HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution-2005-0036
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CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO
RESOLUTION NO. 36
Series of 2005
TITLE:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE ACCEPTING THE
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION STRATEGY
REPORT, REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE, AND
ADOPTING ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
AS GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR REVITALIZING THE
CITY
WHEREAS, on December 13,2004, the City Council approved Resolution 37-2004
amendmg the fiscal year 2004 budget to hire the consultant team of Winston ASSOCIates to
prepare a neighborhood revitalIzatIOn strategy (NRS); and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the NRS was to lay a strong foundatIon for programming
that provides quality housmg and encourages new homeownershlP opportumties, that analyzed
the cconomlc conditions, zomng reqUIrements and creation of market feasibIlIty analyses to
develop programs that prOVIded opportunities to enhance or expand busmess recrUItment and
retention aCtIVItIes, and included programs supportmg bUIlding rehabilitation improvements; and
WHEREAS, the overall goal of the revItalIzatIOn strategy was to rise to the challenge of
restonng sustamability to the cIty; and
WHEREAS, an mtenslve and inclusive publIc process was followed elIcltmg suggestions
and directIOn from the community at-large; and
WHEREAS, there was strong public support for the NRS and its recommendations, and
WHEREAS, need for development of these strategIes was based on many factors. These
factors included aging infrastructure and housing, fiscal stram, significant demographic change,
fragmented governance, and a lack of long-range plannmg focus; and
WHEREAS, the strategIes and recommendations contained m the NRS are focused on
leveragmg our strengths and addressing our challenges; and
WHEREAS, the NRS WIll assist the cIty in returnmg to a vibrant community with
healthy housmg markets and thriving commercial centers needed to generate fiscal stabIlIty
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Wheat RIdge City Council does
hereby accept the Neighborhood RevitalIzation Strategy report, Repositioning Wheat Ridge,
and establish Its findmgs and recommendatIons as gmdmg principles for revitalizmg the cIty.
DONE AND RESOLVED thIs 25th day of ~ 2005
ATTEST:
~~ ~\~' "
, -,' \ ,,~ \
-. ..e" ,r:'l '(,0, .to,) '\ \.r'-) \ -.,; ;'\ y_":"- - \
Pamela J Anderson, CIty Clerk \
~
ExhibIts.
1 NRS Report: Repositioning Wheat Ridge
Resolution 36-2005
-2-
July 25, 2005
To The City Council
of Wheat Ridge, Colorado
REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE
Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy
Text-only Document for Approval
July 25, 2005
This document has been prepared by a joint venture of
Winston Associates
Jeff Winston
Allan Calder
J ill Strange
Chase Mullen
czbLLC
Charles Buki
David Boehlke
Karen Beck Pooley
RRC Associates, Inc,
Chris Cares
Wendy Sullivan
McCormick and Associates
Kathy McCormick
Cornerstone Housing LLC
Mary Roosevelt
Page 1 of 92
June 9, 2005
Repositioning Wheat Ridge
REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE
PART A
AI. FOREWORD
A2. HOW TO READ THIS REPORT
A3 INTRODUCTION
PART B
Bl KEY INDICATORS
PARTC
Cl. THE PLAN
C2, THE TOOLS
C3 THE ACTIVITIES
APPENDICES
Data Tables
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REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE
PART A
AI. FOREWORD
A2. HOW TO READ THIS REPORT
A3. INTRODUCfION
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AI. FOREWORD
Like many communities neither succeeding wildly nor failing dramatically, Wheat Ridge is at a
crossroads It has all the assets it needs to successfully become a vibrant and thriving Jefferson
County community
· It has a core of engaged CItizens capable of mobilizing to realize a vision. This was
demonstrated when committed residents came together to get the recreation center built.
The Wheat Ridge Recreation Center is a beacon for what is possible. It is a tangible
illustration of the extremely positive future Wheat Ridge can make for itself.
· It has a committed city council, willing to tackle hard but important issues like sales taxes and
looming and inevitable code enforcement. The City Council's grasp of the need to reposition
Wheat Ridge now while it can at a reasonable cost, illustrates just the beginning of the power
of good public management.
· It has many beautiful neighborhoods that, when discovered, will prove to be a magnet for new
families looking for a great place to live in Jefferson County So much of the housing being
built in the surrounding area lacks charm. It sells because today's families are starved for
upgraded, larger homes. The uniqueness of Wheat Ridge's tree-lined residential streets will
be a great advantage in the future when they are leveraged by upgrades and infill
development.
· It has a powerful pnce advantage Relatively speaking, housing and retail in Wheat Ridge are a
bargain' This means that a repositioned Wheat Ridge can sell an equal or better product for
88 cents that might cost a dollar in Westminster or Arvada or Broomfield,
· It has a potentIally thnving commerCIal life based on both some of the businesses already there,
and the advantage of significant thoroughfares and access to 1-70.
· It has a remarkable physzcal settIng, ranging from rolling terrain and ridges that provide
variety and vistas, to one of the largest open space systems in the metropolitan area.
· It is unusually convenient, its centra110cation and adjacency to 1-70 provide ready access to
dm\'ntown Denver for employment and entertainment as well as to the mountains for
recreation and diversion.
. It has a unique residue of rural characteristics (that once typified all of Wheat Ridge) in the
form of large agricultural lots, small-town streets without sidewalks, and a number of
horticulture-oriented businesses (nurseries, farm-implement dealers, fruit stands, etc.),
To achieve its potential, the city will need to start leveraging these assets right away It can no
longer afford to wait; success on these and other fronts will not occur without decisive action.
Neighboring communities like Arvada, Broomfield and Lakewood have a head start.
· Years ago, Lakewood, Arvada, and Westminster recognized the need to take outdated strip
mall retail and make it more appealing for today's customers.
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. Five to seven years ago they started to build new, exciting housing projects demanded by
Colorado's middle-class families. They supplemented those efforts with investments in
soccer fields, open space pathways, period lighting, and signage.
. They increased investments in beautification, with special emphasis on landscaping,
. They began regulating multi-family development.
. They got into the business of vibrant place-making, in the process creating attractive
destinations like Lakewood City Commons, Flatiron Crossing, historic Olde Town Arvada,
and the West Highlands neighborhood (Denver).
. And, importantly, they were content to let Wheat Ridge serve, by default, Jefferson County's
lower income population, so as they gathered more strong families - which they intended to
do and succeeded in doing - Wheat Ridge fell behind.
Unpleasant as it is to confront, the bottom line is this: while Wheat Ridge stagnated for much of the
period between1980-2005, the rest of Jefferson County got busy, rolled up its sleeves, competed for
their share of strong households, and succeeded.
· While Wheat Ridge and Mountain View were unable to address the problems at, and
adjacent to Lakeside, Belmar opened, West Colfax and Wadsworth was planned, the
Flatirons Crossings Mall was opened, and surface transportation dollars were being put to
creative use by Arvada in its exciting redevelopment of its historic district.
. While Wheat Ridge was being indecisive about the redevelopment of 38th A venue, and
standing aside while the intersection at 35th and Wadsworth was turned into an auto
dealership with little fiscal benefit to the city, vibrant mixed-income housing was built at
Highland Gardens and historic housing stocks were being reclaimed in north Denver just a
few block east of Sheridan A venue,
· While Wheat Ridge accepted marginal garden apartments falling into disrepair, block after
block of homes in Denver's West Highlands were being restored,
· While others were getting a head start on planning for FasT racks stations, Wheat Ridge
decided to wait until after the 2004 voter approval, losing a valuable leadership opportunity
to guide development around the city's only light rail station into a mixed-use development
opportunity
· While Lakewood was celebrating its development at South Wadsworth and Alameda, Wheat
Ridge was 'Walgreening' 44th and Wadsworth and doing nothing to help destination
businesses like Wheat Ridge Cyclery and Valente's find suitably comparable businesses to
open nearby
In these facts are three lessons that Wheat Ridge must learn if it is to move forward.
1 The work done by neighboring communities is already paying them dividends; similar
efforts by Wheat Ridge will too Wheat Ridge can succeed.
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2, None of the surrounding communities started with more than what Wheat Ridge has now;
in fact many, like Lakewood and Arvada, started with less. Build on strengths.
3 Extraordinary vibrancy in Wheat Ridge is based on an uncomplicated formula:
a. Learn and demonstrate" open for business" habits;
b Make prerequisite regulatory changes without which the strategies in this report
cannot be implemented,
c. Be intentional about going after the strong Jefferson County households that have for
too long been increasingly choosing someplace other than Wheat Ridge to call home,
Goat Onemea Amtuoe
Technical
RETAIN AND ATTRACT OPEN FOR BUSINESS
STRONG HOUSEHOLDS REGULATORY CHANGES
What do these lessons say more specifically
about what to do? They provide a roadmap'
. Status quo zoning now sends signals to
the development community about what
can be built in Wheat Ridge. Status quo
attitudes among officials and some civic
groups about commercial development
send signals about how tedious the
permitting process in Wheat Ridge is apt
to be. Status quo enforcement ot poorly
maintained properties sends signals to
potential residents about how much
Wheat Ridge cares about itself These all
comprise the status quo and they
contribute to present circumstances - low
and falling home ownership rates, low
and falling school test scores, low and
falling incomes and high and rising
crime. In other words, status quo norms
in Wheat Ridge are paying dividends in
the form of declining economic strength,
while the norms exhibited in Arvada and
Lakewood, for example, are paying
dividends in the form of increased
demand for housing by strong
households, increased sales taxes, and
increased fiscal health.
Wheat Ridge used to be a more balanced
community. Residents across all family and
income spectrums were attracted to and
remained in the community. However, since
the 1980's, other communities have
effectively out-competed Wheat Ridge in
attracting families and higher income
households from Wheat Ridge, resulting in
these Ustrong households" either leaving
Wheat Ridge or simply not being attracted to
Wheat Ridge in the first place. This has
resulted in an unbalanced community - one
in which at-risk households (lower income,
single parent households) comprise more
than their optimum share of resident
households. This imbalance has affected the
image, condition, economic health and
competitiveness of Wheat Ridge in the
context of the greater Denver-Metro region.
For Wheat Ridge to regain its strength in the
area and reinvent itself as a thriving,
economically diverse community, with broad
commercial and residential opportunities,
Wheat Ridge needs to regain its share of
strong households that it has lost over the
past 25 years.
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---
The Lesson: the status quo will not pay the dividends Wheat Ridge deserves. Therefore, the
status quo is unacceptable.
. Five years ago, the intersection at Wadsworth and West Colfax in Lakewood was in
arguably worse shape than the state of Wadsworth and 44th in Wheat Ridge today. Fifteen
years ago, retail conditions in West Highlands were in worse shape than Applewood Village
today. Housing along 38th in Denver where Highland Gardens stands today was in far
worse shape than the condition of the Camelot in Wheat Ridge today In those cases and in
many others -the difference between these neighboring communities and Wheat Ridge is
that these other communities aggressively took weak circumstances and turned them into
assets by paying attention to what the market outside of those communihes wanted and would
have otherwise found elsewhere.
The Lesson: communities with less to build on yesterday than Wheat Ridge has today
showed resilience that Wheat Ridge can adopt. With more to start with than other
communities had, only a failure to commit to an improved Wheat Ridge stands in the way of
resurgence, Moreover, this is not about Wheat Ridge created something it never before
enjoyed, To the contrary, Wheat Ridge used to be a place where strong households settled
and stayed. This is about returning to those days of strong households but in a
contemporary economic setting.
· Wheat Ridge used to be a more balanced community Residents across all family and
income spectrums were attracted to and remained in the community However, since the
1980's, other communities have effectively out-competed Wheat Ridge in attracting families
and higher income households from Wheat Ridge, resulting in these "strong households"
either leaving Wheat Ridge or simply not being attracted to Wheat Ridge in the first place,
This has resulted in an unbalanced community - one in which at-risk households (lower
income, single parent households) comprise more than their optimum share of resident
households. This imbalance has affected the image, condition, economic health and
competitiveness of Wheat Ridge in the context of the greater Denver-Metro region,
The Lesson, for Wheat Ridge to regain its strength in the area and reinvent itself as a
thriving, economically diverse community, with broad commercial and residential
opportunities, Wheat Ridge needs to regain its share of strong households that it has lost
over the past 25 years.
· What other communities have done is a recipe for what Wheat Ridge can, and has the tools
to do Other communities' actions also stand as a testament to what Wheat Ridge has not
done, in spite of the ability to act. When other communities modified their zoning to
encourage mixed-income infill and mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development, Wheat
Ridge maintained a framework suitable for unsightly strip retail to prevail. When other
communities aggressively started to market to middle income households, Wheat Ridge was
idle in the face of declining property upkeep and in the process discouraged strong
households from coming to Wheat Ridge to live or shop
The Lesson. become zntentional about retaining and attracting strong households to Wheat
Ridge.
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The repetitive nature of this right-up-front assessment of Wheat Ridge is necessary. Wheat Ridge
can succeed lflt zntends to
.,/ This report shows why the status quo is unacceptable, and changeable.
.,/ It shows how a vibrant, even visionary future is attainable because Wheat Ridge has
powerful assets to build on, and committed residents able to do the heavy lifting of change.
.,/ It makes clear that a vibrant future will not just happen, residents and officials must make
repositioning Wheat Ridge a singular priority, and be intentional about implementing the
parts needed to create the whole.
Important Wheat Ridge Assets
Lessons from lhe Data
Core Of Engaged CitiZens
Wheat Ridge Can Succeed
by BUilding What Strong
Households Demand
Commlned City Council
+
Wheat Ridge Must
BUild on Strengths
Numerous Beautiful Neighborhoods
Power1ul Pnce Advantage
Formula IS NOT
Complicated: Just Do It'
~
Focus Wheat Ridge Must Adopt
BUILD THE HOUSING STRONG HOUSEHOLDS PREFER
BUILD THE RETAIL STRONG HOUSEHOLDS PREFER
BUILD THE SETTING STRONG HOUSEHOLDS PREFER
To build the housing, retail, and setting that strong households prefer, and therefore work toward
repositioning Wheat Ridge, this report makes three recommendations that create the framework
through which this can be achieved.
1 Implement the nine strategies that appear in this report.
2, Invest in a new generation of leaders and overhaul how the city and residents manage
change.
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3 Create a public, nonprofit corporation capable of facilitating and encouraging appropriate
development in Wheat Ridge. The suggested name for this organization is Wheat Ridge
2020.
The User's Guide in this report clearly identifies the components involved in this framework. If
Wheat Ridge focuses on these three points, it will succeed.
A2. How TO READ THIS REPORT
This report contains several sections. Interpretation and use of these sections will be aided by the
following'
1 Users may find it preferable to navigate the document not sequentially but thematically
2. Users will find excerpted data throughout the report speaking to specific issues, and a full
set of all data is included in the appendices.
3 Users will find strategies organized into categories, and should view all the strategies as
lmked geographically and conceptually.
The report has two main thrusts,
First, the wluzt
Second, the how
The "wluzt" is the definition of the problem, In the case of Wheat Ridge, the city has not been
successful in retaining and attracting strong households; this is where the data is important. T7U'
"how" is the recommended way to solve that problem, the roadmap for this is the set of linked
strategies contained herein.
A USER'S GUIDE FOR ALL CITIZENS
This entire document is organized around one central concept: that change for the better will not
occur in Wheat Ridge until the actual users, its citizens, take responsibility for making a new Wheat
Ridge. Doing so will mean the public needs to authorize the City Council to make significant zoning
changes. It will mean the public will have to allow the Council to make expenditures that have no
guarantee of success. It will mean increased citizen involvement in the planning process - not
merely to show up and complain when a proposal to one's disliking happens to be on the City
Council docket, but rather, to show up and support the City Council as it attempts to raise and
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deploy resources that can reposition Wheat Ridge to successfully compete for strong households,
and create a more balanced Wheat Ridge community.
Therefore, this document is targeted not just at the City Council, but at all citizens of Wheat Ridge, It
is a User's Guide for All Citizens.
As a result, this report has been drafted to be as free of plarming jargon as possible. Still, there are
key terms and concepts that are essential. To make the most of this report, we strongly recommend
readers become familiar with the vocabulary used. Much of it is based on common sense while
some is counter-intuitive. City Council will be using much of this language, so residents should
understand what is meant in order to take part in supporting council efforts.
THE VOCABULARY OF REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE
Market
A community is a market. The various kinds of households in the community comprise that market.
What every Wheat Ridge resident should know is that Wheat Ridge is not a market in a vacuum,
The city exists in a context. That context is the balance of Jefferson County and north Denver
suburbs, All of these communities compete for their share of households and businesses. Some
"win" and some "lose" The current Wheat Ridge market (who lives in Wheat Ridge) is defined in
large measure by the decreasing percentage of middle and upper middle-income households
making Wheat Ridge home compared to the percentage choosing another area as their home, This is
skewing the ideal balance of Wheat Ridge households toward lower-income, more at-risk
households; a pattern that has been developing over the past 25 years,
Median Household Income, 1980-2000
$75,000 "
$57.339
$25,000 ,
$50,000
$18.498
$0
1980
1990
2000
i, --- Jefferson County __ Wheat Ridge i
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In 1980 the Wheat Ridge market (buying power) was 92 percent as strong as the Jefferson County
area. This means that in 1980 the buying power (that determines capacity to own and probability of
reinvesting) in the community was just about the same in Wheat Ridge as anywhere else in the
county Wheat Ridge was right in the middle. Its housing was just about on par and its fiscal base
was just about even. Its home ownership rates were roughly in the middle.
In the ten years between 1980 and 1990, the rest of county had begun to make changes that Wheat
Ridge did not. By 1990, the Wheat Ridge market was merely 73 percent as strong as the competition
- a 19 percent drop! Between 1985 and 1990 leaders in Wheat Ridge
should have been making planning and zoning adjustments to address
this. In the absence of these changes, the homebuilding and retail sectors
in Jefferson County jumped on opportunities in the emerging Arvada,
Golden, and Broomfield markets and began to build quality homes and MARKET
shopping centers. At the same time these cities began expanding
community facilities and parks and redeveloping decrepit commercial
corridors.
So by 2000, the Wheat Ridge market had declined another six percent.
Since 2000, the gaps have only increased, neighboring communities have
grown even stronger while Wheat Ridge is out of balance. More strong
households are needed and a fairer share of the distribution of poverty
households in the county is necessary to strengthen Wheat Ridge as a
community and a city
IMAGE
CONDITIONS
Image And Conditions Influence The Market
The market (WHO IS IN WHEAT RIDGE, including their income and
wealth) is affected by the image and the conditions in town. A poor
image depresses demand (desirability), which drive relahve prices down, This reduces market share
of strong households.
Image is derived largely from the conditions of the community Everything from the color of the
homes to the style of the houses and from the presentation of the stores to the appeal of the parks
contributes to image
As condzhons improve, image generally gets better When this happens, the size of the market
grows, That is, the nicer a place is, the more people want to live there, When this happens, supplies
of homes and commercial space initially keep up with demand, but eventually, when they do not,
demand outstrips supply and prices rise. When prices rise, affordability goes down.
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Everyday cities contend with two prized values. On one hand many cities prize affordabilzty as an
expression of equity and fairness. On the other, communities prize livability and being able to
depend on strong property values. A city in Wheat Ridge's present condition has to decide which of
these two prized values is most zmportant at the present time.
The present condition of Wheat Ridge is dominated by too many instances of weak property
maintenance and low standards and upkeep This is what has given Wheat Ridge a negative image
in the real estate market, and thus what has reduced demand.
Conditions are a function of intent. People sweep their sidewalks, rake their leaves, shovel snow,
paint their porches, and mow their yards not because they are required to but because they want to
The slow, relative decline of Wheat Ridge traces to the fact that too many residents and businesses in
vVheat Ridge don't take the time to maintain their property This is what has given Wheat Ridge a
negative image in the real estate market, and thus what has reduced demand, Too many times
houses go unpainted, not for want of $60 in paint, but for lack of investing the time to scrape and
paint.
The mistake nearly every community makes when it attempts to confront problematic condztions,
such as low standards of property maintenance, is that interventions are geared strictly to
enforcement and other regulatory measures This never works and will not work in Wheat Ridge. Given
the above, simply passing laws that fine owners that keep junk cars on their lots will not alone
rebuild the Wheat Ridge market. A series of collective and parallel efforts are needed, and a main
one is an investment in the capaCity of existing residents to do these basics,
City investments in public improvements (beautification and collective community pride-building
activities) will also make an important difference in the city's ability to trigger improvements in the
phvsical conditions on private property, and thus the city's image, Improvements in capacity lead
to improved conditions that lead to a better image and which in turn stimulate a more vibrant civic
and commercial life and a stronger real estate market.
Stock-Flow
Wheat Ridge is comprised of stocks. Stocks of people, Stocks of businesses, Stocks of buildings and
Stocks of landowners, What's important to know is that these stocks attract or prevent investment
flows, And that an investment can flow to only one instrument at a hme For example, a young
couple just starting out can buy and live in only one home at a time, So they will seek to find the
place that makes most sense to them and best fits their needs, and when they do, two critical
outcomes result. First, one community "won" Second, another community "lost" in the
competition to "get" that household. The stronger that couple is in terms of income, buying power
and behaviors, the more successful the "winning community".
