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An important aspect of a comprehensive plan is to capture the community’s sense of place, what makes it special from other communities. A plan should point to the need to protect unique physical resources and reinforces the fact that generally communities are shaped by development over a long period of time. Key factors that make a plan comprehensive are that it covers all the land area of the local jurisdiction preparing the plan, it includes all matters related to the physical development of the community such as land use, transportation, economic development, parks and open space and community character and design, and the plan must consider a relatively long time horizon such as 10 to 20 years.
Comprehensive plans are adopted as official policy documents by the local governing body. City of Wheat Ridge Comprehensive Plan
Jefferson County law requires all resident dogs to be licensed. Proof of valid rabies vaccination is one requirement to obtain a Jefferson County dog license. The Wheat Ridge Community Services Team fully enforces the county dog license requirement. Similarly, failure to provide proper valid dog license proof may result in the issuance of a warning notice or municipal summons for owners of unlicensed dogs.
Dog licenses can also be purchased from Jefferson County Animal Control at 303-271-5070 or visit their website at http://co.jefferson.co.us/sheriff/sheriff_T62_R29.htm
Dog licenses are also available at local veterinary offices. Please contact your veterinarian for more information.
NOTE: In addition to the processing fee, proof of your dog’s vaccination is required to obtain a dog license.
Unattended dogs may be impounded as a leash law violation. A dog is considered unlawful if it freely leaves a confined private property and proceeds unattended into the public right-of-way or surrounding properties. Cats are devoid of this enforcement, regardless of domestic or stray status.
Muncipal codes enforced by the Community Services Team include: Chapter 15 Nuisances; Chapter 16 Misc. offenses against public safety; Chapter 17 Parks and recreation; Chapter 24 Vegetation; and Chapter 26 Zoning specific to residential parking. In all cases, a Community Services Team officer will be dispatched to investigate the complaint in a timely manner.
Additionally, failure to heed citation notification compliance can result in the assessment of abatement costs or a property tax lien attached to the unlawful property. The property will be monitored to expedite clean-up compliance given ‘due process’ notification to a current responsible owner.
Some reports may be taken by phone by the Telephone Reporting Unit at 303-235-2944. This is offered as a convenient service to citizens.
For certain crimes, the citizen may be referred directly to Investigations to speak to a detective.
In felony cases, the report (once completed) will be reviewed by a supervisor. After the report is accepted, Records will forward the report to Investigations. An Investigations supervisor will review the report and determine which detective will receive the case.
The case may be assigned for active investigation if there are suspects, evidence, or other leads that may allow the case to be solved.
Cases with identified suspects, evidence, or other leads are prioritized based on the seriousness of the crime and the availability of investigative resources. Even some “solvable” cases cannot be actively investigated due to the volume of other cases or limited investigative resources.
If the restraining order is related to a domestic violence situation there is no fee for either filing for or service of the restraining order.
For non-domestic violence related cases you may contact your local county court. In Jefferson County call 303-654-3259.
For additional information regarding restraining orders please feel free to contact the Victim Outreach Information at 303-202-2196.
The police department Ride-A-Long application can be found on this web site in Police Department under Ride-A-Long tab.
How do I swear out a warrant on an individual?
Citizens do not swear out warrants. Citizens need to file a complaint with the police department. If probable cause exists that someone has committed a crime the officer will apply for a warrant if appropriate.
Statistically, the WRPD dispatch center answers approximately 200,000 phone calls per year. Of the calls received, officers are dispatched to nearly 50,000 calls for service and officers generate another 50,000 police events. Many times our call load exceeds the number of officers available to respond immediately. Therefore we must prioritize calls for service.
In general, we are fortunate that we are able to respond to true emergency calls within three minutes. These are obviously our first priority. Other calls are divided in three additional categories of varying priority. All calls are dispatched according to where they fall within this prioritization (based upon all calls holding at any given time period). This is a dynamic process- a call which maybe the first to be dispatched at one moment, then may fall to 4-5 within seconds depending on what new calls come to the dispatch center.
Generally, calls are prioritized based upon 1) the gravity of the offense (what type of crime is being committed), 2) the urgency of action ( is someone being hurt or is someone is in danger) and 3) Probability of apprehension (are the perpetrators still at the location). This is the same basis used for assigning follow-up investigations. Many times a single event (especially vandalism or car break-ins) is not "cleared" by catching the suspects while they are committing the crime. Often we have to conduct an analysis of many separate events, using pieces of information learned from each of these events, to make a criminal case. We employ two analysts to assist with this task. Unfortunately, the clearance rate for these types of crimes is not high, either in Wheat Ridge or other parts of the country. The Wheat Ridge Police Department strongly encourages you to report all incidents to us so we can examine all the pieces as outlined above. If an officer has not followed-up with you as promised, we encourage you to contact the shift supervisor thru our dispatch center 303-237-2220.
All persons will be required to complete a Records Access Request Form. Per state statute, you must sign this form acknowledging that the requested information will not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain, pursuant to C.R.S. 24-72-305.5.
Reports will not be prepared for release until a Records Access Request Form is completed and signed. Reports will not be released until the fees are paid in full. We are not able to accept credit or debit cards.
Wheat Ridge Police Department Records Bureau 7500 W. 29th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Police Records is open Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, holidays excluded. The records phone number is 303-235-2921.
If a background or criminal history check is for Wheat Ridge only, the request is made at the Wheat Ridge Police Records Bureau. The requestor must provide full name and date of birth of the person for whom the background or criminal history check is being run. There is a fee for this service. See Fee Schedule in Police Department under Police Records and Fingerprinting tab.
The Municipal Contactor License is issued through the Public Works Department and is required to perform construction in street right of way.
