Why Can't This Denver Couple Build an ADU for Their Disabled Mom?

It seemed like a simple request to the city: Shawn Johnson and his husband Ben wanted to build an ADU, or accessory dwelling unit, at their Sunnyside home so Shawn’s disabled mother could live close. But little did they know, this plan would send them down a rabbit hole of bureaucracy and bring them face to face with an inconspicuous board that holds a lot of power when it comes to zoning — the city’s main tool for managing our explosive growth. Today, host Bree Davies sits down with Ben and Shawn who say their struggle with the Board of Adjustments for Zoning Appeals reveals a system rooted in implicit bias. 

Read the piece by Kathryn White in The Denver North Star that tipped us off to Shawn and Ben’s story! 

We have included more of the BOA’s response to our story on Twitter: @CityCastDenver

Subscribe to our newsletter for more news: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/