Item 4B - TVAP Amendments-minCITY OF BOULDER
PLANNING BOARD AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: August 22, 2023
AGENDA TITLE
Public hearing and consideration of the following related to the Boulder Junction
Phase 2 project:
1. Amendments to the Transit Village Area Plan; and
2.Amendments to Chapter 5 of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan to revise
the summary of the Transit Village Area Plan.
REQUESTING DEPARTMENT / PRESENTERS
Planning & Development Services
Brad Mueller, Director
Kristofer Johnson, Comprehensive Planning Manager
Chris Ranglos, Senior City Planner
Rebecca Hieb, Planning and Zoning Specialist
Vivian Castro-Wooldridge, Community Engagement Planning Sr Project Manager
OBJECTIVE AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Following a staff presentation and a public hearing, Planning Board will consider two
items related to the Boulder Junction Phase 2 project. Staff recommend Planning
Board take actions in the form of the following motions:
1. A motion to adopt the proposed amendments to the Transit Village Area Plan;
and
2. A motion to adopt the proposed amendments to Chapter 5 of the Boulder
Valley Comprehensive Plan to revise the summary of the Transit Village Area
Plan.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to consider adoption of proposed amendments to the Transit
Village Area Plan (TVAP) and changes to Chapter 5 of the Boulder Valley
Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) to revise the summary of the area plan. City Council will
also consider adoption of the proposed TVAP and BVCP amendments and must adopt
the same amendment language as Planning Board.
During this first step of the Boulder Junction Phase 2 project, staff have worked closely
with the community and other city departments to analyze the existing 2007 Transit
Village Area Plan, learn more about the outcomes in Phase 1, and make
recommendations for necessary amendments to better meet current community needs.
The proposed amendment to TVAP (Attachment A) focuses on the land use,
transportation connections, and urban design and character of the Phase 2 area. Existing
policies related to the Phase 1 area will remain. Based on a range of community and
departmental input, the proposed amendments to TVAP include:
• Revisions to the proposed land uses to include Mixed Use Transit Oriented
Development (MUTOD), Mixed Use Industrial (MUI), Park, Urban & Other
(PK-U/O), and Open Space, Development Rights or Restrictions (OS-DR) (note,
the application of OS-DR is a minor map correction);
• Changes to the transportation connections plan to prioritize the pedestrian and
bicycle network over vehicular connections; and
• Updates to the urban design framework to describe and apply Place Types,
locations for future outdoor gathering spaces, and nodes for concentrated retail
activity.
It is also typical for the Planning Board and City Council to approve a summary of the
area plan for the BVCP. The BVCP amendment procedures allow for a summary to be
added or revised at the time of adoption of a new or amended area plan. The revised
summary that staff recommends can be found in Attachment B.
Future steps of the Boulder Junction Phase 2 project will establish a strategy to
implement the various anticipated land use and regulatory changes and capital
improvements that will support the goals of the plan for the Phase 2 area. As an example,
staff are prepared to proceed with concurrent updates to the BVCP land use map and
Transportation Master Plan as an initial implementation step immediately after and in
conjunction with adoption of the TVAP amendment.
BACKGROUND
City Council identified the implementation of Boulder Junction Phase 2 as one of 10
priorities for city staff to build into their 2022-2023 work plans. Staff presented the
preliminary scope of work approaches to City Council and Planning Board in Fall 2022.
During those meetings, two options were considered:
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1. Implement TVAP with the current proposed land use, transportation connections
and urban design and character identified for the Phase 2 area.
2. Evaluate the proposed land uses, transportation connections and urban design and
character in the Phase 2 area, and propose any necessary amendments to ensure
they are aligned with the BVCP, market trends, and current community needs.
City Council and Planning Board directed staff to move forward with the second option.
If this process and community feedback resulted in a preferred approach different than
what is currently proposed in TVAP, a plan amendment would be needed before
implementation can begin.
The project included a robust community engagement process at the Consult and Involve
levels. However, it differs from a typical area planning process since this is a plan
amendment where an existing plan already establishes overall guidance for the Boulder
Junction area. The plan amendment process took a strategic approach to updating the
most critical elements of TVAP that no longer reflect the community’s current and future
needs since the plan’s adoption 15 years ago. At Council’s request, staff have proceeded
with an appropriately swift schedule to accomplish a plan amendment by Fall 2023.
Substantial Completion Report:
Since the kickoff this winter, information on development and improvements in Phase 1
have been compiled and documented in a substantial completion report. This report is
available on the project’s webpage and is an important source of information to
understand how the redevelopment of the Phase 1 area has evolved over time. It also
contributed to understanding lessons learned that will influence the implementation
strategy and code updates during the next stage of the Phase 2 project. Major takeaways
from the report about Phase 1 development and improvements include:
• Nearly 1,400 new housing units were created with just over 300 (22%) of them
being affordable units;
• Changes to the land use designations, land use code, and BVCP land use map
occurred;
• Form-Based Code was created to better achieve urban design goals (three projects
in the area went through the Form-Based Code Review process);
• New transportation connections were implemented to create a more walkable
neighborhood;
• Improvements were made to Goose Creek and North Boulder Farmer’s Ditch to
address stormwater and enhance them as a public amenity;
• Two general improvement districts were established to achieve Transportation
Demand Management and shared parking strategies;
• A range of public improvements occurred, including art and stormwater
improvements; and
• The area experienced a variety of new mixed-use urban development.
Community Engagement:
Several community engagement events have occurred in line with the project’s
communications and engagement plan (outlined below). The team also implemented
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strategies identified as part of the project’s Racial Equity Instrument (REI) and sought
on-going advice from the two project community connectors to ensure the engagement
process and outcomes were inclusive. Feedback received from the community was used
to inform and evaluate potential alternatives and ultimately led to the recommended
TVAP amendments.
Racial Equity Strategies:
The project team continues to apply racial equity strategies to its communications and
engagement. The biggest impacts identified in Boulder Junction are a lack of access to
public spaces, ability to incorporate safe and adequate transportation connections (within
the area and to adjacent neighborhoods), potential displacement of affordable and
convenient businesses, and lack of amenities that support families.
Strategies were developed to advance racial equity outcomes and minimize unintended
consequences on historically underrepresented populations. Most of the strategies address
how to create a denser neighborhood that could offer more opportunities for residential
uses and businesses, while also being highly livable for households of all types. An
example of some strategies that were applied in the proposed amendment include:
• Allow a mixture of uses so people may live closer to sources of quality
employment, goods and services.
• Allow land uses that would encourage a diversity of housing types that can be
offered at a range of prices.
• Allow uses and amenities (including public spaces) that support people of all
ages and abilities.
• Ensure there are safe and convenient transportation connections focused on
people rather than vehicles.
There was a variety of feedback received from community members related to these
topics. Some of that feedback is addressed now through the amended policy direction and
some will be developed during future steps of the project. For example, the mechanisms
to retain/enable small and local businesses will be further explored during future tasks.
The REI will continue to be used and updated throughout future steps of the Boulder
Junction Phase 2 process.
Focus Groups:
Four Focus Groups were established with about 15 participants each to provide a variety
of viewpoints, expertise, and experience. The four Focus Groups have provided feedback
throughout the project. Below is a summary of the composition of each Focus Group:
1. Advocacy Focus Group – local advocates for social, environmental and/or
economic issues.
2. Daily Users Focus Group – people who live and/or work in the Boulder Junction
area.
3. Design & Development Focus Group – developers, real estate professionals,
urban designers, architects and planners.
4. Property & Business Owners Focus Group – property or business owners in the
Boulder Junction area.
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Below is a summary of the Focus Group engagement events:
1. Focus Group Meeting #1 – March – Project Introduction, Phase 1 Outcomes,
Phase 2 Opportunities
2. Focus Group Meeting #2 – May – Alternatives Evaluation (Land Use,
Transportation, and Urban Design)
3. Focus Group Site Tour #1 –May – Phase 1 and Phase 2 Areas
4. Focus Group Site Tour #2 – May – Phase 2 area south of Goose Creek
(note, in addition to Focus Group members, property and business owners in the
Phase 2 area were directly invited to join)
5. Focus Group Meeting #3 – July – Preliminary Proposed Amendments
(note, this was a joint meeting of all four focus groups and included two City
Council members)
Additionally, staff provided a survey link to all Focus Group members after Meeting #3
to gauge their support for the staff recommended amendments and their engagement
throughout the process. Two-thirds of the 26 respondents either love or like the overall
plan amendments, with the caveat that future programs, regulations and incentives will be
needed to maximize opportunities for affordable retail, culture and the arts, and green
spaces to ensure a vibrant neighborhood that serves a diverse population.
For those focus group members who expressed less support (i.e. neutral or maybe) or do
not agree with the package of proposed amendments, remaining key concerns include:
• That the entire Phase 2 area should be classified as MUTOD (and not MUI in the
area between Goose Creek and Pearl Parkway)
• That it is not fair to put two “Conceptual Outdoor Spaces” and a Multi-Use path
through a single property.
• That redevelopment brings public investments and gentrification forces that are
“too nice” and that the population (with potentially limited levels of missing
middle housing provided) cannot actively support
• That greater densities feel overwhelming and not like a livable environment if an
appropriate balance of landscape and outdoor space is not provided.
• That the project should be a showcase of urban climate mitigation, adaptation and
resilience with renewable energy and nature-based solutions for managing
increasing temperatures and water management.
The project team asked focus group members about their satisfaction with the process
thus far. The vast majority said they understand the goals for the project and their role. A
few respondents were neutral. None of the respondents indicated that they are confused
or never understood. In addition, the project team asked focus group members whether
they felt that staff listened to their feedback and incorporated it into the proposed
amendment. About two-thirds of focus group member respondents said Yes, absolutely! I
see myself in the plan or Yes, I like how my feedback was used. A few people answered
that they were either neutral or Maybe, but not really. None of the respondents answered
No, not at all.
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Open Houses:
Open Houses were held as an opportunity for all community members to engage with the
project team, learn about the project progress and provide feedback to inform potential
plan amendments. Below is a summary of the Open House engagement events and
activities:
1. Open House #1 – April – Project Introduction, Phase 1 Outcomes, Phase 2
Opportunities
2. Open House #1 online questionnaire – April – supplemented the in-person open
house and offered a virtual method for the community to engage in a similar way
3. Open House #2 – May – Alternatives Evaluation (Land Use, Transportation, and
Urban Design)
4. Open House #2 online questionnaire – May – supplemented the in-person open
house and offered a virtual method for the community to engage in a similar way
Multi-Board Working Group:
Because this project involves a complex intersection of people, public space,
environment, housing, and transportation, the City Manager initiated a pilot multi-board
working group consisting of one liaison from each of the Boards and Commissions listed
below. The goal was to encourage early feedback from the perspective of each liaison’s
respective Board, for the liaison to keep their Board informed about the project, and to
bring additional Board comments back to the project team.
1. Boulder Junction Access General Improvement District – Parking
2. Boulder Junction Access General Improvement District – TDM
3. Design Advisory Board
4. Environmental Advisory Board
5. Housing Advisory Board
6. Human Relations Committee
7. Open Space Board of Trustees
8. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
9. Planning Board
10. Transportation Advisory Board
Below is a summary of the multi-board working group meetings:
1. Multi-board Working Group Meeting #1 – May – Role of Working Group,
Project Introduction, Alternatives Evaluation
2. Multi-board Working Group Meeting #2 – July – Preliminary Proposed
Amendments
As of the date of this memo, additional comments have been provided by the Design
Advisory Board (DAB) and Transportation Advisory Board (TAB).
The DAB comments primarily focused on architectural and urban design outcomes that
are more detailed than what the plan amendment will address. However, these topics will
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be considered during future steps of the implementation process including possible
updates to the Boulder Junction form-based code.
Specifically, DAB mentioned the importance of supporting local businesses through
thoughtful building design like creating smaller, more affordable commercial spaces,
rather than only large spaces that lend themselves to national retailers. They also
emphasized allowing creative architectural outcomes that enhance the industrial and
funky character of the area. Finally, DAB’s feedback focused on using the conceptual
gathering spaces and activity nodes as opportunities to encourage public/private
partnerships that activate Goose Creek and support businesses. Some ideas for
programming these areas included an art gallery walking zone and food truck/bar/pop-up
market spaces similar to examples found in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.
TAB concurred with the comments made by their liaison to the Multi-board Working
Group at the July meeting including removal of several underpass locations in lieu of
more feasible and effective at-grade crossings, an appreciation for focusing connections
on bicycles and pedestrians, and a recommendation to explore breaking the Wilderness
Place loop in future steps. Additionally, TAB members raised concerns about the
intersection on Pearl Parkway just west of Foothills Parkway where a major north-south
multi-use path connection will occur. Staff have updated the proposed Transportation
Connections Plan amendments to identify an “improved intersection” at that location to
better protect bicycles and pedestrians from high-speed vehicle movements at the on- and
off-ramps to Foothills Parkway.
City Council Study Session:
The study session item on June 8 served as an opportunity to present preliminary
alternatives, community feedback, and staff analysis for possible amendments to TVAP.
City Council provided the following feedback in response to staff’s key questions:
• Councilmembers expressed support for the proposed amendments to the
transportation connections plan to focus on pedestrian/bike mobility and break
down larger blocks and parcels.
• Councilmembers expressed support for land use Option 2 which focused on
applying the MUTOD land use designation to the entire area to maximize
flexibility for future uses and redevelopment.
• Councilmembers expressed support for the approach to Place Types and outdoor
spaces to better define urban design and character.
City council also identified additional issues for staff to consider when preparing the
proposed amendment and for future steps:
1. Prioritize floodplain improvements and multi-use path connections at the
convergence of Pearl Parkway, BNSF railroad, North Boulder Farmer’s Ditch,
and Boulder Slough location
2. Explore additional pedestrian and bike connections in the southern area
3. Explore additional internal transportation connections to break down large blocks
4. Explore ways to preserve/incentivize light industrial and service uses, especially
when moving into future phases of implementation (zoning, etc.)
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Planning Board Information Update:
The information update on July 25 offered an opportunity for staff to preview the
preliminary proposed TVAP amendments with Planning Board and gather any critical
feedback in advance of the public hearing scheduled for August 22. Key takeaways from
the discussion included:
• Several members expressed support for using the MUI land use category along
Old Pearl Street to continue to encourage light industrial and services uses
alongside residential, while a few members felt MUI may be too flexible in terms
of residential use and expressed a desire for a land use that was even more
focused on industrial uses.
• Many comments echoed community feedback in the request for a greater focus on
tree canopy and landscape areas to balance urban development.
• Requests to highlight the pedestrian corridors, clarify how Phase 2 can help
energize Phase 1, and continue to explore how to best organize retail (ie, in nodes
or along linear corridors).
Market Analysis:
Economic & Planning Systems (EPS) is a consultant working with city staff to provide an
analysis of market support for the land use categories in the Boulder Junction Phase 2
area. The market analysis provides input on the types of land uses that are in demand now
based on current market conditions and trends. The market analysis, combined with a real
estate feasibility analysis (in progress) informs the type of development likely to happen
in the future in the Boulder Junction Phase 2 area (absent incentives or other policies).
Based on market metrics, the Phase 2 area can be broken in 3 subareas – a northern
section, from Valmont south to Goose Creek, a central section between Goose Creek and
Pearl Parkway, and a southern section from Pearl Parkway south to the rail line.
• The northern section contains primarily office and industrial tech uses.
Laboratory, bioscience, and research uses are prevalent in this area and can pay
higher rents than other office and industrial space users.
• The central section contains primarily industrial and commercial uses, along with
some office. This area has the highest current redevelopment potential, with many
service industrial businesses. The risk of business displacement is also highest in
this area, where the gap between current rents and rents in a redevelopment
project are likely to be highest.
• The southern section contains several larger flex and warehousing spaces.
Preliminary redevelopment plans are beginning to be explored and flexibility in
future uses will be a benefit in that area.
Given the strength of the residential market throughout Boulder, and the rent levels that
can be achieved in new residential development, much redevelopment is likely to be
residential without any additional incentives or other policies. Additionally, if lower-
revenue first floor uses (e.g., service commercial) are desired, upper floor residential or
other higher rent uses are likely to be needed for the development to be economically
feasible. Further analysis will continue to explore the development feasibility impacts of
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height (density), parking requirements, uses, and other factors and the potential utility of
incentives or other policy tools to achieve development that would not otherwise be
feasible. Implementation of possible incentives and other tools will be explored in future
steps of the Boulder Junction project.
PROPOSED TVAP AMENDMENT
Land Use
Community feedback clearly indicated support for allowing a wider range of commercial
uses, neighborhood services, and residential types. In addition, market research identified
a need for flexibility to support market demand for residential uses and be nimble to
respond to on-going changes as Boulder lives into the post-COVID recovery.
Staff identified the following key takeaways from the community, Boards, and City
Council when developing the land use amendments to TVAP:
1. Maximize opportunities for new housing and mixed-use outcomes by allowing
greater flexibility for many different types of uses and overall density.
2. Retain and encourage new local and small businesses (particularly light industrial
and service commercial uses where feasible)
3. Incorporate more green areas and gathering spaces
These comments have been addressed in the proposed TVAP amendment in the
following ways:
1. Mixed Use Transit Oriented Development (MUTOD) is a flexible BVCP land use
category and specifically intended for areas with multi-modal transit resources.
This land use category has been applied to the majority of the Phase 2 area to
transform existing, disparate uses into mixed use, transit-oriented neighborhoods
rich with amenities and services. MUTOD encourages retail, food & beverage,
personal services, and other community serving uses, and also allows residential
uses where appropriate.
2. Mixed Use Industrial (MUI) also provides flexibility for residential uses, but
prioritizes other uses on the ground floor. This land use category has been applied
to the area along Old Pearl Street where many light industrial and service uses
currently exist and would be encouraged in the future. This land use type differs
slightly from MUTOD in that it encourages small maker spaces, workshops,
breweries, and other creative spaces and does not prioritize retail on the ground
floor. It is also not intended for larger industrial or warehousing uses that would
be encouraged in other Industrial land use categories.
3. Park, Urban & Other (PK-U/O) has been applied along the Goose Creek
greenway to establish the intention for this area to be enhanced as a community
amenity.
4. Open Space, Development Rights or Restrictions (OS-DR) is applied to a small
section along the Pearl Parkway right-of-way as a clean-up item to recognize an
existing scenic easement managed by the Open Space & Mountain Parks
department.
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This proposed land use framework could result in the following outcomes as the area
evolves over the next 20 years:
• 1,500-2,500 total potential residential homes (note, the Phase 1 area is smaller
than Phase 2 and resulted in approximately 1,400 total homes)
• 3,000-4,000 total potential jobs (note, there are approximately 2,000 jobs
currently in the Phase 2 area)
Urban Design
Community feedback confirmed the need to better describe the desired design character
of the area, which includes maintaining a diversity of building types and providing more
landscaped areas and tree canopy than Phase 1. There is also a desire for more publicly-
accessible spaces in Phase 2, such as informal gathering areas, places for children to play,
dog parks, plazas, and linear greenways.
Staff identified the following key takeaways from the community, Boards and
Commissions and City Council when developing the urban design amendments to TVAP:
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1. Recognize Goose Creek as an amenity
2. Create more outdoor gathering spaces
3. Improve retail viability
4. Keep Boulder fun(ky)!
These comments have been addressed in the proposed TVAP amendment in the
following ways:
1. An enhanced pedestrian focus has been identified along Goose Creek including an
opportunity for a signature pedestrian bridge crossing.
2. Six outdoor space opportunities are identified at various key locations.
3. Concentrations of retail opportunities are proposed at activity nodes rather than
applying retail requirements throughout.
4. A new Fun(ky) Functional Place Type was created and applied to the area along
Old Pearl Street.
Note, future updates to the form-based code and other regulations will add more details
on achieving architectural variety, design quality, and engaging outdoor gathering
spaces in the Phase 2 area.
The proposed amendment applies a similar framework of Place Types established
recently through the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan. Place Types provide greater
refinement to the larger MUTOD land use areas and set forth performance expectations
for redevelopment outcomes.
• Regional TOD allows the most intensity and includes flexible opportunities for
light industrial, cultural, and commercial uses while prioritizing transit supportive
residential housing options.
• Neighborhood TOD reimagines auto-oriented commercial areas into highly
walkable and transit supportive environments that encourage both residential and
office uses.
