Lutheran Legacy Campus
Lutheran Legacy Campus: Year Four of Implementing Residents' Vision
Wheat Ridge is taking decisive action to shape the future of the former Lutheran Legacy Campus, ensuring more parks, diverse housing, and a walkable community—while preserving key cherished structures and protecting neighborhood character.
In an unprecedented move, private developers will be required to dedicate 20% of the property for public use, doubling the standard for similar mixed-use developments. That means more open space, including a publicly accessible trail across the campus and open space along Dudley Street. This trail will connect to regional paths, making it easier for residents to walk, bike, and commute safely while enjoying new green spaces.
The new zoning requirements also ensure that growth is balanced. Lower-density housing will be required to be placed along the campus perimeter, blending with existing neighborhoods, while taller buildings (capped at five stories) will be concentrated in the center. This approach preserves open space, enhances walkability, and allows for a variety of housing options—including townhomes, apartments, and single-unit homes—to meet the needs of current and future residents.
And this isn’t just a city initiative—it’s what the community asked for. The zoning aligns with the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan, shaped by 1,200 residents through surveys, public meetings, and workshops. The rezoning process ensures that development follows the community's vision, rather than being dictated by a developer, making clear to anyone who purchases the property rezoning is not an option.
Preserving Key Assets and Community Character
While the campus will evolve, its history won’t be erased. The zoning protects important community landmarks like the Blue House and chapel, preserving Wheat Ridge’s heritage while allowing for future growth.
The thoughtful approach to density was reinforced by voters in November 2023, when 67% of residents approved a five-story height limit on the center of the site—a move that ensures lower heights on the perimeter complementing the character of surrounding neighborhoods.
Traffic and Infrastructure Planning
Redevelopment inevitably raises concerns about traffic and infrastructure. That’s why before any construction begins, developers will be required to conduct traffic and parking studies and fund necessary improvements, including sidewalks, streets, drainage, and water systems.
Within the campus, pedestrian and bicycle connections will be a priority, ensuring that residents can easily access parks, businesses, and new community spaces.
Next Steps: Public Hearing on April 14
The Wheat Ridge City Council will hold a public hearing on April 14 to vote on whether to apply the new zoning to the Lutheran Legacy Campus. Residents are encouraged to attend, provide feedback, and learn more about how these changes will shape the future of Wheat Ridge.
Where we are now?
Lutheran Hospital moved to Clear Creek Crossing on August 3, 2024. Intermountain Health is selling the now vacant, 100-acre campus in the heart of Wheat Ridge, creating a once in a generation opportunity to shape this area to meet our community needs.
The City of Wheat Ridge adopted the community-created Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan in 2021. Here's what's happening now to put that plan into action:
- Charter Change: Wheat Ridge voters voted in November 2024 to amend the city charter to enable implementation of the Master Plan. For more information, visit the Charter Change page.
- Creating Zoning Rules: City Council voted to approve the new mixed use zoning regulations for the Lutheran Legacy Campus. For more information, visit the Zoning Rules page.
- Zone Change: Soon, the property will undergo a zone change to apply these new zoning rules to the Lutheran Legacy Campus site. For more information, visit the Zone Change page.
- Metro District: Intermountain Health is initiating the creation of a metro district to finance, build, and maintain public infrastructure at the campus. For more information, visit the Metro District page.
Want to get involved? Learn about upcoming opportunities here.
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Metro Districts
Share Metro Districts on Facebook Share Metro Districts on Twitter Share Metro Districts on Linkedin Email Metro Districts linkIf your property is adjacent to the former hospital campus, you may have recently received a letter about a Legacy Metropolitan District. The letter was confusing because it appeared to be from the City when it was actually from Intermountain Health. It included information about a metro district service plan, but it did not include explanatory detail. Below is information about metro districts in general and about the Legacy Metropolitan District that Intermountain Health has proposed.
The LLC Master Plan recommends the creation of a Metropolitan District (or "metro district") for the campus. This is a type of special district that can finance, build and maintain public infrastructure. At the former hospital campus, the existing roads are currently privately owned and maintained. A metro district would improve those roads, build new roads, maintain all roads, improve open space and maintain open space. It may also fund upgrades and expansions to drainage systems, water lines, and sanitary sewer lines.
In some ways a metro district is similar to an HOA in that it affects only owners within the HOA, and it raises money to fund and maintain improvements. Because a metro district is a type of special district, the process of creating a Metro District is dictated by state law:
- A service plan is written to describe the boundary of the district, the districts responsibilities, and the mill rate they can levy.
