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40 West Arts District and Urban Design and Mobility Planning - A Collaborative Effort

PROJECT Project Title: 40 West Arts District and Urban Design and Mobility Planning - A Collaborative Effort
NominationDate: 1/19/2012 2:24 PM
Local Government: City of Lakewood
Cooperating Government: 
Summary:
In early 2011, the City of Lakewood began working with the Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District, interested residents, students, businesses, community members, and neighborhood and business associations to explore opportunities for creating an arts district in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) campus and the Lamar Street light rail station in northeast Lakewood and also to identify opportunities to improve pedestrian and bicycle mobility between the station and adjacent neighborhoods. The idea for an arts district in this area emerged during previous planning efforts that focused on opportunities to revitalize West Colfax Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods. The City received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve livability in areas with potential brownfield contamination and Lakewood used this opportunity to initiate a dialogue with the community about creating an arts district, encouraging infill investment in an economically challenged area surrounding the Lamar Street neighborhood walk-up light rail station (opening in 2013 as part of the West Corridor), and promoting multimodal mobility through improved sidewalks, bicycle facilities, and car and bike share programs. Out of this collaborative planning effort, the 40 West Arts District Urban Design and Mobility Concepts plan was created (and adopted by City Council as an amendment to the Lakewood Comprehensive Plan). A grassroots group of local activists, the 40 West Champions, also emerged and is now bringing the arts district to life.
Problem:
The West Colfax Avenue corridor, which forms the spine of the 40 West Arts District, is located within the Jefferson County West Colfax Corridor Enterprise Zone and is an historically economically challenged area. However, several key recent investments have occurred, including the formation of the Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District (BID) in 2011 and the West Corridor light rail line (opening in 2013 along the District’s southern border). This project facilitated a dialogue with the community about creating an arts district to capitalize on these recent investments and to serve as a catalyst for economic growth and reinvestment in this area. This planning effort also addressed improving the inadequate pedestrian and bicycle access to the Lamar Station from adjacent neighborhoods, schools, and the West Colfax Avenue corridor. The 40 West Arts District Urban Design and Mobility Concepts plan provides specific recommendations to improve multimodal transportation in the area. Finally, the project addressed potential brownfield conditions in the area that could impede infill development and growth. The area has a long history of industrial and auto-oriented land uses. The EPA grant allowed the City and its partners to identify sites with potential brownfield contamination and outline steps for further analysis and clean-up.
Description:
An extensive and collaborative public involvement process was a key part of this planning effort. A series of five public open houses was held to gain community input and a groundswell of community support for the arts district and mobility improvements quickly became apparent. Fewer than 30 attendees participated in the first planning open house in February 2011. Attendance grew substantially at subsequent open houses and by the fourth open house and arts celebration that launched the 40 West Arts District in June 2011 there were over 200 attendees. A task force with representatives from the Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District, Two Creeks and Northeast Lakewood neighborhood organizations, RMCAD, Residences at Creekside, Lakewood Arts Council, and Lakewood Brick also met monthly from February through July. A website and Facebook page was created and was used to provide updates and solicit citizen feedback, which encouraged collaboration from a larger audience. The City of Lakewood and the BID also collaborated with a group of RMCAD students who generated naming and branding ideas for the arts district. The name 40 West, which was created by the students, was selected through a public process as the name for the new arts district. The name reflects the historic character of West Colfax Avenue – U.S. Highway 40. As part of the planning process for the arts district, opportunities to enhance the environmental, social, and economic health of the community were considered. The 40 West Arts District Urban Design and Mobility Concepts plan (available on the project website at www.Lakewood.org/lamarartdistrict) provides recommendations related to the design and location of future transportation improvements such as sidewalks, street intersections, and an arts bike loop. Also, the intersections of Lamar Street with West Colfax Avenue and West 14th Avenue are recommended to be substantially improved to provide better safety and connectivity for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles. An on-street arts bike loop to be delineated by colored pavement is envisioned throughout the area to connect parks, light rail, the RMCAD campus and other