• Fun(ky) Functional is a new Place Type that applies to the MUI land use area
along Old Pearl Street to define a creative and eclectic environment. It offers the
greatest range of uses on the ground floor, including residential, while supporting
on-going light industrial, manufacturing, indoor recreation, and service uses.
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Publicly-accessible outdoor gathering spaces are essential to the success of creating a
vibrant and livable mixed-use neighborhood. Several locations have been identified for
both primary and secondary outdoor spaces that are strategically positioned to
complement planned transit facility, open space enhancements, and higher intensity land
uses. They are intended to represent ideal locations for consolidated, meaningful publicly
accessible space that could occur as a result of redevelopment.
Focusing retail, dining, and personal service uses near future areas of high activity is
critical to the success of mixed-use neighborhoods that serve the needs of residents,
employees, and visitors. These types of businesses require high visibility, pedestrian foot
traffic, and engaging indoor/outdoor opportunities to thrive. Several activity nodes have
been identified to capitalize on planned transit, open space, and land use improvements.
They also generally align along the primary north-south route that connects across the
Phase 2 area.
Paseos complement the transportation connections plan and are enhanced pathways that
combine a variety of materials, landscape, and amenities to create a pedestrian experience
at key locations and across larger parcels. Adjacent open spaces and land uses add
vibrancy and activity to enrich these corridors.
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Transportation Connections
Community feedback confirmed that improved transportation connections should be
considered to ensure the area is walkable and pedestrian-friendly, is more connected to
Phase 1, and offers better connectivity to surrounding bicycle and trail networks.
Staff identified the following key takeaways from the community, Boards and
Commissions, and City Council when evaluating potential transportation connection
amendments to TVAP:
1. Enhance the internal pedestrian and bicycle network
2. Use connections to break down larger blocks into more urban character
3. Balance visionary ideas with construction feasibility (engineering, cost, impacts
on private property, etc.)
These comments have been addressed in the proposed TVAP amendment in the
following ways:
1. People-focused connections (ped/bike) have been prioritized over vehicular
connections.
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2. Several multi-use paths and sidewalks have been added to create a finer grain
network. (note, additional pedestrian connections and paseos are identified in the
urban design section)
3. Infeasible connections are altered or removed, while those that deserve further
detailed study are maintained.
PROPOSED BVCP CHAPTER 5 AMENDMENT
Chapter 5 of the BVCP, titled “Subcommunity & Area Planning,” describes expectations
for long-range plans and planning processes. The chapter also provides a summary of
significant subcommunity and area plans, describes how they have been used and offers
updates on progress towards implementation of the plans. Attachment B includes revised
text for the Transit Village Area Plan to be updated in Chapter 5 of the BVCP.
Exhibit B of the BVCP outlines amendment procedures for the BVCP. This type of text
amendment may be made at any time, but is particularly relevant when new or amended
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area plans are adopted. This amendment to the BVCP requires approval from both the
Planning Board and City Council.
NEXT STEPS
Staff anticipate the following approval and adoption schedule:
• August 22 – Planning Board Public Hearing and action on proposed TVAP and
BVCP Chapter 5 amendments
• September 21 – City Council Public Hearing and action on proposed TVAP
Amendments
• Q4 2023 – Concurrent BVCP Land Use Map changes (requires Planning Board
and Council action) and Transportation Master Plan changes
Following the adoption of the BVCP Land Use Map updates, there are a number of
significant projects requiring cross-department staff time and potential funding to
implement Boulder Junction Phase 2. Staff will establish an approach to the regulatory,
physical, and programmatic infrastructure required to ensure successful redevelopment of
Phase 2 in line with the amended Transit Village Area Plan. This will begin with an
exploration of expanding the Boulder Junction Form-Based Code and General
Improvement Districts (in current or revised form) to the Phase 2 area and developing a
strategy for phasing and funding of necessary capital improvements.
Approved By:
________________________
Brad Mueller, Director
Department of Planning & Development Services
ATTACHMENTS
A. Proposed 2023 TVAP amendments
B. Proposed revised TVAP summary for BVCP Chapter 5
C. Engagement summaries
a. Focus Group Meeting #1 Presentation and Summary
b. Focus Group Meeting #2 Presentation and Summary
c. Focus Group Meeting #3 Presentation and Summary
d. Open House #1 Boards and Summary
e. Open House #2 Boards and Summary
f. Multi-Board Working Group #1 Presentation and Summary
g. Multi-Board Working Group #2 Presentation and Summary
D. Compiled Recent Comments
E. Proposed 2023 TVAP amendments with 8-18-2023 revisions
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Amended September 2023
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2 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Creating this plan has been a collaborative effort, made possible through the dedicated
efforts of the following groups and individuals.
Mark Ruzzin, Mayor
Suzy Ageton, Deputy Mayor
Robin Bohannan
Tom Eldridge
Crystal Gray
Shaun McGrath
Richard Polk
Andy Schulteiss
Jack Stoakes
Ken Wilson
Elise Jones, Chair
William Holicky
Willa Johnson
Simon Mole
Andrew Shoemaker
Philip Shull
Adrian Sopher
John Spitzer
Richard Sosa
Lynn Guissinger, Chair
Michael Deragisch
Spenser Havlick
Krista Nordback
Jim Rettew
Myriah Sullivan Conroy
Stu Stuller, Chair
Todd Bryan
Joel Davidow
Frances Hartogh
Chad Julian
Norman Murphy
Pete Webber
Ruth McHeyser, Acting Planning Director
Louise Grauer, Project Manager
Michelle Allen, Housing & Human Services Department
Abe Barge, Planning Department
Brent Bean, Planning & Development Services
Robert Eichem, Finance Department
Jean Gatza, Planning Department
David Gehr, City Attorney’s Office
Linda Hill-Blakely, Housing & Human Services Department
Bev Johnson, Planning Department
Heidi Joyce, Planning & Development Services
Conor Merrigan, Planning Department
Chris Meschuk, Planning & Development Services
John Pollak, Housing & Human Services Department
Brad Power, Economic Vitality Program
Avant Ramsey, Planning Department
Susan Richstone, Planning Department
Randall Rutsch, Transportation Department
Betty Solek, Stormwater Quality Program
Maureen Spitzer, Parks and Recreation Department
Douglas Sullivan, Utilities Division
Michael Sweeney, Transportation Department
Elizabeth Vasatka, Office of Environmental Affairs
Robin Woodsong, Planning & Development Services
Jeff Yegian, Housing & Human Services Department
Marie Zuzack, Planning Department
Peter Albert, San Francisco Municipal Railway
Coburn Development
Economic & Planning Systems
EDAW
OZ Architecture
Shapins Associates
Strategic Economics
Studio Terra
UrbanTrans
Van Meter Williams Pollack
Wolff-Lyon Architects
Thanks also to all of the other city staff, board members, and many members of the Boulder community who
gave their invaluable time and input to help develop this plan.
Micki Kaplan, Transportation Department
Acknowledgements
City Council members Staff members
Planning Board members
Transportation Advisory Board members
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members
Consultants
The drawing on the cover is a general characterization of the land use and transportation network concepts contained
in the plan. It is intended to illustrate how those concepts could hypothetically come together, not to prescribe exact
locations or sizes of future buildings, streets, the park, plaza or other public facilities. The actual physical form of the
area will evolve over 15 years or more and will not look like this illustration.
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Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 3
Table of Contents
The sections highlighted below for Phase
2 were updated in 2023. Please refer to the
Phase 2 Plan Amendment.
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4 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
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Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 5
This plan describes the city’s vision for the future of the 160-acre Transit
Village area and will guide long- term development of the area. The plan
vision will be carried out by the city, private property own ers and the
Regional Transportation District (RTD). The Implementation Plan, a compan-
ion document to this plan, identifies specific actions the city will take in the
coming years to advance the plan’s goals and objectives.
Area Context
Introduction
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The city creates area plans where change is expected in the near future.
Area planning provides an opportunity for the community to evaluate
and shape its expectations and goals for the area in anticipation of that
change. It helps ensure that when redevelopment occurs, property owners
can design their projects to be consistent with the vision for the area. It
also helps ensure that public improvements will be in place to support the
new development and advance city goals.
The Transit Village area will undergo tremendous change over the next 25
years, largely due to the following factors:
• RTD will develop new transit facilities and services in the area:
- a bus facility near Pearl Parkway and 30th Street, with bus rapid transit
(BRT) to Denver along U.S. 36 and enhanced local bus service
- a rail stop at the end of Bluff Street for commuter rail service to Denver
and Longmont on existing railroad tracks currently used for freight.
• A new neighborhood will be developed on land owned by the city near
the Pearl and 30th intersection. This transit-oriented, mixed-use neigh-
borhood will be predominantly residential, with much of the housing
affordable to lower and middle incomes. It also will include retail and
office space.
• The site of the former Crossroads Mall has been revitalized recently as a
community destination for shopping and entertainment. Twenty Ninth
Street will continue to bring more people and activity to the area and is
expected to stimulate redevelopment of nearby properties.
6 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Future Regional Transit
Introduction
Commuter rail
Bus rapid transit
Major activity centers
Transit Village area
Legend
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 7
This plan is intended for use by the public, business and property owners,
city officials and staff, and RTD. It provides the community with an idea
of what to expect in the future in the Transit Village area and will guide
decisions about private development, and public facilities and serv ices in
the area. The plan will also inform planning efforts elsewhere in the city.
Over time, the plan will become an important “snap shot in time,” and
provide a record of the intent behind policy decisions and regulatory
changes that are made subsequent to plan adoption.
The Land Use Plan will be used as the basis for future land use map
changes in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP), as well as the
basis for rezoning. The Transportation Connections Plan will be used to
guide future right-of-way acquisitions and capital improvement planning,
as well as to preserve right -of- way corridors for future road dedication and
construction. The Guidelines for Character Districts and Streetscapes will
be used in the Site Review Process to help determine whether a project
meets Site Review criteria.
The Implementation Plan (separate document) will guide future actions
by the city to implement the plan, including: amending existing regula-
tions and the BVCP land use map; establishing phasing and city funding
for key public improvements; planning capital improvement projects; and
enacting the Transportation Demand Management Program.
The pace of area redevelopment will be determined by if and when pri-
vate property owners voluntarily choose to redevelop their properties, as
well as by the schedule for development of the city housing/ RTD site. A
study by Economic and Planning Systems, the economic consultant for
the area planning process, forecasts a 25 to 30 year timeframe for the area
to substantially redevelop. The planning horizon for the first phase of
redevelopment, generally west of the railroad tracks, is 10 to 15 years, and
the plan ning horizon for the second phase, generally east of the tracks, is
15 years and beyond.
Area plans are monitored annually through the Capital Improvements
Program (CIP) and the BVCP Action Plan and updated as needed. Plan
amendments will be reviewed and approved by the City Council and
Planning Board. The process for amending specific connections is
described in Chapter 4: Transportation Connections.
Introduction
Phase 1
Phase 2
Planning Hierarchy
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
8 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 9
The Transit Village area will evolve into a lively, mixed-use, pedestrian-ori-
ented place where people will live, work, shop and access regional transit.
It will become a new neighborhood as well as an attractive destination for
the larger city, with regional transit and public spaces that will benefit the
entire Boulder community.
The new bus and rail services will take Boulder residents to the Denver
metro area for jobs and entertainment and to the airport, and likewise will
bring people from the metro area to Boulder. New housing in the Transit
Village area will provide the opportunity for people to live close to jobs,
services, entertainment, transit, bikeways, a new park and a civic plaza.
The area may become a desirable place to live for people employed in
Boulder, people seeking affordable housing, seniors, and anyone who
wants to reduce or eliminate automobile use.
The area’s present low-density, automobile-oriented environment will
gradually transform into a higher-density, more urban environment. Most
new buildings will range in height from two to four stories, and many will
have a mixture of different uses. Variety in building styles and sizes is pre-
ferred and will most likely occur if properties are developed individually,
rather than assembled. Much of the new parking will be in structures,
underground or tucked under the first floor of buildings. This will create a
more attractive streetscape and pleasant pedestrian environment. A fine-
grained transportation network, including new streets, alleys and paths,
will be built as redevelopment occurs.
To reduce the traffic impacts of higher-density development and capitalize
on the new transit services, the city will work with property owners and
businesses to institute a comprehensive Transportation Demand
Management (TDM) program for the area. Similar to the Downtown and
the University of Colorado campus today, program incentives and man-
aged, paid parking will encourage area residents, employees and shoppers
to choose transit, walking, bicycling, ride-sharing and telecommuting over
driving. The TDM program, combined with improved transit services, bet-
ter pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and a more pedestrian-oriented envi-
ronment, will make it easy and inviting to get to and around the area
without a car. This will enable residents and workers to reduce their
household transportation costs.
New development in the area is expected to be predominately residential,
both as stand-alone residential development and as mixed-use develop-
ment. New housing will provide an opportunity for workers who current-
ly commute into Boulder to live in Boulder. Approximately 1,400 to
2,400 new residential units will be built, adding 2,800 to 5,000 residents
Vision, Goals and Objectives
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
10 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Vision, Goals and Objectives
and creating a new neighborhood. (Prior to the area plan, an additional
300 housing units and 600 new residents were projected. See Appendix 5
for more information.) Homes will be offered in a range of sizes and
prices to appeal to a range of lifestyles, ages, ethnicities and abilities. In
order to promote a diverse Transit Village area population and help
achieve the city’s overall housing goals, the city will offer an incentive for
developers in select zones to provide more permanently affordable hous-
ing than required. Land that the city owns in the southwest corner of the
area will be developed with a higher percentage of affordable housing. All
housing will be within walking or biking distance of the regional bus or
commuter rail service. The combination of affordable housing and lower-
cost transportation options may create a more economically diverse popu-
lation in the area. It also may support a more diverse employment base
for the city, as more Boulder service workers may be able to reside in the
Transit Village area.
Area retail will serve both community-wide and neighborhood needs. The
most likely location for larger stores and retailers is along 30th Street and
near the 30th and Pearl streets intersection. They would complement the
stores located at Twenty Ninth Street. Neighborhood-serving retailers will
tend to be in more interior, but also highly visible locations, and will be
interwoven with new housing and offices.
New office and industrial space will be developed throughout the area,
creating approximately 2,900 to 4,300 new jobs, depending on the density
and type of space actually built in the mixed-use zones. (Prior to the area
plan, 2,900 additional jobs were projected.) Workers will be well-posi-
tioned to access these jobs using the new regional transit services, bike
facilities and local buses that will circulate frequently through the area.
The existing Service Commercial and Service Industrial uses (for example,
automobile repair and services, personal services and small-scale manufac-
turing) currently distinguish this part of the city and serve essential, every-
day needs of residents and businesses throughout the city. Since these uses
will likely be displaced in much of the area as higher density redevelop-
ment elevates land prices and lease rates, the plan identifies some areas
where zoning would seek to preserve these uses.
The city will strive to design public spaces to appeal to a broad spectrum
of the population. A new civic plaza will be located near the rail stop at
the end of Bluff Street, and it will be visited and enjoyed by the entire
Boulder community. A new pocket park south of Goose Creek on the west
side of the railroad tracks will primarily serve residents and employees in
this area. The historic Union Pacific/ Boulder Jaycees train depot will be
relocated from Crossroad Commons to the Transit Village area and
become a unique community attraction.
A new north-south street will connect the bus facility with the rail plat-
form and plaza and serve as a spine for the area. Junction Place will be
designed primarily for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users, and have a
special, amenity-rich character. Both the Goose Creek Greenway and a
new multi-use path along North Boulder Farmer’s Ditch will provide key,
off-street, grade-separated pedestrian/ bicycle access to and through the
area.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 11
Vision, Goals and Objectives
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
12 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 13
Land Use
The Land Use Plan depicts the proposed land uses for the Transit Village
area. The Plan will guide changes to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive
Plan (BVCP) Land Use Map, the city zoning map, the BVCP land use
descriptions and the city land use code. Land use and code changes will
be phased in conjunction with public improvements, as described in the
Implementation Plan.
Land Use Plan
The Land Use Plan for Phase 2 was
updated in 2023. Please refer to the
Phase 2 Plan Amendment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
14 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Land Use
The prototypes on the next pages show the building forms and uses typi-
cally associated with each land use category on the Land Use Plan. They
also describe who will likely live and work in each relevant land use.
To meet diverse needs and incomes the plan provides for a variety of hous-
ing types from urban townhomes to stacked flats to live/work units. Prices
will range from affordable to high-end market rate. Affordable housing will
be obtained through the city’s inclusionary zoning requirements and could
result in 300-475 new permanently affordable housing units. Up to half of
the homes built on the city housing site will be permanently affordable. In
addition, a density bonus will be offered for projects in the Mixed Use-2 and
High-Density Residential-2 areas that provide more than the required per-
centage of affordable housing.
The plan allows for neighborhood-serving retail to be located throughout
most of the west side of the railroad tracks and will mainly be located on
the first floors of mixed-use buildings. The southwestern portion of the area
could incorporate one or two “mid-box” stores of 20,000 to 40,000 square
feet each, to serve community-level retail needs.
Over time, redevelopment throughout the area will escalate real estate prices
and without city action, would result in the gradual displacement of exist-
ing small businesses and relatively affordable commercial space. To reduce
this effect, the plan preserves most of the existing Service Commercial zon-
ing along Valmont Road and designates areas east of the railroad tracks
Mixed Use Industrial. Today, approximately six acres of the Transit Village
area are zoned Service Commercial and 44 acres are zoned Service Industrial.
Service Commercial zoning provides for a wide range of community-serving
commercial uses, including retail, small manufacturing, and some office
uses, and does not allow residential uses. Service Industrial zoning allows
repair and service uses, manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing and distri-
bution uses, and allows residential uses above the ground floor. Both the
Service Commercial and Service Industrial zones were designed to restrict
certain uses in order to protect uses that serve the community and require
lower land costs to survive. The plan retains most of the Service
Commercial zoning (approximately five acres). The areas east of the rail-
road tracks that are currently zoned Service Industrial are designated Mixed
Use Industrial-1 (12 acres) and Mixed Use Industrial-2 (23 acres) in the plan.
Areas designated Mixed Use Industrial-1 will provide the opportunity to
integrate service industrial uses with residential uses at a higher density,
similar to the uses in the Steelyards neighborhood west of the tracks. As
these areas redevelop, the new industrial space is anticipated to accommo-
date technical offices, small manufacturers, contractors, and a variety of
other service industrial uses. However, mixed-use industrial redevelopment
is less likely to include some of the larger types of existing service industrial
uses in the area, such as auto-related uses, warehousing, and distribution,
which are expected to be replaced over time. The Mixed Use Industrial-2
land use is a more flexible designation that will allow higher intensity rede-
velopment and provides more flexibility for office uses. Therefore, these
areas are less likely to include service industrial uses when they redevelop.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 15
Land Use
Transit Village Area Today Possible Future Development Pattern
The plan provides for a high percentage of mixed-use development. This
will provide flexibility for changes in market demand. Predominant uses in
mixed-use areas could be business or residential, with homes mixed vertical-
ly (above businesses) or horizontally (residential buildings next to commer-
cial buildings). Mixed-use industrial areas will allow residential uses.
Development densities are highest close to the future bus and rail facilities
to maximize the number of workers and residents who will have convenient
access to public transportation.
A density bonus or other incentives will be offered for green building proj-
ects in the Mixed Use Industrial-1 area and will be considered for the Office-
Industrial and Mixed Use Industrial-2 areas in Phase 2. The bonus or incen-
tives will apply to the buildings whose non-residential and residential com-
ponents are LEED Platinum-certified or exceed an alternative city-adopted
green building standard.
Initial market data indicates that the area’s mixed-use zones will be predom-
inantly residential in the early stages of redevelopment. Later redevelop-
ment may provide the opportunity for more new businesses in the area.
New jobs in the area will range from lower-paying retail and service jobs to
higher-paying office and industrial jobs.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
16 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Land Use
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 17
Land Use
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
18 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Land Use
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 19
Urban Design
The Urban Design Chapter consists of two parts:
A. Character Districts
B. Streetscapes.
The area has been divided into eight character districts, primarily based on future
land use. The guidelines that follow for each district are intended to promote plan
goals related to urban design, public spaces and livability. They will be used by the
city to create new or revised standards for the area. They also will be used by the
private sector to help understand how the plan vision applies to development.
The guidelines will be considered in the Site Review process to ensure that new
development will be compatible with the character established by this plan.
