City To Vote On Creating New Historic District

By Stan Bush

DENVER (CBS4) - On Monday Denver's City Council will vote on the creation of a new historic district in Denver's Highlands Neighborhood.

The proposed Packard's Hill Historic District would span from Lowell Boulevard to Osceola Street and 32nd Avenue to 35th Avenue.

"This seems to be a way to preserve what we have in the neighborhood," says Roger Osam, a supporter of the district.

But the issue has not been met with overwhelming support. In fact, some say it is tearing the neighborhood apart.

"To have someone else tell us our opinions for our own home just isn't fair," says Beau Wynja, who opposes the district.

Wynja bought a home in the area 15 years ago and has been saving for a major remodel, but the proposed district would block his plans.

Supporters say the district is vital to preserving the character of the neighborhood, a largely gentrified block of homes connected to the trendy Highlands Square shopping district.

But opponents of the district argue that with skyrocketing home prices the historic homes in the area are not in danger of being scraped because it is no longer cost effective.

Historic Denver helped supporters secure a grant to launch the issue to a decision by the city.

"The neighborhood is really important because of its cohesiveness and how it interacts with each other and if you don't do that as a whole you'll lose that," says John Olsen, director of preservation for Historic Denver.

Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.