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Each time a community "wins" over a strong buyer, successive potential buyers take notice. Each
time a community gets a less strong buyer, successive potential buyers also take notice. This process
of investment "flows" determines future market strength. In Wheat Ridge, less-strong buyers
started replacing high quality buyers in the ear1y1980s. Each time stronger buyers "chose"
Broomfield, Broomfield succeeded. The growing income gap between the rest of Jefferson County
and Wheat Ridge over the last 25 years is a clear indication that Wheat Ridge has been "losing" for
some time,
Newer areas in outlying suburbs are "places of choice", Why? Homes are new, with the latest
teclmology and are large with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. Builders have purchased cheap
land, with the result that new buyers are buying a lot of house for the money How does Wheat
Ridge combat this advantage that outlying communities have? Through regulatory changes to make
it easier to develop and redevelop good projects in Wheat Ridge, through civic improvements that
improve the image of Wheat Ridge and provide amenities desired by the desired buyers, through
preservation activities that celebrate the environmental and historical assets of Wheat Ridge,
through activities that encourage property owners to maintain and upgrade their properties and
develop 'house pride' and city-wide 'community pride', and by making commitments to long-range
planning, consistent, policy-driven decision-making, and allocating funds to accomplish goals - all
of which will make Wheat Ridge a truly desirable, livable community and instill confidence in those
considering making investments and re-investments in Wheat Ridge,
Key Implementation Tenns
This document makes reference to a logical sequence of steps that lead to desired end results
(outcomes), These steps in the logic model include:
STRATEGIES
The ingredients that go into shaping Wheat Ridge. Examples:
Infrastructure investments
Revisions to zoning codes
1m rovin the develo ment review rocess
The work that gets done to produce results. Examples:
Pre-purchase homebuyer education and counseling
Community meetings
Down payment assistance to first time hQme buyers
Block im rovement ro'ects
The expense of undertaking the activities and financing the inputs. Examples:
CDBG dollars for beautification in qualifying census tracts
TIF monies to finance construction
Enhancements for develo ers to undertake certain kinds of ro'ects
What has been produced, Examples:
16 clean-ups
40 new I ualified bu ers
ACfIVITIES
RESOURCES
OUTPUTS
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36 hi h uali new houses
The measurable impact of the collection of outputs. Examples:
OUTCOMES The 3400 block of Depew went from 40% home ownership to 48%
Median income for households in District 4 went from $37,000 to $41,000
Citizens engaged in the revitalization process will want to pay particular attention to ensuring that
desired outcomes drive activities. Too often, communities try to embark on revitalizing activities
without a clear link to the objectives they are trying to accomplish.
Baselines and Measurables
Performance measured is performance improved. The data contained in this report will serve as a
beginning measure, or baseline, of where Wheat Ridge is today Every measure that is acceptable
need not change for the better Similarly, those measures that are unacceptable provide the
baselines against which to monitor change over time - and determine whether progress has been
made.
Examples of data that are indicators of the health of a community include:
. Poverty Rates
. Education Level
. Household Type
. Home Ownership Rate
. Median Value of Housing
. Housing Age
. Rental Housing Vacancy Rates
. Rate of New Development
Each indicator should show improvement. Improvements can thereafter be calibrated to illustrate
costs and benefits and guide future policy and program decisions made by city staff and Council. A
more complete list of indicators is provided later in this document. Indicators are important to
measuring the progress of Wheat Ridge.
SUMMARY: KEY CONCEPTS ApPLIED TO THE WHEAT RIDGE HOUSING MARKEr
The Wheat Ridge market is a confined market, bounded by Lakewood and Arvada, 1-70, and the
Denver edge along Sheridan, In many respects Wheat Ridge is more of a suburban, post World War
II extension of Denver than an identifiable place in its own right. In this way, its former life as
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.-
mainly a bedroom community to the Denver employment base in the 1940s and 1950s illustrates the
neither-fish-nor-fowl place Wheat Ridge occupies in the regional economy
Housing stocks in Wheat Ridge are not mainly the 'McMansions' that proliferate in newer
subdivisions, nor the large-lot homes desired by families, nor period homes of architectural
significance that define West Highlands and others parts of North Denver. Wheat Ridge's houses
and related retail areas reflect a community that matured between 1960 and 1980 and stopped
growing.
Eventually it made more sense for many in Wheat Ridge to move out in order to move up Many
others just stayed, and didn't upgrade. Consequently, although Wheat Ridge homes are sound
(basically' good bones'), they seem modest compared to what is available throughout the County
Furthermore, the market has been sent two decades of confidence-undermining signals about Wheat
Ridge in the form of either strong family exodus or absence of housing upgrades.
When the market receives different signals about Wheat Ridge, Wheat Ridge will be rewarded.
However, citizens in Wheat Ridge should understand the chicken-and-egg dilemma facing the city
Wheat Ridge needs new housing stocks to attract strong families. But, new housing alone (without
upgrades to existing neighborhoods too) may not guarantee strong families will buy. And yet,
unless strong families are buying, there appears to be little incentive to upgrade. This cycle can be
broken by providing incentives to owners to upgrade while new housing is also being developed.
Both activities will require capital to be put at risk. To offset risk, these twin activities - providing
incentives to current owners to upgrade and developing new housing for new buyers - must occur
in geographically targeted ways to maximize impact.
There are three primary options for deploying resources to upgrade and develop new housing'
(1) Diffuse them across the city;
(2) Concentrate in the toughest areas; and
(3) Concentrate, but not in the toughest areas,
We recommend the third approach for Wheat Ridge, The "middle market" in Wheat Ridge - where
values are between $200,000 - $275,000 - is where home ownership remains more or less stable
(above 45% on a given block), yet where there are slipping standards, which are not yet too costly to
turn around. These are streets with committed residents who are planting flowers and painting
their homes and parking their cars where they are supposed to be parked. This is where the market
can be grown cost-effectively, where strong resident leadership can take hold. Where property
values are going to be leveraged without excessive subsidy, and where creative residential infill is
most likely to occur quickly
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We recommend such concentrated housing activity occur between 32nd and 44th A venues, between
Kipling and Depew This part of Wheat Ridge is marketable yet at risk; it is neither fully healthy nor
overwhelmed with problems. By increasing permissible densities in this area, and encouraging both
infill of high quality housing (single family detached as well as upper-tier multi-
family/condominium) and high quality housing rehabilitation, the market for better quality
neighborhood retail will be strengthened. This approach generates two important outcomes:
1 An upgraded housing stock more marketable to strong households in an area that is
presently at risk of decline, and
2. A resulting strengthened commercial corridor in an area that is presently stuck between
recovery and obsolescence. This focused effort will assist the recovery of 38th A venue as a
Main Street.
The central message for citizen leaders is that quality retail follows strong neighborhoods and strong
neighborhoods reward investments that build on strengths. By choosing the east-center of Wheat
Ridge (rather than the northwest comer where more distress exists), market recovery is more
probable and will occur more quickly for less cost.
A running theme in this report is that recovery and market growth does not occur by mainly
focusing on fixing problems, or, for that matter, by focusing too heavily in the areas that are in the
worst condition, Rather, recovery occurs more quickly and efficiently in areas that are at 'tipping
points' - where existing strengths provide a base from which the market can derive confidence that
improvements are occurring There are exceptions to this general rule of thumb, mainly when
circumstances can't get much worse and where larger scale urban renewal activity is a tool of last
resort. This would be the case for example, were the city to conclude that the sub-par motel district
between Kipling and Youngfie1d along 44th needed total renewal, to cite one example.
The "X" Factor
Of course the history of urban development is the constant struggle to acquire and retain various
forms of capital. 1nvariably, some places rise only to falL others never truly succeed, and others do
well and seem to stay on top For every successful place there's another in dire straits with virtually
a nearly identical built environment. The difference frequently comes down to which community is
capable of adapting. The community that remains flexible is the community that is capable of
responding to the region around them, a region that must be collaborated with even as it is
competed against. The community capable of adapting is the one that rises to the top and stays
there. Thriving communities are full of citizens who exercise leadership, residents and business
O\vners who routinely mobilize their neighbors and colleagues to solve problems, and identify
alternative visions of the future and work to secure input to shaping both what that future might
look like and the path to get there,
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The roots of exercising leadership are grounded in the community's capacity to differentiate
between the various kinds of challenges that confront them, of which there are two main types.
The first are those challenges that are more technical in nature. In Wheat Ridge an example of a
technical challenge is the signage work that needs to be done. In Wheat Ridge one never knows
where they are in relation to important landmarks unless you have lived in Wheat Ridge already
There is a problem to be solved. Wheat Ridge's signage is unappealing and disconnected and
consequently important assets are obscured and hidden from open view. Solving this may involve
no more than designing signs, choosing sites, and financing installation and maintenance. Most
communities that struggle focus too heavily on the technical challenges they face. In the process
they miss the larger issue too frequently Struggling communities thmk their problem is the lack of
signage and solving it is merely a matter of design and installation, when their real problem is why
the signs weren't there in the first place.
The second type of challenge that communities face is adaptive. In Wheat Ridge an example of an
adaptive challenge is the issue of why good signage hadn't materialized in the first place, An
adaptive challenge is the work that a community must do to change from a community that once
eschewed designed signage to a community that embraces signage. This is the work of changing, of
adapting to a new future that some in the community do not favor Communities capable of making
these changes keep pace or ahead of neighboring communities that are changing.
For Wheat Ridge to regain its place in the region as a community of choice, residents must mobilize
towards a new future that will inevitably mean learning new ways. The old ways are not working
The new ways provide no guarantees but must be learned. Standards have to improve not through
enforcement but voluntary compliance. This degree of adaptive capacity will need to be grown.
Every community has a different level of tolerance for learning new ways. Now is the time for
Wheat Ridge to begin to adapt successfully Getting the most out of this effort is the place to start.
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A3. INTRODUCTION
WHY WHEAT RIDGE MUST BE REPOSITIONED AND A VISION OF WHAT
WHEAT RIDGE CAN BE
Loss of Strong Households
The central challenge facing Wheat Ridge is its loss of
strong households, Strong households are the backbone
of every thriving community,
The central challenge facing Wheat
Ridge is its loss of strong households
that are the backbone of every
thriving community. Such
households are consistently
employed, have the potential for
upward mobility, demand quality
rentals or own and reinvest in their
homes, take good care of their
property, and participate in and
contribute to civic life. In Wheat
Ridge we estimate those households
typically earn between $59,000 -
$88,000 per year.
Strong households are consistently employed, have the
potential for upward mobility, demand quality rentals or
own and reinvest in their homes, take good care of their
property, and participate in and contribute to civic life.
Above all the characteristics of strong households,
income is the most useful measure, for it captures
employment consistency and employability, and
correlates with home ownership and education. Strong
households typically earn between $59,000 and $88,000 per year.
These households are part of the overall fabric of any community. A community need not have all
residents earning $75,000 a year - but to thrive, Wheat Ridge needs a fair share of such households.
A community need not have all residents complete college - but to compete in Jefferson County
today, Wheat Ridge needs a larger share of such households. Not everyone in Wheat Ridge must be
part of a married family with children - but Wheat Ridge needs to have more families with children
living in the city It's not critical that every working adult in the city be employed full-time - but
Wheat Ridge needs more full-time workers than it now has, especially professional full time
workers These strong households constitute "demand" It is they who demand good family
housing and good retail.
When a community does not have an ample supply of quality
housing, quality retail, and a quality environment to live in, it
cannot retain the remaining strong households it has, much less
attract new ones,
We have analyzed population, household trends and job trends as
well as evaluated the commercial real estate inventory and retail
sales trends including housing sales activities. All trends lead to
the conclusion that Wheat Ridge has not been attracting the
Boiled down to its essence,
the state of Wheat Ridge
today and the path it is on
is defined by the fact that
there's too little quality
housing, desired retaiI and
positive, and amenities to
offer strong households
that have the ability to
choose to go elsewhere.
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middle income, educated and "strong" households in Jefferson County needed to stabilize the city
Instead Wheat Ridge is increasingly home to lower income, at-risk households.
What this means is that too many Wheat Ridge residents have less disposable income to support
local area retail and other businesses; that they are less able to invest in property maintenance and
improvements; that they are at greater risk of displacement through the inability to pay housing
costs, and that housing purchases will be more marginal and subject to foreclosure.
· The population and number of households in Wheat Ridge are projected to be slightly lower
in 2010 than in 20001 This means less rooftops which means less purchasing power
· Almost 27 percent of households in Wheat Ridge are headed by seniors (age 65 or older),
which is higher than other compared Jefferson County communities2 Many of these seniors
are low-income, as indicated by the finding that about 18 percent of total Wheat Ridge
households received their primary income from social security in 2003 Low incomes mean
less purchasing power and lower home ownership probability
. About 16 percent of total households in Wheat Ridge are single-parent households and 27
percent of family households are single-parent households, Single-parent households earn
more than one-and-one-half times less than that for married-couple families in Jefferson
County ($38,669 versus $74,159). This means more at-risk youth, lower school test scores,
low home ownership rates, and lower purchasing power
. About 25 percent of Wheat Ridge adults have a Bachelor's degree or higher compared to 37
percent in Jefferson County as a whole. This means less upward mobility, and thus less long
term earning capacity This translates into less buying power and less capacity to reinvest.
. Of the 23 communities we evaluated, Wheat Ridge was the only compared community in
Jefferson County to have a higher percentage of people earning below the poverty level in
2000 than in 1990 In addition, over 60% of Wheat Ridge households earned under $50,000
per year in 1999, compared to 42% in Jefferson County as a whole, median household
incomes increased the least of all compared communities between 1990 and 2000 (37.6
percent), and the average household income of oY\'Ilers moving into Wheat Ridge between
1990 and 2000 was $61,382 compared to $75,000 for owners that moved to the community
between 1980 and 1989 This indicates the increased attraction of low-income households to
Wheat Ridge and the lower attraction of stronger, higher-income households to Wheat Ridge
compared to other areas of Jefferson County The emerging status quo is one where
Jefterson County is disproportionately balancing its poverty problems on the backs of Wheat
Ridge. Still in its early stages, this is a condition that, without an intervention, will only
solidify Once this condition takes firmer hold on market expectations and institutional
behaviors, efforts to diffuse poverty on a more fair-share basis throughout the county will be
met with much stiffer resistance, from both real estate interests (in the form of NIMBY -ism)
as well as housing agencies tasked with addressing the housing needs of the poor ('mission
protection').
JDRCOG
2 Compared to Mountain View, Golden, Lakewood, Northwest Denver and the Jefferson County portion of Arvada
and Westminster
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· Finally, Wheat Ridge had among the highest percentage of cost-burdened households of
compared communities in 2000 About 31 percent of Wheat Ridge households paid over 30
percent of their income for housing, despite the generally lower housing costs and rents in
Wheat Ridge than other communities. This indicates that, despite the relative affordability
of Wheat Ridge compared to other areas of Jefferson County, the price of housing in Wheat
Ridge is still higher than many low income households can afford. In other words, the
people living in Wheat Ridge are less and less affluent and more and more stretched to meet
their housing costs.
What form does this take in the community? Right now Wheat Ridge has one Camelot. It has one
perpetually vacant lot at Depew and 38th It has a small handful of very low-end motels. However,
the trajectory of Wheat Ridge under current conditions is not that the Camelot is the exception but
that it becomes the rule. A paradox Wheat Ridge must come to terms with is that residents are clear
that they want no more Camelot apartments in town, yet all of the forces to ensure precisely that
outcome are in place - from zoning, to standards of care by property owners, to the city's anti-
business climate, to some citizens' zealous disdain for goverrunent and regulations.
At its essence, the state of Wheat Ridge today, and the trajectory it is on, are the consequence of
there being too little in the way of higher-end housing, quality retail, and desired amenities to offer
strong households that the data show would otherwise choose Wheat Ridge given the city's price
advantages,
To retain and attract such households, several
ingredients are necessary, and include supplying the
housing, retail, and community desired by strong
households, Though distinct, each element is
interconnected, and all elements are needed. Each
element is briefly discussed below and will be
presented in numerous ways throughout this report.
In summary'
A paradox Wheat Ridge must
come to terms with is that
residents are clear that they want
no more Camelot apartments in
town. yet all of the forces to
ensure precisely that outcome are
in place - from zoning, to
standards of care by property
owners, to the city's anti-business
climate, to some citizens zealous
disdain for government and
regulations.
1 There must be the housing that strong
households desire.
Jefferson and Denver County's strongest households prefer newer, larger, single-
detached housing, On average, "communities of choice" (census tracts attracting
stronger households) have higher percentages (nearly 90%) of single-family detached
housing, the greatest portion of housing built since 1990 (typically three times as much
as in tracts attracting the weakest households), and the largest share (nearly 50%) of
units with four or more bedrooms. "Second choice" communities typically have slightly
smaller housing (a larger share of units with only 3 bedrooms) built in the 1970s or 1980s.
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Unfortunately, throughout most Wheat Ridge neighborhoods, just one-third to two-
thirds of the housing stock is single-family detached housing (The one exception is the
city's southwest comer, where over 90% of units are single-family detached.) The
majority of housing in all tracts (48% to 90%) was built in 1969 or earlier - a housing
generation that typically does not attract households with the most choice. The vast
majority of the city's housing stock in most tracts (from 70% to 95%) has less than 4
bedrooms (again, with the exception of the city's southwest corner).
This basic combination of 'houses that strong households want' - large, new, attractive -
does not exist in Wheat Ridge. If desired housing remains unavailable, strong
households will find it someplace else. For these reasons, the message is clear Wheat
Ridge needs more housing attractive to strong households. Strong Jefferson and Denver
County households want houses that are rare in Wheat Ridge. Among other things, to
retain and attract strong households, new housing desired by strong households is a
non-negotiable.
In addition to providing housing to attract new strong households, Wheat Ridge must
also demonstrate to current Wheat Ridge strong households that it makes sense to stay in
Wheat Ridge, When strong Wheat Ridge households increase reinvestment in their
homes, strong households outside of Wheat Ridge will take notice, When strong
households begin to stay in Wheat Ridge as they move up in housing, strong households
outside of Wheat Ridge win take notice, When strong households in Wheat Ridge stay,
and their children stay in school, test scores will stabilize and improve. Strong
households outside of Wheat Ridge will notice all of this. To retain and attract more
strong households, the housing they demand and the incentives to invest in their
property must exist WIthin Wheat Rzdge. Right now, small housing not upgraded since it
was built, a proliferation of unimaginative ranch homes, and unappealing commercial
corridors all make it easy for strong households to go elsewhere in the county Wheat
Ridge needs a supply of what strong households want in order to compete for their
investments.
Changes to the existing zoning will make it easier for developers to build the housing
desired by strong households. Supplemental incentives designed to encourage
developers to build the housing desired by strong households will be necessary A
result will be the basis for a changed market in Wheat Ridge, characterized by higher
rates of home ownership, higher median incomes, and more upward mobility
2, There must be the retail that strong households desire.
Strong households do not want characterless boxes only. While they will patronize Wal-
Mart, they don't want their entire retail experience to occur in a big box. Strong
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households do not want retail fuat is not friendly to pedestrians, It is ironic fuat Wheat
Ridge, wifu its high percentage of seniors, has such a pedestrian un-friendly spectrum of
commercial real estate. Strong households want to be able to easily drive to one store
and then be able to walk to several others in an appealing environment. This is what
West Highlands and Olde Town Arvada have offered to the market, and their success
illustrates the power of good design of commercial spaces, Strong households want
shopping places to be visually appealing, They want places to shop that are maintained
to a high standard. That is why they like places like Flatiron Crossing - stores there are
new, beautifully maintained, enjoyable to be in, and easy to get to Once there, it is easy
and enjoyable to leave one store and go to another
This very basic combination - new, attractive, maintained retail that is easy to get to and
enjoyable to be in - does not exist at concentrated sites in Wheat Ridge. For these
reasons, the message is clear: Wheat Ridge needs to update its retail in order to be
attractive to more strong households. Strong Jefferson and Denver County households
want pedestrian-friendly retail fuat is appealing and easy to get to Among other things,
to retain and attract strong households, new retail desired by strong households is a non-
negotiable. When both the housing and retail desired by strong households is in short
supply in a place, strong households go elsewhere.
There must be an attractive community setting that strong households desire, An
ample supply of high quality housing and good retail is rarely enough to retain strong
households, and almost never enough to attract new ones3 Unappealing corridors,
poorly maintained property (commercial as well as retail), and unattractive urban design
all contribute to a poor image. The wider market takes image into consideration and
doubts that the neighborhoods have much appeal, even when quality housing stocks are
available, What's more, if the way a community
presents itself is negative, retail is usually in
transition downward.
3
The above explains why simply building more
housing won't work in Wheat Ridge. Wheat Ridge
has to combine its housing development activities
with a concerted effort to upgrade the visual appeal
of the city While lots are acquired and consolidated
and developed into high quality housing for strong
The most important rule for
Wheat Ridge to follow is the
law of holes, which says "if
you want to get out of the hole
you're in, the first thing you
do is stop digging." By
adopting these lessons and
replacing old habits with new
customs, the reasons Wheat
Ridge is in this predicament
will no longer be present.
3 The exceptions to this rule are when markets are severely overheated on a regional basis with little breathing rCKltR as was the
case when East Palo, CA properties began sellmg in the wake of the dot,com real estate rush between 2001-2003 in the San Francisco
Bay Area Though strong, the Jefferson County housing market bears little resemblance to this example,
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households, the commercial corridors will need to be cleaned up While incentives are
packaged for retail establishments to maintain their businesses more attractively,
investments in beautification are a must. While stores and streets are being upgraded,
the parks and the open space must become more appealing.
Said another way, it won't matter to a strong household that they can buy a 4-bedroom
house on a large lot in Wheat Ridge if they have to drive past ugly businesses and poorly
maintained right-of-ways along 44th It won't matter to a strong household that they can
get a great deal on a house if their new neighbors have poorly managed farm animals in
the backyard. And the abundance of open space won't matter to a strong household if
they can't find the access point and/ or if the path to the open space is strewn with
broken beer bottles.
The environment must communicate a legible message that people and businesses and
institutions in Wheat Ridge care enough about their community to keep the sidewalks
clear of trash, the highway sound barriers free of graffiti, the homes freshly painted,
yards full of flowers, and businesses in attractive settings. When strong households
from outside Wheat Ridge are able to conclude that current residents don't care enough
to tend to these basics, confidence about relocating to Wheat Ridge is undermined,
New Whe
MARKET IMAGE CONDITIONS CAPACITY
540,000 HH LO'A' StandardS Dlsrepar Ma."~~.a.1
at RIdge Her\t~.
