Ballot measure 2C in Wheat Ridge would lower building height requirements at old Colorado hospital campus

The old 100 acre campus of a hospital in the Colorado city of Wheat Ridge is empty and on the verge of development. But before that happens, voters are deciding in the general election next week whether or not to change the city's height requirements for that area.

Ballot measure 2C asks Wheat Ridge voters to consider making changes to the city's current height requirements at the old Lutheran Hospital campus.

"It actually asks two specific things," Community Development Director Lauren Mikulak said. "We're asking to lower the height further on the perimeter, so from 35 feet to 30 where we have new development potentially adjacent to existing neighborhoods.

"And the second part of the ballot question is to allow up to five stories, or 70 feet, in the middle of the campus."

Mikulak says the change is a necessary first step to making the community developed master plan a reality. It's a blueprint for future development in that area that pushes activity to the center of the property, creating a buffer for current residents.

"We had a lot of scenarios discussed with the public and the preferred scenario communicated that we wanted to protect the perimeter, ensure compatible development, create opportunities for public open space," she said.

Robert Brazell lives next door to the vacant building.

"We don't want any more high density," he said.

While he knows change is coming, he says allowing five-story buildings is too much.

"If we keep it at 30 foot, we'll get a developer in there who will probably build all townhomes," he said. "That's fine. Townhomes are going to be owned by people."

The area around the former hospital is largely made up of single-family homes. He believes keeping the current requirements is a better fit for his neighborhood.

"We're going to have residents who own the property be more invested in our community, and that's really the reason that I'm opposed to what they're trying to do," he said.

Other neighbors CBS Colorado spoke with worry about density increasing in the area with development, but the city spokesperson tells CBS Colorado the city charter also has a requirement for that. It would limit it to 21 units per acre, and she says this ballot measure wouldn't change that.