- City Council reviews the service plan.
- The property owners within the proposed district vote to create the district.
- Property owners and residents within a metro district pay an additional property tax to fund construction and maintenance of improvements within the district.
In the case of the former hospital campus, the current property owner (Intermountain Health) is initiating the creation of a metro district, and they sent letter notice of that intent in late January. Here’s what you should know:
- The metro district would only include property within the boundary of the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan. No adjacent properties will be included in the district or subject to the district’s mill levy. See aerial photo marking the boundary in red below.
- The draft service plan will be presented to City Council in a study session on February 10 for comment.
- The service plan will be presented to City Council for approval at a public hearing on February 24.
- Properties within the metro district will vote in May to form the district.
The proposed service plan will be available for review on Wheat Ridge Speaks for the meeting dates noted above.
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Zoning Rules
Share Zoning Rules on Facebook Share Zoning Rules on Twitter Share Zoning Rules on Linkedin Email Zoning Rules linkWhat is Zoning?
Zoning dictates how property can be developed by establishing permitted uses, maximum heights, minimum setbacks, maximum densities, open space requirements, and architectural requirements.
The City of Wheat Ridge will not develop or purchase the Lutheran Legacy Campus, but the City does control zoning, so custom zoning rules were written specifically for the Lutheran Legacy Campus in alignment with the Master Plan. The new zone district is called “Mixed Use-Lutheran Legacy Campus” or MU-LLC, and it is designed to implement the community-driven Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan.
What will the proposed zoning include?
The new "Mixed Use-Lutheran Legacy Campus" zone district provides regulations and rules that create some certainty around the following questions:
What will the area near existing homes look like?
On the east, south, and west sides of the campus, the first row of development will:
- Limit uses to single-unit homes, duplexes, and open space. No townhomes or apartments will be allowed. Height in this area will be limited to 2.5 stories (30 feet).
- Require pitched roofs for any building that is 2.5 stories and prohibit 3-story flat roofed buildings.
- Prohibit rooftop or second story decks in the rear third of the lot to protect privacy of adjacent residents.
Examples of 2.5 story houses. The sloped roof results in a third story that is smaller than the lower stories.__________________
What will the 38th Avenue frontage look like?
Currently, the hospital is set back from 38th Avenue. To maintain that transition between the street and buildings on the campus, zoning regulations require that buildings are set back as far from the street as they are tall. For example, a 70 foot tall building would need to be set back 70 feet from the property line. If the building is tiered (think of a wedding cake), as the building grows in height, the taller section will be pushed further from 38th Avenue. See the examples below for a visual representation of this requirement.
Example 1: Setback applied to a building along 38th Avenue
Example 2: Setback and step back applied to a tiered building along 38th Avenue__________________
What will happen with the chapel and blue house?
The master plan states that future development should integrate existing assets, such as the chapel, blue house, and trail along the Rocky Mountain Ditch, to the greatest extent possible. This translates into zoning rules that:
- Require justification as to how the developer intends to rehabilitate and/or incorporate the chapel, the blue house, and the tuberculous tent into the new development.
- Provide direction to coordinate with the Rocky Mountain Ditch with the goal of retaining a trail along the ditch.
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What about the interior of the campus?
The master plan states that to preserve a lower density transition on the perimeter of the site, integrate the assets that the community identified as important, and maintain economically feasible development, the interior of the campus will be afforded more flexibility in both land use and height. Implementation of this expectation translate into zoning rules that:
- Allow a mix of uses including community destinations, employment, and housing in the center of the campus and along 38th Avenue.
- Prohibit auto-oriented uses such as drive-throughs, gas stations, car washes, and auto sales.
- Allow civic and some commercial/retail uses.
- Require windows, signage and lighting designed for pedestrians.
- Allow building heights up to 70 feet (5 stories). As a point of reference, the existing hospital building is 91 feet tall.
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What about open space?
The zoning requires consolidated, meaningful open space including parks, plazas, trails, and natural areas. This includes required public open space along Dudley, a trail along the Rocky Mountain Ditch, pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the site, regional stormwater management with enhanced design requirements, an analysis of existing trees, and public open space amenities throughout the site.
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How will people get around and park?
