In the July 11 decision to delay voting on a socially disruptive rezoning measure, the Aurora City Council made an important stride towards supporting sustainable community development. Denver Meadows, a mobile home community comprising 100 families, has served as a source of affordable housing and homeownership for its residents.
Denver Meadows is currently at risk of being destroyed. Unbeknownst to the residents, in December of 2015, the owner of the park submitted an application to rezone the community from mobile home to transit oriented development. On April 27, 2016, the predominantly Spanish-speaking residents learned about potential rezoning changes for the first time through signs posted only in English. Maria Dolores Chavez, resident of this neighborhood, paid off the $9,000 that was left for her to fully own her home right before she found out about the application, “I wouldn’t have invested so much money if I had known these changes were happening, when I asked the owners if there were plans to sell the property they said no. Now I definitely don’t have enough to move somewhere else, I would have to buy a new home because mine is too old to move.”
By tabling a vote on the proposed rezone on July 11, the Aurora City Council recognized the imprudent development of the proposal. Council members raised concerns regarding the lack of a site plan, community engagement, and consideration for how residents should be compensated if ultimately forced to relocate. Denver Meadows residents and allies view the City Council’s decision as an important first step towards preserving this community, and we applaud the Council’s commitment to fostering an inclusive redevelopment process.
The situation presents a tremendous opportunity. We now have the time to collaborate with the City of Aurora, developers, and other stakeholders to create a solution that preserves this community. One possible alternative includes building a dense replacement community that preserves the Denver Meadows’ residents equity in their property. Without a solution that accounts for the social fabric of this community and the residents’ investments in their homes, Denver Meadows residents face undue precarity.
Displacement can be a violent and disruptive experience for residents. Residents from displaced parks in Southwest Denver, Shady Nook and Belmont, have stated that they have had to “start their lives over,” due to the forced relocation resulting from the closing of their mobile home parks. This harmful tendency of closing down mobile home parks to make room for development is a pattern that has been taking place throughout the Denver Metro Region.
At a time when Aurora’s vacancy rate is virtually zero, preserving the scarce affordable housing available should be a priority for the City. Rezoning could potentially displace many families. Though we recognize the need to bring capital into low-income communities, we look forward to engaging the City and other stakeholders to do so in a sustainable way.
Andrea Chiriboga-Flor is Transit and Housing Organizer for 9to5 Colorado. Komal Vaidya is a community lawyer based in Denver.