Arapahoe County wants your input on a new plan to allow more housing around the Dry Creek Light Rail Station near Interstate 25 and Dry Creek Road. This change is being made to meet state requirements. Residents, property, and business owners can take a survey and attend an upcoming open house for the properties in unincorporated Arapahoe County — Inverness area east of I-25, north of County Line Road and south of East Geddes Avenue. The survey is available through May 8. The open house is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, at Arapahoe County Lima Campus, Arapahoe Boardroom, 6954 S. Lima Street, in Centennial. Passed in May 2024, HB24-1313 requires communities to allow more homes near light rail stations and high-frequency bus routes. The state’s goal is to give residents more choices—such as living closer to work, schools, and everyday services—while reducing long commutes and supporting convenient, reliable transportation. To comply with this, the County must rezone some properties around the Dry Creek Light Rail Station to allow at least 15 housing units per acre. The County will work with property owners to identify potential sites for this higher-density zoning. Along with the Dry Creek Light Rail Station, the County has identified two other areas – Federal Enclave and Four Square Mile – where proposed zoning increases are being examined.  The law does not mandate that new housing be built. Instead, it requires the County to increase zoning densities in these areas by the end of the year. The County must show the state that the “Housing Opportunity Goal" —a target for how many units could be built in these areas if the market supports it — is met.  The County has been tasked with a housing goal of 24,463 units, meaning rezoning must allow for an additional 19,176 units in these three targeted areas. In February, County planners held an Open House for the Federal Area Enclave, a 43-acre neighborhood west of Federal Boulevard, north of Hampden Avenue, and east of Knox Court/Lowell Boulevard. This area is served by the Federal bus line. Later this year, County planners will hold an open house for Four Square Mile – a 2.7-square-mile enclave surrounded by the cities of Denver and Aurora, which is also served by various bus lines. Learn more at www.arapahoeco.gov/transitcommunities.