The vacant lot at 12680 E. Albrook Drive in Montbello will not become a new apartment complex or retail strip after all. The Denver City Council has voted to strip the site of its mixed-use zoning potential, officially reclassifying the property as open space.
This zoning amendment, finalized on July 31, 2018, removes the S-MX-12 (suburban mixed-use) designation that would have allowed for higher-density construction. In its place, the parcel now carries an OS-A (open space) classification, effectively prohibiting the erection of standard residential or commercial structures on the site without future legislative action.
The move represents a significant pivot in land-use strategy for Council District 8. While S-MX-12 zoning typically permits a mix of housing types and small businesses, the OS-A designation reserves the land for public recreation, conservation, or low-impact municipal use. This shift signals that the city views this specific corner of Montbello as a buffer or green space rather than a node for urban infill.
Developers or community groups hoping to build on this address must now navigate a much more restrictive regulatory landscape. The OS-A code imposes strict limits on building footprints and impervious surfaces, prioritizing permeability and open ground over square footage. Any future proposal to construct on this site would likely require a new, complex rezoning effort to overturn the current open space status.
Citizens wishing to review the full legislative record or understand the implications of this map amendment can access the official documentation via the Denver city portal here.