FAQs
- All heights would need to default to the Charter limit of 35 feet for residential, including those along the edges of the site that the Charter amendment would have limited to 30 feet.
- Development would still need to be in line with the allowed uses listed in the Master Plan, but open space and building form considerations would need to be sacrificed to accommodate more development locations.
- Allowable uses along the perimeter may need to be expanded to allow for triplexes or other attached products as recommended by the Master Plan.
Does the proposed charter amendment apply to the whole city?
No. The proposed charter amendment does not apply to the whole city. It applies only the portions of the Lutheran Legacy Campus, as illustrated in the image shown here.
Wheat Ridge voters will be asked on their ballots in November if they want to amend the City Charter to implement the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan. This image illustrates the areas on the perimeter, shown in yellow, where the charter amendment would lower the height limit to 30 feet (2.5 stories) and the area in the interior of the site, shown in purple, where the charter amendment would allow up to 70 feet (5 stories). The hospital, which is 91 feet tall, is also shown for reference.
Does the proposed charter amendment change the density allowed on the campus?
No. The Wheat Ridge City Charter limits the density that is allowed across most of the city to 21 unites per acre. The proposed charter amendment will not change the maximum allowed density on the site. If the charter amendment passes, the maximum allowed density will still be 21 units per acre on the Lutheran campus.
How would the Charter be amended if 2C passes?
If voters approve measure 2C, Section 5.10.1 of the City Charter would be amended. The text of this section as it currently is written is included below. The charter amendment would add paragraph (h), which is shown below in bold.
Sec. 5.10.1. - Building height and density limitations.
(a) Height limitations. The city shall not, by ordinance, resolution, motion, permit, or other action, or variance except as provided in subsection (e), allow the construction of buildings or other structures which exceed the following maximum heights:
(1) Thirty-five (35) feet for the following: All residential, planned residential and agricultural districts, including any created after passage of this amendment; residential buildings when built in nonresidential districts; the hospital-one district; and the restricted commercial-one district.
(2) Fifty (50) feet for the following: Any other commercial, planned commercial, industrial or planned industrial districts; the public buildings and facilities district; commercial and office buildings constructed in the hospital-two district; and any nonresidential district created after passage of this amendment.
(3) Sixty-five (65) feet, but in no event more than six (6) stories above grade, for new hospitals in the hospital-two district, on a minimum lot area of fifty (50) acres; however, additions attached to existing hospitals in this district may be built to a height not to exceed the height of the existing building.
The height limitations established shall not apply to the following: Church steeples, silos, decorative domes and cupolas not used for human occupancy or any commercial, business or industrial use, nor to windmills, chimneys, ventilators, transmission towers, solar heating and cooling devices, water towers, antennas, or necessary mechanical appurtenances normally carried above the roofline, but the city council may, by ordinance, establish height limitations for these structures.
(b) […]
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section 5.10.1, the limitations upon building height contained herein shall be amended for the former Lutheran Hospital campus to restrict residential structures to a maximum height of 30 feet (2.5 stories) when in proximity to adjacent residential neighborhoods east, west, and south of the campus and to limit all structures to a maximum height of 70 feet (5 stories) in the interior portion of the campus south of 38th Avenue between Lutheran Parkway and Lutheran Parkway West including an area southeast of Lutheran Parkway (as shown as “Mixed-Use” on page 51 of the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan, adopted October 25, 2021). This shall not modify any current zoning on any property and shall preserve existing height and density limitations in the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws unless and until modified through future ordinances approved by city council after public hearings.
Note: Several questions have come up about the last sentence in the paragraph. The last sentence simply means that the City Charter cannot change the zoning on the property. The Legacy Lutheran Campus zoning may only be amended by ordinance, which requires a public hearing process through City Council.
Where did the hospital move?
On August 3rd of this year, Lutheran Medical Center moved to 12911 W 40th Avenue in Clear Creek Crossing.
Are all the medical offices moving, too?
West Pines Behavioral Hospital is planning to move to a larger facility in Westminster in early 2025. Most hospital and affiliated clinics will relocate to the Medical Office Building on the new Clear Creek Crossing campus this fall. Lutheran Hospice, the Foothills Medical Office, and the three primary Medical Office Buildings in the center of campus (under separate ownership) will continue to operate at their current location.
How do planning, zoning, and development relate to each other?
If zoning rules align with City plans, then (over time) the built environment reflects our desired character—we get the homes, businesses, corridors and open space that the community wants to see. The table below provides more information on what is included for each step and what it means for the Lutheran Legacy Campus.
Process | What is it? | What does it mean for the Legacy Campus? |
Planning | Planning for the future means we adopt long-range documents that communicate what we want our City to look and feel like. | The Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan is our vision document for the site. |
Zoning | Zoning dictates how property can be developed and is the link between planning and the real world built environment you see around you. | A zone change will allow our vision to become a reality, and it will provide appropriate guardrails for future development. |
Built Environment | If zoning rules are aligned with adopted plans, then property owners develop buildings and sites that align with our vision. | The City will not purchase or redevelop the site, instead, a developer will eventually use the Master Plan and the updated zoning to redevelop the Legacy Campus in a way that honors our vision. |
When did the city decide to pursue a city-initiated zone change and charter change?
Wheat Ridge City Council discussed whether to pursue a city-initiated zone change and charter change in two different City Council meetings on April 8 and May 13, 2024. The staff reports and recordings for these meetings are available on wheatridgespeaks.org, or at the following direct links:
This update was also presented to the community at the Let’s Talk Wheat Ridge open houses on April 16th, 2024 and June 6, 2024. City Council discussed the direction of the rezone at a Study Session on July 15, 2024. City Council voted to advance the ballot initiative to amend the charter height restrictions in a Study Session on August 5, 2025.
Would the rezoning be affected if the Charter amendment does not pass?
Yes. The proposed heights permitted in the center of the campus are dependent on the Charter being amended. That means that if the Charter amendment is not approved by voters, the content of the zoning ordinance would need to be modified to retain feasibility of development, including but not limited to:
Why did I get a call or text about a ballot question to amend the Charter?
Wheat Ridge contracted with Magellan Strategies to do polling advance of putting a charter amendment on this year’s ballot. This is standard practice, and it means that a sample of randomly selected residents get a call or text asking them some questions to understand how voters feel about a potential ballot measure. The purpose of this polling was to inform City Council on a potential ballot question. This does not replace the public outreach and engagement from the Master Plan and other ongoing processes that inform the future of Wheat Ridge.
Because the polling is seeking to reach a sample of voters, not everyone got a call or text. If there is a ballot questions to amend the Charter, every Wheat Ridge voter will have the opportunity to cast their vote on the issue.
How is the property currently zoned and why?
The Lutheran Legacy Campus is currently zoned "Hospital". This zoning was a natural choice for the property as the hospital existed before the city was incorporated. As the law currently stands, medical buildings up to 65 feet are allowed to be built on the property including in some locations along the perimeter.