Highlights:
- Fences an issue at Lowell apartment development.
- Alliance covered part of the sidewalk with a fence.
- City issued a permit for the fences.
Clik here to view.
Fence is shown around the former Beth Eden Church in West Highland.
Good fences make good neighbors.
At least according to the famous line in Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall.
But not everyone is a fan of the blue fence that covers a stretch of the sidewalk along Lowell Boulevard, north of West 32nd Avenue in West Highland.
The fence is one of four that surround what has been a controversial apartment community in the heart of West Highland.
One West Highland recently asked on a social media site, if the fence is legal.
“It seems dangerous to me,” the resident posted on the site.
“The fence sticks way out in the street, blocks off any walking traffic, and the bottom of the legs holding up the fence have sand bags which also stick out to that single lane of traffic,” the resident continued.
“The developer wouldn’t own the sidewalk too would they. The fence also has blue tarp blocking any views.”
Another resident asked InsideRealEstateNews.com last Saturday if the fence is legal and had similar concerns.
The answer is, the fences are legal.
Clik here to view.
The blue fence covers part of the sidewalk along Lowell Boulevard in West Highland.
Denver’s Department of Public Works issued a “revocable street occupancy permit” to Alliance Colorado Builders LLC for the fences. The permits run from Dec. 1, 2014 to Jan. 31, 2015.
Phoenix-based Alliance Residential bought the land on Oct. 27.
The permits allow for the sidewalk to be closed on a portion of the 325-foot long fence along Lowell. Another permit for 250 feet allows for the closure of a parking lane on Lowell.
After InsideRealEstateNews.com asked Public Works if enclosing the sidewalk and a portion of Lowell was allowed, the department sent an inspector to check to make sure everything was being done properly.
The city told Alliance to pull back the fence on Lowell about a
Clik here to view.
Alliance Residential’s sign can be seen above the fence around the property.
foot to ensure there was 11 feet of driving area on the street.
Alliance, which did not return calls to InsideRealEstateNews, told the city it would immediately make the slight adjustment to the fence.
The development, which on some documents is called Broadstone at Highlands Square, will include three new, luxury apartment buildings.
It also will include the historic Beth Eden Church building, which will be renovated and incorporated into the new, 5-story apartment building to be constructed next to the church.
Even before a spade of dirt has been turned, the planned community has received more notoriety than most proposed apartment communities.
Ten neighbors lost a zoning lawsuit regarding the property, which initially was going to be developed by Denver-based RedPeak Properties.
Instead, Phoenix-based Alliance bought the land and RedPeak’s plans for the community, which will include two five-story buildings and one four-story building. A group headed by Tom Wootten sold the three sites to Alliance. Wootten is no longer involved with the property and never planned to develop it.
Clik here to view.
A rendering of the new apartment community, designed by RNL.
City documents show the Lowell portion will have 70 rental units and 9,550 square feet of retail space. The Lowell site will have a total of 97 vehicle parking spaces, nine more than the 90 required under the code.
It also will have 29 bicycle parking spaces, eight more than the 21 required under code.
The new 5-story building on Meade will have 49 units and 56 vehicle parking space, seven more than the 49 required by code. It also will have 24 bike parking space, 84.6 percent more than the 13 the code require.
The Moncrieff parcel will have 29 rental units in four stories. It will meet the code requirements of 29 vehicle parking spaces and eight bike spaces.
Zoning allowed five stories to be built on Moncrieff. RedPeak, however, voluntarily agreed to reduce the height. Adding a floor would have required a level of underground parking, which would have been expensive because of the high water price, making the added values of more units negligible. Alliance has chosen to stick with RedPeak’s plans.
A city official said on Moncrieff, rental units will be built on top of a parking garage that appears to be constructed at grade.
The other two sites include some underground parking.
Meanwhile, Alliance paid a pretty penny to put up the fences.
The cost of the permits for the four fences, which run a total of 910 feet, was $15,178.
Interested in buying a home in West Highland? Please visit COhomefinder.com.
Have a story idea or real estate tip? Contact John Rebchook at JRCHOOK@gmail.com. InsideRealEstateNews.com is sponsored by Universal Lending, Land Title Guarantee Co. and 8z Real Estate. To read more articles by John Rebchook, subscribe to the Colorado Real Estate Journal.
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