Quality Italian Below Curb Patio - Objection

 
During COVID, the City of Denver allowed for outdoor patios to be placed in public rights of way in order to support businesses and allow people to dine in an outdoor safer environment. After COVID restrictions were lifted and lives were normalizing, the City determined that some of these outdoor venues should be allowed to remain and a series of new ordinances outlining the conditions and requirements for locating outdoor seating on public rights of way were adopted into law.
 
For Cherry Creek, the existence of the below curb Quality Italian dining patio was identified by many residents as a problem from the start.  Now Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association (“CCNNA”) is addressing the new application (the “Application”) for continued location of an outdoor patio structure for Quality Italian in the adjacent parking areas of Columbine Street.
 
CCNNA members living in the condominiums located at 250 Columbine were quick to object to the Application, siting many concerns including that the structure contributed to an already over-busy street, with the only angled parking in Cherry Creek North, thereby restricting sight lines and backing up traffic throughout the intersection at 3rd and Columbine. Other residents have complained about the difficulty in reaching the post office on that same block due to the double-parked cars and the limited parking on the street. Still others have complained about the back-up when buses, ride-share and valet are overburdened.
 
Complaints about the Quality Italian below curb patio from Cherry Creek residents beginning in 2020 were noted and Councilwoman Sawyer and the BID were contacted to help ease the problem. However, in spite of repeated violations, the patio continued to exist until the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (“DOTI”) finally had the patio removed.
 
Quality Italian has now filed for a replacement patio to be located in the street, taking up approximately two parking spaces in front of the restaurant (which is located in the Halcyon Hotel). The application for this new patio and the back-up documents may be found here:
 
 
The applicant has brought its application in front of required City agencies and DOTI has determined that this application requires City Council approval as a Tier III encroachment requiring City Council approval.
 
Based on the requirement for City Council approval, CCNNA is preparing an objection to the application and the location of the below-curb patio. CCNNA is now polling its residents to give them a voice in this objection process. 
 
The most prominent of the objections are as follows:
  1. The location of the below-curb patio on Columbine Street creates a safety hazard for pedestrians and cars by creating traffic congestion, sight-line impairment and pedestrian access restriction;
  2. The 200 block of Columbine is the only street that includes angled parking which makes the drive area even more narrow than other streets and people parking in the angled parking often walk across Columbine to the west side of the street, where the patio is proposed to be located;
  3. The location of the below-curb patio make it even more difficult for cars to see around such a structure, creating even more overall congestion and presenting danger for cars navigating the street;
  4. The US Post Office located on the 200 block of Columbine draws many people who need this service, thereby increasing traffic and creating an even larger demand for nearby parking for people to take packages and mail and retrieve the same;
  5. Bromwell School is just a half block north of the patio’s proposed location and the increased traffic in the afternoon when parents drive to pick up their students at the Columbine pick-up location creates an even more difficult intersection for cars and pedestrians; and
  6. Residents living directly across the street from the below curb patio reported increased traffic and difficulty accessing their parking structure which is accessible only from the 200 block of Columbine.
CCNNA will be filing an objection to City Council seeking to have them reject the application for the location of the below curb patio. PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY TO INCLUDE YOUR VOICE TO THIS OBJECTION EFFORT. If you believe that this patio should be approved, you will be able to make that opinion known to us as well.