56C ,000 HH HI~r, :itandard<: H.:.... se Pnde SV,j{'I.;1
at Ridge O~\ner
ummary Nfo\\ -(o*=- -lnve-s.llogJ': . 'nves.lIng 'E:
- HU'Jstng Aa;s.ed ~.i.' st..o~ C;.;~.e-",~ reSident
, H~tal\ rl? sident; lor ~aOoe-'shlp
+ E.nli'.1"O(\(l1enr
'",,:ya~'
Current Whe
Strategy S
In summary, the desired housing must get built or renovated, the retail must get upgraded, and the
connective tissue binding it all together must be attractive so that a clear message is sent that Wheat
Ridge has pride. If the surrounding Jefferson County market were weak, this "build it and they will
come" strategy would not work. However, because the region is strong, this report shows that if
Page 23 of 92 July 14, 2005 Repositioning Wheat Ridge
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Wheat Ridge implements recommended revitalization measures, demand for new and upgraded
development in Wheat Ridge will surge.
Whatever vehicle is ultimately used to facilitate change in Wheat Ridge (we recommend creation of
a public-private corporation) every action taken must be able to pass a basic test: does it result in
making Wheat Ridge more attractive to strong households? Any proposed change in zoning or land
use, any real estate development, or any public or private behavior that does not pass this test
should not be permitted.
How did this happen?
Why focus attention on delving into how it came to be
that a once vibrant Wheat Ridge fell so far behind? Why
not just state the strategy? 1n our experience,
communities like Wheat Ridge - characterized by slow
decline relative to the competition - frequently are good
at acknowledging things could be better, but have a hard
time implementing recommendations that might be
helpful. Case in point is the recent Wadsworth Corridor
Study, an excellent analysis of the challenges facing Wheat Ridge on Wadsworth, and which
contained many sound recommendations - none of which saw implementation. Our experience is
that when this occurs, it is most often the case that the genetic code that ushered in the problems is
still present, so strategies by themselves won't matter What Wheat Ridge needs is a set of strategies
and assistance facing the reasons for the decline in the first place. What must the residents and
leaders of Wheat Ridge fully understand?
The following question can serve as a
basic evaluation for all activities
proposed by the city or residents
Will this (development/regulatory
change/behavior) make Wheat Ridge
more attractive to stronJ{ households?
. The same inputs remain within Wheat Ridge today that shaped the decline
. The same tough competition from Arvada, Broomfield, Lakewood and Westminster is
working overtime to keep their communities healthy
. Unless either the inputs or the competition changes, Wheat Ridge won't recover, and the
competition isn't going anywhere,
Past is prologue. But in Wheat Ridge's case, this is even more so, because while Wheat Ridge was
practicing bad habits (making it hard for businesses to expand, permitting sloppy standards to take
root, encouraging unsightly strip retail to proliferate, failing to undertake purposeful economic
development, neglecting to update codes), adjoining cities were adopting better practices. While
neighboring cities were moving forward, past city councils in Wheat Ridge had yet to put the city's
rural heritage in the right context.
In the course of developing this report, more than 200 citizens attended dozens of council-led
discussion about the future of Wheat Ridge. The current council has shown remarkable tenacity in
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mobilizing hundreds of Wheat Ridge citizens to the initial
stages of work in developing a recovery strategy for the
city Among many of the comments repeated at these
meetings was a yearning for the city to stay true to its IUral
heritage and also upgrade how it is perceived.
The 29 council-led meetings that occurred in March and
April of 2005 continually surfaced the importance of
repositioning Wheat Ridge - but not by sacrificing history
and culture. At these meetings and four other, large city- ,
wide sessions held at the Recreation Center in April, May
and June, and in City Council work sessions, the challenge
of reconciling economic improvement within an historic
Wheat Ridge context was always present.
The importance of this apparent contradiction is that it is
not a contradiction at all. Rather it illustrates that there
was a time when it was suitable to be a rural community
in Jefferson County And at that time, such a mindset was
sufficient. As the region changed dramatically in the
1980s, Wheat Ridge did not shed its rural memories, In
our interviews with citizens, we have determined that the
overall Wheat Ridge characteristic during much of period
between 1970-2000 was one where Wheat Ridge really
didn't want to admit it was in the middle of a sprawling,
suburban region, and so it didn't. It didn't implement the
citywide systems needed to cope with urban and
suburban levels of development and planning At the
same time, neighboring communities were doing just that.
They were learning how to be creative with surface
transportation monies. They were exploring the new
urbanism and mixed-use development. They were
sending delegations to Washington, DC to ensure their
community had resources. They were remarketing inner-
city commercial strips into hip retail magnets. They were
marketing, hustling, and in general doing the "make our
city great" jig at every turn, And they did this at Wheat
Ridge's expense. Wheat Ridge got the Camelot while
A Sampling of Comments from
Council Outreach Meetings
. Need to protect and encourage rural
ambience.
. The city needs more retail shopping.
Residents' money is going to other cities,
The city needs department stores, also a
movie theater.
. Quality families do not consider Wheat
Ridge,
. Wheat Ridge asset: small iown sensibility.
. Need higher density housing, if done right,
and increase our draw like other cities.
. Property rights shouldn't be allowed to
negatively impact neighbors.
. Need to attract better businesses that
reflect actual community
What's Working
. Country setting. urban feel.
. Small town atmosphere
. Fruit markets on 44th Ave.
. Animals, livestock, horses,
. Rural ambience,
. Enclaves of deeply caring neighbors
. Open Space!
Wbat's Not Working
. People boarding horses in R-1 zone,
. Hodge-podge 1ook-{joesn't command a
lot of respect
. Too small, 'country', blah,
. Lack of shopping variety--restaurants,
book stores, higher-end is missing.
. Lack of downtown--no central area for
gathering.
Low maintenance for many properties.
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North Denver got Highland Gardens. Wheat Ridge got John E1way Ford while Arvada got 01de
Town.
Belmar. Arvada Center
Positioning of Elway Dealership, Walgreens Development Process
c
Q
.., 11I
.., C7\
~ :l2
E "'-
o
U
11I
.r::
I-
..,
'"
11I
.r::
~
If the bad habits aren't soon replaced by best practices, it won't matter what current assets Wheat
Ridge has to leverage. Wheat Ridge as a city must absorb and understand the lessons contained in
this report which have been present for years but un-adopted, and learn to practice new habits,
including:
1. Retain and attract strong households as the city's on-going #1 priority For too long the
city's collective priority was to provide nothing more or less than the services demanded by
current residents, But during the same time, surrounding jurisdictions made it their priority
to retain and attract strong households, while Wheat Ridge failed to keep many of the strong
households they once had, and stopped attracting new ones as well. Into this vacuum too
many weak households moved to Wheat Ridge,
2, Invest public resources more on building upon strengths than on fixing problems. When
problems began to surface in Wheat Ridge, such as slipping standards, enforcement was not
focused, indeed penny-wise and pound-foolish decisions were made that resulted in
reduced funds for enforcement. Furthermore, as standards slipped here and there and
resulted in pocket blight, no investment was made in the households and blocks where
blighting influences had not yet taken hold, allowing spotty low standards to spread.
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3. Get after it and stay with it. The work Wheat Ridge must do is hard but not complicated
which means that the recovery is not complex, Change the development environment so it
is easier to build what strong households want. Right now building mixed use projects, or
infilling with medium-density housing, or linking open space to housing more effectively all
are somewhat tedious for developers, Further undermining the city, the regional
development community regards Wheat Ridge as not being business-friendly These are
easy changes to make. Every current regulation must be examined to determine whether it
encourages or discourages the development of facilities demanded by strong households. If
it does not, the regulation should be modified, Likewise, every behavior at the city - from
the way public policies are debated to the way city staff interacts with the public - should be
examined to see whether the behavior or process facilitates or impedes the retention or
recruitment of strong households, These are difficult changes, but they are not complex,
and they are mandatory.
Much of the work facing Wheat Ridge hinges on breaking old habits, and adopting new ones.
Without progress on this important front implementation of the lessons will be undermined. For
example, the lesson of going after strong households would be lost if flexible zoning changes were
not adopted because of the old habit of thinking that infill is a problem. Or, to provide a second
example, the lesson of building on strength would be misused if the city began allocating resources
to address problems on the worst blocks while failing to remediate lesser distress on more cost-
effective recoverable blocks,
Old Way
New Wheat Ridge
i
NORMS
Bad Habits
Best Practices
Vibrant Commercial Life
New, Quality Housing
Ability to Support Upper Tier
Retail
Stable and Rising Property
Values
High Levels of house pnde and
block pride
OUTCOMES
Unsightly Strip Retail
Out-of-date Housing
Stocks
Lack of Curb Appeal
Low Buying Power
Declining (Relative)
Property Values
Slipping Property
Maintenance
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HOW TO GET
THERE
1. Implement 9 Recommended
Strategies
2. Broad Overhaul of How the
City Manages Change
3 Create WR 2020
Current habits and norms in Wheat Ridge developed over decades. Where these norms may have
served the city well when Jefferson County was more rural and less affluent, they have more
recently served to weaken long held community values and aspirations.
. A long cherished value in Wheat Ridge has been to be a homeowner commumty of residents
with sustained ties over time to the city. Yet this has been continually undermined by
zoning practices and an unwillingness to set and maintain high standards of care among
property owners,
The work to be done by citizens is to reconcile these two cherished values and decide which
is more important - sustained homeownership and high standards, or the unregulated
freedom to maintain private property any way one wishes, These are two cherished values
but only one will serve the city well in this economy The old habits that undervalue
homeownership need to be broken and replaced with a new custom of promoting
homeownership and reinvestment and stability
. A second long-cherished value in Wheat Ridge has been to be a community with a small town
flavor exemplified by a pedestrian-friendly Main Street with small shops. Yet this has been
continually undermined by land use and zoning decisions that have made 'strip retail' the
dominant norm.
Again, the citizens need to reconcile these two cherished values and decide which is more
important - small-town type retail responsive to local demand or strip retail offering mainly
a menu of fast food, service stations, and in-and-out shopping activity Both provide sales
taxes and so both have their place and have merit. Yet they are at odds and do not serve the
community equally well, Trends in retail sales by trade indicate that the auto and health
industries increased substantially as a percentage of retail sales between 1990 and 2000,
while industries such as food stores, eating/ drinking establislunents and building materials
declined as a percentage of sales. The percentage of retail sales from retail trades in Wheat
Ridge is lower than any other community, at 41 percent in 2004 (through the third quarter).
The old habits that undervalue the small town character of Wheat Ridge need to be broken
and replaced with a new custom of encouraging a Main Street renaissance and other
similarly-scaled, pedestrian-friendly, small town commercial activity
. A third long held value is for Wheat Ridge to be a family-fnendly commumty Yet Wheat
Ridge is mainly a city of adults, senior citizens and single parents, The city is incredibly car-
oriented and is not pedestrian-friendly Shopping centers in town are not where families
want their kids to be since they are auto-dominated and frequently in disrepair, yet there are
comparatively fewer ball fields in town than in surrounding communities, where suitable
alternative space would be. The park system is extensive but hard-to-10cate, hard-to-access,
and dominated by poorly maintained edges, The Recreation Center - which is justifiably the
pride of the community - is truly only accessible by car, so if you are a nine-year-01d boy
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living on the other side of Kipling, getting to the Recreation Center without being shuttled is
not an option.
Citizens need to reconcile two conflicting values - the aspiration to be a family-friendly
community and the dominant family-unfriendly environment ushered in by a strong
orientation to the car Wheat Ridge needs to reconcile its auto-orientation values with its
family-friendly values, Fortunately, this is possible with good planning and strong citizen
support. The old habit of undervaluing the family friendliness of Wheat Ridge needs to be
replaced with a new custom of orienting a majority of economic development thinking
around strong family households, and by investing heavily in athletic fields and arts
facilities and children-friendly urban design, and in supporting the educational innovations
needed to improve the schools.
· A fourth long-held value is the self-image of high standards, yet increasing standards in Wheat
Ridge have slipped and an increasing number of commercial properties invest less and less
in exterior upgrades, Few businesses sweep and clean the sidewalks in front of their shops
as a morning routine. Few strip centers install and maintain landscaping. More and more
aparbnent buildings pay too little attention to where the dumpster is, or how vacancy signs
are posted, or whether the grass is mowed and snow shoveled. Fewer homeowners are
painting with regularity, planting flowers, keeping porch lights on, or doing activities that
signal house pride.
The work that citizens in Wheat Ridge must do is to reconcile these two conflicting values:
the belief that low standards are not good versus the conviction that a property owner ought
to be able keep their property pretty much any way they want it without interference from
neighborhoods or worse, local government. The former will help the city become more
attractive to strong households, the latter will not. The old habit of undervaluing high
standards needs to be replaced with a new custom of promoting reinvestment and house
pride, investments in landscaping, recognition of garden accomplishments, and historic
property maintenance so the city's positive heritage comes through loudly
· A fifth cherished community value is the belief that VVheat RIdge IS a rural place, with open
space, nlral ciulracter, and as such is dishnct/y anh-urban. Yet this is belied by 30 years of anti-
rural real estate development that has produced suburban strip retail throughout the
community, one suburban cul-de-sac after another, a diminished town center, and formless
boundaries. And it is further weakened by low prevailing standards of upkeep One result
is a Wheat Ridge with a tiny handful of' farmettes' overwhelmed by more than five-
thousand ranch homes. Another is a patchwork quilt of semi-rural homesteads, many less
rural than they are shoddy Consequently, visitors to Wheat Ridge don't arrive and think
they are in the country, or in an otherwise pastoral setting with views of the Front Range.
They arrive and some parts of Wheat Ridge signal tired homes with sagging split rail
fencing, a horse in the backyard, and two rusted cars out front. There is rural kept with
pride and rural that dismisses the values of the broader community
The work that citizens in Wheat Ridge must do is reconcile their cherished self image of
being rural with their cherished value of being free from rules about rusted cars and
overgrown fence lines, Only one of these values will help the city retain and attract strong
households. Citizens will have to choose which they value more. The old habit of
undervaluing the pastoral beauty of Wheat Ridge's setting needs to be replaced with a new
custom of presenting rural Wheat Ridge more beautifully, while more appropriately
connecting suburban scale development with already existing rural properties,
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Citizens in Wheat Ridge must follow the first law of holes, which states, "if you want to get out of the
hole you're in, the first thing you do is stop digging." By understanding the data, adopting these
lessons, and replacing old habits with new customs, the reasons that Wheat Ridge is in this
predicament will no longer be present.
SUMMARY OF THE DATA
What was collected and what it tells us:
. Owners have been replaced by renters,
. Houses have become apartments.
. Good homes have been transferred to residents with less capacity to maintain them to high
standards.
. Weak renters have replaced strong renters.
. Greater levels of absentee ownership and poor quality multi-family property management
are dealing with weaker renters.
. In response top tier retail has been replaced by second tier retail.
. Second tier retail has been replaced by third tier retail.
. Restaurants and clothing stores have been replaced by gas stations and car dealerships.
. Chain stores and fast food outlets have replaced local specialty stores.
From this data, we know that Wheat Ridge does not attract strong h01,1seholds to the city In fact, it
has been losing strong households for 20 years and they have been replaced by ever-weaker
households, The perception of many in the community and surrounding areas that Wheat Ridge
lags behind nearby cities and this perception is supported by the data.
Population and Households
Wheat Ridge has not been attracting the more affluent, educated and "strong" households in
Jefferson County and has become "home" to lower income, at-risk households. Lower income
households mean that residents have less disposable income to support local area retail and other
businesses; that they are less able to invest in property maintenance and improvements; that they
are at greater risk of displacement through the inability to pay housing costs; and that housing
purchases will be more marginal and subject to foreclosure.
Wheat Ridge has a higher percentage of seniors in the community than is found in surrounding
areas. These are residents who have been members of the community for a long time, many of
whom are living on fixed incomes, These citizens have increasing needs and desires for services and
Page 30 of 92 July 14, 2005 Repositioning Wheat Ridge
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retail oriented to meet their demands. The presence and influence of seniors is substantial and in
many ways, signals a future direction for many metro area communities that are facing an increase
in the number of senior households living in the area.
Jobs and Commercial Inventory:
Increased redevelopment and active recruiting of businesses by neighboring communities has been
affecting the ability of Wheat Ridge to attract and retain businesses. Despite Wheat Ridge's generally
lower (or similar) lease rates and sale prices of commercial space. The fact that Wheat Ridge still
saw declining demand for space indicates the low regard with which the area-wide business
community views Wheat Ridge as a place to locate retail.
Wheat Ridge's ability to attract and retain businesses and jobs is also affected by the older
commercial stock, lower investment in property upgrades and improvements, passive business
recruitment, anti-growth perception among the business community, and lack of housing for higher-
wage employees (compared to neighboring communities).
Arvada and Lakewood have been attracting jobs more effectively than Wheat Ridge in the recent
past. While Wheat Ridge had a faster rate of increase in jobs between 1990 and 2000 than Arvada
and Lakewood, between 2000 and 2005 Wheat Ridge's increase in jobs was slower than these
communities (and all other compared Jefferson County communities). If this trend continues, Wheat
Ridge will continue to see slower job growth than other communities through 2010.
Workers in the area are not choosing to live in Wheat Ridge. Only 16 percent of workers employed
in Wheat Ridge live in Wheat Ridge. This is low compared to most other communities in the area,
including 42 percent of workers that live and work in Arvada and 32 percent that live and work in
Lakewood. Further, less than 4 percent of workers in Lakewood, Golden, Arvada and Westminster
combined live in Wheat Ridge. VVhen people are able to lzve someplace else, they do
Existing commercial space in Wheat Ridge is older than many parts of Jefferson County About 37
percent of existing space in Wheat Ridge was built prior to 1970, compared to between 20 and 29
percent in most of the other compared areas of Jefferson County Thzs illustrates two decades of
declznzng znvestment zn commeraal real estate development,
Demand for retail space in Wheat Ridge is lower than in other parts of the County 2005 MLS
figures indicate sales prices are 30-40 percent lower than elsewhere in Jefferson County' What's
more, better than half the available commercial space in the county is in Wheat Ridge alone.
, It should be noted that this analysis does not take into account differences in the condition and location of
properties or other factors that may affect sale prices.
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Retail Sales Trends
Past growth in retail sales in Wheat Ridge was primarily due to two industries: health care and auto
sa1es/ service, While these industries flourished, others declined in their share of retail sales,
including food stores, eating/ drinking establishments, building materials and finance/insurance
and real estate, Sales leakage information indicates that Wheat Ridge residents purchase furniture,
clothing, building materials and garden equipment/supplies and visit food and drinking
establishments in areas outside of Wheat Ridge. These industries present potential future retail
opportunities for Wheat Ridge, but are tied to the affluence of local households in order to attract
and retain these businesses. Bottom line of sales trends: people come to Wheat Ridge to buy a car or
go to a job, and then leave--and on the way in or out, stop for a cheeseburger and to fill up their car
Meanwhile, Wheat Ridge residents who want a nice dinner, or a new pair of shoes, or a new couch,
go elsewhere.
. Retail sales have increased in Wheat Ridge since 1990, as have sales per capita. Wheat Ridge
captured about 13 percent of retail sales in Jefferson County in 1990 and this increased to 15
percent in 2004 (through the third quarter). However, this increase is largely a factor of the
growing auto and health care industries since 1990, which together comprised 58 percent of
all retail sales in Wheat Ridge in 2003 Sales tax from motor vehicle sales is attributed to the
purchaser's place of residence and not the place of purchase.
. Trends in retail sales by trade indicate that the auto and health industries increased
substantially as a percentage of retail sales between 1990 and 2000, while industries such as
food stores, eating/ drinking establishments and building materials declined as a percentage
of sales, The percentage of retail sales from retail trades in Wheat Ridge is lower than any
other community, at 41 percent in 2004 (through the third quarter). Wheat Ridge cannot
count on the health industry to account for the bulk of sales in perpetuity In a world of
constantly changing medical technology, there is always a risk that Exempla will seek out a
stronger market and over time scale down its Wheat Ridge facilities,
. Between 1990 and 2000, Wheat Ridge was the only community to report a loss in sales
revenue from building materials and finance/insurance and real estate, Wheat Ridge also
had the lowest percentage gain in construction sales (27 percent), whereas the other
compared communities showed increases between about 136 percent (Arvada) and 655
percent (Westminster) This is somewhat reflective of the limited development in Wheat
Ridge compared to other areas since 1999 and the attraction of lower income households to
the area. Less development results in less need for construction workers and materials and
finance/insurance and real estate companies to fund and sell the properties. Also, lower
income households are less able to invest in improvements in their properties and spend
money on associated building materials. Other factors, such as more active development in
neighboring areas and the influx of home improvement stores, such as Lowe's in Lakewood,
Arvada and Westminster, and Horne Depot in Arvada, would impact these industries as
well.
. Wheat Ridge largely has an oversupply of retail sales given the spending potential of local
residents, indicating that Wheat Ridge attracts many buyers from outside the region, but the
primary products that are over-supplied in Wheat Ridge include motor vehicle parts and
Page 32 of 92 July 14, 2005 Repositioning Wheat Ridge
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dealers (which generate 440 percent more in sales than would be demanded by local
residents alone), food and beverage stores (about 107 percent more in sales generated than
local demand); and gas stations (about 134 percent more in sales generated than local
demand). Wheat Ridge is where you go to get a truck and Chicken McNuggets; not where
you go to get a blouse and a good cup of coffee.
· New retail opportunities in Wheat Ridge are limited to a few industries given the potential
demand from residents. About 46 percent of consumer demand for non-store retailers is
spent outside of Wheat Ridge, along with 31 percent of furniture and clothing demand, 20
percent of consumer demand for food services and drinking places and 16 percent of
demand for building material and garden equipment/ supplies. The largest loss in 2004
occurred in food services and drinking places, resulting in about $10,000,000 in leakage.
