Community Livability is a bilingual English/Spanish board of the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan, published by City and County of Denver Planning and Development in November 2025. It asks which community livability priorities the plan should focus on most and summarizes existing-conditions findings for the area. It is not a permit or application, so if you arrived searching for a Denver permit, this is a different kind of document. On this page you can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it; the original is published by the City of Denver at denvergov.org.
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What is Community Livability – Denver, CO?
Community Livability is a display board of the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan, prepared by City and County of Denver Planning and Development (Community Planning and Development, CPD) to gather public input on livability priorities and to present existing conditions in the study area.
The board carries the title "Community Livability / Habitabilidad de la Comunidad" and the subtitle "Existing Conditions / Condiciones Existentes", dated November 2025. A legend marks the small area boundary, RTD transit stations and lines, the railroad, the Burnham Rail Yard, community amenities (libraries, schools, childcare, historic landmarks, recreation center, food outlets) and land-use categories.
One question is posed to the public: what community livability priorities the plan should focus on most. Examples listed include preserving historic character and heritage, creating new community spaces, strengthening arts and cultural destinations, improving access to healthy food, supporting small local businesses and balancing new housing with neighborhood character.
The board then sets out opportunities and challenges under six headings: Historic Legacy, Land Use, Access to Food, Community Assets and Amenities, Existing Commercial Nodes & Corridors, and Housing Character.
It is not a permit, a building permit application or any other filing with the city. It belongs to a community planning process, separate from the Large Development Review (LDR) that the Burnham Yard site must also go through.
Who needs to file Community Livability – Denver, CO?
The board is aimed at people who want to take part in the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan. The CPD project page says it wants to hear from residents, local business owners, students, neighborhood groups and community-serving organizations, including long-time residents and newcomers, young people and families, and people who live, work or will spend time in the area.
Nobody is required to use it. It is not a filing, and nothing on the board states an obligation, eligibility rule or signature requirement.
Residents of the La Alma Lincoln Park and Baker neighborhoods, where Burnham Yard is located, are the neighborhoods the project page names first, but it invites everyone who wants to participate.
Do not use it if you need a permit, license or registration from the City and County of Denver. It does not produce one.
When to file Community Livability – Denver, CO
No filing deadline is printed on the board. It is listed among the handouts and boards for Public Open House 1, held Wednesday, November 19, with drop-in hours between 5 and 7 p.m. at La Alma Recreation Center, 1325 W 11th Ave, Denver.
The CPD project page describes a planning process expected to conclude with plan adoption near the end of 2026, with the Denver Planning Board and City Council reviewing the draft at public hearings. Comments received after the Planning Board hearing are packaged with the staff report for City Council. Check the project page for current comment dates.
How to fill out Community Livability – Denver, CO
Read the title and legend
Note the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan title, the November 2025 date and the legend for the small area boundary, RTD stations and lines, amenities and land-use colors.
Answer the priorities question
Respond to "What Community Livability priorities should the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan focus on most?" You may use the listed examples, such as preserving historic character or supporting small local businesses, or write your own under Others.
Review Historic Legacy and Land Use
Read the opportunities and challenges for the first two columns, including reuse of old buildings and the mix of light industrial, railyard and single-family uses.
Review Access to Food and Community Assets
Read the findings on local food enterprises and food access, and on spaces such as Lincoln Park and the Junkyard music venue.
Review Commercial Nodes and Housing Character
Read the findings that no commercial nodes exist in the study area and on balancing mid- and high-rise development with the low-rise housing character.
Add your own comments
Write the priorities or concerns you want planners to see next to the matching topic.
Review and download the PDF
Check your entries, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and send comments through the channels described under How to submit.
How to submit Community Livability – Denver, CO
The board itself prints no mailing address, portal or return instructions. Public input on the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan goes through the channels on the CPD project page:
- Project page: Burnham Yard Small Area Plan lists links to read the draft plan online and comment on it, to download the draft PDF and to submit comments and questions.
- Email: Jonathan Webster, Senior City Planner and Project Manager, [email protected].
- Printed copies: the project page says printed copies of the plan and comment form are available at listed sites.
The page says comments are reviewed by the planning team and, depending on timing, packaged with the staff report for the Denver Planning Board or the Denver City Council. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the board as a permit or building permit application; it is a planning board and starts no city approval.
- Reading the existing-conditions findings as adopted policy; the plan is still a draft, with adoption anticipated near the end of 2026.
- Confusing the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan process with Large Development Review (LDR), which is a separate process that runs concurrently.
- Expecting comments sent after the Planning Board hearing to reach the Planning Board; the project page sends them to City Council with the staff report.
- Skipping the central question about which community livability priorities the plan should focus on most.
- Assuming the board lists a return address; it prints none, so use the channels on the CPD project page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Community Livability board?
It is a November 2025 board of the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan from City and County of Denver Planning and Development. It asks which livability priorities the plan should focus on most and summarizes opportunities and challenges across six topics.
Is this a Denver permit or building permit form?
No. The Community Livability board is part of a community planning process and does not request or grant any permit. For permits, check the City and County of Denver's own permitting pages; this document is only a plan board.
Is the Community Livability board available in Spanish?
Yes. The board prints every heading and paragraph in English and Spanish, for example "Community Livability / Habitabilidad de la Comunidad" and "Existing Conditions / Condiciones Existentes".
Where is Burnham Yard?
Burnham Yard is a 58-acre decommissioned railyard closed in 2016, in City Council District 3 between 4th and 13th Avenues, bordered by Seminole Road and Osage Street. It lies in the La Alma-Lincoln Park statistical neighborhood and borders Baker.
How do I give feedback on the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan?
Use the links on the CPD project page to read the draft plan and comment, or to submit comments and questions. You can also email Senior City Planner Jonathan Webster at [email protected].
What happens to comments on the plan?
The CPD project page says early comments are reviewed by the planning team and may be added to the draft. Later comments go with the staff report to the Denver Planning Board, and comments after that hearing go to City Council.
Can I fill out the Community Livability board online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the City of Denver and does not submit anything; send your input through the channels on the CPD project page.
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