The City’s right of way/infrastructure work has different standards/requirements than codes followed for building construction. These two licenses require different areas of knowledge for construction. The Municipal Contractor License also requires a bond in addition to liability and workers compensation insurance. These licenses and requirements help to assure that the contractor is qualified to perform the different types of work and comply with the City codes/standards & specifications/requirements for work in the COWR. Municipal Contractors License App
The total length of the Public Works review process involves items 1 through 3 above, and ultimately the number of re-submittals required to address all comments in a satisfactory manner.
The City’s right of way/infrastructure work has different standards/requirements than codes followed for building construction. These two licenses require different areas of knowledge for construction. The Municipal Contractor License also requires a bond in addition to liability and workers compensation insurance. These licenses and requirements help to assure that the contractor is qualified to perform the different types of work and comply with the City codes/standards and specifications/requirements for work in the COWR.
WR2020 is a community-based organization that is implementing a visionary strategy to reclaim and build upon this heritage.
City staff, City Council and a team of consultants, Winston Associates and czbLLC, crafted a plan (The Neighborhood Repositioning Strategy or NRS) to position Wheat Ridge to compete more effectively with its neighboring communities to attract and retain engaged citizens, strong families and businesses. At the heart of this plan is the creation of an organization (WR2020) to implement ten interrelated strategies.
WR2020 will initiate projects and will work cooperatively with the City, businesses and other organizations to implement them. WR2020 intends to complement--not replicate or replace—existing city staff and committee roles in planning, urban renewal, and elsewhere in government. WR2020 will have an Executive Director and a small, highly skilled, professional staff. WR2020 will initially be funded by the city and will develop additional sources of income.
These members are the champions who will spearhead and support the organization. The Nominating Committee seeks a broad range of members that reflect the diversity of the community and represent local residents, local and regional businesses, employers, civic groups, and more.
WR2020 members are invited to contribute their energy, unique skills and expertise by providing ideas, execution strategies and support to the professional staff of WR2020. Members will be asked to participate in workgroups or subcommittees to help steer the organization and attend an annual meeting. Ultimately, WR2020 members will elect from among themselves a board of directors of 13-15 people with two members appointed by the Wheat Ridge City Council.
- Independent blight study or conditions survey has been prepared and presented first, to the municipality’s Urban Renewal Authority (the Authority) or Board, and second, to its Council;- Market analysis has been completed in order to determine the potential for future uses within the urban renewal area, and their potential timing; - Urban renewal plan document and supporting financing plan (impact analysis) have been prepared;- Stakeholders have been contacted and invited to comment on future uses and required improvements within the area; and- Council accepts the findings of the conditions survey and adopts (by resolution) the urban renewal plan.
When a redevelopment project is being planned, the Urban Renewal Authority or Board analyzes how much additional property and/or sales taxes may be generated once it is completed. That “tax increment” then can be used by the urban renewal entity either to finance the issuance of bonds or to reimburse developers for a portion of their project costs. In either case, the new tax revenue that is created must be used for improvements that have a public benefit and that support the redevelopment effort, such as site clearance, streets, utilities, parks, the removal of hazardous materials or conditions, or site acquisition.Source: Denver Urban Renewal Authority
(a) Slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures;(b) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout;(c) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness;(d) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions;(e) Deterioration of site or other improvements;(f) Unusual topography or inadequate public improvements or utilities;(g) Defective or unusual conditions of title rendering the title non-marketable;(h) The existence of conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other causes;(i) Buildings that are unsafe or unhealthy for persons to live or work in because of building code violations, dilapidation, deterioration, defective design, physical construction, or faulty or inadequate facilities;(j) Environmental contamination of buildings or property; (k.5) The existence of health, safety, or welfare factors requiring high levels of municipal services or substantial physical underutilization or vacancy of sites, buildings, or other improvements;(l) If there is no objection of such property owner or owners and the tenant or tenants of such owner or owners, if and, to the inclusion of such property in an urban renewal area, “blighted area” also means an area that, in its present condition and use and, by reason of the presence of any one of the factors specified in paragraphs (a) to (k.5) of this subsection (2), substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability, and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals or welfare. For purposes of this paragraph (1), the fact that an owner of an interest in such property does not object to the inclusion of such property in the urban renewal area does not mean that the owner has waived any rights of such owner in connection with laws governing condemnation.
Source: Colorado Revised Statute 31-25-103(2).
* Based on conditions survey findings, modify boundaries for urban renewal area, if necessary
Residents within an area that are senior citizens are further protected under the Homestead Exemption. Referendum A, the homestead exemption for senior citizens, passed on a state-wide vote in November of 2001. The amendment provides an actual value reduction (exemption), up to a maximum of $100,000. This applies only to primary residences for citizens over the age of 65. Also, this actual value reduction is applicable only to a primary residence that has been owner-occupied for the 10 years immediately proceeding the subject tax year. This homestead exemption for senior citizens began with 2002 property taxes that were payable on or after January 1, 2003.
Planning and Zoning Commission – review urban renewal plan for consistency with comprehensive plan; consider (and opine on) proposed projects within the area
Urban Renewal Authority – make recommendations to the governing body of municipality that created district; prepare conditions survey, urban renewal plan and financing plan for district and present to governing body for authorization;(by ordinance) powers relating to implementation of the project plan authorized by governing body; acquire blighted, deteriorated … real property for preservation or restoration of historic sites; acquire, construct, reconstruct or install public works or improvements; enter into agreements to implement plan including for – the acquisition of property, reimbursement to developer, sale of land, issuance of bonds, etc.; and, any power necessary and convenient to carry out implementation