Traffic and parking studies will be required once a redevelopment is proposed. The developer will be responsible for any infrastructure improvements required to accommodate the proposed development, including sidewalks, streets, and on-street parking. Staff review will encourage the developer to consolidate parking, particularly in areas with commercial or retail uses. Within the site, pedestrian and bicycle connections will be required throughout the campus to ensure access to all open space amenities. An extension of 35th Avenue into the campus at Dudley will be prohibited for vehicle traffic but required for people walking or biking.
What if I want even more details?
For more details on the zoning framework, you can check out the staff report for the January 27 City Council meeting.
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Charter Change
Share Charter Change on Facebook Share Charter Change on Twitter Share Charter Change on Linkedin Email Charter Change linkOn November 5, Wheat Ridge voters approved 2C, a key ballot measure that will shape the redevelopment of the former Lutheran Hospital campus. The approved measure amends the city's charter to establish new building height regulations on the 100-acre campus.
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What does the City Charter say now that the ballot measure passed?
The approved charter amendment updates the maximum building heights allowed on the Lutheran Legacy Campus. It lowers the maximum building height for residential structures to 30 feet (2.5 stories) near neighborhoods adjacent to the east, west, and south of the campus (shown in yellow below). In the interior portion of the site (shown in purple below), buildings will be limited to 70 feet (5 stories). This height will ensure open space, community amenities, and diverse housing options while remaining significantly shorter than the now vacant hospital building.
Wheat Ridge voters approved a ballot measure 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 was amended to lower the height limit to 30 feet (2.5 stories) and the areas in the interior of the site, shown in purple, where the charter amendment would allow up to 70 feet (5 stories). As a point of reference, the hospital is 91 feet tall. The approved charter amendment does not apply to the whole city. It applies only to the portions of the Lutheran Legacy Campus shown in yellow or purple in the image above. It also does not impact the allowed density on the campus. The Wheat Ridge City Charter currently limits the density that is allowed across most of the city to 21 units per acre. The approved charter amendment does not change the maximum allowed density on the site.
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Why was there a ballot question about building heights on Lutheran Legacy Campus?
Wheat Ridge is one of the few communities that restricts building height in its City Charter. The charter limits new buildings in most areas of the city to 35 feet for residential structures and 50 feet for non-residential. Many existing buildings, including the 91-foot-tall former hospital, exceed this limit.
A charter amendment is critical to achieving many goals of the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan, including:
- Guarantees shorter heights adjacent to existing neighborhoods,
- Frees up land for public uses like open space, trails, plazas, and sidewalks, by...
- Clustering taller buildings in the middle of the campus,
- Allows a variety of housing types–detached and attached, to rent and to own, and
- Ensures visual variety so not all building heights are the same height.
Therefore, a critical step in implementing the Master Plan was amending the Charter to adjust allowed building heights on the campus. The Charter can only be amended by ballot. If you would like to see the exact text of the charter change approved by this ballot question, check out this FAQ.
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Lutheran Master Plan
Share Lutheran Master Plan on Facebook Share Lutheran Master Plan on Twitter Share Lutheran Master Plan on Linkedin Email Lutheran Master Plan linkWe have a community-created, council-adopted Master Plan
The city began preparing for the hospital’s departure from the Legacy Campus in early 2021 by facilitating a master planning process. From April 2021 to October 2021, community members were asked to share their vision for the future of the Legacy Campus.
The Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan was formally adopted by City Council in October 2021. It outlines a framework for future development and describes community expectations and goals that reflect public input and retain reasonable flexibility for future owners.
The development framework map on the left below illustrates the plan’s key expectations. Lower density and lower intensity uses are shown in yellow on the perimeter of the site, and a mix of uses that can be taller and more dense are shown in purple in the interior of the site. Reflecting these same principles, the suitability maps below show where certain land uses would be appropriate if they are proposed in the future.
The master plan describes three key expectations which represent the central tradeoff associated with future redevelopment:
- The perimeter should serve as a buffer and transition between the campus and existing adjacent neighborhoods,
- Future development should integrate existing assets to the greatest extent possible (such as the chapel, blue house, and trail along the Rocky Mountain Ditch), and in exchange,
- To make expectations #1 and #2 economically feasible, the interior will be afforded more flexibility in terms of land use and height.
Videos
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This video is for informational purposes only. The City of Wheat Ridge adopted the resident informed Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan in 2021, to help guide the future of the campus after the hospital moves. To implement that plan, the city is working to rezone the property, and council has voted to bring a ballot measure before voters this November that makes adjustments to height requirements on the property.
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