5801 & 5847 Arapahoe Development Proposal

The proposal includes roughly 16,000 square feet of office, retail, and café / restaurant space. The project includes constructing 10 buildings surrounding a loop drive, with one access from Arapahoe Avenue. 421 parking spaces are proposed, which constitute a 4.1% parking reduction. Proposed residential units would consist of 182 efficiency units (less than 475 square feet), 91 one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom and 22 three-bedroom units. Buildings would be 3-stories in height, with the exception of the community building that would be 2-stories and the central parking structure that would be 4-stories.

Site and Use Review is a discretionary and iterative process with city staff. After each round of review the applicant is given the opportunity to propose revisions. Staff’s prior review comments on the submitted plans can be found at the following links:

• Initial Staff Review Comments on Site Review
• Initial Staff Review Comments on Use Review
• First Revision Staff Review Comments on Site Review
• First Revision Staff Review Comments on Use Review
• Second Revision Staff Review Comments on Site Review
• Second Revision Staff Review Comments on Use Review
• Third Revision Staff Review Comments on Site Review
• Third Revision Staff Review Comments on Use Review
• Fourth Revision Staff Review Comments on Site Review

Submitted plans and application materials for the project can be accessed from the city’s development review page.

The required public hearing before Planning Board has been scheduled for Thursday, March 4, 2021.

Based on the size of the property and the proposed uses, Site and Use Review is required. Based on the proposed 55’ building height, a public hearing before the Planning Board will be required. (Per Section 9-2-14(c)(2)(e), the applicant is permitted to request a height modification through the Site Review process as at least 40% of the units on site will be permanently affordable). Site and Use Review requires that a project be consistent with the criteria found in Section 9-2-14(h) & 9-2-15 B.R.C. 1981. After plans are reviewed for consistency with the city’s development standards, staff will make a recommendation to the Planning Board based on the criteria. Planning Board will review the staff’s recommendation and render a decision based on the criteria at a public hearing. The public will be allowed to testify before the Planning Board as a part of the proceedings.

The required Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) has received technical approval and has been formally issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Flood maps will be updated to reflect the map revision when it becomes effective in April of 2021.

The property is split zoned with the southeast corner in the Residential - High 4 (RH-4) zone district and the remainder in the Industrial - General (IG) district. Refer to the zoning map below. The RH-4 district is described as “High-density residential areas primarily used for a variety of types of attached residential units, including without limitation, apartment buildings, and where complementary uses may be allowed” ( Section 9-5-2(c)(1)(F), B.R.C. 1981). The IG district is described as “General industrial areas where a wide range of light industrial uses, including research and manufacturing operations and service industrial uses, are located. Residential uses and other complementary uses may be allowed in appropriate locations” ( Section 9-5-2(c)(4)(B), B.R.C. 1981).

Image

This property is impacted by the South Boulder Creek floodplain. As shown in the map below, the site is currently impacted by the 500-year, 100-year, conveyance zone, and high hazard zone floodplains. The areas surrounding the creek and the pond are considered high functioning wetlands. Both the inner and outer buffer areas, which act to preserve and protect the wetlands, impact the north and west sides of the site. Any construction would need to be compliant with the city’s floodplain regulations found in Section 9-3-2, BRC 1981.

Image