The future described for each character district will occur gradually, with the most
change likely to occur first in the districts west of the railroad tracks and later, east
of the tracks.
Character Districts
The Character Districts for
Phase 2 were updated in 2023.
Please refer to the Phase 2
Plan Amendment.
The Character Districts
for Phase 2 were
updated in 2023. Please
refer to the Phase 2 Plan
Amendment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
20 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder Colorado 21
Urban Design
• Low impact development techniques are designed to create a stormwa-
ter management system which reduces runoff and removes urban pollu-
tants. Low impact development techniques should be used wherever
possible to mitigate stormwater impacts. These techniques include:
- Use of permeable materials such as modular block pavers to maxi-
mize infiltration and minimize surface runoff where there are hard
surfaces;
- Green roofs should be used to minimize stormwater runoff and pol-
lutant loading.
- Landscape areas are a key component of the system since they
enhance infiltration and support pollutant removal.
• Surface detention ponds should be minimized and avoided where feasi-
ble through the use of runoff reduction techniques. Where surface
ponding is necessary, it should be designed to serve as an amenity such
as a pocket park or landscape buffer when not inundated. Techniques
such as underdrains and subsurface sand filters should be utilized to
expedite infiltration.
• Subsurface stormwater treatment systems, such as proprietary water
quality manholes, should only be used where water quality require-
ments cannot be fully addressed through the use of low impact develop-
ment techniques. Devices should be used to supplement other tech-
niques and not as the primary treatment method.
• Where projects include improvements to adjacent rights-of-way, tech-
niques such as permeable paving materials and landscape infiltration
should be utilized to the extent possible. These techniques should be
used to mitigate the impacts of right-of-way improvements such as
streets and sidewalks and are not credited toward minimum require-
ments for on-site treatments.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
22 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder Colorado
Urban Design
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder Colorado 23
Urban Design
Givens
A series of incremental decisions coupled with existing
conditions will directly influence the planned bridge over
Goose Creek. These include:
1. The finished floor elevation of the Depot.
2. The channel elevation of Goose Creek.
3. Clearance requirements for the multi-use path along
Goose Creek.
4. The existing overhead Xcel electric transmission line
5. The street alignment for Junction Place
6. The street cross-sections in the approved TVAP.
7. Direction for a single span bridge.
8. The budget is defined and the bridge design needs to
be in line with the budget
Guiding Principles
1. Structure will be visible from a variety of vantage
points
The bridge will be mostly visible from the Goose Creek
path, the new pocket park, and new housing. It will be
less visible from motorists on 30th Street, Junction Place
and Pearl Parkway.
Consider all view corridors in designing the bridge
View from Goose Creek Path – especially eastbound
View from Depot
View from pocket park
View from nearby housing
View from Junction Place – north and southbound
View from 30th Street – up Goose Creek Channel
2. Structure should be light and airy
a. Minimize structure depth to greatest extent possible
considering cost/benefit and acceptable levels of
deflection
b. Single span increases depth and doesn’t seem to be
needed due to proximity of 5 cell box culvert.
Investigate further any flood limitation related to the
potential for supports in Goose Creek.
3. Bridge should reference AND be subordinate to
Depot
a. can use materials found on the Depot, such as cut
stone and brick
b. height of any elements should be lower than Depot
c. vertical elements should not block key views of the
Depot, which appears to preclude tresses
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
24 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder Colorado
Urban Design
4. Bridge should be contemporary in design – not an
historical “replication”
a. design of bridge can reflect design elements of the
Depot in a contemporary manner, such as propor-
tions and geometry.
b. can reference historical materials such as weathering
steel, stone and brick
c. can reference history of transportation activity in area
(rail)
5. Transition to narrower street cross section should occur
south of the bridge to give users opportunity to “adjust”
prior to reaching bridge.
a. Bridge width should accommodate two 10 foot travel
lanes (shared vehicles and bikes) and two 12-15’
pedestrian “zones” with some kind of separation
between pedestrians and others (could be curb, bol-
lards, other street furnishings).
b. Transition could occur immediately north of entry
into BRT facility and double as a raised crosswalk or
“plaza” space on the street connecting the depot and
the park – cars are invited guests beyond this point.
6. Bridge should be “activated”
a. Use street furnishings (benches, planters, lighting,
etc), detailing, and public art to create an interesting
place
b. consider views FROM bridge – mountains, Goose
Creek, pocket park
7. Bridge should be part of the “wayfinding” system in
Boulder Junction.
a. bridge “elements” could extend north and south from
the bridge
b. public art, form, and choice of materials should
enhance the “sense of place”
8. Public art should be integral to the bridge
a. art as “place” and not object more appropriate for the
bridge
b. art can take many different forms – vertical columns,
paving, abutment treatments, railings, site furnish-
ings, etc.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 25
Urban Design
The Pearl Street Center District is centered on the
city housing/ RTD bus facility site, which is cur-
rently mostly undeveloped. An industrial building
and two vacant lots occupy the north side of
Goose Creek. The south side of Pearl Parkway is
occupied by two- to three-story office buildings,
car dealerships and one-story service industrial and
warehouse uses. Surface parking lots predominate.
The Pearl Street Center District will become a high-intensity mixture of hous-
ing and retail, capitalizing on its central location and the future regional bus
facility. A significant amount of affordable housing will be constructed on the
city-owned portion of the site. Urban-format mid-box uses may be considered
near the busy, highly visible Pearl and 30th intersection, whereas neighbor-
hood-serving retail could occur throughout the district. Any commuter-serv-
ing commercial uses would locate as close as possible to, or perhaps within,
the bus facility. A new pocket park on the city housing site will create a sense
of neighborhood and also be used by passers-by on the adjacent Goose Creek
Greenway.
Junction Place will be the spine through the district. It will include a bridge
over Goose Creek and a new traffic signal at Pearl Parkway. At the south edge
of the district, a new multi-use path along the North Boulder Farmer’s Ditch,
with an underpass at 30th Street, will significantly improve pedestrian and
bicycle access to Twenty Ninth Street and the Boulder Valley Regional Center.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
26 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
Regional Transit Facility Locations Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 27
Urban Design
The Rail Plaza District will host the Boulder stop
on the new commuter rail service to Denver and
Longmont. Currently this district is predominantly
industrial, with low-density development and sur-
face parking lots. A significant portion of the dis-
trict is occupied by Sutherlands Lumber/ Home
Improvement Store. The district will evolve into a
high-density, commercial and residential mixed-use
area, with three- to five-story buildings.
The rail stop will be located at the end of Bluff Street and consist primarily of
a passenger loading/ unloading platform and pedestrian access to the plat-
form on the other side of the tracks (preferably an underpass). The city will
develop a civic plaza adjacent to the stop. (See conceptual diagrams on p. 25.)
The plaza is envisioned to be one of the key public spaces in the Transit
Village area and will become a lively gathering place inviting to a broad spec-
trum of the community. During the area planning process, the plaza had
been explored as a possible location for the historic Union-Pacific/ Boulder
Jaycees train depot. (See p.26 for more information on the Depot.)
A new traffic signal with crosswalks at Valmont Road and 34th Street will
help tie the Transit Village area to the neighborhoods to the north. A multi-
use path along the west side of the tracks will provide easy bicycle and pedes-
trian access between Valmont, the rail stop and Goose Creek Greenway. The
corridor along the tracks could become a car-free zone with a unique charac-
ter, if adjacent development opens onto it and provides amenities, such as
seating, landscaping and art, to enrich it.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
28 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 29
Urban Design
Rail Plaza and Transit Facilities at Bluff Street & Junction Place
Conceptual Diagrams
Option A
Option B
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
30 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
In early 2006, the City Council indicated a preference for relocating the
historic depot from the Crossroad Commons shopping center to the
Transit Village area. Placing the Depot in proximity to the area's future
transit uses would help recapture the historic significance of the Depot, a
designated city landmark. The exact location and future use, ownership
and management of the building will be determined through implemen-
tation of the area plan.
The city housing site is likely to be the Depot's permanent location. An
alternative location on the RTD site will be considered during master
planning of the city/RTD site. A location near the bus facility or railroad
tracks would more closely associate the building with its original transit
function. During the area planning process, locations in the civic plaza
near the rail stop to the north were explored (see diagrams on previous
page). However, they did not appear to be feasible at the time of plan
adoption, given the required schedule and available funding for relocating
the Depot from Crossroad Commons.
Whether the Depot is permanently located on property owned by a public
entity, such as RTD or city housing, or owned by a private entity, the city
will compensate the landowner. Possible methods for the city to acquire
Depot land include: direct purchase, dedication by the property owner in
association with a development application, long-term lease, or trade for
city land elsewhere, or a combination of these methods.
Depot Location
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 31
Urban Design
Currently the 30Street Corridor District is
mostly zoned transitional business (BT1). The
west side of 30th Street is predominantly auto-
mobile-oriented retail or storage uses; the east
side of 30th Street is predominantly mixed-use,
urban storefronts.
With a change to a mixed-use designation, the
district will evolve to take on the character set
by the Steelyards project: a mixture of commer-
cial and residential uses in two- to
three-story buildings located along the
street, with parking behind, supported
by a network of new streets and alleys.
The vision is to transform 30th Street
into a business main street, with
neighborhood and community-serving
retail, restaurants, commercial services
and offices. New transportation con-
nections, wide sidewalks, first-floor
storefronts, pedestrian-scale architec-
ture, street trees and furnishings, and
on-street parking will help create a
more pedestrian-friendly 30th Street.
New housing will most likely be located internally to properties, away
from 30th Street, and will range from townhouses to higher-density apart-
ments.
The Valmont Corridor District is cur-
rently a service commercial district, the
only such district in town, with low-
intensity retail and commercial uses,
including a gasoline station, personal
services, offices, and small-scale manu-
facturing. Most of the buildings are one
story in height.
The plan preserves the district’s existing
service commercial land use designation
and zoning (BCS - Business Commercial
Services). However, this zoning does allow
more density than currently exists, so
some expansions and intensification of
the district are likely. For example, some
one-story buildings may add a second
floor.
The district’s current automobile orienta-
tion -- surface parking lots in front of
buildings and individual-property curb cuts along Valmont Road and 30
Street -- is expected to continue. The major improvement recommended
for the district is to enhance the Valmont and 30streetscapes with street
trees and detached sidewalks. Better access to the neighborhoods to the
north will be provided by three new crosswalks on Valmont Road.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
32 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
Most of the Steelyards District was recently devel-
oped by the Steelyards project, a mixture of hous-
ing, shops and small-scale service businesses. The
industrial uses on the north side of Bluff Street will
transition to high-density residential, such as urban
townhouses. The southern part of the district is
mixed-use industrial, one- to two-story live/work
units.
Thirty-third Street will be transformed
into Junction Place by widening and
improving the existing right-of-way
with pedestrian and bicycle amenities,
as described in Chapter 4:
Transportation Connections.
The Old Pearl District currently has
mostly service industrial uses. The
proposed industrial mixed-use land
use will allow one- to three-story
light industrial or service industrial
uses with residential or live/work
units. Over time, non-traditional
housing will be developed incrementally, while retaining the present indus-
trial character, resulting in an eclectic mix of uses. A higher intensity mixed-
use industrial zone on the east edge of the district is intended to provide for
additional building heights to help buffer interior properties from Foothills
Parkway traffic noise. This district may be a feasible location for a green
technology park.
A new street and a bridge over
Goose Creek will create a connec-
tion to Wilderness Place. A plaza
and/or sculpture at the western ter-
minus of Old Pearl Street could
mark the historic significance of
the street as a remnant of an earli-
er “skewed grid” that once con-
nected downtown Boulder to the
town of Valmont, and celebrate
the current importance of Pearl
Street.
This section for Phase 2 was
updated in 2023. Please refer to the
Phase 2 Plan Amendment.
This section for Phase 2 was
updated in 2023. Please refer to the
Phase 2 Plan Amendment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 33
Urban Design
Wilderness Place District is a stable
employment area, with a mixture of tech-
nical offices and light industrial uses.
Buildings range from one- story to four-
stories. The proposed office-industrial
land use will allow more density and
greater flexibility in types of office uses.
This district (or Old Pearl or Pearl Parkway
districts) may be a feasible location for a
green technology park. In the longer
term, high-density residential may be devel-
oped along Goose Creek.
A train platform and pedestrian underpass (or overpass) will be added at
the west edge of the district to serve the future commuter rail stop.
Pedestrian walkways will
connect these to
Wilderness Place. A new
street and bridge over
Goose Creek will improve
Wilderness Place access to
the Old Pearl District and
Pearl Parkway and create
an additional link from
the south to Valmont
Road.
The Pearl Parkway District is industrial
and functions as an extension of the East
Pearl industrial area. Large warehouse
buildings are located south of Pearl
Parkway, and one- to two-story office and
light industrial buildings are located
north of Pearl Parkway. Parking is on sur-
face lots. Two- to three-story office and
industrial uses are expected in the
future. This district may be a feasi-
ble location for a green technology
park.
This section for Phase 2
was updated in 2023. Please
refer to the Phase 2 Plan
Amendment.
This section for Phase 2
was updated in 2023. Please
refer to the Phase 2 Plan
Amendment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
34 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
The following streetscape cross section drawings will be used as guidelines by
the city and the private sector to plan and design the new streets shown on
the Connections Plan. They also will be used to plan and design changes to
the existing streets as adjacent redevelopment occurs. The cross sections are
part of a right-of-way plan as contemplated by Section 9-9-8, B.R.C. 1981.4 As
such, the guidelines will be used to create reservation areas for future rights-
of-way and to provide guidance on property exactions from new develop-
ment and redevelopment and on city acquisition practices. Information is
provided in the Implementation Plan on costs, the policy for public/ private
sector cost allocation, and city funding.
The on-street parking width in each relevant cross section is measured to the
back of the curb.
Pearl Parkway
Valmont Road
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 35
Urban Design
30th Street
Along Mixed Use and
High-Density Residential Land Uses*
Bluff Street
East of 30th Street
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
36 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
Junction Place
Segment I
Southern Area Boundary to
North Edge of Bus Facility Area
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 37
Urban Design
Junction Place
Segment 2
North Edge of Bus Facility
Area to Bluff Street
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
38 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Urban Design
Frontier/Wilderness Place
New or Upgraded Local Street
Please refer to the City of Boulder
Design and Construction Standards
(D.C.S.)
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 39
Urban Design
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
40 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 41
Transportation Connections
Consistent with the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) and
Transportation Master Plan (TMP), the Transportation Connections Plan
was developed in conjunction with the proposed area land uses and to
support the city’s sustainability goals. The Connections Plan is also
designed to: support the area’s new regional rail and bus facilities; facili-
tate the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program; and sup-
port the plan’s urban design goals.
The Connections Plan is a right-of-way plan that will be administered
according to Section 9-9-8, BRC 1981.The Plan will be incorporated
into the TMP and replace the portions of earlier network plans that
cover the Transit Village area. The transportation improvements includ-
ed in the Connections Plan will be installed by property owners and the
city at the time of redevelopment. Cost, phasing and financing are dis-
cussed in the Implementation Plan.
The objectives of the Connections Plan are to:
• Establish a fine-grained, multimodal network of transportation
connections that will:
- establish a pedestrian-friendly environment;
- create safe and convenient access to transit;
- establish a rich variety of safe and convenient connections for
all modes within the area and to major activity centers and the
rest of the community, including Twenty Ninth Street, CU,
Downtown, nearby neighborhoods, and the employment and
industrial area to the east; and
- support the changes in land use, increases in density, and
urban character proposed by the area plan.
• Provide new roads on an approximate 400-foot grid. (By way of
comparison, the Downtown area, one of the city’s most pedestri-
an-oriented areas, with densities similar to those proposed for
some parts of the Transit Village area, has a 300-foot street grid.)
• Provide pedestrian connections approximately every 200 feet to
provide mid-block access for bicycle and pedestrian access while
providing flexibility for property owners.
• Provide key alley connections that are shown on the
Connections Plan, where they are required for access or to sepa-
rate different land uses. Encourage additional alleys, particularly
in locations with higher intensity land uses that anticipate build-
ings located up to the street.
• Locate connections to straddle property lines when possible to
reduce the burden on individual property owners.
• While providing significant flexibility through the amendment
process, show some connections on the map as flexible in order
to emphasize that the intent is a complete and appropriately
spaced connection, rather than a precise alignment.
• Provide new traffic signals on Pearl Parkway, 30th Street, and
Valmont Road at 34th Street to facilitate transit and traffic move-
ment and provide safe pedestrian crossings and connections to
the surrounding neighborhoods.
Current Grid
Future Grid
Transit Village Area vs. Downtown
Street Grids
Downtown Grid
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
42 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Transportation Connections
• Establish a central-spine multimodal connection (Junction Place)
west of the railroad tracks, connecting the existing 32Street north
to Pearl Parkway, then continuing through the city/RTD-owned
property to serve the bus facility and farther north near the rail plat-
form, and connecting to Valmont Road. Locate Junction Place to
provide: full turning movements and a traffic signal at Pearl
Parkway; a curvilinear alignment from Pearl Parkway to Goose Creek;
and access to the civic plaza. If possible, align the street to provide a
series of visual corridors that will frame or terminate with important
destinations, such as the Depot, or views, such as of the Flatirons.
• Provide new bicycle and pedestrian links to the regional network,
including a new multi-use path along Foothills Parkway. (See the
Appendix for a regional Bikeway and Multi-use Path Network Map.)
• Provide a multimodal path connection between the area and Twenty
Ninth Street along the North Boulder Farmer’s Ditch.
• Consider new underpasses for pedestrians and bicycles, particularly
to connect the multi-use path system and to Twenty Ninth Street.
• Support other goals of the area plan and relevant BVCP and TMP
goals.
A detailed explanation and rationale for each connection on the
Connections Plan is provided in the Appendix. It will be used to help inter-
pret the Connections Plan for capital improvement planning and review of
individual development review applications.
Amendments to the Connections Plan generally will be reviewed either
administratively or by the Planning Board. The process provides some flexi-
bility to relocate proposed facilities to reflect site-specific considerations
while ensuring that the connections necessary to realize a fully integrated
multimodal network are created.
Significant changes to key proposed connections require an amendment to
the plan by the Planning Board. In most cases, elimination of a proposed
connection requires approval by both the Planning Board and City Council.
Minor variations from the plan can be approved by the city manager.
Amendment requests can be processed in conjunction with a Site Review.
See table on next page.
Any amendment to the Connections Plan will be permitted upon a finding
that one of the criteria has been met:
1. Such amendment is due to a physical hardship or practical hardship
that would prevent construction of the connection;
2. The connection is made in a manner that is equivalent to the con-
nection shown on the Connections Plan; or
3. Such amendment is consistent with the objectives of the
Connections Plan described above.
In those instances where the standards above cannot be met, the amend-
ment will be considered legislative in nature and require approval by the
Planning Board and City Council.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 43
Transportation Connections
Better Connectivity
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
44 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Transportation Connections
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 45
The Transportation Connections
Plan for Phase 2 was updated in
2023. Please refer to the Phase 2
Plan Amendment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
46 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 47
Transportation Demand Management
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is a program of specific
strategies that promote more efficient use of an existing transportation
system by influencing travel behavior. TDM strategies manage the
demand placed on the transportation system by:
• increasing travel choices,
• encouraging the use of alternative modes – carpooling, vanpooling,
public transit, bicycling, walking, and teleworking, and
• reducing the incentives to use the single-occupant vehicle.
The strategies proposed for the Transit Village area TDM program build on
the experience of the existing TDM programs for the Downtown and CU
campus, as well as regional TDM efforts. The city will partner with area
developers and business owners to implement the program.
TDM is an essential component of the plan, in order to mitigate the traffic
impacts of the proposed intensification of land uses. TDM also will sup-
port the significant public investment in new transit, capitalize on the
new pedestrian and bicycle facilities planned for the area, and help make
the area a pedestrian-friendly and affordable place to live and work.
TDM program goals and performance are often measured in terms of
modal share. Reasonable, yet challenging, modal share goals have been
established for the Transit Village area based on the area’s new transit serv-
ices, transit-oriented land uses and design, and a host of transportation
improvements. The goals are as follows:
The framework for the Transit Village area TDM program is based upon
four core elements
Parking Control
• Active Promotion of Transportation Options
• Sustainable Program Funding
• Performance Standards and Monitoring
TDM strategies are most effective when these four elements are fully
implemented. Details on each core element are provided in the
Appendix.