Housing Characteristics
The characteristics of the existing owner
housing stock in Wheat Ridge explain
some of the household demographic
trends observed in the 1990' s and presents
challenges for the future, Housing in
Wheat Ridge is generally older, smaller
(nearly two-rooms smaller on average),
and less diverse (primarily single-family
ranch homes) than neighboring
communities. These units are generally
attractive to seniors and small households
(one or two people) and the lower total
price is attractive to lower income
households, including single-parent
families, Housing stock for families and more affluent households looking for larger homes is
limited, whereas other areas of Jefferson and Adams Counties offer a variety of products for these
households. Many real estate professionals recognize the limitations on the housing stock and
generally take families looking to purchase to areas other than Wheat Ridge,
SngIII-F.-niy Home5: Avw'age v.... Buill:
(2005 JeIhnon County AsMssor)
_~y_,1Iu/l
" N/I"e.RI"~e 1954)
\ .19ollO("'"110194<1
I 19451019o(g
, i1S6Jlol~
19'.:0101964
l!H';lOlm.....1
"'-
· Housing available for ownership is primarily single-family homes (84 percent). About 82
percent of single-family homes are ranch-style, 56 percent of units have either one-bedroom
(18 percent) or two-bedrooms (38 percent), and 61 percent of units are less than 1,500 square
feet in size. These smaller, one-story homes are often suitable for seniors and smaller
households, but are a challenge for attracting families and more affluent households,
particularly when larger homes are available in nearby parts of the County However, the
smaller homes in Wheat Ridge are on similar or larger sized lots than the bigger homes in
other communities, indicating potential for expansion of existing homes to meet the needs of
households desiring larger homes.
Page 33 of 92 July 14, 2005 Repositioning Wheat Ridge
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-
About 52 percent of existing ownership housing (single family and multi family) was built
between 1940 and 1959. While many of these units are in need of repair, they also have the
advantages of unique architecture, location in neighborhoods with mature landscaping, and
use of more expensive materials than found on many newer homes (brick exteriors, wood
floors, etc.).
The median value of homes in Wheat Ridge is comparatively low for Jefferson County, in
large part because of the smaller size of home. The value per square foot of units in Wheat
Ridge (and asking sales price per square foot) is generally higher than other communities,
but the value of the land is lower (which is a stronger indicator of overall demand in a
community). This is important and indicates that the lower value of homes in Wheat Ridge
is not a result of declining value, but is due to their smaller size. As newer, larger homes are
built and renovated in other parts of Jefferson County, Wheat Ridge is falling behind in
terms of offering larger housing for modem families, resulting in overa1110wer median
values. The high value per square foot in Wheat Ridge indicates that if investment is made
in renovating these properties that value will be gained in future sales of the homes.
Sales prices of single-family
homes in Wheat Ridge
have been increasing since
1999 The median sale
price of single-family
homes in Wheat Ridge
increased 31 percent (from
$159,000 to $210,000),
compared to a 32 percent
increase in Jefferson
County properties as a
whole ($189,050 to
$250,000) between 1999 and
2004, Further, the percentage of Jefferson County sales that occurred in Wheat Ridge
remained between 4 and 5 percent during this period, However, an important indicator of
the strength of a real estate market is the time it takes to sell a property In Wheat Ridge for
each of the last three years, it has taken successively longer for single-family homes to sell.
In 2002 it took 50 days for homes to sell. In 2003 the average time on market was 65.7 days,
and in 2004 it took 81 days on average for a home to sell. The substantial increase in
"duration on market" figures - particularly for homes priced in the $200,00 - $250,000 range,
indicates that the product in this price range in Wheat Ridge in its current condition has a
shrinking market.
Real estate agents in the area are more inclined to take clients, particularly families, to
Lakewood, Arvada and Northwest Denver before considering Wheat Ridge. The sense from
agents is that Wheat Ridge is an adequate community, but that other places have more
amenities (shopping, large parks, better schools, etc.) than Wheat Ridge. In the buyer
market, "perception is reality" Homes in Wheat Ridge are also generally too small for
young families looking to buy, so agents generally take them into Adams County where
there are newer homes that are larger for the same money As an extension of this, many
MLS listings advertise properties "being near Highlands" (in Denver) as a selling point for
homes, rather than focusing on a local Wheat Ridge amenity
.
.
.
.
Wheat Ridge Median Sale Price as a Percent of the County Median
85,0%
84,6%
84,0%
84,0%
83,7%
83,0%
82,0%
81.0%
81.8%
80,0% '
1999
1003
2004
2000
Z001
2002
Page 34 of 92 July 14, 2005 Repositioning Wheat Ridge
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permission.
-
· Rental units in Wheat Ridge demand lower rents than neighboring areas, but have had
higher vacancy rates than the County since 2002. The lower rents and higher vacancies are
related to the age of the rental stock, where the vast majority of apartment units in Wheat
Ridge were built prior to 1980 Rents have been 20 to 30 percent lower than those in
Jefferson County on average since 2001, but generally track the patterns of the County,
indicating the rental market in Wheat Ridge is affected by the larger area market. The lower
rents attract lower income households, particularly single-parent families. However, the
high rate of cost-burdened renters in the community indicates that the price of housing in
Wheat Ridge is still higher than many low income households can afford. The foremost
challenge Wheat Ridge must solve with respect to rental property is poor quality and low
levels of upkeep of many facilities. Only secondary consideration needs to be given to
housing cost burden, with the exception of negotiating with the county and neighboring
jurisdictions for development and implementation of an area-wide fair share arrangement
regarding the location and distribution of low-income housing.
· About 41 percent of Wheat Ridge renters paid over 30 percent of their income for housing in
2000, despite the generally lower rents in Wheat Ridge than other communities. This
indicates that, despite the relative afford ability of Wheat Ridge compared to other areas of
Jefferson County, the price of rental housing in Wheat Ridge is still higher than many low-
income households can afford. The objective is not to lower housing cost but to attract
stronger renters,
· Average rent in Wheat Ridge increased 58 percent between 1990 and 2000, which lagged
Jefferson County as a whole (67 percent) and other compared communities. In 2000, Wheat
Ridge had among the lowest average rent of other communities ($594) and, as of the fourth
quarter 2004, average rents in Wheat Ridge were lower than all compared communities
(Arvada, Golden, Lakewood, Westminster and Northwest Denver). These lower rents
attract low income households from the region. The Jefferson County Housing Authority
recently relocated to a new facility in Wheat Ridge, in part because many of their clientele
live in the area.
Average rents by age of unit show that units built prior to 1980 have lower average rents than newer
units in Jefferson County - at least 17 percent
lower during the fourth quarter of 2004, This
affects rents in Wheat Ridge, given that about
85 percent of apartment units were built prior
to 1980
Vacancy rates are also higher among
properties built prior to 1980 than newer units
in Jefferson County Recent trends show that
vacancy rates in Wheat Ridge surpassed
Jefferson County in the fourth quarter of 2002
and have remained higher through the fourth
quarter of 2004. Vacancy rates in the fourth
MJltj.family Units: Ave<ag> Year Bum
(2005 JelfOfSOn Courty Assessor)
1IIlh-I'...."'~.~V_!Ult
N r.v- """'" -..1m)
A ==:=:::..""
*1101111
1Inlo'flt
..-Jlo1_(~t)
....
Page 35 of 92 July 14, 2005 Repositioning Wheat Ridge
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quarter of 2004 reached 11.7 percent in Wheat Ridge, compared to 9,3 percent in the County overall.
Lakewood has shown the lowest and most consistent vacancy rates since 2001 - ranging from 5 to 8
percent in the North and 8 to 9 percent in the South,
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN CHANGING COURSE?
The challenge facing Wheat Ridge is to become more successful at becoming a community that
strong Jefferson County households want to call home. Household income is a very important
(though incomplete) indicator of household strength, since it correlates so thoroughly with
employment stability, educational attainment, and home ownership rates.
Wheat Ridge fell to fifth from the bottom in average household income for owners moving between
1990-2000 The typical Wheat Ridge mover had less to spend and spent less on housing than the
typical owner moving within or to Westminster, Lakewood, or Arvada. The typical Wheat Ridge
mover had less to spend on dining out, cars, clothing, and other consumer goods and services, As a
result, Wheat Ridge collected less property tax and fewer sales taxes.
Average Household ocome br OWners Moving between 1990 and 2000
SalO.COO
StoO.X:C'
5130,000
) lbO,OO)
I
1;140,1)))
)'QQ,C'OJ
1)0,000
S&J,OOJ
SAo.["((1
s.."O.():)..'
;.C
.'
/
"
.,.'
,,'
..' /. ,....
~# ...' ~~~
r
"
j'
.'
"
c
,,'
, "
.;/" ff>~lj.
,l~~ "..... ..... v'" ~.,.,
~ cr~ .....~ ~,
.'
.
~,.
..
../'". ~... .-~ ~.~ 4-~
....'" .J'o(' ~.~ .(t
4 ,; ..."
....i!' ""it
,
~.
,~
..J'..... .~:~~
......' ~(O..
At the very least, changing course from this trajectory will mean Wheat Ridge is going to have to
decide who their new customer is going to be -precisely who is the typical Wheat Ridge resident.
The market we are recommending Wheat Ridge be intentional about repositioning, retaining and
attracting is the household earning between $74,000 - $87,000 These are households that Wheat
Ridge at one time had, but have slowly lost over the past 25 years. These households are owner
households capable of supporting mortgages between $284,000 - $347,000
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Wheat Ridge must encourage and facilitate the development of housing and retail to appeal to these
households. Between 60-80 new buyers a year for five years of housing at these price points begins
to put Wheat Ridge on par with where Broomfield and Arvada are likely to be in 2015, and by 2020
even better
The most important learning that Wheat Ridge must do, however, is to understand the limitations of
just focusing on housing and relying on a build-it-and-they-will-come strategy Though the broader
Jefferson County and north Denver market is strong, it is not so hot a real estate market that simply
building a competitively priced product will prove sufficient. The stronger the household, the more
choices they have. The more choices households have the more you have to offer them, Every
jurisdiction in the region except for Wheat Ridge has proven capable of encouraging the
construction of contemporary housing in demand. As Wheat Ridge changes this fact, and begins to
work through a public-private nonprofit to stimulate development of in-demand housing, it must
also work overtime to upgrade the setting in which the new housing will exist,
· Paths must be created that link homes to the Open Space.
· Sidewalks must be lit by appealing period lighting.
. Signage must convey a sense of arrival.
. Vegetation must be mature but not out of control.
· Business that do a poor job of keeping up appearances must be strongly encouraged to
upgrade their parking lots, install and maintain landscaping, and, in general put on a better
presentation.
New housing that is not accompanied by an attitude of pride in the community, which is
exemplified through the state of the physical conditions in Wheat Ridge, will be housing that does
not sell quickly Housing that fails to move quickly will decline in relative value and the condition
of Wheat Ridge will not change (with the exception of having newer homes) Better retail will not
follow if housing is developed in a vacuum unsupported by fundamental reinvestments in resident
leadership and an overhaul in city attitudes and habits,
This is why Wheat Ridge must invest heavily not just in the changes to zoning and planning and in
the capitalization of community-based corporation, but in the development of resident leadership
A new generation of Wheat Ridge leaders must see to it that Wheat Ridge communicates pride at
every turn.
. Visitors see the promise of the intersection at 38th and Wadsworth only to have to contend
with the effects of poor transportation planning and the obvious absence of an economic
development strategy. Visitors see disconnected retail and commercial development where
the Elway dealership is, and unsightly auto-oriented businesses exerting a siege mentality
upon the Wheat Ridge Middle School. A new generau0n of leaders must insist that planning
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efforts in Wheat Ridge be connected to an outcome of a vibrant civic and commercial life, not
just an outcome of a piece of land being converted into a car dealership A new generation
of leaders must decide that Wheat Ridge can do better and insist on it. For too long the bar
has been too low,
. Visitors see the potential vibrancy of 38th Avenue only to discover you can't walk from store
to store easily and that there is no marketing strategy or consistency whatsoever among
existing businesses. Visitors feel disconnections and abandon the effort and go elsewhere to
shop, which means to aIde Town Arvada or 32nd and Lowell in northwest Denver A new
generation of leaders must insist that economic development efforts in Wheat Ridge be
connected to an outcome of commercial places that celebrate Wheat Ridge's unique history,
not just an outcome of a sales tax generating, characterless big box. A new generation of
leaders must decide what Wheat Ridge can do better and insist on it. For too long the bar
has been too low
. Visitors see the remarkable Recreation Center on Kipling only to discover it is functionally
disconnected from the Open Space in an unappealing way, and that it is disconnected from
either commercial or residential life as well. Visitors see the frayed edges of the Open Space
and are dismayed that so much land along Kipling within sight of the Recreation Center lay
fallow A new generation of leaders must insist that planning efforts in Wheat Ridge be
connected to an outcome of a physically reconnected and physically appealing city, not just
an outcome of the mere existence of Open Space. A new generation of leaders must decide
that Wheat Ridge can do better and insist on it. For too long the bar has been too low
Visitors see the lovely and unique homes in many parts of Wheat Ridge only to discover that
numerous streets have to contend with poor quality infill garden apartments or too frequent
owners failing to keep up their properties. Visitors see wonderfu11arge lots where they
might build a home only to have to contend with neighbors who chose not to park in the
driveways or regularly cut their grass or paint their homes when needed. A new generation
of leaders must insist that planning efforts in Wheat Ridge be connected to an outcome of
measurable pride of ownership, not just the result
of an affordable place to live where property
neglect is acceptable and commonplace. A new
generation of leaders must decide that Wheat
Ridge can do better and insist on it. For too long
the bar has been too low
.
The status quo in Wheat Ridge is that the community has
been in slow decline for a long timei to some degree, its
challenges (such as slipping standards) have been
overcome by great assets like location and afford ability
Ironically digging out of a situation like this can be harder
than if conditions were far worse, because the rate of
decline has been slow and the community is plainly not in
distress,
The fact that so many parts of Wheat Ridge appear to be
Housing redevelopment, by itself,
will be housing that does not sell
quickly. Housing that fails to
move quickly will decline in
relative value and the condition of
Wheat Ridge will not change
(with the exception of having
newer homes). Better retail will
not follow if housing is developed
in a vacuum unsupported by
fundamental reinvestments in
leadership by residents and
businesses and an overhaul in city
attitudes and habits. New
development must be
accompanied by a shift in
attitude.
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--
doing well will be what many in the community point to as reason to question, and even undermine,
efforts to change the course of the city's real estate markets. Leaders must thoroughly familiarize
themselves with the data, and be able to communicate correlations between behaviors and statistics,
and most important of all, be able to articulate the necessity of looking at trends as a whole, rather
than focusing on snapshots.
APPROACH OVERVIEW
Raising the bar - raising expectations -- is the sinew connecting the efforts that Wheat Ridge must
confront. Leaders in Wheat Ridge - the City Council and residents and business leaders alike - will
need to expend energy in three ways.
. Fixing some things.
. Making some things great.
. Keeping what is good,
Fixing things that everyone in Wheat Ridge knows needs fixing - ugly strip retail, vacant parcels
sitting fallow, poorly maintained apartments - raises the bar in town, and communicates powerful
signals to the wider market in Jefferson County
Making some things great - a town center, a Main Street, new housing developments, enhanced and
accessible open space - raises the bar throughout the community and also sends powerful signals to
the wider market.
And genuinely honoring and keeping what is good about Wheat Ridge - its rural heritage, the
unique and well built housing, mature vegetation and neighborhoods, a fantastic Recreation Center
- also raises the bar in Wheat Ridge - for it signals to current and future residents alike that this
place - Wheat Ridge - is speCIal, IS dzfferent. It says Wheat Ridge is not a collection of cookie cutter
subdivisions but rather a place with a history A place to be In and expenence as opposed to a place
merely to go through.
WHY THIS Is HARD
Communities, like individuals, get stuck in their ways. A community is a market - that is, a
collection of households with certain characteristics and expectations. That market imposes its will
on its physical and political surroundings Changing the status quo always means changing one's
ways. Yet communities and individuals alike frequently resist doing so
Many communities commission reports to tell them which changes are needed yet fail to take the
next step to actually implement those changes. Resistance to certain types of change is
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commonplace. Overcoming this resistance is very hard work, and Wheat Ridge is going to face
considerable difficulty implementing recommendations in this report. We strongly urge the City
Council and residents alike to find a way to move forward, and we believe that important lessons
can be learned from the process that created the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center. The Center is a
remarkable facility in every way Whether 5:15 am on an average Tuesday or right at closing time at
7:55 pm on a Sunday, kids are swimming, adults are riding exercise cycles, someone is playing
racquetball, and someone else is using the climbing wall. The product - the outcome - is a facility
everybody can use and of which everyone can be proud. It is a facility that is attractive to strong
households, The architecture of the building and the programs it offers both strengthen the
community and appeal to strong households. The Denver Post noted that the Wheat Ridge
Recreation Center had "the best public swimming pool in Colorado."
When citizens in Wheat Ridge made the decision to build a great recreation facility, they proved
completely able. Now the citizens of Wheat Ridge must do the same thing for the city as a whole:
make the city great.
In the case of the Recreation Center, there are crucial lessons:
1 A great facility was not cheap, Money had to be raised. Money had to be spent. That
money might have purchased something else. In other words the facility - the outcome
- was a high enough priority for which to justify significant sacrifice,
2, A great facility had to have appeal. Quality architecture and excellent finishes had to be
central parts of the equation. In other words the outcome had to be a place of quality, a
place where members of the community wanted to be,
3 A great facility needed leadership Someone had to own the effort. Someone had to step
up and stay with it. A group of people had to mobilize others to a vision of an outcome
- a great facility - and coordinate the work of getting there.
A future Wheat Ridge will not come cheap A future Wheat Ridge will have to be an appealing
place of excellence, And a future Wheat Ridge will not just appear as the result of one more
consultant report. Leadership will be essential. The City Council will have to take ownership of the
process and enlist a wide spectrum of residents and business owners to join in the effort to make
Wheat Ridge great, make hard decisions, and build a city of unquestionable charm.
So far hundreds of Wheat Ridge citizens have met with the current city council to discuss what
needs to get done, what has worked and failed to work in the past, and what hurdles exist that could
undermine current and future efforts. This is your report.
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---
REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE
PART B
B KEY INDICATORS
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KEY INDICATORS
Citizens will need to hold the City Council accountable for starting the process of recovery And in
turn, citizens of Wheat Ridge must assume responsibility for implementation. Together, both
officials in positions of authority and the citizens providing that authority, are responsible for the
outcomes - from either supporting or failing to support the robust intervention in the status quo
Citizens should expect results. But which ones? How can Wheat Ridge stakeholders really know if
things are getting better? After all, decline has been slow and obscured. What will make recovery
any more discernable?
We recommend that citizens become active participants in the recovery process. Attending council
meetings. Becoming versed in the language of revitalization, Running for boards and commissions
and Council itself These are all vital ways to contribute and we encourage all of them. But a more
profound way to contribute is to look around your community. Small, even modest improvements
to properties will be infectious. Lawns mowed frequently. Homes painted regularly New flower
gardens planted. Trees pruned. Fences repaired and painted. Cars washed and neatly parked.
Mailboxes hung straightly, Porch lights on at night. These small details communicate pride and
generate positive reactions among neighbors. What's more, they send critical signals to the market
that Wheat Ridge is a prideful place, worthy of affection and investment.
As recovery in Wheat Ridge takes shape, more and more homes will show more prominent signs of
pride, The most easily measurable indication of improvement will be changes in property values,
As property values change, confidence will spread and take a variety of forms, from changes in the
age of residents to amount of private sector dollars being invested in capital home improvements,
The following is a summary of the key indicators of conditions in Wheat Ridge.
Population in the City afWheat Ridge
. Between 2000 and 2002, while the
county's population rose from
527,056 to 530,821, Wheat Ridge
actually lost residents - shrinking
by roughly 600 people, Between
2003 and 2005, Wheat Ridge grew
less than 1 %5 Over the same
period, Jefferson County's
population rose by nearly 2% - or
5 Source: Colorado Department of Local Affairs,
Population Change in Jefferson County and Wheat Ridge, 2000-2005
545,000 ~
32,913
.,... 33,000
i lZ,800
t 3.1,600 ~
T 32,'400 -;
I 1;
i 32,200 ';
32,000 ~
ii
31,800 -
t 31,600 ~
1 31,~OO
I
I 31,200
~ 540,000-
.,
1;
~
t"
&
u
~
~
.!(
535,000 -
530,000 ~
529"'79
515,000 -+
527,056
520,000
2000
2003
200.
2005
2001
2002
Y~..r
1- Jefferson County - W~at Ridge I
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---
roughly three times as fast as the city
. The number of households in Wheat Ridge is expected to decline between 2000 and 2010 By
2010, all other communities studied in Jefferson County (except Mountain View) and the
county as a whole will gain households.
Importance To Citizens: The citizens of Wheat Ridge will need to know that recovery is taking
root when the city begins to gain households. This will mean it is retaining and attracting
residents - and thus businesses. Population gains usually indicate that a place is becoming
popular
Age of Wheat Ridge Residents
. One in five Wheat Ridge residents (19%) and one out of every four Wheat Ridge
householders (27%) are 65 years old or older The city's portions of seniors - senior residents
and senior householders - are both roughly double those for the county: Throughout
Jefferson County, one in ten residents (10%) and one in seven householders (15 %) are 65
years old or older
. A large senior population is likely in Wheat Ridge for the near future - as the portion of
older residents has risen countywide (from 6% in 1980 to 8% in 1990 to 10% in 2000).
Importance To Citizens: Users of this document will want to keep in mind that on average,
seniors spend less on capital home improvements, so a senior-dominated community commonly
translates into housing stocks that may not keep up with broader market preferences, High
concentrations of senior citizens usually indicate that goods and services are inexpensive.
