Two local land-use reformers are trying to put a sweeping rezoning question in front of Denver voters this November, aiming to allow denser, for-sale housing around parks and transit corridors. They say they have submitted draft ballot language to city staff for review and will need roughly 10,000 valid signatures by early June to qualify for the ballot. Backers argue the proposal would clear a path for townhomes, stacked flats, and small apartment buildings near bus and rail stops without forcing current property owners to sell or redevelop.
What the proposal would change
The current draft lays out three tiers of upzoning tied to how close a property is to transit and parks, with height limits of roughly three, five, or eight stories, depending on the buffer. Under the draft, MU-3x (about three stories) would apply to parcels within 250 feet of medium-frequency bus stops and community parks, 750 feet of bus-rapid-transit lines, or 1,500 feet of rail transit stations. RX-5x (about five stories) would apply inside other transit and park buffers, and MX-8 (about eight stories) would apply closest to rail stations, except where a parcel is already zoned more permissively. Parcels zoned industrial or recreational, along with the airport and educational campuses, would be excluded under the current draft. Denverite reported these details from the draft language.
Who wrote it and how it could reach voters
The measure was drafted by David Pardo and Robert Greer, local land-use advocates active in Denver's pro-housing circles. "Denver has a housing shortage, particularly within the for-sale market, and this is a way of getting more for-sale product into the neighborhoods where people really want to put down roots," Pardo told reporters. The organizers say they have submitted the language to city staff for review and must collect about 10,000 valid signatures by early June to place the measure on the November ballot, although the City Council could instead choose to refer the measure itself. Denverite has the draft text and the organizers' proposed timeline.
Where YIMBY fits in
The campaign plugs directly into a broader YIMBY argument that changing zoning near transit and parks can expand housing supply without wholesale neighborhood demolition. YIMBY Denver frames its work around removing barriers to denser housing, funding affordable homes, and reforming rules that favor single-family sprawl. YIMBY Denver outlines those priorities on its site.
Politics and local precedent
Backers already anticipate a political fight. In 2023, Denver voters rejected a high-profile developer plan to convert the Park Hill Golf Course into housing and retail and instead kept the property under protections that preserved the land as park space. The city's subsequent land-swap and purchase steps to secure the site as parkland highlighted how trust, neighborhood impacts, and campaign messaging can shape local development battles. Axios Denver reported the Park Hill vote results, while Colorado Politics covered the later land-swap agreement.
What to watch next
If organizers hit the signature threshold, Denver's elections division will verify the returns, and the measure would likely trigger fast-moving debate over building design limits, neighborhood character, and affordability impacts. The drafters say they are prepared to adjust distance buffers and maximum lot-size limits after feedback from city staff and further polling, while opponents are expected to stress concerns about scale and parking. Whether it lands on the ballot as a City Council referral or as a citizen initiative, the measure would serve as a citywide test of how Denver voters balance growth near transit and parks with neighborhood priorities.