The ideal TDM program for the Transit Village area will include the strate-
gies outlined below for each of the four core elements. The strategies will
be phased in as the area redevelops, land use intensifies, transit services
and alternative mode facilities improve, and the pedestrian environment
develops. The arrival of commuter rail service and full bus rapid transit
(BRT) service is used as a key “trigger” event in the phasing.
Detailed descriptions of these strategies are included in the Appendix.
Although listed separately, many of these strategies were designed to com-
plement one another and are expected to have a compounding effect on
trip reduction. (For example, a parking control policy implemented in tan-
dem with an Eco Pass program can result in a more substantial trip reduc-
tion than if either strategy is implemented alone.)
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
48 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Transportation Demand Management
Parking control refers to the management of parking through supply and
pricing. Managed parking is critical for TDM success. For the Transit
Village area it will involve:
• unbundling parking for new development in certain zones;
• establishing parking maximums (caps) that will be phased down-
ward over time;
• managing and pricing on-street parking and parking on the city
housing/ RTD site (and possibly in other portions of the area)
through a district or parking management association (PMA).
Parking will be unbundled for new commercial and residential devel-
opment in the Mixed Use-2 and High-Density Residential-1 and -2
land use areas and potentially other areas, except the Service
Commercial (see Land Use Plan). Further analysis will be done after
plan adoption.
The amount of parking will be reduced as the area matures and
more alternative mode choices become available.
a. Phase I (present day to arrival of the train in 2014): Current
New Development
Parking maximums will be capped at a parking minimum specific
to each zone district plus approximately 25 percent. Additional
spaces up to 25 percent above the cap may be provided as tempo-
rary onsite surface lots or leased spaces from a PMA. Property
owners also may continue to request 25 percent than the
parking minimum based on current city practices. Further reduc-
tions may be achieved by optional shared parking arrangement
with other properties.
b. Phase II (2015 to 2016): Full Commuter Rail and Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) Services
Parking maximums will be capped at the parking minimum for
each zone. Property owners must eliminate and/or sell, lease or
trade excess spaces (those above the parking cap) to other new
properties or a PMA. Property owners also may request 35 percent
than the parking minimum based on city practices. Further
reductions may be achieved through participation in a shared
parking arrangement.
c. Phase III (2017 to 2022): Significant Redevelopment of Area
Parking maximums will be capped at the parking minimum for
each zone minus approximately 25 percent. Property owners also
may request 50 percent than the parking minimum based on
city practices. Further reductions may be achieved through partici-
pation in a shared parking arrangement.
The exact percentages, parking minimums and applicable zone dis-
tricts will be determined in plan implementation.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 49
Transportation Demand Management
A parking district or PMA will be established for the city housing/
RTD site and possibly near the rail stop. On-street parking also
will be managed by this organization. Other properties may opt to
join the organization (or a similar one created in their area) in lieu
of providing parking on their property. A district would be sup-
ported by an assessment, while a PMA would be supported by fees
in lieu of providing on-site parking. This aspect of parking control
will be further analyzed and defined in the plan implementation
phase.
Active TDM promotion refers to the use of education and incentives to
encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation.
a. Phase I (present day to 2014): Current New Development
Existing GO Boulder assistance will continue. Membership in a
transportation management organization (TMO), or similar enti-
ty that provides services related to alternate mode use, will be
required for all businesses. GO Boulder or community services
include:
• Promotional activities and information (including Eco Pass)
• Telework
• Car/vanpool matching
• ETC network
• Limited car-share service
TMO services include:
• Onsite promotional assistance
• Marketing materials
• Pool bikes
• Tailored commute program development
b. Phase II (2015 to 2016): Full Commuter Rail and BRT Services
Contracted specialized onsite assistance and services including:
• “City Bike” service
• Periodic individualized marketing
• Award point system for alternate mode users
• Annual promotional event
• Transportation concierge
• “Smart Community” network with interactive map/travel
tool
• Bike station and smart bike parking
c. Phase III (2017 to 2022): Significant Redevelopment of Area
The full TDM program (all the items listed in the Appendix) will
be implemented, including commuter store and fully subsidized
Eco Passes.
The active promotion and maintenance of a TDM program requires an
ongoing and stable source of funding.
a. Phase I (present day to 2014): Current New Development
Public funding will be provided to extend GO Boulder services
to the area. Mandatory membership in a TMO or similar entity
will provide additional program funding. Grant funding also
may be available and will be pursued by the city. An assessment
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
50 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Transportation Demand Management
system for new development will be established through the
development review process but not immediately implemented.
b. Phase II (2015 to 2016): Full Commuter Rail and BRT Services
TDM commercial and household assessments will be imple-
mented for approximately 50 percent of program funding.
c. Phase III (2017 to 2022): Significant Redevelopment of Area
Full program funding will be implemented, including commer-
cial and household assessments and parking fees.
On-going:
Trip generation allowances
Trip generation allowances will be developed for each property
based on the increased density established in the plan. This stan-
dard will be included in the zone code amendments for area plan
implementation.
City monitoring:
• Boulder Valley Employee Survey
• Triennial peak hour driveway counts
• Triennial visitor intercept survey
• Triennial market research
The Implementation Plan outlines the next steps, responsibilities and
timeframe for implementing the Transit Village area TDM program. A
more detailed plan for parking control and management (including spill-
over parking control), as well as the other TDM strategies, will be devel-
oped in the implementation phase and will potentially need to be adjust-
ed with the redevelopment of the area over time.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 51
Facilities & Services
Planning and Funding Public
Facilities and Services
The impact of the projected growth in the Transit Village area on city
facilities and services was evaluated in the Options Assessment (available
online), which was reviewed by City Council on September 5, 2006.
Additional residents, workers, commuters and shoppers and new build-
ings in the area will trigger the need for new, expanded or improved
transportation facilities, water and sewer lines, flood control and
drainage systems, parks and fire and police services, as outlined below.
The timing of new facilities and estimated costs and sources of funding
are provided in the Implementation Plan.
The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan establishes policies that link
growth to the provision of adequate public facilities and services. New
development and redevelopment should not occur unless adequate public
facilities and services are in place or planned to be provided under the
city’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to ensure adequate, cost-effi-
cient service provision to residents.
City departmental master plans establish minimum service standards and
plan for new or expanded facilities and services in order to maintain those
standards. The CIP and city budget process guide and coordinate the tim-
ing and funding for facility and service improvements citywide.
Significant redevelopment potential throughout the area and the plan
vision of a comprehensive, multi-modal transportation network neces-
sitates numerous new streets, alleys, sidewalks, paths, bike lanes, and
intersection and crossing improvements. These are mapped in the
Chapter 4: Transportation Connections. The network will be imple-
mented over time as properties redevelop. The Implementation Plan
outlines the probable phasing and timing of these improvements and
sources for funding the city’s share of improvements. The other essen-
tial component of mitigating the traffic impacts of the proposed
intensification of land uses is the Transportation Demand
Management Program.
Additionally, RTD will build a new bus facility, as well as platforms for
rail service.
Water Supply and Transmission:
No capital or operating expenditures for water supply are required
specifically for the incremental increase above current water use levels
due to anticipated growth in Transit Village area.
Water transmission for the area is fairly well-developed; however, one
additional eight to 12-inch transmission pipe is recommended to pro-
vide system redundancy. The pipe would extend 1,700 feet from the
Pearl Parkway and 30Street intersection to the intersection of Pearl
Parkway and Frontier Avenue. Additional eight-inch waterlines will be
required to network the area and provide service taps to redeveloped
properties. Approximately 2,200 to 3,000 feet of this distribution pip-
ing will be needed. These improvements can be timed with redevelop-
ment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
52 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Facilities & Services
Wastewater/ Sanitary Sewer Collection and Treatment:
Improvements to the wastewater treatment plant are currently under-
way to increase capacity. The most recent Wastewater Treatment Master
Plan takes into account future growth in the Transit Village area.
Build-out of the area will exceed the planned capacity for wastewater
collection. Sanitary sewer pipes will need to be enlarged to meet the
anticipated demand. Critical links to pipes on the east side of Foothills
Parkway must be enlarged to carry the anticipated flows from the
Transit Village area. This will require 4,035 feet of new 10-inch sanitary
sewer pipe and three additional pipes bored under Foothills Parkway.
Stormwater Drainage and Water Quality for Goose Creek
Increased stormwater capacity will be needed in the Transit Village area,
as redevelopment will increase the total impervious surface area by an
estimated five acres. Redevelopment also will present an opportunity to
take a more environmentally sustainable approach to handling stormwa-
ter runoff. The Transit Village area has been identified as one of the city’s
highest priorities to reduce stormwater runoff and address water quality
improvements. Historically, runoff has been collected and piped by indi-
vidual properties and emptied unfiltered into Goose Creek. The alterna-
tive approach would collect and treat storm runoff on an area-wide basis.
A combination of grassed swales and trunk lines from individual proper-
ties would drain stormwater into water-quality ponds or terraces along
Goose Creek. Stormwater would then percolate into the creek bed, filter-
ing pollutants, improving water quality and enhancing the riparian and
aquatic qualities of the creek corridor. This stormwater approach is con-
sistent with the city’s Design and Construction Standards and the
Greenways Master Plan. Trunk lines would be installed under newly relo-
cated streets. Options for reducing the size of trunk lines using stormwa-
ter best management practices (BMP’s), such as “green street” landscape
filters, porous pavement and filter strips will be explored.
Currently there is more land available for ponds or terraces along Goose
Creek east of the railroad tracks, but the greatest increase in stormwater
drainage will be west of the tracks (particularly from north of the creek).
Widening and opening the Goose Creek channel between the tracks and
30th Street would support a greener stormwater system. It also would
provide the opportunity to transform this section of the creek from a hot,
dry channel into an enhanced wetland similar to the wetlands west of
30th Street and east of the railroad tracks. This would create a critical
aquatic and riparian link between those two existing wetlands. In addi-
tion to opening the channel, other improvements could include: remov-
ing or reducing the retaining walls, removing the concrete channel liner,
and re-vegetating with native plants and trees. These improvements
would carry out Greenways Master Plan objectives for this section of
Goose Creek and would also support the area plan goal of capitalizing on
the unique, natural features of the area to create a special place. They
could occur with installation of the stormwater system or development of
the park on the city housing site. Funding and technical assistance for
the project may be available from the Army Corps of Engineers and/or
the Environmental Protection Agency. Master planning for the city hous-
ing/RTD site will be the first opportunity to consider feasibility and scope.
Transmission Line:
The fiscal and logistical feasibility of undergrounding the North Boulder
Transmission Line through the area will be investigated.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 53
Facilities & Services
New Pocket Park:
The Valmont City Park and Mapleton Ballfields are relatively conven-
ient to the area, however, to meet Parks and Recreation service stan-
dards, a new pocket park will be developed within the area to serve resi-
dents south of Goose Creek. The park will be located on the city hous-
ing site, adjacent to Goose Creek. Also see the Pocket Park Design
Guidelines in Chapter 3: Urban Design.
Access to Heuston Park:
Residents living north of Goose Creek will be served by Howard
Heuston Park, located on 34Street. Pedestrian and bicycle access to
the park will be improved by new crossings on Valmont Road and a
new bike lane on 34Street, north of Valmont Road.
Increased population and traffic congestion in this area as well as in
east Boulder and the Twenty Ninth Street area will accelerate the exist-
ing need for a new fire station in east central Boulder, in order to main-
tain the city’s response time service standard. The new and larger fire
station will replace Station #3 (which will be removed from Arapahoe
Avenue & 30Street) and will be built in an as-yet undetermined loca-
tion near the Transit Village area. A new ladder truck also will be need-
ed, as well as additional firefighters to staff the truck. It is anticipated
that development excise taxes for fire services will cover a pro-rata share
of the capital costs.
Approximately seven additional police officers and one new clerical
position will be needed to serve the additional population and business-
es projected for the Transit Village area, in order to maintain the city’s
police service standards. One additional vehicle also will be needed for
the new officers. It is anticipated that increased property and sales
taxes generated by development of the area will cover these additional
costs.
Future increases in job and population levels in Transit Village area can
be accommodated without significantly diminishing the city’s current
library service standards. Service standards will be reviewed in the 2012
Library Master Plan update. The update may also address additional
branch facilities or supporting library services, such as a book return, for
the area.
The existing schools serving the Transit Village area have adequate
capacity at all grade levels to accommodate the new students projected
for the area. The elementary schools that serve the area are:
Columbine, Whittier, and Creekside. The middle school is Casey, and
the high school is Boulder High.
Parks - Retail Connection
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
54 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Facilities & Services
Expanded human services and funding will help ensure a diverse popu-
lation of residents and workers as the Transit Village area develops.
Subsidized child care and/or a HeadStart Program may be feasible in the
area, if funding sources and possible locations are identified. Funding
sources might include grants, CDBG funds, state and federal funds.
To support minority-owned businesses, the city will consider expanding
its subsidy to the Colorado Enterprise Fund for micro enterprise loans to
qualified businesses that are unable to obtain financing from traditional
sources. The Fund also provides management consulting and business
training support to businesses that receive loans. In addition, city busi-
ness incentive program funding may be expanded to assist minority-
and locally-owned businesses. City CDBG-funded grants and/ or loans
may be increased to help non-profit organizations purchase or make
capital improvements to property in the Transit Village area.
Partnerships between the city and private developers may also provide
affordable space in the Transit Village area for non-profits or businesses
that provide a community benefit. The developer would offer space in
lower lease-rate, probably less visible location, and the city may provide
some funding if needed. Non-residential uses on the city housing site
could potentially generate funds to subsidize affordable space. Flexible
outdoor space for local or minority-owned businesses, such as a merca-
do1, may be possible at the civic plaza, pocket park or other public
spaces, such as a portion of a street closed at certain times. Alternatively,
the mercado could be developed on private property with support from
grants or loans.
With the goal of ensuring the Transit Village area exemplifies environ-
mental sustainability, the city will help property owners and developers
pursue green development. In addition to offering a density bonus or
other incentives for high-level LEED projects in Mixed Use Industrial-1,
the city will promote the LEED-ND certification program throughout
the area. LEED-ND (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design for
Neighborhood Development) is an industry rating system, currently in
the pilot phase, which quantifies the environmental aspects of a project
in terms of location, infrastructure, and neighborhood, site and building
design. In the future, projects in the Transit Village area may be eligible
for a significant number of points toward LEED-ND certification simply
by virtue of their location in a walkable area near transit.
Also, the city will investigate incentives for development projects to
incorporate innovative techniques for stormwater drainage. Site design
for stormwater quality may also achieve city water conservation goals.
The recently completed Stormwater Master Plan includes a toolbox of
best management practices, identifying various storm drainage and
water quality techniques, which could be used throughout the Transit
Village area. The area-wide stormwater system and Goose Creek
enhancements may present special opportunities to promote use of
these techniques. Preliminary ideas for incentives include: education/
outreach; design assistance; grants; a graduated fee structure for area-
wide stormwater cost-sharing; and city-wide adjustments to the
stormwater plant investment fee schedule.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 55
Facilities & Services
In addition, the city will work with local environmental organizations,
property owners, developers, and the Chamber of Commerce to promote
a green technology park. A green “business cluster” could include
research and development companies, incubators for entrepreneurs and
start-ups, and renewable energy or other environmental associations.
Green tech park developments could demonstrate green building tech-
nologies and site design, such as living green roofs, porous paving and
landscape filtering. The most feasible locations for the tech park are the
industrial mixed-use areas east of the railroad tracks, as these proposed
land uses allow industrial and technical office uses. Incentives for a
green tech park will be investigated after plan adoption. One possibility
is a LEED density bonus.
An environmental sustainability plan will be prepared for the Transit
Village area after plan adoption. It will identify policies and programs
the city could adopt to facilitate development that will support city envi-
ronmental goals and master plans, including the Waste Reduction Master
Plan, Zero Waste Resolution and Climate Action Plan. The Office of
Environmental Affairs will collaborate with building and environmental
professionals and the city Planning and Development Services to
create the plan, and will rely in part on case studies to demonstrate what
innovations might work in Boulder.
BVCP policies call for artistic elements to be incorporated into public
projects and public spaces whenever possible. This may be “functional
art,” which is artist-designed elements of the built environment, such as
light fixtures, seating, way-finding signage, railings, retaining walls, fenc-
ing, special paving, bollards or bus shelters. Or it may be “stand-alone
art,” such as sculpture or a water feature.
Possible opportunities for art in the Transit Village area include: the
pocket park and civic plaza; the bus and rail facilities; Junction Place and
other transportation projects planned for the area, such as the underpass-
es, bridges and multi-use paths, the terminus of Old Pearl Street, and the
depot building interior.
A Public Arts Master Plan was adopted for Boulder Junction by Planning
Board (June 2010) and City Council (Aug 2010) to promote and guide
the incorporation of art into public improvements. The Arts Commission
reviewed the plan.
The Arts Commission has set aside limited funding specifically for art in
the Transit Village area. Art in the Park funds from the Parks and
Recreation Department is a possible funding source for art in the pocket
park or plaza. Although currently neither the city, RTD nor the federal
Department of Transportation have a policy of including a specific alloca-
tion for art in public projects, functional art can sometimes be included
in the construction budget.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
56 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Facilities & Services
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 57
Transit Map
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
58 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Bikeway Network
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 59
Connections Explanation
The purpose of this appendix is to provide a detailed
explanation and rationale for each connection on
the Transportation Connections Plan. It will be used
to help interpret the Connections Plan for capital
improvement planning and review of individual
development review applications.
1. Alley:This connection is intended to break up
the large block between 29th and 30th streets
and to support rear access to the lots along both
30th and 29th streets as redevelopment occurs.
The block face distance between 29th and 30th
streets is approximately 600 feet, well over the
recommended block size for pedestrian access.
And as mixed-use redevelopment occurs along
30th Street, an urban street face is expected,
which will eliminate driveway access from 30th
Street and necessitate rear lot access for parking
and deliveries. The proposed connection has
been located approximately 260 feet west of
30th Street and on the nearest property bound-
ary.
2. Pedestrian connection: This connection is
located on a property boundary approximately
230 feet south of Valmont Road and approxi-
mately mid-way between Valmont Road and the
proposed extension of Bluff Street. The location
of this connection is flexible but is meant to
meet the objective of providing a pedestrian
connection at least every 200-300 feet in a mid-
block location.
3. Bluff Street extension: The continuation of
Bluff Street between 29th and 30th streets is a
primary connection about 750 feet south of
Valmont Road and provides a key east-west con-
nection in the area. Given the location of
Goose Creek and development along 28th
Street, this is the only reasonable opportunity to
provide an east-west connection between
Valmont Road and Mapleton Avenue. Access to
this portion of 29th Street is difficult and the
connection of Bluff Street will significantly
improve access to the area for all modes.
4. Alley:This loop between 30th Street and the
new Bluff Street is entirely located on property
boundaries which results in an offset from
Connection #1. This results in deep lots along
30th Street that will likely require a north-south
alley to serve these parcels. Located just over
400 feet south of Bluff Street, this gives the
maximum block face length for a pedestrian
friendly environment on 30th Street, provides
access to the Goose Creek greenway and natural
area, and provides a buffer between the natural
area and redevelopment to the north.
5. Pedestrian connection:This short link provides
an easy and direct connection to the Goose
Creek greenway which will be a major amenity
to residents in the area.
6. Pedestrian connection: This connection is
located on a property boundary approximately
320 feet south of Valmont Road and provides a
break and buffer between the existing service
commercial uses and the proposed mixed-use to
the south. The location of this connection is
flexible but is meant to meet the objective of
providing a pedestrian connection at least every
200-300 feet in a mid-block location.
7. Local connection: This road will extend the
existing 31st Street in Steelyards and is located
on existing property boundaries. This connec-
tion is located about 250 feet east of 30th Street
and will create the fine-grained street network
that is friendly to pedestrians.
While this is a desirable long-term connection,
existing uses and the Service Commercial land
use designation retained on the parcels along
Valmont will make this connection dependent on
property consolidation and redevelopment.
Retaining the Service Commercial land use desig-
nation limits the incentive for redevelopment
and will make it more difficult to achieve this
connection. Without significant redevelopment
opportunities, it is likely that the city would need
to pay for right-of-way (ROW), if it can be
acquired at all. Given the likely long-term nature
of this connection through the properties along
Valmont Road, a near-term pedestrian connection
(#8) is shown on the east side of the eastern prop-
erty to provide pedestrian access through the cur-
rently impermeable block face along Valmont
Road.