Income (Fzrst of the Bzg TIme Indzcators Every Cztizen Should Track)
. The median household income in Wheat Ridge in 2000 was just $38,983 - equal to only 68%
of the county median (roughly $57,000). Most critical? Wheat Ridge incomes have been
losing ground
(relative to the
county). Equal to
77% of the county
median in 1980, the
Wheat Ridge median
income was down to
just73% in 1990
before slipping to
68 % in 2000
Median Household Income, 1980-2000
$75,000 "
$57,339
$50,000 ;
$28,338
. On average, Wheat
Ridge household
incomes rose 38 %
between 1990 and
2000; countywide,
incomes increased
$25,Q(){)
$18,498
$0
1980
1990
2000
1--- Jefferson County --.- Wheat Ridge \
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47% over the same period.
. Not only are long-term Wheat Ridge residents not seeing income increases, Jefferson
County's new higher-income owner households are not choosing Wheat Ridge. The average
household income of owner households moving to Jefferson County between 1990 and
March 2000 was just over $80,000, compared to $61,382 in Wheat Ridge,
Importance To Citizens: Incomes are one of the most important indicators of community
health. Higher incomes usually result from higher education. They are highly correlative with
low crime, high rates of home ownership, and high property values and steady appreciation. If
household incomes are not going up at rates equal or better than the county median, Wheat
Ridge is losmg ground.
Poverty
. Between 1990 and 2000, the poverty rate in Wheat Ridge actually increased (from 8.3% to
8,8%) while poverty countywide declined (from 5.7% to 5.1 %).
. Wheat Ridge is where Jefferson County's poor increasingly live. This drains the city's
financial resources in crucial ways that add up to fiscal stress. Poor households require
costly city services but are unable to pay in taxes enough to cover those costs. The greater
the share of poor households in any given jurisdiction, the greater the net drain.
Importance To Citizens: For there to be a concentration of poor households in Wheat Ridge,
there has to be a concurrent less-than-fair-share of poor households in neighboring Jefferson
County communities. Poor households exercise choice in housing markets like everyone else,
though with less mobility The primary draw is affordable housing, Citizens should pay close
attention to the amount of housing in Wheat Ridge affordable to households earning less than 80
percent of area median income. This should decrease as the city recovers from its current weak
market position, Citizens should pay particularly close attention to city-county relations, An
area where citizens should especially scrutinize is the degree to which city officials aggressively
push Jefferson County to locate subsidized housing for low-income households elsewhere in the
County If poverty rates in Wheat Ridge have not pulled even with the county in 10 years,
citizens will know progress has not come fast enough,
Education Level
. In 2000, just one-quarter of adults in Wheat Ridge (25%) had at least a college degree, This
contrasts with nearly 37% of adults countywide,
. Between 2000 and 2010, the portion of adults with at least a Bachelor's degree is expected to
grow more gradually in Wheat Ridge than in the county as a whole.
. Why are education levels important? Education correlates very strongly with incomes and
with home ownership rates, Incomes, in turn, correlate with retail market strength, while
home ownership rates correlate with reinvestment activity, pride, and high standards. One
attribute alone accounts fully for cause or effect; but together they contribute to overall
market health,
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Importance To Citizens: Wheat Ridge citizens can expect the percentage of the community with
a college degree to steadily rise. If WR2020 and the City Council are successful at encouraging
60-80 new strong households to buy in Wheat Ridge per year, of which 80 percent will hold
degrees, citizens can expect the current 25 percent rate to increase to 32 percent by 2016. This
would still be below Jefferson County's rates, but would probably be sufficient to trigger faster
rates of increase in this area thereafter, If the percentage of Wheat Ridge citizens holding
degrees remains less than 30 percent, the city will continue to have difficulty repositioning itself
in the increasingly well-educated Jefferson County jNorth Denver market.
Household Type
. Single-parent households (with or without children under 18) comprised rougWy 16% of
households in Wheat Ridge in 2000 - compared to just 12% countywide, This percentage is
expected to increase between 2000 and 2010.
. In 2000, Wheat Ridge had significantly fewer two-parent households than Jefferson County.
Just over half of all Wheat Ridge households (57%) were two-parent households, compared
to more than two-thirds of all households (68%) in Jefferson County
Importance To Citizens: This is an enormously important indicator because single-parent
household rates almost perfectly correlate with poverty and with low school test scores. High
rates of single-parent households will mean high rates of poverty This will mean low median
incomes, low rates of home ownership, low test scores, low consumer buying power Poor
households are not by themselves, on an individual basis, a problem that a community cannot
absorb (even a fiscally stretched city like Wheat Ridge). But when one-in-six Wheat Ridge
households are headed by a single parent, Wheat Ridge has more cost-burdened and at-risk
families than it has resources to handle.
Housing Type
· 1n Wheat Ridge, barely half of all housing units are single-family detached homes. This
contrasts with over two-thirds of units countywide (68%).
.
In addition, rougWy 13% of single-family homes in Wheat Ridge are renter-occupied, nearly
double the county's rate (8%).
Wheat Ridge's single-family housing is also significantly smaller (on average, two rooms
smaller) than surrounding communities and the county as a whole: the city's median sized
home is approximately 1,360 square feet, compared to about 1,680 in Jefferson County
overall.
.
.
Nearly two out of every three homes (61 %) in Wheat Ridge have less than 1,500 square feet;
only 15% - or one in seven - has 2,000 square feet or more. This creates a challenge for
attracting higher income and larger family households to Wheat Ridge, particularly when
this larger home inventory is available in other parts of the County
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. Compared to Tefferson County as a whole, a large percentage of housing units in Wheat
Ridge are one-bedroom (18 %) and two-bedroom units (38 %). (The equivalent figures for the
county are 12% and 25%, respectively).
. Almost all single-family homes in Wheat Ridge (82%) are ranch-style homes.
Importance To Citizens: Neither small homes nor ranch-style homes are what the broader
market prefers. Older homes that are not old enough to be historic are not what the broader
market prefers. Yet these features describe the majority of the housing stock Wheat Ridge has to
offer the broader market. This is like trying to sell single scoop vanilla ice cream cones to a
market that has said repeatedly for 25 years it prefers double scoop chocolate, Citizens will
know progress is being made when the only multi-family housing being built is for upper
middle income households, when vacant lots are being redeveloped into new, larger single
family housing with amenities, and then older ranch homes are being upgraded with additions,
second stories, porch and gable add-ons, and a variety of other improvements that take existing
neighborhoods and renovate them to be more appealing to the wider market.
Housing Age
. Nearly all of Wheat Ridge's single-family units (89%) were built prior to 1970. The median
sale price of units in Jefferson County built prior to 1970 is at least 50 percent lower than
units built since 1990.
. Fully half of all housing units in Wheat Ridge (52 %) were built between 1940 and 1959,
compared to only 13 % in Jefferson County as a whole.
Importance To Citizens: Older housing is a hard sell, period. Even historic homes appeal only
to a small percentage of the market willing to put a lot of sweat equity into upgrades and
wishing to live in urban settings, Wheat Ridge's stocks are old but lack historic significance.
What they do have is charm in a sea of repetition county-wide. Citizens should expect that
revitalization efforts will continually add between 50-150 new homes a year in Wheat Ridge for
the next 20 years, generating between 1,000-3,000 new homes. This would correlate to higher
rates of contemporary housing as well as population increases whereby Wheat Ridge becomes a
community of roughly 45,000
Homeownership Rate (Second of the BIg Three Indicators Every CItizen Should Track)
. Wheat Ridge has one of Jefferson County's lowest ownership rates: just 55% in 2000
(compared to 73% countywide).
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Homeownership Rate in
Jefferson County, 2000
Homeownership Rate in
Wheat Ridge, 2000
. Wheat Ridge also had a lower percentage increase in owner households in the 1990' s:
Owner households increased 13% in Wheat Ridge between 1990 and 2000, compared to 28%
in the county overall.
. Homeownership is perhaps the single most valuable indicator of market health. Even
though there are instances in some communities of persistent market problems even though
ownership rates are high, those cases typically involve communities older than Wheat Ridge,
often in an area experiencing population loss. Generally speaking, when home ownership
rates are high, the market is strong,
Importance To Citizens: Except when the prevailing norm is that low standards are acceptable,
high rates of home ownership translate into high levels of house and block pride. As the city
makes progress on its revitalization efforts, citizens should expect the rate of home ownership to
go up and notice visible increases in the property maintenance and upkeep Citizens may not
have time to track all these indicators, If not, home ownership rates are one of the three most
critical to know - the three that can tell 90 percent of the story by themselves.
Median Value Of Housing (Thzrd of the Big Three Indzcators That Ellery Cihzen Should Track)
. Median housing values increased about 90 percent in Wheat Ridge during the 1990's, In
comparison, single family homes in the County increased about 101 percent. In other words
every dollar invested in housing in 1990 returned $1.90 in 2000 in Wheat Ridge and $2,01
elsewhere in the county not in Wheat Ridge. All else being equal, no investor will put scarce
capital at risk in Wheat Ridge for what Wheat Ridge offers in return if they can get 11 cents
on the dollar better outside Wheat Ridge.
. By 2005, the median value of single-family homes in Wheat Ridge was $224,505 - equal to
just 92% of the county median ($242,865).
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. Approximately one-third of single-family homes in Wheat Ridge (32 %) are valued under
$200,000 (compared to 21 % in Jefferson County
overall) and just 14% are valued over $300,000
(compared to 28% countywide). Even if high
value mountain communities (arguably catering to
a different market than non-mountain suburbs like
Wheat Ridge) were excluded from the analysis, the
value of Wheat Ridge housing would still be below
the Jefferson County median.
Importance To Citizens: Housing values are the
single most useful proxy for citizens wishing to know
how well Wheat Ridge is doing. Housing values are
an expression of two factors. The first is the volume or
amount (supply) of housing on the market. The
second is the demand for that housing in the context of
what other options for the same dollar prospective
buyers have nearby In the simplest sense, today the
supply of Wheat Ridge houses is larger than the
demand for them by strong households. This
translates into what is known as a soft market, where
prices do rise but not as fast as they do in competing markets like Lakewood and Broomfield.
Citizens should expect to see improvement in this area within three years. Improvement would
be indicated by several measures. First, homes would sell for higher prices and prices would
rise at the same rate as Arvada and Broomfield and Westminster prices, Second, when homes go
on the market in Wheat Ridge, they would sell faster each year Third, homes that are sold
would start to actually sell for amounts much closer to or even above the initial asking price
three years from now than today Finally, the buyer profile for sales would start to change,
Today's prototypical buyer is a $55,000jyear household. Three years from now, the prototypical
Wheat Ridge buyer should have more education, a higher income, an ability to command lower
mortgage interest rates, and the financial capacity to put more cash down on the purchase.
Why the lack of new product in
Wheat Ridge?
Citizens need to understand that it
is the regulatory environment
combined with builders'
perceptions, which serves to curtail
risk and development. This report
will be meaningless if the data
showing a near zero housing market
cannot be translated into a changed
regulatory environment in Wheat
Ridge conducive to revitalization.
The responsibility for this rests
solely with residents who must
support changes in zoning, the
Charter and the Comprehensive
Plan if changes in development
posture are to result.
Housing Market
· The number of housing units in Jefferson County grew by 19% during the 1990s, By
contrast, Wheat Ridge had one of the county's lowest rates of growth over the same period-
just 6% This indicates several factors, First, it indicates that the private sector perceived
Wheat Ridge to be a comparably unappealing option to take risk in the housing market.
Second, it illustrates that Wheat Ridge today is more or less the same physical community it
was 15 years ago This means that Wheat Ridge is now forced to compete for market share
using older products against Lakewood, Broomfield and other communities with newer
ones. Third, it reflects Wheat Ridge's near-build out condition, which results in higher land
costs than greenfield development.
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· The percentage of home sales that were new units (sold within one year of construction)
increased in most Jefferson County communities between 2001 and 2003 In contrast, new
unit sales in Wheat Ridge declined since 1999, dropping from 7% of sales in 1999 to 3% in
2004. This is an extension of the housing market story, illustrating the fact that so little
housing in Wheat Ridge is new.. This begs the question: why the lack of new product in
Wheat Ridge? The increase in new unit sales between 2001 and 2003 (in communities other
than Wheat Ridge) coincides with the slight decline in Wheat Ridge's share of sales in
Jefferson County
· About 22% of units for sale in Wheat Ridge have two bedrooms, compared to between 7%
and 9% in other Jefferson County communities. Wheat Ridge also has the lowest percentage
of 4-bedroom or larger units (33% compared to between 41 % and 58% in other
communities),
· The vast majority of Wheat Ridge's for-sale homes (78%) are priced under $300,000,
compared to just 56% countywide.
Importance To Citizens: Citizens need to understand that it is the regulatory environment
combined with builders' perceptions (that the approval process is difficult), which serves to
curtail risk and development. This report will have failed if the data showing a near zero
housing market cannot be translated into a changed regulatory environment in Wheat Ridge
conducive to revitalization, The responsibility for this rests solely with residents who must
support changes in zoning, the Charter and land use policies if positive changes in development
are to result.
Rental Housing
. Wheat Ridge has rent levels comparable to Northwest Denver and Mountain View; in all
three communities, median rents are less than $600 These are poorly performing markets
with high levels of fiscal stress,
· Average rents in Wheat Ridge, between 2001 and 2004, were roughly 20% to 30% lower than
Jefferson County averages. In spite of low rents, vacancy rates remain high,
· Rental units built prior to 1980 have lower average rents than newer units in Jefferson
County - at least 17% lower during the fourth quarter of 2004. In addition, vacancy rates for
properties built prior to 1980 have ranged between 8% and 13% between 2001 and 2004
while properties built since 1980 have typically had vacancy rates around 8% or less. This
has significant implications for Wheat Ridge, where 85% of rental units were built prior to
1980 (compared to just 57% countywide).
Importance To Citizens: The older apartments in Wheat Ridge pose challenges to the city. By
and large they are unappealing, costly to maintain, and represent a low return with a lot of
headaches to most owners, For these and other reasons, these properties are maintained at
increasingly lower levels, and thus have problems attracting quality tenants, These problems are
compounded by absentee landlords. A tangible result will be a spiral of ever-lower margins for
· What citizens want to keep in mind is that older housing is only a good situation in a historic community, at full
build-out. Wheat Ridge is approaching build-out, but is far from being an historic community
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owners and decreasing justification for privately financed physical upgrades to the facilities,
much less everyday maintenance and meaningful landscaping measures. Citizens thus have a
choice forced upon them by two decades of failed public policy in the 1970s and 1980s: they can
make public investments by demolishing existing buildings and paying to relocate tenants, or by
upgrading rental properties that otherwise will go unimproved. Failing either, citizens will have
to live alongside apartment buildings of decreasing quality that exert powerful (and usually
negative) influences over the neighborhood. As citizens decide which path to take, they would
do well to look at the small one-story apartments along the west side of Sheridan between 26th
and 28th to see the future.
Commercial Space
. Wheat Ridge has 9% of the total commercial space in Jefferson County (or roughly 13.2
million square feet of existing commercial space) but about 25% of the total space available
for sale and just 7% of the total space available for lease (as of March 30, 2005).
. More than one-third of Wheat Ridge's existing commercial space (37%) was built prior to
1970, compared to just 23% countywide, The high p€rcentage of commercial space that is
outdated presents serious challenges to the city Upgrading is often less expensive than new
construction, and the market to support upgrading is thin, even if the zoning were in place
to make it easier, which is not the case.
. For-sale retail space advertised on the MLS on March 30, 2005, in Wheat Ridge is more
abundant and less expensive on a per-square-foot basis than available retail properties in
other parts of Jefferson County
Importance To Citizens: Many residents in Wheat Ridge feel poorly served by the current retail
environment in the city and it is no wonder Most properties are old and too many are poorly
maintained. Since few are historic, there is little advantage to the older age of most facilities.
Getting a leg up on this means permitting an entity (WR2020) to aggressively purchase
commercial property, rezone, and redevelop alternatively It means upzoning for higher
residential densities in key areas (such as behind the Safeway on Wadsworth) to create more
buying power for higher quality retail. Properties will remain outdated and in need of repair
until the market is grown, Citizens can use the rate of new commercial space as a good
indication that the market has finally come back, especially for new space generated near the
physical center of Wheat Ridge. Conversely, it is citizens themselves who are going to be
responsible for the lack of a recovered retail sector in Wheat Ridge - if what holds back recovery
is citizen unwillingness to permit higher density residential infill at key locations, or to invest in
the non-big box retail development essential to carving out a niche.
Retail Sales Trends
. 58% of 2003 retail sales in Wheat Ridge are attributed to two retail categories: health care
and social assistance (including hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, social
assistance and ambulatory services) and motor vehicle parts and dealers (41 % and 17%,
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respectively). These industries increased substantially as a percentage of retail sales between
1990 and 2000, while industries such as food stores, eating/ drinking establishments and
building materials declined as a percentage of sales,
. Motor vehicles and auto parts account for 42% of all retail trades in Wheat Ridge, nearly
twice the portion as in Jefferson County as a whole (23.3 %).
. Between 1990 and 2000, Wheat Ridge was the only one of the compared communities to
report a loss in sales revenue from building materials and finance/insurance and real estate,
Wheat Ridge also had the lowest percentage gain in construction sales (27%), whereas
nearby communities showed increases between 136% (Arvada) and 655% (Westminster).
Importance To Citizens:
Wheat Ridge is overly
represented by healthcare
and auto services in terms
Retail Sales by Category in Wheat Ridge and Jefferson County, 2003
60% 1
i
54.9%
30%
71%
of sales activity This
makes Wheat Ridge
vulnerable to decisions a
few key employers, like
Exempla, might make,
Citizens want and should
expect the Wheat Ridge
recovery to result in a more
evenly distributed sales tax
base. That means more
sales of clothing and sit-
down restaurant meals to balance sales of mufflers, oil filters, and wheelchairs. Citizens also
want a more balanced sales base because the present imbalance is tilted away from sales that
derive from activities which strengthen the fabric of the community Restaurant and coffee shop
sales for instance can coincide with the rebirth of a city's commercial and civic life. People
congregate and socialize
between book stores and
bakeries in ways that are less 250\ ,
likely to occur when people
are buying brake pads and
medical supplies. By
rebalancing commercial
activity, Wheat Ridge also
gets a purchase on a renewed
civic life, zf that rebalancing is
connected to an improved
urban design fabric. Lastly,
50%
40%
20%
10%
2.3%
0%
Wholesale, HeaLth/Social, Mining,
Utilities,
T ransportation/Wharehous Ing
RetaiL Trades
ProfessionaVT ed1nical
. Wheat Ridge. Jefferson County i
Percentage Change 1n Total Retail Sales by Category in Wheat Ridge and
Jefferson County, 1990-2000
no.~'l;
'"-
200'-
'50\.
100% J
50\.
"',"-.
!.Whe-.tlbdte.JeffffSOnCC>Ul1ty!
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the drop in sales revenue from building materials is potentially due to the lack of new
commercial development and/ or redevelopment.
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REPOSITIONING WHEAT RIDGE
PART C
Cl. THE PLAN
C2. THE TOOLS
C3. THE ACTIVITIES
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Cl. THE PLAN
The what of this report is straightforward. Wheat Ridge has been steadily losing strong households
to sister communities in the region, and is on a path to lose more of the same without abrupt
changes in a number of areas.
Wheat Ridge can regain its fair share of these households. What follows is the how: a set of
recommended strategies Wheat Ridge must engage in to achieve measurable success. The
framework for recommended strategies is shown in the table below'
STRATEGIC THRUSTS
Goal Objectives Market Image Condition Capacity
Grow the
Fix what is Improve Upgrade the ability of
Increase Share of physical the
holding Wheat Strong HHs Perception of conditions in community
Ridge back Wheat Ridge Wheat Ridge to manage
change
Infill w above Project a Offer Utilize past
Create something market new higher contemporary success as
great and special housing model (Rec
housing standard products Center)'
Leverage Encourage new Tap into
Reposition Build on Infill in easily marketability
products that proven
Wheat strengths recoverable areas of established are unique leaders
neighborhoods
Ridge Work
lnfill connected Harness value Work at scale where
Generate scaled to other of current sufficient to tip leaders
impact upgrades strong owners submarket reside or
and renters own
businesses
Link efforts in ' Establish Upgrade ' Connect retail
coordinated and I regulatory basis public space investments to
comprehensive for high adjoining strengthen
manner expecta tions private infill , neighborhood -
i
through planning locations servmg I
processes businesses I,
The framework calibrates the activities that we recommend in four main ways.
1 Market
2, Image
3 Conditions
4. Capacity
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If done as we recommend, the forthcoming strategies will improve market share, upgrade the city's
image, establish higher standards for physical conditions, and rebuild the base of resident leadership
that will be needed to carry the city forward. The end result of this will be a vibrant CIVIC and
commerClallzfe that so many Wheat Ridge residents yeam for and that is within reach.
MARKET.
Wheat Ridge is no longer a community of choice among strong area households. It doesn't offer
enough of what strong households want and are paying for to get someplace else. The market will
improve when the image improves.
IMAGE and PHYSICAL CONDITIONS.
Citizens need to come out in force
to support the strategic efforts
needed to rebuild Wheat Ridge as a
community of choice. In the end,
improvements to building facades
and sidewalks are ephemeral unless
there is a solid foundation of
residents connected by common
purpose and shared vision.
Wheat Ridge is poorly perceived in the market. The
perception is that Wheat Ridge is not an easy place to
do business, so builders and developers go elsewhere.
The perception is that Wheat Ridge is not safe, so
families go elsewhere. The perception is that new,
quality housing does not exist, so many households go
elsewhere. The perception is that the commercial life
is not hip, so young professionals go elsewhere. The perception is that the schools are barely
marginal, so families with children go elsewhere. The perception is that Wheat Ridge is unkempt, so
households that expect high property maintenance standards go elsewhere. The strategies to
improve Wheat Ridge's image are oriented around the following six activity areas:
1 Address Vzsually UnattractivejEyesore Areas.
Wheat Ridge is not very visually appealing to strong households, Interventions must
address this problem.
