As Mayor-elect Mike Johnston prepares to take office next week, some Denver residents are calling on him to make major changes to city planning. 

Around 80 people gathered at Carla Madison Rec Center Monday afternoon to share their thoughts on Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department. This was the latest of Johnston’s 28 planned public forums intended to collect community feedback to develop the priorities for his first 100 days in office. 

Community Planning and Development is responsible for planning, permitting, inspections and land use regulations in Denver. Many of Monday’s forum attendees said they’ve struggled to get assistance and permission from the department for their building projects. 

“The Denver building department has become a nightmare,” said Ann, who asked to use a pseudonym out of fear of retribution. “We had a fire in our home in January and we still have not been able to even demolish the burnt structure. … Something needs to change. We’re not alone.” 

Ann said she has dealt with Community Planning and Development for 44 years, but issues have only arose over the last six years. She was one of numerous community members who spoke of excessive wait times and inefficiency in the department. 

Other concerns discussed during the forum included lack of flexibility, repetition of inspections and requests, confusing processes with no technical or in-person staff support, lack of communication between departments and conflicting outcomes from different reviewers. Overall, forum participants described a “just say no” attitude when trying to rezone property or pursue other projects.  

“(We suggest) really cultivating and creating a culture of ‘yes’ and problem solving,” said Eugene D. Howard. “Instead of telling us ‘no’ and being happy about that.” 

When discussing the city planning for Denver at large, forum participants said the city is losing its unique architecture, sense of place and neighborhood pride. They called for greater density, housing diversity, mixed-use zoning, space for small businesses, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, bike lanes, parks and open space. 

Regarding who Johnston should choose to lead Community Planning and Development, they said someone who understands the city, has a clear vision for the department and isn’t afraid to make big changes. 

In addition to the group discussions, Monday’s participants anonymously submitted written answers to several questions regarding their experiences dealing with city planning and what they’d like to see changed. The answers and discussions will be made into a report to be sent to Johnston on Friday, said forum facilitator Dr. Asia Lyons. 

“The generalization is that the time it takes from the idea … to getting a project completed is taking way too long,” said Susan Powers, co-chair of the Community Planning and Development Committee and president of the redevelopment company Urban Ventures. “It is complicated, the process is not clear, the code is overlapping and conflicting. If we have one thing we can take away from this whole process, that would be it.” 

Eight more public forums will be held before Johnston takes office next Monday, with topics including immigration, education, transportation, housing and homelessness. A schedule of each forum is available at vibrantdenver.com/public-forums.