8. Pedestrian connection: As noted above, this
pedestrian connection will penetrate the current
The Transportation Connections Plan for
Phase 2 was updated in 2023. Please refer
to the Phase 2 Plan Amendment for all
Phase 2 connections highlighted below.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
60 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado60Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Connections Explanation
Connections Explanation
The Transportation Connections
Plan for Phase 2 was updated in
2023. Please refer to the Phase 2
Plan Amendment.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 61
Connections Explanation
barrier of development along Valmont Road and
allow pedestrian access from Valmont Road into
the redevelopment of the area. The connection
is about 380 feet from Valmont Road and at the
upper limit of the desired length between pedes-
trian connections. While is it mapped on the
property boundary, its location is flexible and
would be more desirable closer to 30th Street.
9. Local connection: This connection is shown as
a local road, providing a break and buffer
between the service commercial land uses on
Valmont Road and the High-Density Residential-
1 land use to the south. The road is located on
property boundaries and had previously been
identified as an alley, but was requested as a road
by the major property owner to the south.
10. Local road and pedestrian connection: This
connection will provide access by penetrating
the current barrier of development along
Valmont Road and allow movement from
Valmont Road into the redeveloped portion of
the area. The connection also provides a break
and buffer between the land uses of Service
Commercial and High-Density Residential-2.
Both types of connections are shown, as the
Service Commercial designation of properties
along Valmont Road limits their redevelopment
potential. So it is hoped that a pedestrian con-
nection could be achieved in the near term
without significant impact on the properties,
and the road connection achieved if redevelop-
ment does occur. The connection is about 450
feet from the first pedestrian connection east of
30th Street and therefore is slightly past the
upper limit of the desired length between pedes-
trian connections. While it is mapped on the
property boundary, its location is flexible and
would be more desirable closer to 30th Street.
11. Local connection: This local road provides a
connection to Valmont Road at 34th Street and
will allow for a signalized intersection at this
location, providing full turning movements.
This will provide access from the Transit Village
area and will improve access for the neighbor-
hood to the north as well as provide a protected
crossing opportunity for bikes and pedestrians.
It is intended to be flexible in location within
the parcel, pending site design.
12. Local connection:This connection is shown as
an alley, providing parking and service access to
the adjacent parcels. It is located on the proper-
ty boundaries of two parcels and divides three
parcels, but will provide the needed access to
the very deep and oddly shaped properties
along Bluff Street. Without an access in this
general location, an extensive system of private
drives and parking lanes would likely be provid-
ed on each individual property and access
would likely be limited between properties.
13. Local connection: This local road breaks up the
long block along Bluff Street and provides access
to both the east-west alley and local road to the
north. It is located on property boundaries to
minimize impacts on each property.
14. Multi-use path:This short section of multi-use
path along the south side of Valmont Road pro-
vides a connection from the protected crossing
of Valmont Road to the multi-use path along
the railroad tracks. This connection will pro-
vide a safe, off-road connection for bicyclists
accessing the future rail platform.
15. Multi-use path:This multi-use path along the
west side of the railroad tracks provides access
from Valmont Road to the future rail platform.
This connection provides a safe, off-road alter-
native for those who do not wish to bike on
Junction Place or other roadways to the rail
platform.
16. Bike route: The bike route on 31st Street
through the Steelyards is intended to form part
of a complete bike facility between Pearl Street
and Valmont Road. 31st Street is a low traffic
volume street appropriate for a bike route and
does not have room for bike lanes.
17. Local connection:This connection completes a
street in the Steelyards as well as providing bicy-
cle and pedestrian access in the development off
of 30th Street. It is about 320 feet south of the
central access into Steelyards and given the
existing Steelyards development, is the first
location south of Steelyards to establish a pedes-
trian connection off of 30th Street. It will also
provide improved access to the parcel to the
south. This likely would be a right-in/right-out
street.
18. Multi-use path:This path connects the
Steelyards to the bike/ped bridge over Goose
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
62 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Connections Explanation
Creek. It forms part of a complete bike facility
between Pearl Street and Valmont Road and pro-
vides access to Goose Creek from development
east of 30th Street and west of Junction Place.
19. Pedestrian connection:This connection provides
access from the residential portions of the
Steelyards to Goose Creek. It is located about 250
feet midway between connection #23 and Junction
Place and therefore provides reasonable pedestrian
access the Goose Creek multi-use path.
20. Bike lanes:While this bike connection between
Goose Creek and Bluff Street is mapped as a bike
lane, development of Junction Place as a shared
use special street would put bikes in the street with
limited motor vehicle traffic. While it is likely that
the bike facility will change character in different
sections of Junction Place, the intent of the con-
nection is to have an excellent bike facility
between Pearl Street and Valmont Road and pro-
vide access to both the bus facility and the rail
platform.
21. Pedestrian connection:This connection provides
access through development along the railroad
tracks to the southern end of the rail platform.
22. Multi-use path:This multi-use path provides bike
access to the multi-use path along the west side of
the tracks and to the rail platform. It continues
the connection from 30th Street established by
Connection 17 and the existing street in
Steelyards.
23. Multi-use path:This path connects the city hous-
ing site to the bike/ped bridge over Goose Creek.
It forms part of a complete bike facility between
Pearl Street and Valmont Road and provides access
to Goose Creek from development east of 30th
Street and west of Junction Place. It is intended to
be flexible in location pending site design.
24. Local connection and bike route:This connec-
tion provides vehicular access to the city housing
site, as well as bicycle and pedestrian access from
the future development to 30th Street and
Crossroad Commons. It is located about 400 feet
midway between Goose Creek and Pearl Street.
This likely would be a right-in/right-out street. It
is intended to be flexible in location pending site
design.
25. Pedestrian connection:This connection is located
approximately mid-way between Goose Creek and
the proposed road in the center of the city-owned
parcel. The location of this connection is flexible
but is meant to meet the objective of providing a
pedestrian connection at least every 200-300 feet
in a mid-block location.
26. Pedestrian connection:This connection is located
approximately mid-way between the proposed road
in the center of the city-owned parcel and Pearl
Parkway. The location of this connection is flexible
but is meant to meet the objective of providing a
pedestrian connection at least every 200-300 feet in
a mid-block location and to provide a protected
pedestrian crossing of 30th Street to Crossroad
Commons.
27. Primary connection and bike lanes:This section
of Junction Place provides access off of Pearl Street
for the bus facility and is part of the new spine
through the area. This connection will be signal-
ized at Pearl Street to accommodate bus and vehicle
turning movements. Bike lanes are proposed given
the higher level of vehicle traffic on this section of
Junction Place. While it is likely that the bike facil-
ity will change character in different sections of
Junction Place, the intent of the connection is to
have an excellent bike facility between Pearl Street
and Valmont Road and access both the bus facility
and the rail platform. It is intended to be flexible
in location pending site design.
28. Multi-use path:This path connects the 30th Street
and Pearl Street intersection and the bike lanes on
30th Street with Junction Place on the north side of
Pearl Street. This path will likely be developed as a
wide urban sidewalk and complements the multi-
modal path on the south side of Pearl Street.
29. Local connection:This local street will break up
the long block between 30th Street and Junction
Place which otherwise would be about 480 feet. It
follows existing property boundaries and an exist-
ing access alley and will provide the back door
access needed for parking and deliveries for redevel-
opment along 30th Street.
30. Local connection and multimodal path:This
local street provides access off of 30th Street to
Junction Place. The multi-use path along the ditch
will include a grade-separated crossing of 30th
Street and facilitate access to Twenty Ninth Street.
The underpass has federal funding and is
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 63
Connections Explanation
part of the city’s Capital Improvements Program.
This multimodal path is shown in the
Transportation Master Plan (TMP).
31. Primary connection and bike lanes: The south-
ern extension of Junction Place provides a key
connection to the employment area to the
south. This connection is shown in the TMP as
a collector and will allow traffic from Walnut
Street to reach Pearl Street without using 30th
Street. Reconnecting the grid with this connec-
tion will provide congestion reduction on 30th
Street and increase the travel options within the
area. Bike lanes will provide a direct on-street
bike facility from Walnut Street to the regional
transit facilities.
32. Multimodal path:This path continues the mul-
timodal path to the west and is shown in the
TMP.
33. Bike lanes: These bike lanes on Prairie and
Junction Place will continue direct bike access
from Walnut Street to the regional transit facili-
ties.
34. Multimodal path: This path will extend from
the northern end of 33rd Street to Pearl Street
along the railroad tracks. This connection will
be an alternative to the on-street bike lanes on
Prairie and Junction Place. A regional bike facili-
ty is shown the TMP along the railroad tracks. It
will provide convenient access to the multimodal
path along the ditch.
35. Multimodal connection:This short connection
is flexible and intended to illustrate a bike con-
nection from the multimodal path along Pearl
Street to the internal circulation system on these
parcels.
36. Multimodal connection:This short connection
is flexible and intended to illustrate a bike con-
nection from the multimodal path along
Foothills Parkway to Frontier Avenue and the
internal circulation system on these parcels.
37. Multimodal path:This path will continue the
existing path along the west side of Foothills
Parkway and contribute to a complete bike facili-
ty along the parkway. Given the limited oppor-
tunities to cross Foothills Parkway, this will be a
companion facility to the multimodal path along
the east side of Foothills Parkway and will pro-
vide a primary north-south off road bike facility
from the Boulder Creek Path to Valmont Road.
38. Local connection:This connection provides
access from Old Pearl Street. The portion south
of the ditch is pedestrian only.
39. Multimodal path connection:This path will
continue the path along the ditch to Foothills
Parkway multi-use path and will include under-
passes at Pearl Parkway, the railroad tracks and
Connection #38.
40. Multimodal connection:This short connection
is flexible and intended to illustrate a bike con-
nection from the multimodal path along
Foothills Parkway to Old Pearl Street.
41. Pedestrian connection: This connection pro-
vides access from the mixed-use industrial and
residential areas along Old Pearl Parkway to
Goose Creek. It is flexible in location with the
intent that it be about midway between Frontier
Avenue and the Foothills Parkway path to pro-
vide reasonable pedestrian access to the Goose
Creek multi-use path. The distance between
Frontier Avenue and the Foothills Parkway path
is about 600 feet.
42. Local connection:This short roadway extends
north of Old Pearl to provide access to redevel-
oping parcels and to connect to the proposed
alley and local street north of Old Pearl Street.
43. Local connection: This connection provides
access from the mixed-use industrial and residen-
tial areas along Old Pearl Street to Goose Creek.
It is flexible in location with the intent that it be
about midway between the multimodal path
along the railroad and the road connection to
Wilderness Place. The distance between these
facilities is about 670 feet.
44. Alley connection:This connection provides
loading and parking access to the redevelopment
parcels along Old Pearl Street and provides pub-
lic access to the frontage of the Goose Creek
greenway.
45. Alley connection:This connection provides
loading and parking access to the redevelopment
parcels along Old Pearl Street and provides pub-
lic access to the frontage of the Goose Creek
greenway.
46. Primary connection:This roadway and bridge
across Goose Creek provides a key connection
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
64 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Connections Explanation
between the Wilderness Place development and
the redevelopment areas along Old Pearl. This is
a key link in reconnecting these neighborhoods
and establishing a grid in this area, and will pro-
vide a travel option to the major arterials of 30th
Street and Foothills Parkway.
47. Multi-use path:This path along the east side of
the railroad tracks provides access from Pearl
Parkway to the future rail platform. It will pro-
vide a safe, off-road alternative for those who do
not wish to bike on roads. It also provides a
connection to the planned multimodal system
along Pearl Parkway and the ditch.
48. Multi-use path:This connection provides access
to the path along the east side of the railroad
tracks from the west end of Old Pearl Street, con-
necting the street system to the path system.
49. Alley connection:This connection provides
access through the High-Density Residential-2
development and could be a narrow street
depending on the site design of redevelopment
in this area. It is intended to be flexible in loca-
tion pending site design.
50. Pedestrian connection: This connection pro-
vides access to the south end of the rail platform
from the street system in Wilderness Place.
51. Multi-use path: This connection provides direct
access to the rail platform and track crossing
from the street system in Wilderness Place.
52. Multi-use path:This multi-use path along the
west side of the railroad tracks provides access
from Goose Creek to the future rail platform.
This connection provides a safe, off-road alterna-
tive for those who do not wish to bike on
Junction Place or other roadways to the rail plat-
form and connects to the Goose Creek multi-
modal path and multimodal paths to the south,
including the connection to Twenty Ninth
Street.
53. Multi-use path:This path provides a connection
from Wilderness Place to the path along
Foothills Parkway.
54. Local connection:This connects Center Green
Court to the cul-de-sac to the south with the
intent of providing a finer street grid for
improved mobility and access. It should also pro-
vide sidewalks for pedestrians. This connection
will occur only when the adjacent parcels rede-
velop. It is intended to be flexible in location
pending site design.
55. Multi-use path:This path will continue the
existing path along the west side of Foothills
Parkway and contribute to a complete bike facili-
ty along Foothills Parkway. Given the limited
opportunities to cross Foothills Parkway, this will
be a companion facility to the multimodal path
along the east side and will provide a primary
north-south off-road bike facility from the
Boulder Creek Path to Valmont Road.
56. Multi-use path:This short connection is flexi-
ble and intended to illustrate a bike connection
from the multi-use path along Foothills Parkway
to Center Green Court.
57. Local connection:This connection will connect
Center Green Court and Wilderness Place south
of Valmont Road. This connection will occur
only when the adjacent parcels redevelop and
should provide sidewalks for pedestrians.
58. Multi-use path:This facility will continue the
multi-use path on the west side of Foothills
Parkway to the north and will tie into the exist-
ing multi-use path to the north.
59. Bike route:This bike facility provides a connec-
tion from properties north of Valmont Road to
the protected crossing of Valmont Road.
60 and 61. Pedestrian connection:The enhanced
crossings of Valmont Road and the pedestrian
connections to the north are intended to provide
connections into the neighborhoods to the
north. The connections are intended to be flexi-
ble in location pending further investigation but
reflect the priority of having the Transit Village
area well-connected to the surrounding commu-
nity.
62. Local connection:This road will connect
Frontier Avenue to Walnut Street and include an
underpass at the railroad tracks. This will signifi-
cantly improve access to this area and support
the planned increase in land use intensity. This
connection was suggested by the property own-
ers with the understanding that they will pay for
the full cost of this street and underpass.
63. Local connection: This connection provides
access to the large land-locked parcel along
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 65
Connections Explanation
Goose Creek. It is flexible in location with the
intent that it be about midway between the Old
Pearl and the right-of-way of the Goose Creek
Greenway.
64. Multi-use path:This multi-use path along the
east side of the railroad tracks provides access
from Goose Creek to the future rail platform.
This connection provides a safe, off-road alterna-
tive for those who do not wish to bike on
Wilderness Place or other roadways to the rail
platform and connects to the Goose Creek multi-
modal path.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
66 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
TDM Detail
Parking District
Parking districts provide and manage parking
through a single management entity. This
allows the various land uses to share parking
rather than allocating specific parking spaces
to certain land uses and individuals.
Parking Management Association
This is typically a public-private partnership
for the provision and management of shared
parking resources and potentially transporta-
tion management activities. Activities are
aimed at creating a market for parking
through sharing, leasing, trading and broker-
ing spaces. The PMA can also provide new
parking supply as development progresses.
Shared Parking
Shared parking reduces the number of parking
spaces needed within an area by allowing dif-
ferent uses to access the same parking spaces.
At mixed-use developments, the various uses
tend to have different parking demand peaks.
An office, restaurant and retail store can share
parking because the office’s peak parking
demand will occur in the afternoon, the
restaurant’s in the evening, and the retail
store’s on the weekend.
Unbundled Parking
Unbundled parking allows residents and
employers to purchase as little or as much
parking as they like, separate from their prop-
erty purchase lease. For example, rather than
renting an apartment with two parking spaces
for $1,000 per month, an individual can rent
the apartment for $850 per month with no
parking spaces and choose to pay $75.00 per
parking space needed.
Parking Pass Options
Monthly parking passes require workers to
pay for an entire month’s worth of parking
regardless of actual day-to-day parking needs.
These policies encourage individuals to drive
rather than use alternative modes, because
their parking space is already paid for.
Allowing workers to pay for parking on a
daily basis encourages the use of alternative
transportation modes. Residents are allowed
monthly parking passes as they will always
need a place to park their cars, whether their
cars are used or not.
Active Parking System with Ability to Accept a
Variety of Payment Options
Active parking systems make paying for park-
ing easy and convenient, which makes paid
parking more acceptable and improves com-
pliance. Options include payment kiosks that
accept debit cards, credit cards, cash and
coins, or a “Community Card;” in-car parking
meters; and parking meters that accept coins
and keys that are preloaded with funds.
Preferential Parking for Carpools and
Vanpools
Preferential parking encourages carpooling
and vanpooling by giving those modes
reduced parking rates and/or better access to
their destinations. Ten percent of work-related
parking spaces (or more if demand warrants)
should be allotted for carpools and vanpools
and should be the most convenient at the
site.
On-Street Parking Focused on Short Term and
Turnover
On-street parking is an important tool for
providing access for high priority trips such as
deliveries and shopping. Limiting on-street
parking to one to two hours encourages
turnover and favor shorter-term users.
Parking Caps with Variable Pricing
The supply of parking will be limited by park-
ing caps that vary by uses and can be further
reduced through shared parking opportuni-
ties. The caps should match the modal split
goals outlined in the TDM Plan. Possible
spill-over impacts (unauthorized parking in
specifically allocated spaces) need to be
addressed and controlled. The price of the
parking spaces will be managed by the park-
ing district and/or parking operator to control
demand based on available supply. Pricing
may vary by day and time of day.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 67
TDM Detail
New Resident and New Employee Welcome in
Person, in Packets and Electronically
Individuals are often unaware of the transit
and bicycle routes and carpool/vanpool oppor-
tunities that serve the areas where they live
and work. Providing them with customized
information in person, via information packets
or through electronic means, allows them to
know all of the travel options available to
them. Personalized contact with a transporta-
tion concierge has been shown to increase the
use of alternative transportation modes.
Merchant tie-in promotions can also help
introduce new options by asking people to try
a new mode in order to receive an incentive.
Transportation Concierge
An on-site transportation concierge provides
assistance to individuals who have questions
about how to use transit and other alternative
modes. This can include basic items, such as
where to wait for a bus, and assistance with
route planning. This service may be managed
through a contract with Boulder East TMO,
and may be housed at a bike station/com-
muter store.
Access Guide
An access guide provides recipients with infor-
mation about available transportation options
and events in a single document. The guide is
meant to make the use of alternative modes
simple and to provide another venue to edu-
cate users about various incentive and parking
programs. (Similar information can also be
provided electronically.)
Promotional Events
Promotional events rally individuals and com-
panies around the use of alternative trans-
portation modes. Current events in the region
include, “Walk & Bike Week,” “RideSmart
Thursdays” and “International Walk to School
Week.” These events encourage people to try
new ways of getting to work, to school and
around town. Data have shown that some par-
ticipants continue to use alternative trans-
portation modes after the events’ conclusions.
Proactive, On-Going Media Effort
A proactive, on-going media effort can be used
to build the Transit Village image and
acknowledge exceptional efforts of residents,
employees and patrons, which rewards posi-
tive behavior and can encourage friendly com-
petition among businesses.
Award Point System for Alternative Mode
Users
Award point systems, often called pay for per-
formance programs, offer rewards or cash
incentives to individuals who use alternative
modes. Every day that a commuter uses an
alternative, he or she is credited with points
that can be redeemed for prizes. Points are
accumulated over time and encourage individ-
uals to continue to use alternative travel
modes. This program could be measured using
“Community Cards”.
Eco Pass for All
Eco Passes are purchased annually from RTD
and entitle holders to unlimited use of RTD
buses, light rail, and Call-n-Ride services. Every
resident and employee in the Transit Village
should carry the card. When combined with
paid parking, the Eco Pass has significant
potential to increase transit use.
Subsidized Carshare
Carshare programs allow individuals to rent
cars for short periods of one hour or more
through a carshare service. Participants
become members of the service, are able to
make reservations online, and can automati-
cally pay rental charges via credit card or bank
transfers. Different vehicle models are general-
ly available, which allows members to rent
SUVs for moving large items or smaller cars for
simple trips. On-street and garage parking
spaces would be available for easy parking and
access to the vehicles. Carshare programs
allow households to avoid purchasing second
or third cars and, in some cases, encourage
households to have no cars.
