My husband and I bought our first home together in Denver in 2003. My husband was selling his townhouse and our wish list was simple: no shared walls, a large yard, a two-car garage, easy commute to work, and, most importantly, a safe and quiet street.

We found the perfect location in Denver’s Hampden neighborhood. We have great neighbors who know each other and watch out for each other. Parents feel comfortable letting their children run around together in the neighborhood. Younger neighbors pitch in to help elderly neighbors. Community events are a regular thing (or at least they were before COVID!).

Seventeen years later, I am afraid the neighborhood I love is going to lose its sense of community and safety.

The 180-plus-page Group Living Zoning Code Amendment making its way to Denver City Council includes elements that contradict two pieces of safety advice provided by the Denver Police Department — “know your neighbor” and “take protective measure to avoid crimes of opportunity.” This proposal also removes the current zoning safety nets around schools that exist to protect one of our most vulnerable populations in Denver, our students. Finally, the zoning changes in this proposal break the social contract between the government and residents regarding the neighborhood characteristic upon which residents make decisions about where to live.

So, this has me thinking, “What would my neighborhood feel like if the group-living proposal went into effect?”

Say a homeless shelter opened up in my neighborhood. How would my neighbors be able to “know their neighbor” when a transient population is moving in and out of a home? The proposal allows up to a total of 100 “guests” housed in a single-family home over the course of a year, with a limit of 10 at any given time.

Say a community corrections operator bought the house next to the elementary school playground and populated it with felons from across Colorado. How would parents feel about sending their children to that school, knowing that one or more of those “residents” were sex offenders still serving out their sentence? Would those parents let their children walk or ride their bikes to that school? Would those parents feel comfortable even sending their children to the bus stop alone?

Say a community corrections operator bought a house next to an elderly widower who lives alone. Would that widower feel comfortable having up to 10 convicted felons in the house next door? Would following his regular routines open him up to a “crime of opportunity” for his new neighbors? Would he have the ability to protect himself and his property?

And, say a community corrections operator bought a house next to a crime victim. How would that victim feel knowing that one or more criminals who committed a similar crime were living in such close proximity? Would that victim feel comfortable in her own home? On her own street? In her neighborhood? In any neighborhood in the city?

Since learning about the group-living proposal back in February, I’ve spoken to countless neighbors and other Denver residents about the proposal and its elements. To this day, I still meet people who have not heard about this proposal or who did not understand the many elements buried in its 180-plus pages. Most were horrified to learn the details, and many were in disbelief that something so detrimental to neighborhoods could be moving forward with so little transparency.

That’s why I’m asking Denver City Council to vote “no” on the Denver Group Living Zoning Code Amendment. Denver residents deserve more respect. Their voice should be heard and their feedback should be considered not only in the proposal but also the vote. The Denver City Council will be rejecting the safety advice from Denver Police Department and risking the well-being of the very residents the council is supposed to represent if they approve this amendment.

I am part of a grassroots effort to educate Denverites about the details of the amendment, the composition of the Group Living Advisory Committee that wrote it, and the opportunities for Denver community members to share their voice. I also signed the petition opposing the proposal, joining over 2,500 verified Denver residents who are opposed to the amendment.

I invite readers to visit safeand sounddenver.com to educate themselves on this threat to Denver neighborhoods and especially its most vulnerable residents.

Tonia Wilson is a member of Safe and Sound Denver, a grassroots collaborative of Denver residents with a common goal of opposing the city of Denver’s proposed Group Living Zoning Code Amendment #7 as currently written. For more information, go to SafeAndSoundDenver.com.