2, Create Recognzzable 'Gateways' to Wheat Rzdge.
Wheat Ridge meanders and without a discemable center or clear edges, Interventions must
address this shortcoming.
3 Increase the Vzsibility of Open Space m Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge's best "hidden" asset is open space. It must become easier to find, access and
more appealing upon discovery
4 Promote/improve Wheat Ridge's Rural Qualities
Wheat Ridge offers residents a chance to live in an urban setting with neither the
predictability of repetitive suburbia nor the cheek-by-jowl setting of some Denver
neighborhoods. Yet the current anti-urban form is too rustic and poorly maintained to
appeal to strong households, so this will have to be addressed.
5 Promote/impTlJve Wheat Ridge's Hzstoric Qualihes.
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Wheat Ridge has a history that is a hundred years deeper than the suddenly-here town
homes being constructed in surrounding cities. This history is appealing to strong
households who seek to live in a place that has an identity Interventions must leverage the
Wheat Ridge identity
6 Market Wheat Ridge as a Community of Choice.
Wheat Ridge has many strengths but is held back by failure to make them easy to reinvest in
because of what amounts to a few glaring weaknesses. On balance the city is not a place of
choice. As the strategies are implemented, their results - new housing, improved
commercial corridors, new signage, new vibrancy - need to be promoted throughout the
region. They won't just get discovered,
To leverage improvements (image and conditions) that project Wheat Ridge as socially and
economically vibrant, housing market improvements are the foundation, but only part of the
equation. The final outcome - vibrancy in key locations - will require investments in the creation of
environments where commercial and civic engagement can interact.
This will necessitate costly redevelopment of key commercial areas. We recommend at least four
1 Redevelopment of the Wadsworth Corridor
2. Accelerate and Shape the Development of 38th Avenue,
3 Development of 44th A venue into an Orchard District.
4, Development of a Town Center
CAPACITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
For many years, the residents of Wheat Ridge have wanted a Town Center For a long time they
have wanted Wadsworth to become more beautiful and less congested with noisy and unappealing
traffic. For a long time they have been dissatisfied with the way 44th Avenue has evolved, Residents
in Wheat Ridge like neighborhood-serving retail as well as malls and discount stores, and they have
said they'd support a Main Street. Yet these desires have not materialized in spite of physical
settings sufficient to support these desires and years of articulated aspirations. What's been missing
is sufficient civic engagement by leaders in the community to mobilize the city as whole to these
outcomes, There are many strong renters and owners in Wheat Ridge and many strong businesses.
They all must be mobilized to the common outcome of repositioning the Wheat Ridge market.
Citizens need to corne out in force to support the strategic efforts needed to rebuild Wheat Ridge as
a community of choice, In the end, improvements to building facades and sidewalks are ephemeral
unless there is a foundation of residents connected by common purpose and shared vision.
This translates into two sets of responsibilities for Wheat Ridge as the strategies are deliberated.
1 Leaders must take the risk of articulating a future Wheat Ridge attainable by certain
approaches.
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2. Citizens must authorize those in City Council and in other prominent positions to move
forward comprehensively
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C2. THE TOOLS
Throughout this report it's been emphasized that the work
of repositioning Wheat Ridge hinges on a comprehensive
intervention in the status quo Though hardly distressed,
the Wheat Ridge market is held back from full vibrancy
not by anyone factor, but by the interconnected fabric of
social, political, and economic norms that have failed to
keep pace in a rapidly changing Jefferson County.
Housing investments without beautification investments
will not result in a sufficient shift to compel the market to
view Wheat Ridge differently Investments in change at
numerous levels are necessary, which this report has
repeatedly made clear
The imperative for a powerful
economic development tool is the
recognition that retail
establishments thrive where
disposable income exists and is
willingly spent. In other words
there must exist both the capacity
to spend and the willingness to
spend. Risks in business are only
taken when the regulatory
environment encourages
entrepreneurial activity and the
market has sufficient purchasing
power.
In the next section of this report (C3 Activities) what must actually occur is spelled out. For those
activities to work, elected officials in Wheat Ridge, working together with professional city staff, a
range of partners, and a newly created Wheat Ridge 2020 (WR2020) will need to ensure basic tools
are in place, They are:
1 Sub-Area Planning for portions of Wheat Ridge that have one or more common features.
A sub-area is often defined by major roadways or topographic conditions, Usually a sub-
area has some level of common land uses (such as the prevalence of nurseries along west
44th Avenue)
\-Vhereas the Comprehensive Plan looks primarily at the overall city, sub-area planning
translates several local conditions and relates them to the broad directions of the
Comprehensive Plan. Sub-area planning provides guidance and predictability, for
changes and/ or preservation of a sub-area. This local level of planning allows residents,
property O\Nners and/ or businesses to address specific problems and reach consensus
about solutions that are specific to the sub-area,
Sub-area planning recognizes that one size doesn't fit all, that there are unique aspects of
Wheat Ridge neighborhoods that demand unique responses. For example, there are a
number of neighborhoods in Wheat Ridge that have "rural road sections" (no curb and
gutter, no sidewalks)
In order to lay the groundwork for improvements identified in this report, it is essential
that sub-area planning be done for many areas of the city, with some urgency for the
following sub-areas: the area surrounding the future light rail station north of 1-70, 44th
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and Wadsworth, 44th and Kipling (referred to herein as the "Orchard District"), 38th and
Kipling, specially targeted commercial sections of 38th Avenue ('main street').
2. The City's Comprehensive Plan. A Comprehensive Plan is the articulation of the
direction in which a city wants to go. It takes into account projected changes in
population, demographics, and labor It tries to project demand for housing and
services. And it proposes a regulatory framework needed to guide development along
the way The current Comprehensive Plan in Wheat Ridge is out of date. It does not
assert what kind of a community Wheat Ridge should be. It does not sufficiently
differentiate Wheat Ridge as an urban center or a small town or a semi-rural community
An updated Comprehensive Plan is critical to encourage real estate development and to
guide local government budgeting An example of why the current plan needs to be up-
to-date is the struggle to create a physical center for Wheat Ridge that is meaningful to
current residents and honors Wheat Ridge's past. With the potential of Cabe1a's coming
to Wheat Ridge, the vitality of such a large enterprise would invariably add to the shift
the city's economic center of gravity ever westward. This leaves the issue of a town
center unresolved. Should the town center be at 38th and Wadsworth, 44th and
Wadsworth, 38th and Kipling, or elsewhere? Given the large amount of commercial
development that will be drawn near Cabela's, perhaps a town center should be around
the new Cabela's site? That would put the new center west of 1-70, located far from the
physical and historical center of the community This conundrum would be addressed
in an updated Comprehensive Plan. And in the process, citizens involved in crafting the
Comprehensive Plan would have the chance to weigh in on where a Town Center would
be.
For the strategies outlined in this report to begin to be implemented, much less take
root, the Comprehensive Plan must be updated.
3, An updated set of Zoning Codes and Land Use regulations. Presently it is not possible
under the City's density restrictions to develop housing above retail in densities needed
to support upscale shops. Nor is it possible to build mixed-income housing in densities
needed to breathe new life into commercial corridors. At the same time it is perfectly
legal for many single family houses to become subdivided into apartments, for livestock
to live next to a senior citizen apartment complex, and for big box retail to locate at
precious intersections that would otherwise be the key to vibrant place-making efforts.
Existing codes need to be updated to encourage development activities in Wheat Ridge
that will wind up making Wheat Ridge more pedestrian-friendly, more economically
diverse, more architecturally appealing, and more in-synch with the expectations of
strong households. For the strategies outlined in this report to begin to be
implemented, much less take root, current zoning and land use documents must be
updated.
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4, The work of Budgeting for Capital Investments. The budgeting process is a powerful
planning tool. If actions aren't budgeted, they seldom happen, What is included in the
budget is the most accurate reflection of the City's priorities. Therefore, looking ahead to
make sure that revitalization actions are in the annual budgets, as well as in the longer-
term budgets (5-year and more), is essential to the realization of plans and goals.
There are obviously many needs in the city competing for limited fiscal resources, Each
department typically has a list of projects that it would like to implement, and each
department often has it's own justification for the projects it nominates for each year's
City budget, Since there are often more projects than funds available, the City Council
then is faced with making the decisions as to which projects get funded and which get
deferred. Logically, the priority is often determined on the basis of worst problems to be
fixed.
However, they do not need to be thought of as' either-or' tradeoffs. It is possible to use
'coordination of efforts' as a prioritizing theme. In this approach, the City would ask its
departments to coordinate their work efforts in a specific area of town. For example, the
City might place a priority on improvements in the Orchard District. Following this
directive, the Public Works Department would move up in priority its street
improvements in the Orchard District, the Parks and Recreation Department would
elevate the priority of its parks and trails projects in the Orchard District, and all of this
might be preceded by neighborhood planning by the Community Development
Department. This approach does not eliminate projects in other parts of the city, it
merely adjusts the phasing or sequence of work items so that the City's actions can be
coordinated and focused. Of course, there will always be high-need items that will need
to be addressed, even though they are not within the focus area.
5 Economic Development. Along with planning and regulatory tools, if the work of
revitalization is to proceed the city must have in place the capacity to advance the
community's economic standing. Economic development in Wheat Ridge's case is
defined as market rate housing development, business development, and commercial
real estate development, which are all inextricably linked.
The imperative for a powerful economic development tool is the recognition that
investing and reinvesting in a business entails some level of risk. Businesses, especially
retail establishments, thrive when three conditions are present:
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1. Sufficient purchasing power exists (capacity7 and willingness8 to spend in Wheat
Ridge),
2, The regulatory environment encourages entrepreneurial activity; and
3. There is confidence that the previous two conditions will continue and/ or
improve.
For Wheat Ridge, the challenges on these fronts are clear'
. Increase aggregate buying power by growing either (or both) the number of
households or the income of Wheat Ridge households.
. Improve the aesthetics of existing commercial real estate, and upgrade facilities
in terms of ease of access and shopping environment quality
. Create a regulatory environment and business culture of a sort that makes
businesses want to take risks.
Ideally, the private sector, in the course of normal competitive business practices, would
eventually respond to these three needs. However, when the needed revitalization
requires the coordinated efforts of many small property owners and businesses, it is
difficult for the private sector to have the patience, tools and financial resources to
address these problems.
The private sector can, and will eventually, make interventions in Wheat Ridge- but left
to its own devices it will likely be in very small steps, scattered widely over the city, and
it may not occur until the city experiences further decline. To instill the confidence that
businesses need in order to make their mvn investment risks typically requires some
form of economic boost, public investment, to kick-start the process. This can take many
forms, including upgrading streets, building needed City facilities, providing financial
subsidies to help business get on their feet, etc, In many cases, subsidies of this nature
stimulate economic activities (investments) that result in a public benefit (tax receipts)
that exceeds the initial public subsidy
How can this economic development best be implemented? It would be very difficult to
restructure city agencies so that an entrepreneurial initiative could be an integral part of
the city's bureaucracy Indeed, if the primary focus of the work is encouraging the real
estate market - both residential and commercial - to enhance the products offered to
7 CapaCIty IS the amount of disposable income households have to spend, This is determined by the number of households
multiplied by household disposable income, When the number of households or the average household income is low, business in
search of more sales or sales of more costly items will go elsewhere
'Willingness is the degree 10 which households are disposed to spend what they have. Retail facilities have to be visually appealing.
easy to get to, and pleasant and safe to shop in once there,
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customers, it is likely that an independent or semi-independent organization will be
needed.
Therefore, for the strategies outlined in this report to begin to be implemented, much less
take root, a strong economic development capacity must be created and invested in.
Furthermore, it is strongly recommended that economic development be overseen by a
semi-public, non-profit corporation with the organizational capacity to aggressively
address the market conditions while effectively and transparently utilizing public funds.
(This is referred to later in this report as Wheat Ridge 2020 or WR2020).
STRONG
HOUSEHOLDS -..
STRONG
NE IGHBORHOODS
-..
STRONG
RETAIL
-..
FISCAL
STRENGTH
This entity will benefit from a close working relationship with the city and county
agencies, but it will also have the flexibility of working outside the complex rules of
government and will instead act much more like a not-for-profit business.
For these efforts to work there must exist a regulatory environment and business culture
of a sort that makes businesses want to take risks. Both purchasing power and the
business climate in Wheat Ridge have to improve for retail to get better, so an economic
development tool capable of generating these improvements is a must.
At the root of the trends of declining quality of retail in Wheat Ridge amid surges in
quality nearby but elsewhere - is the demographic challenge we've outlined.
When retail begins to leave, it departs for very good and identifiable reasons Some
combination of factors is usually at work, including a regulatory climate that businesses
may find disagreeable. However, in shaping retail, what's more important than a
problematic regulatory environment is the customer base and the shopping environment
itself, and how the two interconnect.
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#OF
HOUSEHOLDS
INCOMEIWEALTH OF
HOUSEHOLDS
1
--. CUSTOMER
AESTHETICS
1
COMPLEMENTARITY
/
SHOPPING
'ASE~ 7RONM~~TION
RETA1L QUALITY
Customer base strength = how many households there are for businesses to draw from,
multiplied by the amount and type of spending those households do. For retail to be
strong, there either needs to be a lot of households (volume of buyers) or a lot of wealth
(purchasing power of the households), or some combination of the two, and neither will
materialize without a strong and well-capitalized economic development entity such as
WR2020 empowered to take responsibility for steering development activities. There are
exceptions to this rule like in resort or highly specialized communities, neither of which
is the case in Wheat Ridge. Generally speaking, retail will be a good proxy for customer
base strength. If retail is strong, buying power is strong. Of course, not all sales
transactions are local. People who live in Westminster and Golden buy cars at John
Elway Ford, just as people from Wheat Ridge buy cars from Phil Long Ford in Denver,
shirts from Nordstrom at Flatiron Crossing in Broomfield, and pastries from
Rheinlander's Bakery in Arvada.
This is the reason the shopping environment is also very important. People come from
miles around to buy scones from the Denver Bread Company on Irving Street in the
West Highlands neighborhood of Denver, and road bikes from the Wheat Ridge Cyclery
on 38th Avenue. But if the environment where people do their shopping is not desirable,
then it is very difficult for even the best products on the shelves to sell in even the best-
managed stores. What shapes the shopping environment? Many factors do, from how
easy or hard it is to find, get to and park, to how well lit a place is, to how attractive the
surrounding area is, to how safe people feel, to whether or not adjoining businesses are
complementary If the neighborhoods surrounding a commercial corridor are weak, it is
very hard to convince potential customers from outside the area to penetrate the local
market. If the goal is better retail, you have to address the factors that shape it: number
of households in the trade area, purchasing power of those households, aesthetics of the
bui1 t environment, and arrangement of the retail. Both the environment and the base
must be strengthened.
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The organization we recommend be created - Wheat Ridge 2020 - is the essenhal tool In
the /at without which none of the activities will have ownership, and, therefore, chance
for success. Wheat Ridge 2020 should become an organization that represents what
Wheat Ridge has the potential of being, It won't be in the business of duplicating
anyplace else; its sole reason for being will be to represent the citizens of Wheat Ridge in
their collective effort to rebuild a unique and quite remarkable place.
WR2020's job is to guide the redevelopment of Wheat Ridge into a dynamic, small city
with unparalleled diversity in income, housing stock, and amenities right in the middle
of Jefferson County, a place with quirky buildings, destination businesses, and livable,
walkable neighborhoods,
WR2020's charge will be to lead in the development of a place where citizens will have a
real voice in managing their blocks and the city
and where vo1unteerism and the virtues of
small town self-help are thriving in a major
metropolitan area. Moreover, Wheat Ridge
will be a place that is constantly evolving by
being open to new development of its
commercial life, its housing stock, and its
public spaces.
WR2020's job is to guide the
redevelopment of Wheat Ridge
into a dynamic, small city with
unparalleled diversity in income,
housing stock, and amenities right
in the middle of Jefferson County,
a place with quirky buildings,
destination businesses, and
livable, walkable neighborhoods.
WR2020 will be a center of economic energy, giving back to the community a powerful
sense that they aren't just fixing something that isn't working but are instead creating
something that they truly want for their families and community, For the strategies
outlined in this report to begin to be implemented, much less take root, a strong
economic development capacity must be created and invested in.
6 Urban Renewal and Eminent Domain. lf Wheat Ridge had many large areas of vacant
land, one might expect that one or more major developers would be attracted, and, to
accomplish the City's objectives would only require coordinated planning and
regulatory oversight-such as occurred at Flatirons Crossing and Park Meadows (and
that might occur at the Cabelas site in Wheat Ridge). However, even these instances
show that in today's competitive environment, cities have to compete for, and provide
incentives to attract, large developments.
The challenge is greatly increased in a build-out condition such as we face in Wheat
Ridge-the desirable areas for revitalization are not large tracts of land, but rather, they
are comprised of many small tracts of land, often with existing buildings. In these
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circumstances, assembling a parcel of sufficient size to accomplish a significant project
can require endless hours of painstaking research, negotiation with many individual
entities, each with their own varying circumstances and demands, and in the end, the
entire process can be held hostage by a single land owner unwilling to accept anything
less than an exorbitant compensation. Most developers are terrified by the unknowns of
these circumstances, and lenders compound the problem with impatient, conservative
fiscal requirements.
Every state in the US has created a number of tools to address these very circumstances.
The most-often used tools are urban renewal and eminent domain. To assure that these
powerful tools are used only in appropriate areas, urban renewal often requires that an
area must be shown to be blighted. Unfortunately, the definition of "blight" is a technical
one, and areas have been categorized as 'blighted' that would not appear to the casual
observer as a derelict slum. In some cases, the process has probably been abused, Thus,
in some areas urban renewal has been subject to strong criticism and on-going mistrust.
Eminent domain, or the power of condemnation,
is also a powerful tool that is often
misunderstood and occasionally misused. It is
intended to provide a means of assembling
properties when all other approaches are not
feasible. It recognizes that occasionally there are
public needs that are more important than
private property rights. It allows a city, special
district or other specifically designated public
agency to force a property owner to sell for 'fair
market value' Fair market value is typically
determined by obtaining appraisals from multiple qualified property appraisers. It is not
unusual for a property owner to have an inflated opinion of the value of his/her
property and therefore to be convinced that they were not compensated adequately
under this process, And, admittedly, the appraisal process is subjective.
Eminent Domain is intended to
provide a means of assembling
properties when all other
approaches are not feasible.
Oearly eminent domain must
be used with discretion and
sensitivity to make sure that it is
not unfair to the property
owner, nor that a property
owner can arbitrarily obstruct
legitimate projects that benefit
the entire community.
Most statutes, including Colorado's, require that eminent domain only be exercised for
legitimate public purposes. There are significant tax benefits for those whose land is
taken under eminent domain, Thus, often property owners will take advantage of
'friendly condemnation' where, rather than sell willingly, they request (or agree to) the
property being acquired through condemnation.
Public input during this process suggests that, because of several past examples
(Walgreen's was often mentioned) there is a lingering mistrust in Wheat Ridge, even
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antipathy, toward urban renewal and the use of eminent domain. However, at the same
time there is general agreement among a majority of commenters that Wheat Ridge
needs to take bold action toward creating vibrant commercial centers, even a downtown,
and projects of the size and complexity of Highland Garden and Belmar To be sure,
valuable improvements can be achieved through working with individual property
owners and businesses. However, to accomplish several of the proposed actions of this
report, urban renewal and eminent domain may be required. To safeguard the process,
assure fairness and avoid abuses it is recommended that the process be overseen by a
committee of citizens, most likely in conjunction with the formation of the non-profit
semi-public development corporation (WR 2020).
7 Transportation Planning. Transportation forms the framework of the city The grid of
streets defines the scale and accessibility of neighborhoods. The capacity of major
roadways contributes to the ease of travel to and through major destinations, The design
and appearance of roadways conveys an image about the values of the community (the
relative value on moving cars vs. creating walkab1e, livable environments along the
roadways). Transportation planning needs to address both functional needs as well as
aesthetics in order to help form the 'great community' envisioned by this plan.
There are several aspects of transportation planning that are both opportunities and
urgencies for Wheat Ridge, They are related to the overall strategy of strategic public
investments to: improve the image of Wheat Ridge, provide additional transit and
transportation amenities that will attract strong families, and complement and enable
some of the commercial improvements that will provide desirable downto.....'l1 activity
centers attractive to strong households.
The first transportation project to be taken advantage of is the proposed light rail station
north of 1-70 near Ward Road. The proposed transit station location is currently a
mixture of warehouses, motels, office buildings and vacant land, While this location is
somewhat remote, and will not significantly serve the core part of the city, it is an
opportunity to create a small, urban, transit-oriented neighborhood to take advantage of
the increased accessibility of dO.....'l1to.....'l1 Denver Absent any intervention by the City (at
least in the form of coordinated planning) the continuation of the current pattern of
disparate uses will likely result in the station being merely a park-n-ride facility, in a
relatively unattractive context.
Other communities with designated light rail stations have been aggressively laying
groundwork to take advantage of the spin-off benefits of a light rail stop- with actions
ranging from concept plans to portray possibilities all the way to detailed plans, zoning
and land acquisition. The Wheat Ridge station is adjacent to the irregular border
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between Wheat Ridge and Arvada and may hold the possibility of boundary line
adjustments or cooperative planning,
A second transportation-related task, that will have some urgency if the Cabe1a's
development proceeds, is to address the interconnection of the Cabela's site with the
main part of the community (in the Applewood Center area), Cabela's has the potential
to be an important landmark that will hopefully increase Wheat Ridge's visibility
Providing easy access to this area for west-end residents, and making the west-end area
easy to get to from the Cabela's site (if developed), will be a double benefit to the
community
A third transportation-related project is the treatment of Wadsworth Boulevard through
Wheat Ridge, Wadsworth is a state roadway, not under the City's jurisdiction. However,
it is Wheat Ridge's main artery It carries significant traffic through the community It is
the city's front door as well as its 'main street' For many commuters it provides their
only impression of Wheat Ridge (which currently is negative for most).