“City Bike” Bikeshare Service
Bikeshare service offer bicycles at convenient
on-street and other locations where residents,
employees and visitors could rent a bike for a
short term and return it to any of the racks
throughout the area. The system has electronic
locking devices and payment can be made
through use of a credit card or membership
account. This service would be subsidized by
the TDM Program. The bike station/commuter
store would maintain the bikeshare service. It
would be similar to innovative programs cur-
rently offered in Europe where renting a bike
is as easy as pushing a button on your phone
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
68 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
TDM Detail
to unlock a bike. When a user is done with
the bike, he or she simply returns it to a rack
in the area.
Bike Station and On-Site Facilities
Bike stations provide commuters with shower
facilities, valet parking for bikes, repair service
and general bicycle resources. The bike station
would be located adjacent to the transit sta-
tion. For sites that cannot conveniently access
the bike station, buildings with 50-100
employees should provide one on-site shower.
In buildings with 100- 250 employees, one
shower for each sex should be provided.
Buildings with over 250 employees should
provide at least four showers, with two of
them being accessible to the disabled.
Commuter Store
The commuter store would expand the bike
station into a full service transportation
resource center with a store offering items
that support the use of alternative transporta-
tion options.
Telework
Telework stations offer work cubicles and
equipment for daily rental. Residents in the
area could replace a commute trip if their
employer allows teleworking. Some stations
could be provided in higher density residen-
tial facilities and in the commuter store.
Interactive Transportation Web Site
An interactive transportation Web site would
provide quick, easy, 24-hour access to maps,
schedules, links to resources, a calendar of
events, emergency information, transit sched-
ule changes, trip planning and notices of
service interruptions. It could also provide
information about other community services.
Location Efficient Mortgages
Location Efficient Mortgage services allow a
mortgage lender to recognize the transporta-
tion-related cost savings of living in conven-
ient, high-density communities with transit
access by adding the savings onto the qualify-
ing income of the consumer. For instance, a
household making $50,000 may qualify for a
30-year loan of $163,000 at an 8% interest
rate using conventional underwriting guide-
lines. Using Location Efficient Mortgage serv-
ices, that same household could qualify for a
$213,000 mortgage — depending on how
“location efficient” their desired home is. The
anticipated level of the savings results from
extensive studies on auto ownership, driving
levels, transit access and other variables that
identify the amount households are spending
on their transportation needs.
Trip Generation Allowances
Trip generation allowances will be developed
for each property based on the increased den-
sity established in the plan. For example, if a
property has an allowable FAR of 0.5 and the
estimated trip generation at full build-out is
determined to be 100 peak hour trips and the
property seeks to increase its FAR to 2.0 (x 4),
the trip generation allowance can only
increase to 200 (x 2). The additional trips
must be reduced through TDM measures.
Additionally, the trip generation allowance
may be adjusted downward based on poten-
tial impact to the surface street network.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 69
Background
The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan sets the broad policy and land
use context for area plans. City departmental master plans inform, and are
informed by, area plans regarding future public facility and service
improvement needs. The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) schedules
the capital improvements by the city for the coming six years, including
those public improvements identified by an area plan The CIP is depend-
ent on the city’s operating budget.
Development proposals that exceed certain building or parcel size thresh-
olds, that request variances to minimum code requirements, or that pro-
pose certain uses must complete a city Development Review process, such
as Site Review or Use Review. Projects subject to Development Review
must conform with any applicable area plan.
The area planning process was initiated in January 2005, with four plan-
ning phases:
Phase I. What are the project goals?
Data gathering, identification of opportunities and constraints
Goals, objectives and direction
Plan process
January 2005 – April 2005
Phase II. What is the community’s vision?
Community workshops to develop preliminary concepts
Future local and regional transit
Community needs analysis
May 2005 – April 2006
Phase III. What are the options?
Community workshop to develop options
Analysis and evaluation of options
Development of implementation approaches
May – August 2006
Phase IV. Which option should be adopted?
Public outreach on options
Selection and refinement of option and implementation approach
Plan review and adoption
September 2006 – September 2007
Each phase involved public outreach, as well as direction from the
Planning Board and City Council. The Transportation Advisory Board
(TAB) made recommendations on transportation issues, and the Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) did likewise on the parks components
of the plan. Outside experts provided information and analysis at key
points in the process, and numerous meetings were held with area proper-
ty owners. A detailed report on the schedule of public participation
opportunities and the input received is provided in a supplemental docu-
ment, the Transit Village Area Plan Public Participation Report.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
70 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Background
The planning process was managed by the Planning Department and
involved staff from the Transportation, Housing, City Attorney’s Office,
Finance, Parks and Recreation, Utilities, Environmental Affairs, Economic
Vitality and Fire departments, as well as from RTD.
Plan Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Planning Board, TAB and City Council approved preliminary goals,
objectives and direction on the Transit Village Area Plan in the first
phase of the planning process. After reviewing input from the communi-
ty in the second phase of the process, the Planning Board and Council
created a vision statement and revised the project goals and objectives in
May 2006.
Options & Options Assessment
The plan goals and objectives provided the direction for developing the
land use and transportation options in Phase III of the planning process.
Three land use options for the area were presented to the public,
Planning Board and City Council for discussion and input. Each option
represented a different combination of specific land use prototypes. An
options assessment evaluated and compared each of the three options as
well as current trends, in regard to social, environmental and economic
sustainability, community design policies, and impacts on city facilities
and services.
The Bones
All three options included a set of core elements, referred to as “The
Bones.” These elements reflected the best ideas gathered from communi-
ty meetings. The Bones became the urban-design framework for the
plan. The elements of The Bones included the following: Junction Place
as a unique, new north-south street; Goose Creek as a natural amenity
and connector to other green spaces; and new transportation connec-
tions for all modes to key destinations beyond the area. The rest of The
Bones elements were character districts, which are addressed in Chapter
3: Urban Design.
Option Selection
In Phase IV of the planning process, Planning Board and City Council
selected a preferred land use option that was most similar to Option 2.
Throughout Phase IV, staff, the public, Planning Board and City Council
continued to consider and refine:
• proposed land uses;
• transportation connections;
• streetscape concepts for Junction Place and 30Street;
• transportation demand management and parking strategies;
• social, environmental and economic sustainability strategies; and
• plan implementation, including public improvement phasing and
funding.
All of these elements were pulled together into a draft plan that was
released to the public, boards and Council in May 2007 for review, dis-
cussion, refinement and adoption.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 71
Background
Plan Adoption
The final Transit Village Area Plan was adopted by Planning Board on
August 30, 2007, and by City Council on September 18, 2007. TAB pro-
vided final recommendations to Planning Board and City Council on the
transportation components of the plan on June 11, 2007, and PRAB did so
for the parks components on June 25, 2007.
The following projections are based on the land uses in the Land Use Plan
and development assumptions. The ranges indicate different assumptions
about development intensity within the proposed land uses.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
72 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 73
History
The history of the area at 30th and Pearl streets began with the arrival
of gold prospectors and the founding of Boulder City in 1859. Several
years after Boulder’s establishment, the nearby agricultural town of
Valmont was founded on the edge of the eastern plains. Almost imme-
diately, the two fledgling communities began competing for preemi-
nence in the area as the county seat. The alignment of Pearl Street was
established to provide a direct route east from Boulder to Valmont.
Early city boosters conceived rapid growth and the area between the
two communities filling in. Projected growth did not occur for nearly
100 years and Boulder soon eclipsed Valmont as the economic and
political center of Boulder County. Situated roughly midway between
Boulder and Valmont, the Transit Village area remained outside the city
of Boulder until it was annexed, from 1957 through 1979. Until the
second half of the 20th century, the area was mostly rural with develop-
ment mostly limited to the rail and street system.
With financial inducement from Boulder County, both the Colorado
Central and the Denver and Boulder Valley railroads were constructed
to the eastern outskirts of Boulder in 1873. The Denver and Boulder
line was a 12-mile extension west from the coal mining town of Erie.
The Colorado Central line arrived in Boulder from the southern com-
munities of Marshall and Golden. They intersected at what became
known as the “wye,” the present day area where the rail line crosses
Pearl Street between 30th Street and Foothills Parkway. Also in 1873,
the first rail depot was constructed, located approximately at the inter-
section of the present rail line and Pearl Parkway. Little documentary
evidence regarding the first depot survives, though it is thought to have
been demolished in ca. 1876, three years after the Denver and Boulder
Valley Railroad constructed a second depot within the town limits, just
north of Pearl Street between 22nd and 23rd streets. In 1890, the Union
Pacific Depot was constructed near downtown, on the corner of 14th and
Water streets (now called Canyon Boulevard). It was built of sandstone in
Romanesque Revival style. Despite its short-lived role as the terminus of
the rail lines, the “wye” area continued to function through most of the
20th century as a busy junction, where trains turned to back into the city
of Boulder.1
In 1956, the Colorado and Southern Railway Company applied to the
Public Utilities Commission of Colorado to move its freight and passenger
facilities in Boulder from the Union Pacific Depot. They had designed
and proposed a new station to be located two-thirds of a mile east of the
city, near the intersection of 30th and Pearl. A new ore loading ramp, as
well as freight and passenger depot, was built in 1957 on the main line
that ran from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming. This new station
improved the process of freight shipping, as the train did not have to back
into the center of town to the freight depot at Broadway and Water Street.
At the time of the application, Colorado and Southern still operated two
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
74 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
History
passenger trains per day into Boulder, both of which entered the city at
night to minimize traffic impacts at the grade crossings.
They stated that “the Building will be of modern design and construction.
In it there will be provided a comfortable and convenient passenger wait-
ing room. With toilets, and adequate space for freight offices and for han-
dling of baggage, mail, express, and freight.”2 The last passenger train
into downtown Boulder was Colorado and Southern’s #29 on December 7,
1957. The next day, the trains stopped at the new depot at the end of
Bluff Street, just east of 30th Street. The old depot at 14th Street contin-
ued to operate as a ticket office, bus terminal and travel agency, until pas-
senger service ended in 1967. In 1981, Colorado and Southern merged
with Burlington Northern, and the 1957 depot continued in operation
until it closed in 1985, ending all passenger rail service to Boulder.3 The
building and surrounding site was purchased by Sutherland Lumber
Company, and the building is currently used as a wood shop and storage
building.
When settlers arrived in the area, all land south of the 40th parallel (now
Baseline Road) was in Kansas Territory, and land to the north was in
Nebraska Territory. Early roads in Boulder were laid and constructed by
the County; the first to be established was County Road #1 (Pearl Street).
It has been said to have been oriented by driving a stake at the corner of
Broadway (formerly County Road #2) and Pearl Street, and the alignment
of the road established by a sight line being drawn east north-east to the
Valmont Butte and the town of Valmont.4 This skewed grid was the basis
for the city of Boulder’s subsequent growth and 19th century city limits
(south to Valley Road (Arapahoe) north to 1st Avenue (Alpine), and east to
24th Street (Folsom). Beyond the city limits, roads generally followed true
east-west, north-south grid lines.
From 1871 until 1873, Boulder residents had to endure a 12-mile carriage
trip to Erie to catch the train. Pearl Street functioned as the major east-
west thoroughfare in the area, and in 1873, the Union Pacific railroad laid
its track parallel and just north of that street. The 1887 Willits map of the
city shows County Road #16 (28th Street) fronting onto farms and run-
ning north from the 40th parallel (Baseline) to Valmont where the
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 75
History
Boulder County Industrial Association racetrack was located. Twenty-
eighth Street remained an important, but relatively quiet road on the out-
skirts of the city until 1952, when the Boulder Turnpike was opened.
Contemplated as early as 1912, the highway between Boulder and Denver
was constructed in the booming post-war years, and opened in January
1952. Dubbed the “Shortline to the Skyway,” the tollway far exceeded
expectations. Traffic problems at the intersection of Baseline Road and the
highway soon followed, and the highway was nicknamed “malfunction
junction.” In response to citizen frustration, city of Boulder Planner
Trafton Bean produced the community’s first traffic, transportation and
parking study. Chief among the recommendations of this report was that
an exit farther south on the turnpike at 47th Street (which would eventu-
ally become Foothills Parkway) be constructed in order to relieve pressure
on 28th Street. Bean’s recommendation to alleviate traffic in the area did
not become a reality until 1978, when the first link of Foothills Parkway
opened.
In 1875, land speculator George Walker platted a 40-acre area bounded by
Valmont Road to the north, 30th Street to the west, Goose Creek to the
south and the railroad line to the east. Anticipating growth in the area
associated with the railroad, he created 30 lots (the majority of which
were one acre in size) bisected by three east-west running streets;
Meredith, Bluff and Hill. Walker owned a farm on the north side of
Valmont Road as well. Some brick homes were constructed on the lots,
but never became very developed. In 1963, Boulder Steel located their
corporate headquarters at the intersection of Bluff and 30th streets, which
was still a dirt road at the time. Sutherland Lumber developed on the
eastern edge of the subdivision, and the last Boulder depot was construct-
ed at the end of Bluff Street at the railroad tracks in 1957. From the 1970s
on, industrial and commercial development grew in the area. In 2002,
Coburn Development took the former steel plant and developed the
Boulder Steelyards, a mixed-use development named after the former use.
In 1869, a group of 100 prominent ranchers and farmers gathered at the
Boulder Courthouse, formed the Boulder County Agricultural Society, and
began organizing a fair to be held in Boulder. The group subsequently
purchased 40 acres of land5, located between today’s 28th and 30th streets
south of Valmont Road, where they erected a stockade fence. The first
county fair was held October 12 - 15, 1869. The fair was advertised and
intended “to explore the potential of the new county, to encourage diver-
sified endeavors, and to accumulate and share vital information.”6 In
1870, a roundhouse was constructed on the property to showcase mineral
and agricultural displays. In 1873, the Denver Territorial Fair changed its
name to the Colorado Industrial Association, and Boulder’s Agricultural
Association followed suit, becoming the Boulder County Industrial
Association, in 1874. The association sought to bring together farmers
interested in the advancement of agriculture and ranching, and in 1875,
purchased the fairgrounds where they constructed a horse racetrack, sta-
bles and other buildings.7
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
76 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
History
An article in the Boulder County News dated September 3,
1875, proudly proclaimed that, “The grand stand at the
grounds of the Boulder County Industrial Association begins
to assume proportions; beauty and symmetry are growing
out of the chaos of lumber and timbers. Mr. Blodgett, the
contractor, is rapidly pushing the work to completion.”8
After only a few years, the fair was lacking attendees and, in
1879, was almost moved to Longmont. After a resurgence in
the 1880s, participation and attendance at the fair once
again fell off to the point that, by 1891, it was advertised
that the fairgrounds would be disposed of at a Sheriff’s sale.
Prior to the sale, an organization founded in 1882, named
the Agriculture Institute, stepped in and again saved the fair-
grounds. By 1896, a new grandstand had been built. By
1919, there were reports of a new novelty, horse racing by
electric light.9 While the fair continued to operate in
Boulder, much of the agricultural aspects slowly moved to
Roosevelt Park in Longmont. By the 1920’s, Boulder resi-
dents had lost interest in the fair, and for a brief time used
the former area as an auto racing track. The former fair-
grounds soon saw resurrection to its roots, and in 1927, the
“First Annual Rodeo” was held.
The rodeo gained support and, in 1934, A.A. “Gov” Paddock,
editor of the Boulder Daily Camera, as well as other civic
leaders, such as Lyndon Switzer, saw a need to “lift the com-
munity out of the doldrums that followed the Great
Depression.” The result was the creation of the Pay Dirt Pow
Wow.10 In 1947, Rollie Leonard gave his farm lands along
28th Street, just south of the former fairgrounds to the new
Pow Wow organization for its perpetual use. In 1957, the
Pow Wow’s dismal financial situation forced the organization
to give 11.5 acres to the city of Boulder in lieu of back taxes.
The city ceded some of that land to the YMCA for their
building, which still stands at 28th Street and Mapleton
Avenue, and constructed the Mapleton Ballfields just to the
south. In 1973, the city of Boulder wanted to open up 14th
Street between Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue,
which was blocked by the 1890 Union Pacific Railroad
Depot. The Pow Wow offered to Historic Boulder and the
Boulder Jaycees to relocate the building to their grounds,
then still largely undeveloped. The building, now a city of
Boulder landmark, was cut in half and moved to the site and
has been owned and operated by the Boulder Jaycees for
their offices and private functions and community meetings
ever since.
By the 1970’s, the area around the Pow Wow grounds was
developed, and the organization began looking for a new
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado 77
History
home. In 1979, the Pow Wow had relocated to Louisville, and the Pearl
Street grounds were sold for commercial development, now Crossroad
Commons shopping center. In 2006, plans to renovate and expand
Crossroad Commons were announced, necessitating the relocation of the
depot building to another site. As maintenance and overhead costs out-
paced rental revenue, the Jaycees expressed a desire to transfer ownership
and responsibility for the Depot to the city. The city agreed, and is cur-
rently seeking a new location for the Depot in the Transit Village area.
In May 1961, Gerri von Frellick announced a plan to develop a four mil-
lion dollar, 344,000 square-foot shopping center at 28th Street and
Arapahoe Road on land leased from Elizabeth Downer Ball. Construction
on what came to be known as Crossroads Mall began on March 29, 1962,
and opened its doors on March 14, 1963.11 It was located on land not
within city boundaries, and during the annexation process a legal suit was
filed against the city of Boulder that lasted until September 1965, eventu-
ally allowing the annexation to become legal. The Macerich Company
purchased Crossroads Mall in 1978. In 1979, the city of Boulder created
the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority (BURA) and appointed seven local
citizens with the duty of carrying out a redevelopment plan using urban
renewal. This was to expand the mall from what was its former northern
edge, at roughly Canyon Boulevard to Walnut Street. The new addition
was completed in 1983, and included an atrium mall and the addition of a
new May D & F department store.12
The mall remained the only regional shopping center until the late 1990’s,
when surrounding communities began to develop large shopping centers.
As a result, Crossroads Mall languished, and the southern half of the com-
plex soon closed due to a significant reduction in tenants. As it declined,
the mall owners, residents and the city examined the development future
of the area. In 2002, the city began negotiations to develop a public/pri-
vate redevelopment of the site with a mixed-use theme. However, negoti-
ations failed and the entire mall was closed, except for Foley’s (formerly
May D & F). In 2002, the Macerich Company bought Westcor Partners,
which soon after prepared a major redevelopment plan to transform the
Crossroad Mall property into an outdoor lifestyle retail center, named
Twenty Ninth Street. Demolition of the old mall began on September 10,
2004. Only Foley’s remained, which became a Macy’s department store.
Canyon Boulevard and 29th Street were re-established through the proper-
ty as part of the redevelopment. Twenty Ninth Street retail center opened
October 13, 2006.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
City of Boulder
Transit Village Area
Public Art Master Plan
StudioTerra, Inc., Tarras LLC, Christian Muller Inc.
December 2009
Christian Muller Inc.
Phone: 303 807 1039
303 998 0600
bylermuller@comcast.net
78 ATTACHMENT F
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Discovery
Public art has the potential to add a layer of ongoing
discovery. Themes and connections between individual
works can facilitate an extended interest in getting to know
a place, while adding layers of interest and meaning.
Themes could be informative, whether culturally, histori-
cally or environmentally, or more whimsical and abstract,
relating to the works only. Simpler still, material connec-
tions can be made, particularly between components that
are both infrastructure and artistic, to create a logic of
movement or spatial hierarchy.
Composition and Themes
The stand-alone and infrastructure art elements de-
scribed in this document can tie together to form a unified
composition that reflects the overall theme of “transit” or
movement. Transit is defined as “the act of passing over,
across, or through something.” There are many aspects
and sub-themes of transit that can be referenced for artis-
tic expression. The rail line, bus line, automobile, bicycle
and pedestrian modes of transport are all inspirations for
this artistic expression. As well, less conventional aspects
of transit such as the overhead power transmission lines,
the conveyance of water in Goose Creek, and the tectonic
plates of the earth’s crust are also elements of transit that
can be artistically explored. The history and future of transit
in Boulder Valley will also be important to weave into the
overall composition in order to relate the art to this specific
site and time in history. The juxtaposition of the more natu-
ral corridors with the urban built environment provides an
interesting theme to be explored. Each art element will help
create an overall design vocabulary that becomes specific
to the Transit Village area and helps create its’ unique
identity.
