Zoning Changes to Battle 'Slot Homes' in Denver

"City planners proposed a set of new zoning rules Monday after grappling for more than a year with how to address complaints surrounding the influx of slot homes in fast-redeveloping neighborhoods including Jefferson Park, Five Points and Cherry Creek North," reports Jon Murray.

The primary complaint against slot homes is the lack of street-facing entryways, according to Murray—a design quirk that is not exclusive to Denver.

"Slot homes have drawn the most complaints when developers buy up one or two lots in a residential neighborhood and use zoning allowing rowhouses," according to Murray. "These aren’t traditional rowhomes: The buildings, to some, resemble shoe boxes, with all units built in a structure that’s perpendicular to the street, and often with a drive aisle and garages beneath."

The new zoning rules would amend Denver's 2010 zoning code with "more stringent" regulations on building orientation, setbacks, and height, among other metrics.