In the public input to this plan, there was general acknowledgement that heavy traffic on
Wadsworth will require some future action. The most prevalent suggestion was
widening However, widening will further alienate one side of Wadsworth from the
other It will also have a significant impact on existing businesses. The uncertainty about
widening appears to be preventing some from making improvements to their
Wadsworth buildings. The importance of Wadsworth to Wheat Ridge is more than its
traffic capacity Improvements to Wadsworth in Wheat Ridge deserve careful, balanced
consideration of all the implications for the community
This report recommends taking advantage of transportation planning as a tool to help
bring about coordinated development of Wheat Ridge's key areas and assets, balancing
all its various functions.
These tools must be in place for the strategies to succeed, an updated set of regulations, a common
vision expressed in a Comprehensive Plan, and an organization empowered to mobilize the
community
And, just as some strategies without the others will not generate success, strategies with only some
tools will fail as well. A full range of strategies and tools are needed to make the shift in Wheat
Ridge from a slowly declining market with residual strength to the vibrant community with healthy
housing markets and thriving commercial centers needed to generate fiscal stability.
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C3. THE ACTIVITIES
This report makes THREE CENTRAL RECOMMENDA nONS
1. All nine of the following strategies must be implemented.
2. Wheat Ridge must overhaul how the city and residents manage change.
3 Wheat Ridge must create a public, nonprofit corporation capable of facilitating and
encouraging appropriate development in Wheat Ridge.
RECOMMENDATION #1: ALL NINE OF THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES MUST BE IMPLEMENTED.
There are nine strategies, which are interlinked, Three are primarily residential. Four are mainly
commercial. And two are unifying, designed to tie everything together
RESIDENTIAL 1 Develop new market rate housing at key locations throughout the city
2. Acquire, upgrade, and sell out-of-date housing stocks throughout the city
3 Improve existing multi-family rental property throughout the city
COMMERCIAL 4, Redevelop Wadsworth Corridor
5 Develop West 44th into an Orchard District.
6. Accelerate and Shape the Development of 38th Avenue.
7 Develop a Town Center
UNIFYING 8 Continue the development of Wheat Ridge Open Space,
9 Develop signage and enhance gateways and general appearance,
(beautification)
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-
Strategy #1: Develop new market rate housing at key locations throughout the city
Wheat Ridge offers potential newcomers great bargain prices on homes in comparison to the higher
cost products in Golden and Broomfield and elsewhere. But the products are older and smaller
Few scaled developments have materialized in Wheat Ridge recently of higher end single family
housing. While land is scarce, ample opportunity does exist (an excellent example is along Kipling
between 38th and 35th) for high end infill. Repositioning Wheat Ridge depends in no small measure
on the city becoming a place where doctors and other professionals would both want to live and be
able to find a home that is appealing
. Develop new market rate housing throughout the city but in targeted locations
o New housing must be developed for strong households.
o The middle market (buyers in area with incomes from 70-150 AMI) is undersupplied
with the following:
. 3 BR single family-homes with 2 baths, a high quality amenity package
($270,000 - $330,000)
. 2 and 3 BR town homes targeted to middle and upper middle income HHs
priced from $250,000 - $300,000.
. WR2020 must develop/facilitate the development of 60 units per year in any
combination of single family detached homes, or mixed-use development of single-
family homes and townhouses. Nearly all will be infill development.
o Target market is a HH with $75,000 - $100,000 annual income (WR newcomers)
. Each HH would contribute $22,000 - $26,000jyr in consumer spending
. By 2008 each HH would generate $700 - $900 in property taxes to
Wheat Ridge
. By 2020 the home ownership rate in Wheat Ridge would be 59.8%
. Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Necessary zoning changes to permit infill development when necessary
o Streamlined approvals processes.
. Key Locations for new, market rate housing
o Between Kipling and Parfet, the Open Space, and 26th
o Between More and Ward, 44th and the Open Space
o Between 29th and 35th, Fenton and Teller
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Strategy #2: Acquire, upgrade, and sell out-of-date housing stocks at key locations
Housing in Wheat Ridge is by and large older and smaller than the current Jefferson County market
demands. Slow sales activities are the chief indicator that houses in Wheat Ridge are less appealing.
It is crucial that new, more contemporary stocks be introduced to Wheat Ridge. Yet it is equally
crucial that new stocks not be added that would not be in keeping with the character of the
neighborhood. lnfill development must build on the vernacular whenever possible. It must build
above market. Rehabilitation of existing housing must occur above the market, so that older stocks
not only become updated, but can appeal to the middle market.
The work of rehabilitating older homes in Wheat Ridge at no less than 24 a year gives the city a
chance to concentrate reinvestment activity in key, older neighborhoods. When tied to tandem
investments in resident leadership and volunteer development, whole blocks in the specific areas
will notice spillover investment in the form of new siding, new driveways, new windows, and
additions when incomes are high enough to support significant upgrades.
. Acquire, rehab/upgrade, and reposition out-of-date housing stocks throughout the city
but in targeted locations.
o Upgraded housing must be developed for strong households.
o The middle market is undersupplied with the following products
. 3 BR single family-homes with 2 baths, a high quality amenity package
($250,000 - $275,000),
. 2 and 3 BR SF homes w 1-1.5 baths and upgrades
. WR2020 must develop/facilitate the rehabilitation of 24 per year
o Target market is a HH with $50,000 - $75,000 annual income
. Main targets are existing owners needing encouragement to upgrade, and
new strong households wanting an upgraded, older home with character
. Additional target is absentee owners convertible to new owner-occupants
. Each HH would contribute to strengthening of the neighborhood
. Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
. Authority to acquire and sell homes at fair market prices and retain proceeds
to fund activities
. Authority to condemn as necessary
. Necessary changes to zoning to facilitate infill development
. Expedited approval processes based on pre-approved improvement plans
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· Key locations for acquisition/rehabilitation efforts
o Between 44th and 38th, Depew and Upham
o Between 45th and 48th, Pierce and Wadsworth
o Between Pierce and Wadsworth, 28th and 32nd
o Between 41st and 34th, Wadsworth and Kipling
Strategy #3: Improve existing multi-family rental property at key locations
Apartments in Wheat Ridge are generally older than elsewhere in Jefferson County Many have not
been upgraded for some time. Many were shoehorned into predominantly single-family
neighborhoods at inappropriate scales, and many of these were poorly designed to begin with. The
problem is not multi-family housing. The problem is not density. The problem is not affordable
rental for low-income families. The rental housing problem in Wheat Ridge is as follows:
1 Too much rental in concentrated locations
2. Older rental housing that has not been upgraded
3 Concentrations of low-income households
4. Obsolete designs that are not appealing to the contemporary market
5 Low quality property management
To mitigate these problems, which altogether negatively impact property values, the crucial lesson is
not to impede the construction of new multi-family housing, but when new multi-family housing is
proposed, to ensure that it is well-sited, well-designed, and well-managed. In the meantime,
WR2020 must undertake substantial rehabilitation of existing stocks whenever feasible.
. Improve existing multi-family rental property throughout the city but in targeted
locations
o Upgraded rental housing must be developed for strong households
o Average rental product in Wheat Ridge is too old and too small to compete for
quality renters in the wider area
o The middle market is undersupplied with the following products
. 3 BR single apartments with upgraded facilitiesj quality amenity package
. Significantly upgraded apartments for empty nester renters
. Target market is renters with incomes ranging from $35,000 - $60,000 year
· WR2020 must develop/facilitate the rehabilitation of
o One large multi-family project with at least 60 units every three years
o Two medium to small rental properties with between 6-12 units per year
. Each HH would contribute to strengthening of the neighborhood
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.
WR2020 should encourage conversion of appropriate rental properties to
condominiums
. Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Authority to acquire lots at fair market prices
o Authority to condemn as necessary
o Necessary changes to zoning to permit infill development
. Key focal points of the multi-family efforts should include the work of upgrading
properties such as:
o Camelot at 44th and Kipling
o Ceasar's at 48th and Garrison
o Smaller 4 and 8plexes along Sheridan between 26th and 38th
Strategy #4: Redevelop Wadsworth Corridor
The Wadsworth is prime real estate. It is many people's first glimpse of Wheat Ridge. As such it
sets the tone for the community in important ways. Right now the message sent from Wadsworth is
quite negative. Most commercial real estate between 38th and 48th is in disrepair Signage is
confusing and unsightly Little effort has been made to present Wadsworth as an attractive
commercial destination for strong families.
The work of rebuilding Wadsworth is critical. It will involve rebuilding the housing market nearby
It will require changes in land use regulations and in zoning. It will require costly investments in
signage and traffic calming. It will require the redevelopment of key parcels.
None of this will occur immediately Inducing the market to upgrade retail along Wadsworth will
not be inexpensive either, as the commercial center of gravity has moved ever westward, superior
retail is just north of city limits, and many of the existing properties require significant investments.
Moreover, many current uses are simply incompatible with a corridor likely to appeal to strong
households, so the range of fast food and auto-service businesses will have to be addressed
comprehensively
. Concepts
o Address severe and increasing congestion, narrow widths and excessive number of
access points
o Consolidate unsuccessful retail centers and vacant stores
o Address pedestrian-hostile design and landscaping inadequacy
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. Actions
o Revisit/Update Wadsworth Boulevard Corridor Plan
o Evaluate capacity of Wadsworth to host town center
o Work with COOT to Determine Initial Cost Projections
o Prepare subarea plan for Wadsworth and 44th, incorporate into Comprehensive Plan
o Begin acquiring and land banking problem properties between 44th and 48th
· Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Authority to acquire lots at fair market prices and authority to condemn as necessary
o Increases in residential density in surrounding land and other zoning changes
Strategy #5: Develop West 44th Avenue into an "Orchard District"
Wheat Ridge along 44th west of Kipling represents a golden opportunity for the city It is an
undeveloped commercial corridor with bargain pricing for obsolete real estate. At the same time it
is tucked into a protected corner of the city, almost nestled along the Open Space, and as such has
retained elements of the city's rural heritage.
To drive along west 44th now is to be confronted with one shabby business after another But the
core of this under-developed strip is a potentially powerful destination corridor Redeveloped into
an Orchard Overlay District where the intention is to promote a concentration of complimentary
agricultural. open-air market. and landscaping businesses, 44th can easily be positioned as a family
destination for strong Jefferson County households. Gravel yards, landscaping businesses, retail
nurseries, design centers, mulch depots, and farmer's markets all are consistent and related
destination entities that would be encouraged to expand or open businesses along the corridor
The center of the new district is the historic Fruitdale School the parking lot of which would be
leveraged into a weekend market. New designs for the corridor would recognize the importance of
auto access but would emphasize pedestrian usage, with historic light fixtures, decorative paving,
seasonal banners, coordinated signage, and pedestrian amenities (benches, trash receptacles, shade
trees, etc. WR2020 would begin acquiring parcels along 44th for the purpose of inserting into the
corridor fabric residential development aimed at middle and upper middle income households
drawn to the Open Space and the prospect of a small town commercial setting.
. Concepts
o Create commercial corridor oriented around gardening, home and yard
improvement, agriculture, farmer's markets, landscape design
o Leverage existing businesses and take advantage of location
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o Future corridor would have: mega-nursery center, farmer's market, fruit stands,
design services, stone/ gravel, mulch pick-ups, Christmas tree sales all adding to
destination retail
. Immediate Actions
. Inventory existing properties/businesses
. Work with owners to create schematic concept to inform feasibility analysis
. Create a business development incentive package
. Longer range/ concurrent activities
. Create sub-area plan, incorporate into Comprehensive Plan
. Land banking, farmer's market development, master gardener clinics,
establishment of BID
. Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Authority to acquire lots at fair market prices and condemn as necessary
o Land banking and rezoning authority
o Support for WR2020 to relocate some commercial tenants
Strategy #6: Accelerate and shape the development along 38th Avenue
Wheat Ridge is a community that lacks a defined center It also badly needs several appealing
destinations to be responsive to the various retail and commercial desires of strong Jefferson County
households One of the characteristics of strong household demand for retail in Jefferson County is
a pedestrian-oriented place with character that is differentiated from other places. North Denver's
West Highlands area satisfies this. Arvada's Olde Towne satisfies this. Belmar satisfies this. 38th
Avenue between Sheridan and Wadsworth has the potential to be redeveloped into a neighborhood-
serving retail Main Street. To accomplish this, design standards are necessary The City needs to
examine the architectural standards contained in the Streetscape and Architectural Design Manual
to determine if the objective of creating a main street can be met with the current standards.
Additional market rate housing is necessary Reduced auto dominance is necessary Tenant
remixing is necessary Alternative transportation designs for the intersections at Sheridan and
Wadsworth are necessary Formalized cooperation among business owners is necessary lnfill
commercial development will be necessary
A Main Street provides the community with a gathering place. A place for where civic and
commercial life intersects. 38th Avenue is an ideal opportunity for Wheat Ridge to develop the kind
of destination Main Street that long time residents have yearned for and visitors expect to see when
coming to a historic community like Wheat Ridge. A rebuilt Main Street mayor may not become a
Town Center, per se. But it will serve a critical function in the commercial life of the community if it
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can be repositioned as a neighborhood serving retail corridor with small shops that have destination
qualities to them like Wheat Ridge Cyclery and Big Sky Espresso.
WR2020 will need to invest in the creation of a business improvement district, the creation and
implementation of new or modified design guidelines for existing and new businesses, new business
recruitment, business development, and market rate housing development within walking distance
of shops on 38th Avenue.
. Concepts
o Create/Improve on recent effort to make 38th pedestrian friendly
o Leverage access into destination retail
· Immediate Actions
o Inventory existing properties/businesses
o Work with owners to create urban design framework
o Establish BID
o Longer range/ concurrent activities
o Create sub-area plan, incorporate into Comprehensive Plan
o Land banking
o Feasibility analysis of redeveloping senior tower
· Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Authority to acquire lots at fair market prices and condemn as necessary
o Land banking authority; BID Authority
o Adopt sub-area plan and allocate resources for project completion
Strategy #7: Develop a Town Center
As V\'heat Ridge moves ever west, citizens will have to determine whether they want Applewood
Village Center to function as a town center, the emerging Cabela's development to become the new
center, a Main Street such as a revamped 38th as the town center, the intersection of 44th and
Wadsworth as a town center, if citizens want a center at all.
The importance of a physical center is clear' it provides a social anchor for residents and visitors
alike that helps people gauge when it is that they are In Wheat Ridge and no longer someplace else.
In terms of identity, a center is crucial to differentiation. Given the superior retail in surrounding
communities, strong households in the region have plenty of places to choose from when selecting
destinations. Wheat Ridge falls through the crack in large measure because "there is no there there."
What suffices for a gathering plilce - a place where a vibrant civic life can occur is the Recreation
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Center. After that, the drop off is steep, compelling citizens to make Common cause in the parking
lot of the Wal-Mart or while standing in line for a burrito at Chipotle. Consequently, as many
citizens remarked in the numerous interviews conducted in the development of this report, they
might as well be anywhere at a moment in time when people are starved for authenticity
A town center provides a mooring, a way to facilitate civic engagement without having to be at City
Hall. It helps encourage interaction. Wheat Ridge today is almost entirely experienced by car except
when in the Open Space. We strongly urge the City Council to invest in the development of a town
center, first determining where one should be located, and then developing the mixed use plans
needed to spur development proposals.
. Concepts
o Address lack of destination center in Wheat Ridge that "promotes" Wheat Ridge
o Create place that is centrally located geographically and emotionally
o Establish place for combination of vibrant civic and commercial life
. Immediate Actions
o Evaluate Wadsworth/44th as potential site
o Evaluate 38th/Kipling as potential site
o Evaluate 44th/Kipling as potential site
o Evaluate Youngfield/38th as potential site
o Outreach with developers
· Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Authority to acquire lots at fair market prices and condemn as necessary
o Land banking authority
o Council commitment to concept of tawn center as focal point for commercial and civic
life
Strategy #8: Continue to increase the visibility and accessibility of the Wheat Ridge
Open Space
Just as the most noticeable missing element of Wheat Ridge is a center, the prominent yet under
leveraged asset is the city's Open Space.
Open space, and associated trails, has proven to be one of the most popular recreation amenities on
the Front Range of Colorado The trails are heavily used by all ages, and property values typically
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are higher for land adjacent to open space. An open space and trail system certainly contribute
strongly to Wheat Ridge's appeal to strong households.
Wheat Ridge has acquired an extensive open space system. One component of it parallels Clear
Creek that traverses most of the city from west to east. However, much of the Clear Creek open
space is hidden from view behind the backs of houses and businesses. There are relatively few
locations where the open space is visible and even fewer where it is accessible from public
roadways. Where access points do exist they are often almost inadvertent, that is, they are located in
obscure settings (small side streets, at the end of cul-de-sacs, etc.) and are often denoted simply by a
break in the fence and the presence of a trail. There are relatively few developed trail heads (signage,
parking, trash receptacles, etc.). The Recreation Center is near Clear Creek but doesn't have a direct
connection to open space!
Unlike many communities, Wheat Ridge doesn't have to incur the cost of bu!flng open space; it
merely needs to leverage the extraordinary open space amenity it already has. Improving the
visibility, accessibility and knowledge of the open space/trail system will do much to differentiate
Wheat Ridge from surrounding communities and will greatly increase its appeal as a desirable
amenity
Recommendations include:
1. Create formal, inviting, trail heads at open space access points-complete with designated
parking, trash receptacles, a location map, mileage markers, notices of restrictions (e.g. dog
must be leashed, usage by bikes, horses, etc.).
2. Require additional open space access as new development occurs adjacent to open space,
and purchase additional private access (properties, or portions thereof) in locations that will
best serve residential neighborhoods and major destinations (historical museum, shopping
centers, parks, etc.).
3 Increase exposure of open space by insisting that in future development roads are placed
along open space rather than yard fences. This will assure that all of the public can enjoy
open space, not just houses that line its edges.
4. Improve the appearance of open space by bordering all visible edges with attractive, durable
fencing.
5 Improve the visibility of open space by developing standard signage at trail heads, and
installing direction signage to open space from major roadways.
6 Expand the use of volunteers fQr clean up of open space, thereby increasing the public
stewardship
. Concepts
o Address lack access
o Upgrade facilities
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o Improve linking Recreation Center to Open Space
o Connect Open Space to Market Rate Housing Development as Amenity Package
o Acquire additional trail inks and land for trailheads
o Prepare a bicycle/pedestrian master plan
. Immediate Actions
o Intensive upgrade of access/ appearance along/ from Kipling as it traverses the open
space.
o Evaluate relative accessibility from adjacent neighborhoods and prioritize acquisition
needs.
. Additional Requirements City Council Will Have To Ensure
o Authority to acquire lots at fair market prices and condemn as necessary
o Land banking authority
Strategy #9: Develop identity signage and gateways and improve the city's general
appearance
Wheat Ridge would benefit greatly from a clear set of images that communicate a consistent positive
message to the long term residents and to newcomers, to long- established businesspersons, and
potential investors. In an America that leads the world in marketing and promotion, it is critical that
communities recognize that they too must have a clear message that is widely promoted, easily
understood, repeated throughout the community, and leveraged to maximize economic impact.
Wheat Ridge is a city with a long history and the all the idiosyncrasies that accompany development
over many decades. Schools were built and later used for other uses. Parks were developed and
then new facilities were added. Some public buildings like the Recreation Center were built on a
major thoroughfare; others like the library were tucked into an existing building. Those who really
know Wheat Ridge have no difficultly locating its schools, hospital, library, parks, city offices, senior
housing, and other key places. Those who don't yet know the community have difficulty finding
some of the best amenities in the city Uniform signage can help the driver navigate the streets
safely while quickly locating public buildings. The way that these buildings are identified can
profoundly impact on perceptions of Wheat Ridge. This is particularly true if there are uniform,
high quality, eye-catching entry signs on the city's borders to welcome everyone to the city These
gateway points set a tone which can be built upon at various points around the city For example,
the newly-designated Main Street area, the nexus of recreation services and facilities at and near the
Recreation Center, and collections of commercial ventures like the Orchard District can all be
highlighted with signage that relates to the entry sign themes.
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Finally, all of this identity and image building work is an excellent opportunity to include residents
and other volunteers in outreach to the community to gather ideas, in shifting through various
themes, in refining and selecting the message, and in communicating the decisions to residents, who
can reinforce the positive messages through block-based improvements on homes and self-help
projects in parks and other open areas. Further, these same volunteers can be invaluable in the
process of installing and maintaining the gateways and other key signage points.
);. Concepts
o Address lack of attractive coherent orientation system
o Market assets: "Historic Wheat Ridge Orchard District: 3 mi"
o Activate volunteer base and resident pride in beautification efforts
);. Immediate Actions
o Signage on major roads
o Alignment of future roads along the open space
o Upgrade character of open space along Kipling
o Implement block beautification efforts at key sites and tie to organizing
o Beautification awards programs for blocks, homes, historic houses, gardens
o Establishment of a fishing derby for families in open space ponds
'y Longer Term
o Creation of amphitheater for the arts in or adjacent to Open Space
o Installation of trail connectors through new development
o Community-wide clean-ups
RECOMMENDA nON #2. WHEAT RIDGE MUST OVERHAUL HOW THE CITY AND RESIDENTS
MANAGE CHANGE
Right now Wheat Ridge must leverage its assets so it winds up with both a built environment with
character and a functioning social fabric. When these two assets are maximized, change can be
managed so that strong households conhnue to have confidence in Wheat Ridge. Successful
implementation of strategies hinges on several factors relating to government:
Updated zoning and related codes. (see Tools)
,. Updated Comprehensive Plan.
