Just weeks after Wheat Ridge City Council unanimously approved rezoning the 100-acre Lutheran Legacy Campus, a citizen-led petition looks to overturn the decision and force a re-vote, that could lead to a special election later this year.
The council’s April 28 vote established a new zone district known as Mixed Use–Lutheran Legacy Campus, with a framework that preserves buildings of historic significance, requires 20% open space, and limits building height to five stories in the center of the campus Lower-density housing (2.5 stories) is planned around the perimeter to blend into nearby neighborhoods, with some walkable retail and restaurant spaces in the interior.
Despite a 67% voter approval of a charter amendment supporting the height limits on the property in 2024, a protest petition filed by Wheat Ridge residents aims to put the issue back on the ballot. Petitioners must gather 1,300 valid signatures – around 10% of the city’s registered voters – by June 12 to trigger next steps. If the petition is successful, City Council will be required to either reverse its decision or let voters decide the matter at the ballot box, as early as August or during the general election in November.
The April 28 City Council meeting drew nearly 50 speakers and exposed a deep rift between the rezoning’s opponents and supporters.
“I have personally managed communities where mentally unhealthy individuals who should not be living independently were placed,” said resident Tracy Martin. “I have also seen firsthand how these properties can be overtakeBy family members or outsiders who exploit the original residents, using the units for illegal drug sales, prostitution and other criminal activity… Allowing high-density, low-income housing at the Legacy Lutheran site would permanently alter the character of Wheat Ridge.”
Rolly Sorrentino also expressed concern as to whether City Council is representing the interests of Wheat Ridge residents. “Lutheran Legacy Campus is the last jewel in the city of Wheat Ridge, and you’re proposing to absolutely eviscerate it,” he said. “These people are here that you’re supposed to represent, and the complaint is you don’t represent the citizens anymore. You know in your heart that people don’t want this … Make a great park out of that place and eliminate high-density, high-rise apartments there.”
Others expressed worry that the rezoning will increase traffic, disrupt nearby neighborhoods, and detract from Wheat Ridge’s small-town charm. Some voiced suspicion that the process favored developers and communicated the rezoning too vaguely to voters.
Still, many other Wheat Ridge residents have voiced strong support for the rezoning. Andrea Burch, president of Lutheran Medical Center and a longtime nurse, spoke from personal experience at the City Council meeting. “I am here to represent the essential workers at that hospital, many of whom cannot afford to live here where they work,” she said. “Many of the entry-level caregivers who support that hospital aren’t able to afford to live here where they work, and that hospital can’t run without them. On behalf of those essential workers, I would urge you to move forward with this to support affordable housing for our workforce here in this community.”
Valerie Beck echoed the need for more attainable housing in Wheat Ridge. “My sister just lost out on a bidding war for a $900,000 single-family home in Wheat Ridge – she and her husband and two-year-old,” she said. “Someone came in with an all-cash offer and $30,000 over asking. We need more options so people can live here and work here.”
Other supporters argued that the plan reflects the community’s priorities, pointing to the 67% of voters who approved it at the ballot box. They also pointed to the plan’s open-space requirement, height limits, and historic building preservation as indicators that the development will be thoughtful and community-focused. Several residents expressed concern that misinformation and fear-mongering had been used to mischaracterize the project, especially around claims of high-density, low-income housing, which don’t appear in the rezoning plan.
“Some of [the opposition] stems from misinformation, especially around affordable housing,” says Amanda Harrison, Communications and Engagement Manager for the City of Wheat Ridge. “Contrary to rumors, this site is not slated for Section 8 housing. The goal is to create a range of attainable housing – things like workforce apartments and smaller homes that city staff, teachers, or nurses can actually afford.”
Harrison also emphasizes that any future development at the Lutheran Legacy Campus must go through a strict series of approvals. “Developers won’t just get a blank slate,” she says. “Every step will go through review.”
If the petition succeeds, voters could face a special election that would once again have the potential to shape the Lutheran Legacy Campus’s future – and the future identity of Wheat Ridge.
