Here’s a brief update on the new residential project at 2460 Welton in the Five Points district, featuring a new rendering of the project, courtesy of Craine Architecture. Here’s the view along Welton:
Our last update on this development was in October when construction started.
So this might just be a function of the angle, but this rendering seems to be missing the upper portion of the development shown in the original rendering. If you look at the original, the building that starts at the corner extended into the space behind the brownstones. But now it does not seem to be visible…any insight into that?
Seriously, how hard is it to put the 1st floor 8 steps up so that pedestrians aren’t looking straight into the window at you? Other cities have got this down to a science..
Agree 1000%. The step-up also provides a feeling of safety for the resident. And while I love the planters in front of the units, they are perfect height to be inviting chairs for uninvited guests.
I agree, especially on a busy street like Welton. I’m no architect but I thought it was common knowledge to elevate the door and living room of a rowhome that has a shallow set-back off the street. It probably comes down to cost and they save cost by not have to excavate a basement.
so many of these new “Denver rowhome” projects are doing this exact same thing. Poor form if you ask me.
Jeff, I agree that the step up off a busy corridor would be beneficial. However,they have already excavated about 25 feet below grade for the parking component of this development. None of the unit will have basement unless you count a parking garage.
A lot of municipalities have very specific requirements about accessibility. Maybe that’s the problem.
This is correct. ADA requirements make it much more difficult to do the traditional half-sunken first floor.
It’s probably a function of zoning, Ballpark Resident. If you want three stories and you can’t build higher than 45′, you’re not raising the first floor by 4′.
That was my thought too. However, it looks like they aren’t building the townhomes to the same height as the apartments, which makes me wonder if there is more height available to them that they aren’t using. If it is maxed out, I would have raised the entrance for privacy and had 9′ ceilings instead of 10′. Ideally, i would want landscape in front for aesthetics/ buffer and then step up to the entrance. Cool project though.
They should still be able to do 3.5 stories under 45′, including the shed at the top for the deck, unless my math is off. Most of these places have like 8′ or 9′ ceilings on the 1st and 3rd levels, and then 10′ on the main level.
8′ ceilings? You will never see a new construction, for sale product, with 8′ ceilings, on any level!
these townhome projects aren’t 10′ ceilings on all levels…
Zoning, The Landmark commission, building code, and accessibility requirements play a huge factor in the form and function of every project in Denver. Before being so critical of every design on this website you should probably do some research.
I personally am very pro-development as are most people on here. Not sure who you are referring to. I think the criticism of the at grade door is valid. There might be a good reason for that feature and if you know, perhaps you can enlighten us. Can you not build a walk-up rowhome anymore? There are several new ones in Lohi that have the steps up so I would imagine its possible.
You can absolutely do walk-up townhomes in Denver. All projects along the Welton Corridor are being reviewed by the city’s Landmark Committee, whom is writing a new set of review guidelines so Welton keeps it’s character and neighborhood feel. (So it does not look like LODO or RINO) If you are interested, you guys should start going to the neighborhood meeting’s for these projects. They are open to the public. The architects are actually listening to the neighbors and the district itself for what they would like to see. (Five Points Business District) Hence a strong connection to Welton. The first floor will be a study or flex space if I do recall from the meeting. Second floor living. Third floor Bedrooms.
Denver Young Professional:
You’re saying that I should delve into the zoning requirements, guidelines from The Landmark commission, building codes for respective neighborhoods, and accessibility requirements factored into the design before commenting that walk-in entrances are not as desirable as elevated entrances.
Unless you have information to prove otherwise; I’ll just say this design could have been improved. Or, for all I know, you might not mind having a homeless guy staring in your window.
I’m thinking first floor study or mud room, second floor living/dining/kitchen, third floor sleeping area. But who knows. Plus blinds, shades and drapes were made to keep out prying eyes.
