Since 1921 - Jefferson County, Colorado
Contact us at protectwideacres@outlook.com
Jeffco Planning Commission Hearing to Approve Comprehensive Plan
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Time: 6:15 pm
Meeting format: Hybrid (in person and online)
In Person Location: Jeffco Admin Building (aka Taj Mahal) 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Hearing Room 1,
Virtual Link (link available closer to meeting date): Join virtually from the Jeffco County Public Meetings web page.
Draft CP/other documents: Case File
The final drafts of the Comprehensive Plan and the Future Land Use Map will be presented to the Jeffco Planning Commission for approval at a hearing on April 8. Anyone can testify at the hearing for up to three minutes, either in person or online. (The planning commission gives final approval to the comprehensive plan. Under state law, the Board of County Commissioners is not involved in the approval of the plan.)
Jeffco Planning & Zoning staff has worked cooperatively with the Wide Acres neighborhood to address the concerns raised by last year's draft plan. The plan and map that will be presented for approval retains the current density and character of the Wide Acres neighborhood. The neighborhood, along with the other areas of Daniels Welchester that are in unincorporated Jeffco, is now designated Suburban Residential on the Future Land Use Map. Click Here to view map.
Here are features of the Suburban Residential designation as described in the Comprehensive Plan that apply to Wide Acres.
SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL (SUB)
CHARACTER AND INTENT:
Suburban Residential areas are characterized by detached residential neighborhoods on moderate lot sizes with some attached residential units. Suburban residential areas are built on a highly connected street pattern and interspersed with schools, public facilities, walkable neighborhood amenities, parks, and trails. Suburban residential areas should be buffered from highways and main arterials.
Following is a (partial) list of uses characteristic of SUB areas:
• Detached single-unit residential units.
• Attached single-unit residential units (duplexes and triplexes)
Compatibility with existing neighborhood character and housing types should be acknowledged. Specific density distributions and transitions will be evaluated and refined during future Area Plan updates to ensure compatibility with surrounding development patterns, urban design principles and infrastructure capacity. Until Area Plans are updated, residential densities should generally be 3 to 7 du/acre.
In 2024, the governor pushed through a law - HB1313 - that requires local governments to add high-density housing along bus routes and near light-rail stations. The law allows for exemptions based on local conditions. The County has asked the State to exempt Wide Acres, Applewood and the South Golden Road corridor from the high-density requirements. If the State grants the exemption for Wide Acres, the neighborhood will maintain the Suburban Residential designation. If the state does not grant the exemption, we will work with County staff to minimize the impacts of any additional density.
The County has until the end of 2027 to comply with HB1313. If an exemption is not granted, the Suburban Residential designation should remain in place until the end of next year, giving the County and the neighborhood additional time to work together on alternatives to address our concerns.
The vacant land on the hill north of the Daniels Park basketball court has been proposed for various developments for more than a decade. The land is currently zoned for commercial use. Under the draft Future Land Use Map the planning commission will approve in April, the future use is designated Mixed Residential. The draft comprehensive plan describes Mixed Residential as "predominantly comprised of detached residential units on smaller lots, with limited townhomes, apartments, and commercial uses" with a density of 7 to 15 dwelling units/acre. The last development proposal for the property, in 2023, had a density of 34 dwelling units/acre. Therefore, any development under the new designation would have a considerably smaller impact on the neighborhood and Daniels Park.
In 2024, Governor Polis signed a bill – HB24-1313 – that MANDATES cities and counties allow Denver-type, high-density housing throughout the metro area. It designates “transit corridors,” which include all properties within a quarter mile of a high-frequency bus route and half mile from a rail station. And that’s where super high-density developments, from 15 to 40+ dwelling units per acre, mostly go.
To submit comments or questions, or to be added to our email list for updates, email us at protectwideacres@outlook.com
©2026 Daniels Welchester Neighborhood Association