A different perspective. Art
helps us to see the familiar
in ways that are free of
habit, allowing a richer
relationship with our sur-
roundings.
Public Art
Public art refers to objects integrated into the shared urban
environment that are intended for public interaction. This
could range from infrastructure with a deliberately aesthet-
ic quality, to a purely aesthetic object amid infrastructure.
A key function of art in general is to inspire us to see the
familiar in less familiar ways. Public art has the potential
to take an environment that could be generic and familiar,
and render it a place, unique and memorable. Through
drawing on specifically local influences, whether they be
cultural, historical, environmental, public art aims to estab-
lish visual and material cues indicating a sense of place.
Background to this Master Plan
The Transit Village Area Plan (TVAP) was adopted by the
Boulder Planning Board and City Council in September
2007. The Plan envisions “a lively mixed-use pedestrian
oriented place where people will live, work, shop, and ac-
cess regional transit. The following vision was adopted to
provide direction for the future development of the area.
The Transit Village area will be:
• A lively and engaging place with a diversity of uses,
including employment, retail, arts and entertainment,
with housing to serve a diversity of ages, incomes, and
ethnicities;
• A place that is not overly planned, with a “charming
chaos” that exhibits a variety of building sizes, styles
and densities where not everything looks the same;
• A place with both city-wide and neighborhood scale
public spaces;
• A place that attracts and engages a broad spectrum of
the community;
• A place that emphasizes and provides for alternative
energy, sustainability, walking, biking, and possible car-
free areas, e.g. “eco-village.”
The TVAP calls for an Arts and Aesthetics Plan to identify
opportunities for public art to create a unique and interest-
ing place.
Additional context for the Public Art Master Plan is included
in the Transit Village Area Plan Guidelines, which set up
an overall framework, within which this Art Master Plan
functions. The following excerpts from the Plan Guidelines
provide context for this Art Master Plan:
General Guidelines:
Usable Open Space:
Incorporate well-designed, functional open spaces with
trees, quality landscaping and art, access to sunlight and
places to sit comfortably.
Bus Stops:
Include the following for bus stops adjacent to the develop-
ment projects: a shelter, benches, route and schedule sig-
nage. Additional enhancements are encouraged, such as
pedestrian lighting, art, landscaping and waste receptacles.
Junction Place
In addition to the street trees, sidewalks and bike facilities
specified by the Junction Place streetscape section, pro-
vide seating planters, art, special pavement and lighting
along junction place. Provide way-finding features such
as special pavements, signs, or art, to facilitate pedestrian
movement between Junction Place, Rail Plaza, the rail plat-
form and under/overpass, the bus station, Goose Creek
Greenway, Pearl, Valmont, 30th Street and Wilderness
Place.
79Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Transit Facility Guidelines:
Facility identity:
Create a distinctive identity for the transit facility that resonates with the
identity of the larger community. Select a theme that will be universally
valued by a diversity of users. For example, an identity may be cultivated
by incorporating art and/or an existing natural or man-made feature
unique to the area into the facility. Consider carrying them into the way-
finding features discussed in the Junction Place and Rail Plaza Design
Guidelines.
Rail Plaza Guidelines:
Consider including active art and water features, especially
for children.
Look for opportunities to incorporate art into built elements,
such as paving, railings, signage, seating, or overhead
structures.
Provide way-finding features, such as signage, special
pavement and art, to direct people to the plaza from 30th
Street, Bluff Street, Valmont Road, Junction Place and Pearl
Parkway.
30th Street Corridor District Guidelines:
Provide street furnishings, such as benches, planters, cafe
seating, art, and pedestrian lighting.
Additional information about the plan can be found at:
www.bouldertransitvillage.net.
Parks and Recreation Department policies regarding public
art
accession (acceptance), deaccession (removal) and main-
tenance
will apply to art on Parks and Recreation Department property.
Purpose of this Art Master Plan
The purpose of this Art Master Plan is to identify opportunities for public
art in the transit village area, and to describe the function and role that
public art can provide. This is intended to be an open ended document;
it is expected that further opportunities for public art will arise as the proj-
ect evolves, and that these will be incorporated into this master plan.
The Art Master Plan does not attempt to prescribe what the nature of any
public art work within the transit village area should be. This would be
arrived at through a process involving the artist responsible for an indi-
vidual work, working corroboratively with other relevant bodies.
The Art Master Plan does not address standardized street furniture items.
A thematic Design Guideline would have specific suggestions about
items such as lighting, seating, trash receptacles etc. Beyond this,
a Design Guideline, developed in conjunction with the Art Master Plan,
could extend ideas derived from the public art process throughout the
site, as suggestions for material combinations, treatments, textures,
colors and so on.
“Art exists that one may recover the sensation of life;
it exists to make one feel things,
to make the stone stoney.”1
80Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Public Art Diagram
The transit village area Plan Guidelines, presents a clear
set of character areas, with distinct identities. Public art
can be used to strengthen these character areas, while
reinforcing their interconnectedness. The Art Master Plan
recognizes the need for walking, cycling, gathering and
other passive recreational activities, which overlap one an-
other, and sees these needs as tools for integrating distinct
character areas, as well as opportunities for art.
The diagram opposite illustrates key potential locations for
public art within the transit village area.
Opportunities for public art tend to be clustered around
nodes; highly used public places along converging routes
of movement. Gateway opportunities exist at the
experiential edge of character areas, while the densest
groupings of art opportunities occur where the environment
is most urban.
NOTE:
None of the illustrations in this document are intended as
suggestions for actual works of art.
They are suggestive of a type of work only.
"Usually we think of art as an object - something that hangs in a gallery- or as an event that takes place on a stage. Yet places can be works of art, too. They can satisfy our desire for beauty, stir our deepest feelings, link us to our history"2.
81Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Gateway Opportunities
These occur at a node through which people move into the central
Transit Village.To be effective, they read both at a scale that relates to
vehicles and pedestrians, and are visually effective at vehicle speed and
walking pace.
Gateways do not necessarily have to be gate-like, or comprised of post
like structures. They do though, create a sense of passing through a
threshold into a different place. They define an edge, a start of a distinct
place.
Changes in materiality, texture, proportions and scale of space and en-
closure can all contribute to a gateway experience.
Images below illustrate public art that creates a sense of a threshold or
gateway.
Leon Ven Den Eijkel
These pillars are activated directly by
the immediate environment - wind
energy. In a windy city, they form a
place specific gateway feature.
Sister City columns, Christian Muller
Paired columns, woth lighted panels,
provide a sense of entry day and night.
Wind Tunnel, George Peters and Melanie Walker.
Clearly evoking entrance, as well as a distinct sense of place.
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only.
82Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Corridor Opportunity A:
Junction Place
Corridors will require street furniture, and though
most of this will be stock items, there will also be
opportunities for artistic interpretations of conven-
tional items.
Junction Place will have a strong urban character,
with many opportunities for pieces that are both
‘useful’ and ‘interesting.’
Niemi Cava Bench
Fern Bollards, Wellington
Making the most ordinary street furniture
artistic and placeful.
Flour Power, Regan Gentry
Based on local agricultural forms, these
light standards serve as sculpture and as
an orientation device.
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are in-
tended as suggestions for actual works of art. They are
suggestive of a type of work only.
83Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Corridor Opportunity B:
Goose Creek Corridor
Reinstating the natural forms of Goose Creek would create a pleasing contrast with surrounding urban forms. Art works could provide people with opportunities to relate to the creek, and to interact with the water. The corridor would benefit from rest areas and associated facilities, which also have public art potential.
IBM Campus, Peter Walker
Although the scale of this project is
different, this image demonstrates strong
geometry and organic forms interacting.
The rail aspect of the Transit Village has
innately strong geometry, while Goose
Creek could be a naturalized riparian
corridor.
Opportunities for direct contact with natural features.
Goose Creek Corridor can be both a stormwater
detention area/constructed wetland AND and an
opportunity for public art.
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are in-
tended as suggestions for actual works of art. They are
suggestive of a type of work only.
84Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Corridor Opportunity C:
Railroad Corridor
The railway Corridor would have a different pedestrian appeal from the more urban walking experience within the Transit Village. This would be more recreational and exercise oriented, as opposed to shorter, destination based movement.
The strong linear gestures integral to railway corridors, along with the monumental shifts in ground plane associated with railway infrastructure, elicit a vocabulary of forms that could be referred to as ‘tectonic.’ Railways are comprised of forms which suggest transition, and connection between ‘here’ and ‘there.’
Abstracted and re-interpreted, these ideas are a potent basis for artistic connections between places, and forms within places. Such strong linear forms could connect character areas such as the Depot Plaza, the Depot/Park Connection, and Transit Station, while generating artistic opportunities that are particular to these areas.
Fencing along the tracks is another opportunity for public art.
railway memorial
Strong, uncompromising lines typical of railways,
reconfigured and exaggerated to powerful effect.
Santa Fe Railyard Park
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are
intended as suggestions for actual works of art. They are
suggestive of a type of work only.
85Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Site Opportunity No.1:
Bus Rapid Transit
To make the most of this major focal point along Old Pearl Parkway line of site, the structure which terminates the view would visually communicate the function of Bus Rapid Transit.
This will be a major passenger ame-nity zone. By making functionally related places such as the railroad corridor, depot, and Bus Rapid Transit visu-ally complimentary, a sense of place associated with movement, transition and relocation could be developed.
Water features could provides an opportunity for a conceptual link to Goose Creek Corridor.
Canopies, Martha Shwartz
This structure clearly communicates function.
Santa Fe Railyard Park
There is an opportunity to provide a view terminus
from Pearl Parkway to Old Pearl.NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only. 86Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Site Opportunity No.2:Historic Depot
The Depot will be an important central feature of the Transit Village. The building’s character will influence form and materiality of surrounding features and infrastructure, including patios and other exterior public spaces, as well as inspiring art work.
The Depot location makes it highly visible along several view corridors.Any art works associated with the Depot should acknowl-edge the historic building, and not compete with it visually, but strengthen it’s presence.
The existing Baggage Pavilion has potential as a vernacular architectural influence.
Views to the Historic Depot location2 = Historic Depot location
The Depot in its’ historical context
The Depot in its’ historical context
87Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Site Opportunity No.3:
Depot/Park Connection
Legible and user friendly connections are key as-
pects of successful urban design. In creating a link
between the depot and the park, there is potential to
use the strong linear gestures \associated with tran-
sit, to form a highly visible, aesthetically pleasing pe-
destrian connection with the park. This gesture could
be the basis of form generation within the park itself.
Tsukuba Civic Center
Park, Sydney
Linear Park, London
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only. 88Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Hoodoos, Nuszer Kopatz, Artscapes
Textures, patinas and rugged forms relate to the natural
environment, while the vertical built forms relate to an
urban context. This piece provides a spatial interactive
experience, with layers of discovery provided through
carvings among the stones.
Site Opportunity No.4:
Pocket Park
A self-contained space as a respite from
surrounding activity.
Art pieces in the pocket park could be used to
spatially define interesting people-friendly spaces.
Art pieces could act as focal points, drawing people
into the park, and could be part of the park’s
infrastructure.
Sky Canopy, Artscapes
Land sculpting in the park can help make
the transition down to Goose Creek.
Granite bench, ArtscapesNOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only. 89Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
90
Site Opportunity No.5
Goose Creek Bridge
This is an opportunity to integrate infrastructure
with artistry. The bridge design could be derived
from the Depot building, reinforcing a cohesive
sense of place, while fulfilling an important infra-
structure role.
Architectural details and materials from the De-
pot could be adapted, altered and re-interpreted
to suit the bridge structure. The Depot would
have the stronger visual ‘character’,
supported by the comparable, and complimen-
tary bridge. To achieve this goal, the bridge and
depot would need to be considered together, as
two parts of a larger composition.
Pijoan Fence
Natural light used to extend effect beyond
the actual built work.
Bridge, Stockholm
Quality modern materials, restrained
design.
Road Bridge, Onix and Achterbosch Architecture.
Strata Variations, George Peters and Melanie Walker
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only. Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Site Opportunity No.6
Rail Plaza
This public space is likely to be among the most
urban parts of the Transit Village. This presents an
opportunity to use art to create and reinforce a unique
sense of location and place, adding layers of interest
that reinforce successful functional space.
Invisible city, Anton Parsons
West Crescent, Nuszer Kopatz, Artscapes
Rail car, Martha Shwatrz
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only.
91Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Skyblues, Bill Culbert
This installation has a strong spatial quality,
while it’s scale contributes to way finding and
sense of location.
Chailce, Neil Dawson
Site Opportunity No.7
Corner of 30th and Pearl
On one of the best view corridors, this highly visible in-tersection will be an important node for both pedestrians and drivers.
For foot traffic, this could be a meeting place and way device at the edge of the dense, pedestrian friendly part of the transit village. This node could be an important way finding device for drivers also.
Ferns, Niel Dawson
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only. 92Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Materiality
Connections to locality in a larger sense (such as the
Front Range), can be made through choices of local
materials.
Material choices can be made which have functional
associations (steel with trains perhaps).
At the same time, connections between places within
the Transit Village can be made by selective and
repetitive use of materials.
West Crescent Stapleton. Nuszer Kopatz, Artscapes
This paving suggests its’ ocean side setting. Roberto Burle Marx.
Railway ties, with their distinct texture expressed.
Mt Victoria Lookout, Wellington, Boffa Miskel LTD
Steel, with areas polished by use, others with
a weathered patina.
“The concept of places as art is an acknowledgement
that color, form, texture, balance, and composition merit
equal consideration with the economic and social
demands that guide planning and development.”2
NOTE: None of the illustrations in this document are intended as suggestions
for actual works of art. They are suggestive of a type of work only. 93Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Next Steps or What Now?...
The following steps are recommended:
• The public art master plan should be adopted as an element of the Transit Village Area Plan; • This Art Plan can provide the context for public art in the transit village area including at the RTD bus facility site, the bridge over Goose Creek, and the site plan for the Depot; • The Art Plan could also provide the framework for more detailed design guidelines to address the more conven tional aspects of urban design and landscape architecture such as street furniture, lighting, trash receptacles, and signage.
Notes:
1 Schkolsky, Victor. “Art as Technique” Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader. ED. Lodge, David (1988). Longman, New York. pp.15-30
2. Chatfield-Taylor, Adele, Forward in Lipske, Mike (1985) Placesas Art. Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, New York.
3 Lipske, Mike (1985) Places as Art. Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, New York. P.19
94Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
95 Transit Village Area Plan • Boulder, Colorado
Supplemental Documents
The following supplemental documents are available online at the City of Boulder
Transit Village Area Plan website (www.bouldertransitvillage.net). Go to the Transit
Village Area Plan, then Appendix 7 for a link to each document.
Implementation Plan – September 2007
Public Participation Report – August 2007
Green Technology Park Report – July 2007
Economic Planning Systems (EPS) studies:
Absorption Estimate – June 2007
Residual Land Value Analysis – March 2007
Options Assessment – September 2006
Analysis of Stormwater Concepts for Transit Village Area – July 2006
Transit Village and Flatirons Viewshed Analysis – June 2006
Stormwater Best Management Practices Toolbox – April 2006
Opportunities & Constraints Report – November 2005
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
TRANSIT VILLAGE
AREA PLAN
PHASE 2 AMENDMENT
SEPTEMBER 2023
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ................................................... 4
Land Use ..................................................................... 8
Urban Design ............................................................. 13
Transportation Connections .................................. 21
This amendment to the Transit Village Area Plan updates the recommendations for the Phase 2 area of Boulder Junction
to reflect the community’s current needs, hopes, and vision for its future. The Phase 2 Amendment revises the Land Use
Plan, Urban Design Framework, and Transportation Connections for the Phase 2 area and replaces the TVAP policies
previously adopted in 2007. The revised Land Use Plan will be used as a basis for future land use map changes in the
Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP), as well as for future rezonings. TVAP and this amendment are not intended,
in the near term, to prevent property owners and users from improving or using their property in a manner that is
consistent with current zoning until the property is rezoned or redeveloped.
The revised Transportation Connections Plan will be used to guide future right-of-way acquisitions and capital
improvement planning, to preserve right-of-way corridors for future road dedication and construction, and to guide
dedication and installation by property owners and the city at the time of redevelopment.
This TVAP - Phase 2 Amendment is adopted by the Planning Board and City Council.
BOULDER VALLEY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (BVCP)
Outcome Based
Budegting
Department Plans &
Strategies
Subcommunity & Area
Plans
Operating Budgets Capital Improvements Program (CIP)
Development
Standards & Zoning
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y, E Q U I TY & RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK
The Transit Village Area Plan is informed by the BVCP and Department Plans and Strategies. TVAP offers
direction for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and Development Standards and Zoning.
ABOUT THIS AMENDMENT
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
4 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
Amending the Transit Village Area Plan (TVAP) has been a collaborative process relying on professional expertise and
community guidance thanks to the following participants:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CITY COUNCIL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
City Council Members
Aaron Brockett (Mayor)
Mark Wallach (Mayor Pro Tem)
Matt Benjamin
Lauren Folkerts
Rachel Friend
Junie Joseph
Nicole Speer
Tara Winer
Bob Yates
Planning Board Members
Sarah Silver (Chair)
Lisa Smith (Vice Chair)
Jorge Boone
Laura Kaplan
Mark McIntyre
Kurt Nordback
ML Robles
Multi-Board Working Group
Ten representatives of city boards and local districts
participated in a Multi-Board Working Group to connect
the project team with the city’s valued boards and share
information and feedback.
Boulder Junction GID – Parking Ryan Cook
Boulder Junction GID – TDM Sue Prant
Design Advisory Board Brendan Ash
Environmental Advisory Board Hernan Villanueva
Housing Advisory Board Michael Leccese
Human Relations Committee Anna Pavlenko
Open Space Board of Trustees Jon Carroll
Planning Board Kurt Nordback
Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Elliott Hood
Transportation Advisory Board Tila Duhaime, Alex
Weinheimer (Alt.)
CITY STAFF
Juliet Bonnell
Vivian Casto-Wooldridge
Sarah Cawrse
Mark Davison
Kristine Edwards
Karl Guiler
Chris Haglin
Cody Hedges (Colorado Department of Transportation)
Rebecca Hieb
Sarah Horn
Kristofer Johnson
Cris Jones
Kathleen King
Brad Mueller
Kalani Pahoa
Hella Pannewig
Ali Pfenninger
Chris Ranglos
Gerrit Slatter
Cate Stanek
Jay Sugnet
Mike Sweeney
CONSULTANTS
Economic & Planning Systems (EPS)
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
5
BOULDER COMMUNITY
Community Connectors
Community members who elevate underrepresented voices
and partner with the city to co-design engagement and
share avenues to participate in city decision making.
Adela Aguirre
Adriana Paola Palacios Luna
Focus Group Members
Four Focus Groups met throughout the project to provide
a variety of viewpoints, expertise, and experience.
Advocacy Group
Local advocates for social,
environmental and/or
economic issues.
Djenane Jean Charles
Kevin Crouse
Lenz Jn Francois
Crystal Gray
Sean Haney
Sally Haselschwardt
Jane Hummer
Darcy Kitching
Meredith Olsen
Mike Reichert
Tiffany Richards
Jonathan Singer
Anita Speirs
Siana Teelucksingh
Claudia Thiem
Kyle Williams
Daily Users Group
People who live and/or work
in the Boulder Junction
area.
Ryan Bonick
Theresa Halsey
Michael Hulet
Hans Hyttinen
Kari Klein
Del Kreiser
Tom Kuntsman
Lauren Lambert
Tupak Barrios Palacious
Luna
Michele Marie
Aleka Mayr
Marianne Okal
Lisa Oshop
Jasmine Rodrigues
Tara Spies
Sarah Warner
Development and Design
Group
Developers, real estate
professionals, urban
designers, architects and
planners.
Daniel Aizenman
Adela Aquirre
Erin Bagnall
Bryan Bowen
Matt Grandsaert
Chris Hamilton
Chester Harvey
Ross Holbrook
John Koval
Michael Leccese
Susan Osborne
Danica Powell
Jenna Reilly
Jerry Shapins
Jeptha Sheene
Tom Volckhausen
Bradley Wilson
Property and Business
Owners Group
Property and business
owners within the Phase 2
area.