,. A new "Open for Business" attitude.
Presence of a "rapid response" capacity in planning.
,.
,
,
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Successful implementation of strategies also hinges at least equally on several factors related to
citizens.
First is citizen planning "literacy" Most Wheat Ridge citizens are not familiar with planning
terminology that affects their lives such as traffic counts, new urbanism, social capital, rooftops,
buying power, multiplier effects, and so on. While a deep knowledge of such jargon is hardly
necessary, we recommend that citizens maximize their capacity to steer the direction of their
community, and having a working knowledge of some technical terminology will help, especially
when real estate development becomes part of the recovery effort.
Second is citizen participation in planning processes beyond the usual few interested parties. While
it is true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, it is also true that a tyranny of a few can curtail
progress for a whole community. It will be important for a new generation of leaders to emerge in
Wheat Ridge and take control of establishing tone and direction.
Third, investment in leadership development and volunteerism must occur. Of course, more people
need to be present in Council discussions and redevelopment hearings. But more critical is
involvement in everyday activities, like helping neighbors get their homes painted or groceries into
the house, or sidewalks shoveled. Investments in prideful and neighborly activities are essential to
growing mOTe participation and raising the amount of stakeholder ownership
Citizen leadership in Wheat Ridge marketing efforts is necessary as well. The most effective
ambassadors of Wheat Ridge are the people who live and work here. When citizens communicate
pride about their community to neighbors in Arvada and elsewhere, Wheat Ridge leaves a positive
impression. This is not only done when Wheat Ridge residents travel outside the community but
when residents from outside Wheat Ridge come into the city If they see poorly maintained
property along Sheridan they think Wheat Ridge might not be worthy of their time. If they see the
Camelot as they drive along 1-70 they might second guess any idea of stopping in Wheat Ridge.
How private homes and businesses appear to outsiders becomes a foundation of successful
marketing because property is the city's most noticeable billboard.
Fifth, resident compliance with high property maintenance standards is part of the overhaul that is
needed. Too many homes have cars parked on the front yard. Too many fences are in disrepair
Too frequently trash is on the sidewalk. More and better laws regulating property standards can
help, but are not the answer Residents have to conclude that it makes sense to make the everyday
small investments in keeping up their homes and contributing to the upkeep of the public and semi-
private property around them. As investments are made in parts of the city where there are strong
households already, other neighboring families will begin to conclude that it makes sense for them,
too, to seek similar higher standards.
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The very first step needed in overhauling how the city manages change is the immediate work of
developing a more flexible zoning framework. Developers that might want to respond to market
demand in Wheat Ridge are thwarted by a zoning framework that is outdated. Developers would
prefer so few regulations that the result would be chaos. The community, on the other hand, may
want more regulations than the development community is willing to abide in the current market.
To this end, as a first step we are recommending that Wheat Ridge adopt an experimental overlay or
process to explore ways to provide increased speed and flexibility with regard to development
approvals, in exchange for a higher level of quality and compliance. This experiment will lay the
groundwork for, or be a way to try out, changes to regulatory procedures prior to implementing
them in code revisions. lt will also help send a message to the development community that Wheat
Ridge is development friendly
The intent of this experimental process is that the City and the applicant would form a partnership
to promote development that supports and enhances the Vision and Goals for the community A
key to clearly communicating that Wheat Ridge is open for business is to show that in a relatively
short time, an applicant can obtain approval for the concept of the project. Because the X-Zone is
applied to willing property owners on a site-by-site basis, the City is not creating precedence that it
will have to live with over the long term. The City can evaluate the X-Zone at anytime and
determine if it is working. The objective is to revitalize the community and reverse the present
downward trend. If the X- Zone is not working (i.e. revitalization is not started), the City can easily
change its planning priorities.
RECOMMENDATION #3: CREATION OF A PUBLIC, NONPROFIT CORPORATION CAPABLE OF
FACILITATING AND ENCOURAGING APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT IN WHEAT RIDGE.
Civic leaders across the country, facing the challenge of re-developing all or part of their
communities, have chosen various ways to structure programs aimed at community revitalization or
affordable housing development.
Modell. Some leaders have focused on the servIce delivery Issues, such as homeownership
counseling, lending to low-income households for property repairs, or providing
volunteer teams to build or repair houses. In most of these cases, the organizational
format has been to develop and support an independent nonprofit (i.e., Habitat for
Humanity, a 'NeighborWorks' Organization, a community development corporation
with a 501(c)3 status). In these cases, there is usually an elected board of directors
assisted by paid staff. The board has nominal participation by city government officials
and the organization receives only part of its budget from public sources. Corporate,
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Model 2.
Model 3.
Model 4.
individual, and foundation gifts coupled with grants, contracts, and user fees provide
the remainder of the budget.
Other civic leaders have put primary emphasis on the actual development of affordable
housmg In these cases the most common format is a community development
corporation or Mutual Housing Organization with a 501(c)3 status much like the
structure noted above. In some cases, there is less participation by residents or renters
and more emphasis on having a high level of professional skills on the board and staff.
The professional skills are usually those related to building (or renovating) and
managing low-income housing. In their budgets, most of the organizations rely
somewhat on the resources cited above, but are usually structured to use developer fees
and rents to support operations.
Still other leaders have focused community revitalization on neighborhoods, commercial
areas, and property development challenges. Some have determined that these
functions are best delivered through city staff and
municipal programs. There might be an advisory
board to assist or there might be a separate status
such as a redevelopment authority designation. In
any case, the director and the staff are part of the
city's staff and are subject to usual rules and
regulations that apply to municipal activities.
Operations and programs are usually supported
exclusively through public sources (local, State, and
Federal), since the work is usually understood to be
an extension of the city government.
Select communities have approached community
revitalization of Model 3 however, approaching it through an independent, nonprofit
corporation. They typically have a 501(c)3 status based on their role of "relieving burden
on local government" This designation and the related independence allow the
organization to act quickly on real estate opportunities and to incentivize re-
development by leaving money in deals. The board usually consists of respected
individuals from throughout the community and its professions. One or more
representatives of local government often sit on the board of directors, but the legal
status of the nonprofit allows it to avoid many of the most restrictive rules of
government regarding each real estate activity or staffing decision. The nonprofit status
allows the organization to accept resources from public and private sources and allows
donations of land, buildings and dollars to facilitate development. Therefore, the budget
sources tend to be varied and most likely include all sources cited above.
Many residents in Wheat Ridge
feel poorly served by the current
retail environment in the city. It
is no wonder. Most properties
are old and too many are poorly
maintained. Since none are
historic there is no advantage to
the older age of the facilities.
Getting a leg up on this means
permitting WR2020 to
aggressively purchase
commercial property, rezone,
and redevelop alternatively.
For Wheat Ridge, there is a critical need to set priorities in directing community change. It is
unlikely that a service focus (Modell) can address the scale of market dysfunction facing the city; it
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is inconceivable that an affordable housing initiative (Model 2) could reverse the current market
trends and it is likely that it could makes matters worse. Model 3 is not responsive to the urgency of
the needs and limited staff resources currently facing Wheat Ridge.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended that a version of Model 4 be created to provide the
organizational capacity to aggressively address the market conditions while effectively and
transparently utilizing public funds. This is to be known as Wheat Ridge 2020. (WR2020)
WR2020 would need to develop at least a five-year work plan that would have measurable results in
terms of the identified outcomes in the larger "Repositioning Wheat Ridge" plan. At this time the
final format of the organization is not fully defined, but after a community process, it is likely that
the initiative will actively work in at least five areas of "product development," including:
1. Creating an image for Wheat Ridge and promoting the specific identities to selected market
niches, both residential and commercial.
2. Facilitating more competitive housing development through communication with builders,
investors, home buyers, home owners, real estate agent/brokers and others.
3 Encouraging higher levels of improvement and maintenance, in residential areas,
commercial sites, and public spaces.
4. Promoting development of designated commercial sites and clusters.
5 Encouraging effective resident, institutional, and business leadership on the board of the
organization and in neighborhood and city-wide activities.
To achieve sufficient level of production in these areas, it will require a highly skilled, well-managed
staff of professionals. It should include a residential property specialist, experienced in new
construction and renovation of quality middle-income properties, and a commercial development
specialist, skilled in development and redevelopment of commercial sites and promotion of business
clusters. The staff should be directed by an executive director that knows how to support a board,
raise funds, oversee staff, encourage leadership
development, and understand principles of community
marketing Of course, none of this will succeed without
an excellent administrative assistant coordinating the
day-to-day work of the organization.
The membership - approximately 100
individuals or stakeholders - should
reflect all aspects of the community
and should be informed regularly of
the work of the organization and
should vote at the annual meeting on
the new board members and on the
annual work plan.
The Board of WR2020 should consist of individuals with
a wide range of skills and viewpoints. This Board
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should meet at least ten times a year and should empower six to eight committees to accomplish
work in the specific work areas cited above as well as operations and resource development tasks.
The Board should hold annual elections with individuals agreeing to serve for two-year terms. The
number of terms should be determined in the by-laws, but the main goal should be about a 25%
board turnover each year This should allow for turnover while encouraging continuity. The Board
should report annually to the membership of WR2020. The membership - approximately 100-125
individuals or stakeholders - should reflect all aspects of the community and should be informed
regularly of the work of the organization and should vote at the annual meeting on the new board
members and on the annual work plan. Membership should also turnover at about 25% annually
WR2020 should operate very much like a conventional business in terms of seeking various "profit"
centers to support the work of the organization. Because there are five different products being
produced by the group, it is likely that very different sources of funding will be bundled together for
each activity None of the activities should be thought of as self-sustaining. The work of this
organization is to facilitate the creation of products that aren't being delivered today but which are
critical if Wheat Ridge is to become more competitive in the future Some of those products such as
optioning land might have relatively small capital needs, others such as creating model properties
might require hundreds of thousands of capital dollars. Some of the products such as marketing
and leadership development have very small capital costs but high operating costs that wmlikely
need to be re-secured annually
WR2020 must have a very clear understanding of both its capital needs and operating needs. There
should also be clarity about dollars which are lent, those that are invested for short and long terms,
and those which will be invested in properties with little likelihood of re-capture. Remember, the
goal is to strengthen residential and commercial values of all properties in Wheat Ridge, so losses on
a few sites must be factored against broad-based increases in property values.
Summary Directions for WR2020
We recommend that the Wheat Ridge City Council authorize and fund WR2020 to begin working on
January 1, 2006 The organization should be established as a nonprofit, public-private 501(c) 3
organization, independent of the City of Wheat Ridge. Its independence makes it accountable to a
com/71nahon of stakeholders: The Wheat Ridge City Council, the City Manager, and citizens.
WR2020 must be capitalized initially by the City, and over time it must become responsible for
generating enough resources to function independent of city support. The organization should be in
place with a charter by December 31, 2005 By the end of 2005, WR2020 should have in place an
executive director authorized to hire staff and begin operations by March 31, 2006.
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WR2020 will not be able to generate projects instantly; therefore the capacity of WR2020 to generate
fees to cover expenses and undertake projects financed by its own efforts will not exist for some
time.
We are recommending that the Wheat Ridge City Council commit to fully funding WR2020 for the
period from 2006-2010, at an average of $l.5M per year. The estimated return on this investment in
new housing development alone will exceed $7SM over ten years, and $4.8M in housing
rehabilitation.
2006
$l.5M
2007
$l.5M
2008
$l.5M
2009
$l.5M
2010
$l.5M
TOTAL
$7.5M
WR2020 will be directed by a cross-representational board of directors comprised of elected officials
(City Council members), citizens, and representatives from the business community in Wheat Ridge.
In addition, WR2020 must be politically encouraged and legally permitted to:
./ Enter into partnerships with public and private organizations, such as redevelopment
agencies, local government, BIDS, et. al.
./ De-uelop real estate.
./ Earn fees necessary to fund development and operations activities, including fees from such
activities as property sales, arbitrage, technical assistance, et. al.
./ AcqUlre and dispose of property
./ Issue paper, such as selling SOl(c)3 bonds.
./ ~Vork With a high degree of autonomy and authonzahon from citizens so cumbersome approval
processes are minimized whenever appropriate.
This new organization must be a fast-moving, entrepreneurial entity Part of the history of Wheat
Ridge is that the private sector has wanted to undertake projects in Wheat Ridge in the last two
decades only to be dissuaded by the political environment and city bureaucracy which it viewed as
cumbersome and" anti-business" WR2020 by contrast must be able to fast-track good ideas from
the private sector, stimulate investment in emerging areas of the city, and complement - not replace
- existing city staff roles in planning and elsewhere.
WR2020 should be led by the board that works in partnership with an experienced Executive
Director The director must be authorized to build a team of well-managed professionals. WR2020
will report to a stakeholder group consisting of approximately 100 individuals from various
segments of the Wheat Ridge community
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WR2020 will function according to a five-year work plan that is drafted and approved by the Board
of Directors. The work plan will stipulate outputs, such as new rental housing unit production or
number of loans made, that must be achieved. The work plan will also identify the outcomes of
activities in five specific areas mentioned previously, which are:
. Creating an image for Wheat Ridge and promoting the specific identities to selected market
niches, both residential and commercial.
. Facilitating more competitive housing development through communication with builders,
investors, home buyers, home owners, real estate agent/brokers and others.
· Encouraging higher levels of improvement and maintenance, in residential areas,
commercial sites, and public spaces.
· Promoting development of designated commercial sites and clusters.
. Encouraging effective resident, institutional, and business leadership on the board of the
organization and in neighborhood and city-wide activities.
WR2020 must be accountable for the following production goals'
1 Encouragementj development of 60 units a year of middle market new construction housing
for sale to buyers in the target market of $75,000 - $100,000 in annual household incomes.
Five-year output is 300 units.
2. Encouragementj development of 24 units a year of rehabilitated existing housing, whose
target market is households (new or existing) with incomes between $50,000 - $75,000 per
vear Five-year output is 120 rehabilitated units.
3 Encouragementj development of 30 substantially upgraded rental units per year whose
target market is households with incomes between $35,000 - $60,000 per year Five-year
output is 150 substantially upgraded apartments.
WR2020 must be accC:untable for the followi.ng non-produchon goals:
1 Creation of city-wide and neighborhood specific marketing campaigns and related
community projects at the rate of one campaign initiative annually and no fewer than two
city-wide projects and 6 neighborhood projects each year Five-year output is five major
marketing campaigns, ten city-wide projects, and 30 neighborhood projects.
2. Facilitation and subsequent promotion of ten standard setting actions each year through
loans and grants to homeowners, rental property owners, commercial businesses, and
institutions Five-year output of 60 standard setting activities and promotions.
3 Provision of two events annually to encourage developers, real estate agents, builders,
renovation firms, and contractors to consider focusing additional initiatives to Wheat
Ridge Five-year output of 12 events to target groups.
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4. Co-development with local groups committed to build leadership capacity among residents
and leaders from businesses and institutions. Five-year output creating a pool of 60
additional local individuals actively involved in civic participation.
Since 2006 will be a start-up year for WR2020, it will be difficult to both initiate the organization, its
board and develop a first-year work plan. With this challenge in mind, it is suggested that at least 9
projects be included in the first year's work plan.
These projects are intended to build experience in the staff and board, to communicate the work of
the group to the larger community, and to test potential programs and initiatives for future years.
The signature projects in year one should include:
1 A demonstration of how dated but quality housing can be upgraded and remarketed to the
target customers.
Three houses (likely three bedroom, ranch-style houses) should be purchased and upgraded
either directly or in cooperation with a construction firm. The houses will likely range from
$180,000 to $210,000 and will require $40,000 to $70,000 in renovation.
Total project impact: $750,000
WR2020 investment: $150,000
Construction line of credit: $600,000
Expected loss: $60,000-$75,000
(for marketing, carrying costs, etc)
2. An effort to create and nurture interest from developers and contractors in existing houses.
Three houses at good locations and of quality construction should be optioned as part of an
outreach effort. It is assumed that $15,000 per property should secure rights for 45 to 60 days. If
a sale occurs, the option monies will revert to WR2020 or be granted to the developer or
contractor if the proposed project sets high standards.
Total project impact: $750,000
WR2020 investment: $45,000
Expected loss: $30,000
(due to inability to sell or as incentive for work)
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3. An initiative to package and market vacant land for up-market new construction.
At least five lots should be purchased and competitively marketed to builders willing to
construct properties at $350,000 and above.
Total project impact: $1,800,000
WR2020 investment: $350,000
Expected loss: $75,000
(to encourage competitive bidders)
4. A program to provide demonstration rehabilitation loans to show how quality homes can be
updated and made more attractive.
Six rehabilitation loans should be made at 3% (twenty-year term) for a total of $40,000 per house
on average to create a $240,000 portfolio and supplemented by $5000 per house in design
assistance or demonstration activities.
Total project impact: $270,000
WR2020 investment: Loans: $240,000
Grants: $30,000
Expected loss: $30,000
(design and demonstration grants)
5 A community self-help initiative put in place to support volunteer-driven Great Blocks
projects.
Six grants of approximately $2000 each should be made to selected blocks to demonstrate how
small sums of grant dollars can be leveraged into visible, positive impacts on block standard
setting
I Total projectimpact: $12,000
I WR2020 investment: plus extensive donated labor
$24,000
I grants plus contracted facilitator assistance
Expected loss: $24,000
(non-recoverable expenditures)
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6. A program in support of upgrading small apartment complexes.
A single 12-unit (Plus or minus) apartment upgrade should be completed with a $90,000
commercial construction loan and a $60,000 grant providing a total of $12,500 per unit with at
least 20% spent on exterior improvements.
Total project impact: $150,000
WR2020 investment: $60,000
$10,000 (for design and improvement)
Expected loss: $70,000
(for marketing, carrying costs, etc)
7 Marketing and community identification events and installations.
A series of projects, signage, events, and celebrations should be implemented to create shared
identities, promote positive language and market both neighborhoods and the city
Total project impact: TBD
WR2020 investment: $50,000
Design: $20,000
Expected loss: $70,000
8 A series of neighborhood- or city-wide self help projects.
Five to ten volunteer projects should be implemented to demonstrate citizen involvement in
community projects such as stream clean-ups and landscaping in public areas.
Total project impact: TBD
Extensive Citizen Participation
WR2020 investment: $50,000
Coordination Help' $30,000
Expected loss: $80,000
9 An experimental program to option commercial land or structures in support of a
coordinated commercial revitalization strategy
Optioning of one or more parcels or buildings should take place to demonstrate what is
involved in re-positioning commercial sites either for improved business uses or for possible
conversion to upscale residential use.
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Total project impact: TBD
WR2020 investment: $100,000
Expected loss: Legal/Holding: $5,000
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS REPORT AND THIS EFFORT
Wheat Ridge is a community on the rebound. This is clear The current City Council has committed
itself to turning Wheat Ridge around. Now citizens and business owners must join them, and
facilitate a full recovery by forcefully supporting zoning and planning changes recommended in this
report (see Part C). Ultimate success is going to rest on two commitments by citizens. The first is
helping Council adopt and implement all of the strategies contained in this report. The second is
being on guard against being lulled into a false sense of security
The Plan is the set of nine strategies we recommend. As has been
mentioned before, they are all interconnected, which means they all
need to be implemented. Otherwise recovery will be anemic. The
strategies address both physical and social elements of Wheat Ridge
that are relevant to recovery One without the other will hamper
success. Treating trash accumulation through code enforcement
without 'incenting' owners to police their own property to higher
standards will not work. Likewise, investing in a town center without
investing in the appearance of Wheat Ridge throughout the
community at key areas will not work. They all are tied together
Because Wheat Ridge
has so much potential, it
is understandable that
many would not feel a
sense of urgency about
addressing the
challenges outlined in
this report. This would
be a mistake.
Additionally, residents and business owners alike must not be lulled into a false sense of security
Because Wheat Ridge has so much potential, it is understandable that many would not feel a sense
of alarm or urgency about addressing the challenges outlined in this report. A useful analogy is an
old roof It doesn't leak now, but it will eventually, and when it does, it will be more costly to repair
and needless damage will have been done. Wheat Ridge is like a house with an old roof that was
once very suitable, but which needs to be fixed. The time to do that is when the sun is out. There
will be pressure from some quarters in town to view today's non-leaking roof as proof that all is
well. For example, housing prices are rising Homes in Wheat Ridge are selling While factual, these
are only partial truths. The larger or whole truth is that properties sell faster, and for more, in
Arvada. So if people in Wheat Ridge point to rising property values as an indication that all is well,
it is essential that leaders in town keep in mind that rising values relative to the competition is what
matters.
There are a number of examples of successes in Wheat Ridge. But these assets are to be built upon
and grown, and should not be confused as reasons to not to seek further improvement. For instance,
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the presence of Wal-Mart on Youngfield can be viewed in at least two lights. First, it confirms that
retail demand exists in Wheat Ridge today But a closer, second examination reveals indicators that
Wal-Mart might vacate that site. If Wal-Mart leaves, it will be hard to backfill their space with an
equal quality tenant. What citizens must focus on is the trend as much or more than the moment.
Focusing on the moment can lead to a false sense of security.
PurrING THE PIECES TOGETHER
By now it has been made clear that the strategies in this report are interconnected, and thus
interdependent. Retail recovery hinges on the real estate market. Market recovery hinges on
product. Product development hinges on changes in attitude. Changes in attitude depend on
agreement on the future. Agreement on the future is based on understanding the present and
developing the capacity to manage change.
To get the most from this report, and turn this analysis and these recommendations into action and
measurable progress, the steps are cleaT"
Understand
the Data
__ Agree on the -. Changes In -. PrOduct -. Market -. Retatl -. Strong CIVIC
CapacIty to Future Anltudes Development Recovery Recovery and CommercIal life
Manage Change
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ApPENDICES
DATA TABLES [TO BE INSERTED FOR FINAL VERSION]
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