At the neighborhood meeting the neighborhood was very concerned about the height of these buildings. Even though it is zoned for 8 stories, the neighborhood would like to keep it a 3 story district if they can. Originally the architect proposed a 7 story building, so to give the neighbors 3 story townhomes and a 5 story apartment building was a compromise. The townhomes were kept squat so that they read as a consistent datum along the existing Welton Corridor. Going to these meetings you can see a strong disconnect between the zoning and city’s view of the corridor and the neighborhood’s view of the future of the corridor. Very dynamic meetings.
The problem I have with the neighborhood want to keep it a 3 story district is that, before there were empty lots, there were three story buildings. A city can’t grow if they only fill empty lots with what was there before. If those lots had not been emptied, then the 3-story building would have eventually been replaced with 5-7 story buildings. Keep in mind: Welton St is a mass transit corridor. All the new residents along that corridor will have direct access to downtown. By rail. Development along rail line is the one place where going with higher density makes the most sense. The development on the next block SW of this one is huge missed opportunity: rail line, across from a park, zoned 8 stories. They are only building cheap (looking) 4 story apartments. Plus, since that one is affordable housing, the developer is getting ‘some help’ from the city. What a huge under utilization of land. They should build at least 6 stories, given the aid they are receiving.
Jerry,
While I think most Five Points residents would love to keep things at three stories max, that isn’t happening on this project or on the others that Palisade Partners is doing on Welton.
This is five stories, only the town home portion is only three.
And, in defense of the neighbors, the vast majority are happier to have the five (or, if I remember right, the seven that the Rossonian redevelopment is likely to get) than empty lots.
There are a few neighbors (there always are!) that would rather see no development at all, but they are a small, small minority.
Kieron, you are mostly correct. Most of the neighbors that have expressed opinions in meetings or on Facebook are in favor of the higher buildings, and are happy to see the empty lots disappear. And what is being built fits with what was written in the Area Plan, which was a collaborative effort between the city and the neighborhood.
Like you said, some people would rather have an empty lot or vacant store fronts, but they are not being realistic.
In response to a lot of the comments concerning a raised entry: Colorado Article 5 of Title 9 requires any project with 7+ dwelling units to acquire a Standard For Accessible Housing by providing a specified number of units, which meet different levels of accessibility compliance, toward the project’s “points” requirement. For the currently popular 3-story townhome, the only way to gain the required points, and allow the project to be in compliance, is to provide a number of “visitable” units. These visitable units require an handicap accessible route to the front entrance of a unit, no threshold or step in the path, and have an accessible ready lavatory as a minimum to comply with the Colorado statute. The accessible path must be from a public right-of-way and can’t have steps or extreme slopes. By the letter of the law, there is a requirement that this is the front door, and not a secondary entrance, to provide equal accommodations to both the able-bodied and those who require more accessibility. In an effort to meet these requirements, it creates a situation where a lot of projects look like this one.
Also, Denver Zoning requires “Visibility” and street connection in most of it’s zoning neighborhoods. This requires a project to have lower first floors by mandating a level of transparency (windows), usually between 25-40% of the facade, at a height 2-9 feet off of the street level. This again directs the designs of the project to allow it to get through the Denver Planning and Development process.
I’m not the architect of this project nor am I voicing my opinion one way or the other on the design, but I have been involved in many projects like this one and I think people should be educated as to why these projects are often impacted by a level of requirements and design outside the control of the architect.
Hey Jonw… thanks for the input. I guess we’ve “handicapped” ourselves to accomodate the handicap with regard to raised entry ways.
I don’t know why this is a public guideline for private residences, but oh well..
I thought these townhomes were rentals. If theyre rentals then you’re excluding the handicapped from renting these unless they were accessible. Are the townhomes for sale??
Consistent with JonW’s post, my townhome (grouped with more than 7 other townhomes) in this area has a raised entrance but also has a half bath in the garage (first floor) to meet the “visitable” unit requirement for the townhome complex.