpayers will subsidize city services to StorageTek's
development.
7. Citizens have repeatedly said they want a more open,
less-congested and unique community. Unlike many communities in the
metro area, Louisville has significant open space at its boundaries.
This is by design. StorageTek's development is wholly at odds with this
important principle.
8. All developers must be treated equally. Developers have
always been required to provide the infrastructure to support their
projects. StorageTek wants to use city tax dollars to build their
infrastructure. Other developers have been required to meet
Louisville's long-standing height restrictions. StorageTek wants to
build high-rise buildings that grossly violate these standards.
We urge all Louisville citizens to become familiar with this project
and to make your views known to our City Council.
John Leary and Ty Gee are Louisville citizens.