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02.07.20 Use StandardsSubcmte Mtg Notes draft 2.0Draft 1 Use Standards & Table Review Subcommittee 02/07/2020 Meeting Summary Notes 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Planning Department Room 401, Park Central Building - 1739 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302 Meeting materials including the audio recording of the meeting are available online: https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=171835&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2 Subcommittee members: David Ensign (Chair), Sarah Silver Staff: Karl Guiler, Andrew Collins 1) Welcome and Ground Rules 2) Public Comment Period – No members of the public were present. 3) Acceptance of the Dec. 20, 2019 and the Jan. 24, 2020 Subcommittee meeting summary notes – Approved. Emails received to be included in the public record. 4) Use Table and Zoning Districts work session – BC zones continuation. General Discussion before the BC zones specific work session: • In thinking about how we encourage walkable neighborhood centers, the scale and context is important, to determine the right size of the centers. We want to encourage smaller, finer- grained businesses and establishments, rather than office park type development. • We should consider what a string of pearls might look like/what purpose they might serve if the BC zones were to evolve into more residential/local retail/neighborhood serving offices and commercial rather than the car centric suburban shopping centers that they are today. • Ideas about creating a “string of pearls” through neighborhood centers may result in recommendations to pass along to Planning Board and/or City Council about where to focus on creating future area plans. The actual creation of such plans is outside the scope of this subcommittee and project. • Consider changing residential uses from a C use to a Limited use, or adding in provisions similar to L16 which only restricts specified uses from the ground floor along major streets for a depth of 30’, providing more flexibility for residential uses. • Regarding Industrial zones, we should have someone from Community Vitality department attend a subcommittee meeting to discuss affordable commercial, small business efforts. Office, Medical, and Financial Uses in BC zones • Should consider changes to better effectuate creating neighborhood centers out of the BC zone areas. • The existing 10% limit (Appendix N and section 9-6-11 restrictions) on office use square footage and other specified uses while restrictive, can be an effective way to encourage the other uses that are desired. The existing percentage limitation on nonresidential uses is good as-is. Draft 2 Parks and Recreation Uses in BC zones • Consider revising the definition of Outdoor Entertainment. Some of the uses listed within the definition could be split-off as separate uses. For example, driving ranges, go-cart tracks, miniature golf, versus a small amphitheater probably fit into neighborhoods differently. There may be some outdoor entertainment uses, like public performance, that may be appropriate and desired in such areas. o Driving ranges, go-cart tracks, etc. may not be appropriate uses in BC zones, smaller- scale outdoor uses with less visual and noise impacts may be more appropriate. The existing Use Review does provide for discretion. Commercial, Retail and Industrial Uses in BC zones Service Uses: • “Neighborhood Business Center” uses should be looked at closer. o Staff: These are non-residential uses that are permitted to a limited degree in residential zones. May provide a framework or starting point for fostering 15-minute neighborhoods. This is a use we’d like to take a look as part of the 15-minute neighborhoods goal for the low density residential zones. Retail Sales Uses: • Retail Sales use - L11 limit of 20,000 square feet allowed by-right, otherwise by Use Review seems appropriate. For reference a Trader Joes grocery store may typically fall in the 12,000SF range. Vehicular-Related Uses: • Automobile Parking Lots - We want to encourage “park and rides”, the existing conditional use is good: in Appendix N areas, “park and rides” are the only type of parking lots as principal use allowed (unless in a Use Review). • Consider prohibiting drive-thru uses or further restricting them. Consideration should also be given to ADA accessibility. • Sales and Rental of Vehicles use: Consider revising the definition to split-off large vehicles, such as Recreational Vehicles (RVs) and boats, and then changing large vehicles sales and rentals to prohibited in BC zones. Such large vehicles sales and rentals are more appropriate in light industrial zones instead. o Staff: also need to align the use title in the Use Table to the definition (change the “and” to an “or”). Industrial Uses: • Outdoor storage of merchandise: confusing when linking the allowances in the table to the definition. Staff: this is an error in the code – it should be “Outdoor display of merchandise”, which has a different definition. Correct the erroneous table entry to “Outdoor display of merchandise”. • Consider revising the Telecommunications use definition to be less vague. If the intent is to allow for necessary switch terminals or telecom distribution infrastructure, then the section 9-6- 11 limits on ground floor uses may be a barrier in Appendix N areas. Although the Use Review process allows some flexibility as is. Draft 3 Brief overview of project timeline provided by staff Zoning districts’ deep-dive wrap-up by end of April 2019. Engagement to occur beginning in late spring/early summer of 2020. Ordinance adoption hopefully by end of 2020. Subcommittee recommendations on potential industrial zones will likely not be in the late 2020 ordinance, but rather referred to the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan implementation project, which relates closely to visioning and uses in the industrial zones. Change to the industrial zones would likely occur in 2021 as part of that process. Subcommittee members in general agreement with the timing, and provided additional feedback: • Consider having meetings or stations organized by zone type. For example, low density residential zones, shopping center oriented zones, etc. • Visual aids may be useful as feasible. • Consider getting feedback on future area plans or asking a broad question regarding them. Next Steps • Continue the subcommittee deep-dive into the Use Table: o Mixed-Use (MU) zones o DT zones time allowing • Next subcommittee meeting - Thursday February 20th (prior to Planning Board) in city offices.