important destinations. Implementation of these recommendations will improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity between the Lamar Station and adjacent businesses and neighborhoods in northeast Lakewood. The plan also recommends locations for car and bike share stations and presents concepts for lighting, clear and attractive directional signage, and other improvements to public spaces to enhance the arts district concept. A significant outcome of this collaborative planning project was the conception of a self-initiated, grassroots Arts District Champions group that formed after the third open house, with leadership from the BID. This group met independently of the City-led process to create the urban design and mobility document. The group hosts a 40 West Arts District website (www.40WestArts.org) and Facebook page, and has held fundraising and arts events. They are continuing their efforts to move the arts district vision forward with several major events planned for 2012. They also applied for designation as a Creative District through Colorado Creative Industries (outcome pending). The 40 West Arts District and the Urban Design and Mobility Concepts plan help advance several areas of DRCOG’s Metro Vision 2035 Plan, including: PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE REGION'S QUALITY OF LIFE Metro Vision supports creating interesting and livable communities; cultural and entertainment facilities; and employment and educational opportunities. The 40 West Arts District embraces all of these components. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT The creation of the 40 West Arts District will help limit expansion of the urbanized area by creating a unique environment that is ripe with opportunity for infill and redevelopment, directly adjacent to the Lamar Street light rail station. Land use in this area is guided by the Lamar Street Station Area Plan, also created through a collaborative effort and adopted as an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan in 2010. Land use recommendations call for compact, higher-density development, and there are significant opportunities for use of vacant or under-developed parcels. Re-use of vacant space within the District is already in motion and includes the recent purchase by A&E Fine Woodworking of a vacant, 11,000 SF warehouse, with half being used for its operations and half for art studios, galleries and classroom space; the conversion of the Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District office to multiuse "co-working" space; RMCAD's acquisition of the vacant Albertson's grocery store, to be redeveloped as a main entrance to the college (from Colfax Avenue), just 2 blocks from the Lamar Station; and unused retail space on Colfax Avenue that is being made available to the arts district for purposes such as a gallery and the sale of art-related items. ACCESSIBLE AND LINKED OPEN SPACE Four public parks are located within the 40 West Arts District. Concepts for environmental art installations in the parks and an arts loop/green bike lane through the District to connect the parks with important destinations, such as the Lamar Street light rail station and RMCAD, are envisioned in the Urban Design and Mobility plan. The green bike lane would use the existing road network and provide a new recreation and mobility element at a low cost. ENVIRONMENT AND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Implementation of the plan will create a more walkable environment, bike/car share opportunities, and a variety of transportation options connected to transit (bus and light rail) to help people meet their daily travel needs, which is especially important in this area that has a high percentage of lower income and elderly residents (there are 2 senior living facilities within the District). Plan implementation will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the number of alternative transportation facilities (on-street bike lanes, continuous sidewalks, and intersection treatments to improve ped/bike mobility), and reduce SOV mode share and VMT, all of which are Metro Vision goals. The 40 West Arts District will also be the focus of a sustainability study in February. Global Green USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding solutions to global warming, will be visiting the 40 West Arts District and meeting with stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve sustainability within the District, which may include recommendations for street width reductions, ecological restoration, integrated energy and water infrastructure, new standards for in-fill and transit-oriented development, or zoning code revisions to allow for urban agriculture or mixed-use development.
Modification Details:
Arts districts are recognized to be catalysts for economic growth and reinvestment in other similar areas; however, the idea for creating an arts district in northeast Lakewood was an original, community-initiated concept that evolved over the years through various planning efforts to help revitalize West Colfax Avenue and the area surrounding the Lamar Street light rail station. The collaborative effort on this project brought reality to the arts district vision and resulted in the 40 West Arts District Urban Design and Mobility Concepts plan that identifies specific implementation strategies to improve multimodal mobility in the area and help create a unique sense of place.

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