Derek Anderson
Duane Boyle
Mark Gerwing
Jeremy Gruber
Patrick Keane
Henry Koren
Adriana Palacious Luna
Demi Michelau
Clay Phillips
Raj Rawat
Bill Reynolds
Vajra Rich
Simone Smead
Sharon Solomon
Michael Wang
Roy Young
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
GUIDING
NEIGHBORHOOD
CHANGE
01 LAND USE
09
02 URBAN DESIGN
03 TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
8 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
A desire to provide additional flexibility for all of Phase 2 was identified by the community, advisory boards and City
Council when evaluating potential land use amendments to TVAP. The community was interested in seeing more
flexibility that would allow for a wider range of commercial uses, neighborhood services and residential types.
The land use designation of Mixed-Use Transit Oriented Development is applied north of Goose Creek and south of Pearl
Parkway. Mixed-Use Industrial is applied in the central portion of Phase 2 between Pearl Parkway and the Goose Creek
Greenway. Additionally, the greenway along Goose Creek has been designated as Parks, Urban and Other, which offers an
opportunity for a variety of active and passive recreational uses in the future.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Residential
Ensure land use categories allow residential uses across
all of Phase 2 to enable a mix of housing types at a range
of prices. Affordable housing will be regulated per city-
wide policies.
Retail and Service Commercial
Retain and encourage new local and small businesses, in
particular light industrial and service commercial uses.
The MUI area will maintain its industrial character and
unique businesses while also evolving to include small
retail options to provide neighborhood goods and services.
Light Industrial
Encourage small maker spaces, workshops, breweries,
and other creative spaces. This area is not intended to
support larger industrial or warehousing uses that would
be encouraged in other Industrial land use categories.
Mixed Use and Transit Oriented Development
Introduce flexibility in land use in order to transform
existing, disparate uses into mixed use, transit-oriented
neighborhoods rich with amenities and services. The area
will include a variety of new destinations and housing in
conjunction with its mobility hubs.
WHAT WE HEARD
• Allow flexibility for housing, mix of uses, and
greater intensity of uses
• Maintain opportunities for light industrial
and service uses
• Balance urban character with more green
areas and gathering spaces
HOW IT IS ADDRESSED
• MUTOD and MUI are more flexible land
use categories than originally envisioned in
TVAP
• MUI allows residential, but prioritizes other
uses on ground floor
• PK-U/O identifies opportunity for
enhancements along Goose Creek
OPPORTUNITY BY THE NUMBERS
The Phase 2 Land Use Plan creates the
opportunity for more diverse and mixed
land use in Boulder Junction. Over a 20-year
horizon, the plan offers potential for:
HOUSING
JOBS
Total potential of homes
in a variety of formats
Total potential of jobs in
diverse industries
~ 1,500 - 2,500
~ 3,000 - 4,000
01 LAND USE
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
9
LAND USE PLAN
HOUSING
JOBS
~ 1,500 - 2,500
~ 3,000 - 4,000
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
10 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
LAND USE DESIGNATIONS
Mixed-Use Transit Oriented Development
(MUTOD)
Planned and existing transit and multi-modal facilities
for the future rail station, the RTD bus-rapid-transit
station at Boulder Depot, and three major corridors:
Valmont Rd, Pearl Parkway, and Foothills Parkway
present an opportunity for changes that make
significant contributions to the city’s goals for compact
redevelopment, housing affordability and diversity
and local business. When such redevelopment is
complemented by excellent access to high-frequency
transit and other mobility options, the spaces, urban form
and requirements for accessories like parking, can take a
different shape than in other mixed-use neighborhoods
without that level of transportation access. To take
advantage of these future investments and create a place
that responds to and interacts specifically with high
access mobility infrastructure, the Land Use Plan includes
a Mixed-Use TOD (MUTOD) designation.
BVCP LAND USE DESCRIPTION
Characteristics and Locations
MUTOD areas pair existing or planned transit
facilities with residential and commercial
development opportunities. The goal of MUTOD
areas is to transform existing, disparate uses into
mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods rich
with amenities and services. MUTOD areas are
located at regional or local mobility hubs and/or
along key transit corridors.
Uses
Consists predominantly of attached residential
uses. Supporting uses to be allowed to include
office, retail, service, commercial and light
industrial. Uses should be vertically and horizontal
integrated in MUTOD areas.
MUTOD neighborhoods give residents and workforce easy access to a myriad of mobility choices.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
11
Mixed-Use Industrial (MUI)
This Mixed-Use Industrial neighborhood will serve as a
community center for exchange between local businesses
and new residents. The area should evolve to reflect the
neighborhood’s industrial history and destination as a
place for makers, builders, designers and innovators.
Community members describe a desire for eclectic design
as the area redevelops that will foster a sense of “grit” and
creativity in the places that emerge from redevelopment.
In the future, this neighborhood’s industrial backbone will
be more accessible, walkable and activated with residents,
visitors and patrons.
*This designation has a different description than the
IMU-1 and -2 designations in TVAP, as originally adopted.
BVCP LAND USE DESCRIPTION
Characteristics and Locations
MUI areas are envisioned to integrate diverse
housing, commercial and retail options into
industrial areas to create vibrant, walkable,
working neighborhoods that offer employers,
employees and residents a variety of local
services and amenities. MUI areas will often
provide a transition between existing or planned
residential or mixed-use neighborhoods and Light,
Community or General Industrial land use areas.
Uses
Consists predominantly of light industrial use
on ground floors. Supporting uses include light-
industrial, attached residential, retail, service,
office and commercial.
MUI neighborhoods can offer residents and workforce inspiring places for creative exchange.
LAND USE DESIGNATIONS
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT12
BVCP LAND USE DESCRIPTION
Characteristics and Uses
PK-U/O includes public lands used for a variety of
active and passive recreational purposes or flood
control purposes. Urban parks provided by the
city include pocket parks, neighborhood parks,
community parks and city parks, as defined in the
Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The specific
characteristics of each park depend on the type
of park, size, topography and neighborhood
preferences.
Parks, Urban and Other (PK-U/O)
There is a strong community desire to create more green
space in Phase 2. In order to provide the amenities and
services the community hopes to achieve, the Goose
Creek Greenway, east of the railroad tracks to Foothills
Parkway, has been designated as the land use category
Parks, Urban and Other. The Goose Creek Greenway could
be redesigned to provide enhanced public gathering
spaces, mobility options, and flood control purposes.
Future conditions will incorporate additional community
engagement and consistency with City of Boulder Parks
and Recreation Department Plan.
Open Space, Development Rights or
Restrictions (OS-DR)
This designation is applied to a small section along Pearl Parkway
to recognize an existing scenic easement managed by Open
Space & Mountain Parks.
Future design examples for the Goose Creek Greenway and pedestrian bridge over the creek.
LAND USE DESIGNATIONS
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
02 URBAN DESIGN
A desire to provide additional direction and detail for all of Phase 2 was identified by the community, advisory boards
and City Council when evaluating potential urban design amendments to TVAP. Updated guidelines better describe
the desired design character of the area, which includes maintaining a diversity of building types and providing more
landscaped areas and tree canopy than Phase 1.
WHAT WE HEARD
• Utilize Goose Creek as an amenity
• Create outdoor gathering spaces
• Improve retail viability
• Keep Boulder fun(ky)
HOW IT IS ADDRESSED
• Pedestrian focus along Goose Creek with
an opportunity for signature bridge crossing
• Multiple outdoor space locations that can
accommodate a variety of outcomes
• Emphasize opportunities for retail at activity
nodes
• Guidance for creative architectural
outcomes, urban tree canopy and
landscape, gathering spaces, etc. will be
further defined through future steps
Place Types
Place Types describe the design intent and performance
expectations for evolving neighborhoods. The Place
Type descriptions and performance measures can be
used to guide redevelopment options and help future
phases of implementation. The Place Type performance
standards also describe elements that tie land use to
important mobility features, such as access and parking
and streetscape character. Place Types provide greater
refinement to the larger land use areas and set forth
performance expectations for redevelopment outcomes.
Three Place Types have been identified for the Phase 2
area:
• Innovation TOD (Residential)
• Fun(ky) Functional
• Neighborhood TOD.
Fun(ky) Functional Innovation TOD (Residential)Neighborhood TOD
PLACE TYPES USES
Residential
Restaurants & Dining
Retail
Personal Services
Manufacturing
Auto Service
Indoor Recreation
Office
Greenhouse
Parking
Public/Institutional
13 Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
14 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
PLACE TYPES
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
15
Place T
INNOVATION TOD (RESIDENTIAL)
The Innovation Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Residential Place Type intends to maintain opportunities for light
industrial and flex uses while integrating public-facing retail and providing transit supportive, attainable housing options.
The area should prioritize energy conservation, urban rewilding strategies and creativity in new and redevelopment.
Allowed Uses
• Dining and entertainment;
• Light Industrial;
• Residential such as attached dwellings, townhomes,
and live-work units;
• Retail;
• Personal services.
Allowed Uses Above Ground Floor
Attached residential; Structured parking
Conditional Uses
Second stories may incorporate a mix of office (including
medical offices) and residential; third, fourth and if
plausible, fifth stories, should be reserved for residential
uses.
FAR Range
1.0-3.5
Useable Open Space
Minimum 20% of total land area
Building Character
Buildings may have large ground-floor openings for
loading/unloading that may serve multiple purposes.
Architecture should express innovation, creativity, and
Boulder entrepreneurialism. This place type prioritizes
energy conservation and activation.
Street Level Activation
Building frontages along arterial and collector streets
should offer transparent and engaging front-door
environments, which will likely include roll-up doors,
loading and unloading areas, outdoor dining, etc.
Traditional window displays should be limited in favor of
sharing what is happening inside the spaces.
Streetscape Character
Streetscapes accommodate small, medium, and some
large sized delivery trucks while also encouraging a transit-
supportive and active pedestrian and bicycle environment.
Consistent elements should include landscape with
integrated stormwater elements, street trees, seating, and
designated areas for bike/scooter parking.
Access and Mobility
Side and rear vehicular building access; transportation
connections should offer safe, comfortable pedestrian and
bicycle access and slower speed vehicular movement to
minimize conflicts between modes; centrally placed mobility
hubs should offer micromobility (e-bike, e-scooter) options
for first and last mile connections; curbs should be managed
to allow for different uses by time of day and/ or deliveries/
loading/drop off based on adjacent uses; pedestrian paseos
(especially through larger blocks) enhance pedestrian
connectivity.
Parking
On-street parking for ROWs that can accommodate; rear
or alley parking; promote structured parking and transition
away from large surface parking lots; promote efficient use
of parking areas through Shared, Unbundled, Managed, Paid
approaches. Limit parking supply to encourage use of transit
and alternative modes to a single occupancy vehicles.
PLACE TYPES
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
16 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
FUN(KY) FUNCTIONAL
The Fun(KY) Functional Place Type creates opportunities for an eclectic and creative exchange between local Boulder
business customers, workforce, residents, and visitors by infusing new residential opportunities into working, light industrial
neighborhoods. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings and redevelopment should offer new living and office spaces as well as a
“front-door” to great, local businesses located along key streets, trails or greenways. These areas are envisioned to allow a very
wide range of uses, especially on the ground floor, including a mix of light industrial, services, light manufacturing and maker
spaces, retail, arts studios and education spaces, office and residential along active passageways.
Allowed Uses
• Light Industrial such as arts studios and maker spaces,
performance, breweries or distilleries, coffee roasters
and small-scale manufacturing;
• Dining and Entertainment such as restaurants, cafes
and taverns;
• Service uses such as autobody repair, computer repair,
and bicycle mechanics;
• Personal services such as salons and gyms;
• Office such as technical and professional;
• Retail sales of food and goods;
• Indoor recreation such as climbing walls;
• Greenhouse such as indoor food production and plant
nurseries.
Conditional Uses
The following uses should not exceed 4,000sf in floor area:
Retail sales; Professional Office
Allowed Uses Above Ground Floor
Residential (attached); Office; Light Industrial/Manufacturing
Useable Open Space
Minimum 10% of total land area
Building Character
Aesthetic choices should express innovation, creativity and
Boulder entrepreneurism. Buildings will be industrial in nature
with large ground-floor openings for loading/unloading that
may serve multiple purposes. “Front-door” facades should
be oriented to adjacent trails or greenways, when present.
Expect tall ground floor ceiling heights to accommodate
industrial uses. Accommodate height flexibility to allow for
residential above the ground floor. This place type prioritizes
energy conservation in both new and redevelopment.
Street Level Activation
Building frontages along streets should offer front-door
environments, transparency along block-faces and interactive
exchanges between buildings and the street, which may
include café space, outdoor retail space, market space,
etc. When development is adjacent to trails or greenways,
prioritize the trail-facing sides of buildings for activation.
Streetscape Character
Streetscapes will support the industrial context of these
places and facilitate ease of movement for goods and
services in the area. Incorporating tree planting and
landscape that will make positive climate impacts into
streetscapes is strongly encouraged.
Access and Mobility
Street-side access should balance vehicular access and
needs with a supportive environment for pedestrians and
cyclists. Trail-side access is prioritized for pedestrians
and cyclists. Particular attention should be paid to the
connections between trail access and on-street networks
in the area. Transportation connections should offer safe,
comfortable pedestrian and bicycle access and slower speed
vehicular movement to minimize conflicts with vehicles;
centrally placed mobility hubs with high frequency transit
should offer micromobility (e-bike, e-scooter) options for first
and last mile connections; curbs should be managed to allow
for different uses by time of day and/or loading/drop off based
on adjacent land uses.
Parking
On-street parking for ROWs that can accommodate; Promote
efficient use of parking areas through Shared, Unbundled,
Managed, Paid approaches.
PLACE TYPES
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
17
PLACE TYPES
NEIGHBORHOOD TOD
The Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Place Type reimagines existing auto-oriented commercial and
retail areas as highly walkable and transit-supportive environments. Active ground floors may have mixed income housing
above when development is multi-story.
Allowed Uses
• Dining and entertainment such as restaurants,
taverns, cafes, performance spaces;
• Neighborhood-hood serving retail such as grocery
stores, convenience stores, pharmacies;
• Residential such as attached dwellings, townhomes,
condos and apartments;
• Neighborhood-serving public or institutional uses
such as daycares, nonprofit offices.
Allowed Uses Above Ground Floor
Attached residential; retail sales; office
FAR Range
1.0 - 3.0
Useable Open Space
Minimum 10% of total land area
Building Character
Building facades should have a high level of articulation
and transparency, especially facing pedestrian and bicycle
facilities (sidewalks, pathways, paseos, and breezeways).
Building materials may be eclectic, but of high quality.
Varied rooflines and architectural detail are important
design considerations to align with community vision for
the area.
Street Level Activation
Building frontages along streets should offer front-door
environments, transparency along block-faces and
interactive exchanges between buildings and the street, as
well as pedestrian-oriented internal circulation. Buildings
in this place-type will orient “front door” facades to higher
order streets and pedestrian paseos/courtyards. It is
anticipated that most “back of house” loading, service and
parking are provided in the rear of properties.
Streetscape Character
Streetscapes should encourage a safe and active
pedestrian environment, including consistent tree
canopies, landscaping and green infrastructure, seating
and designated areas for bike/scooter parking.
Access and Mobility
Side and rear vehicular building access; Transportation
connections should offer safe and comfortable pedestrian
and bicycle access separated and buffered from vehicular
movement when possible; curbcuts should be managed
and consolidated where possible to limit potential
conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians/cyclists;
pedestrian and bicycle connections should provide access
to nearby residents and employees.
Parking
Promote efficient use of parking areas through Shared,
Unbundled, Managed, Paid; limit parking supply to
encourage use of transit and alternative modes to a single
occupancy vehicles.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
18 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
Activity Nodes
Focusing retail, dining, and personal service uses near
future areas of high activity is critical to the success
of mixed-use neighborhoods that serve the needs
of residents, employees, and visitors. These types of
businesses require high visibility, pedestrian foot traffic,
and engaging indoor/outdoor opportunities to thrive.
Several activity nodes have been identified to capitalize on
planned transit, open space, and land use improvements.
They also generally align along the primary north-south
route that interconnects the Phase 2 area. These locations
are flexible, but the intent to concentrate commercial uses
near areas of high pedestrian activity shall be considered
when evaluating future development proposals.
Goose Creek Greenway
The primary function of Goose Creek Greenway is flood
control and mobility, with a significant portion of the
Greenway within a 120’ Goose Creek Drainage Channel
Utility Easement. Future design of the Greenway
should also incorporate active and passive recreational
opportunities. Further community engagement will
help identify design direction. Design and function of
the Goose Creek Greenway will be consistent with the
City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department Plan
and continue to comply with any applicable floodplain
regulations.
Paseos
Additional pedestrian mobility connections identified
in the Urban Design section of the Plan Amendment
complement the Transportation Connections Plan, but
will not be included in the Transportation Master Plan
(TMP). The alignment and location of paseos are flexible,
but should generally follow the intent established by the
urban design section and maps. Paseos are enhanced
pathways that combine a variety of materials, landscape,
and amenities to create a pedestrian experience at key
locations and across larger parcels. Adjacent open spaces
and land uses add vibrancy and activity to enrich these
corridors. The intent of creating a network of enhanced
pedestrian corridors shall be considered when evaluating
future development proposals.
Paseos will be amenity rich, pedestrian oriented environments featuring a variety of materials and landscaping.
Future design for the Goose Creek Greenway will continue to provide flood control, but also incorporate amenities.
19Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
20 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
Outdoor Space
Publicly-accessible outdoor gathering spaces are essential
to the success of creating a vibrant and livable mixed-use
neighborhood. Several locations have been identified
for both primary (1, 4, 6) and secondary outdoor spaces
(2, 3, 5) that are strategically positioned to complement
planned transit facilities, open space enhancements, and
higher intensity land uses. These locations are flexible,
but the intent of aligning outdoor spaces with areas of
high activity shall be considered when evaluating future
development proposals.
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
RAIL PLAZA
The intent of this outdoor space
is to provide a vibrant destination
for gathering, traveling, and
arrival via the future rail station.
Examples of future design could
include outdoor dining and
sculptural elements.
1
POCKET PARK
The intent of this outdoor
space is to act as a
continuation of the future
rail plaza and neighborhood
space to the east.
2
NEIGHBORHOOD
The intent of this outdoor space
is to offer future residents a
place to gather, meet, and enjoy
Boulder’s excellent climate.
Examples of future design could
include a small dog park or
community garden.
3 GOOSE CREEK
The intent of this outdoor
space is to maximize the Goose
Creek Greenway as an amenity.
In addition to providing flood
mitigation, the design could
include passive natural zones,
formal public spaces, and active
play areas.
4
OLD PEARL
The intention of this outdoor
space is to provide a visual
terminus and gathering node for
residents, employees, and visitors
enjoying Old Pearl’s eclectic mix
of retail and services.
5 SOUTHERN ANCHOR
The intention of this outdoor
space is to offer a flexible
community gathering space
south of Pearl Parkway large
enough to allow for a variety
of uses such as festivals and
events.
6
Urban Landscape
Dense tree canopy and landscape areas provide respite
in dense urban environments and create more habitable
conditions for local residents, employees, and visitors.
Additionally, they contribute to stormwater management
and mitigate urban heat effects. As Boulder Junction
Phase 2 evolves, an emphasis shall be placed on
incorporating trees, landscape, and natural areas into
urban redevelopment.
OUTDOOR SPACE DESIGN INTENT
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
21
03 TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS
Flexible Alignments
Many connections allow for flexible alignment. Flexible
alignments allow for an adjustment of the location of a
road, multi-use path, or pedestrian path up to 50 feet,
but start and end points remain fixed. Relocations onto
adjacent properties or greater than 50 feet may be
reviewed as part of the amendment process described in
TVAP.
Connections Descriptions
The purpose of the connections descriptions is to
provide a detailed explanation and rationale for each
connection in Phase 2. It will be used to help interpret the
Connections Plan for capital improvement planning and
review of individual development review applications.
WHAT WE HEARD
• Enhance internal pedestrian and bicycle
network
• Use connections to break down larger
blocks into more urban character
• Balance visionary ideas with feasibility
HOW IT IS ADDRESSED
• People-focused connections are prioritized
over vehicular
• Several multi-use paths and sidewalks
added
• Altered or removed infeasible connections
A desire to improve transportation connections to ensure Phase 2 is walkable and pedestrian-friendly, is more connected
to Phase 1, and offers better connectivity to surrounding bicycle and trail networks was identified by the community,
Boards and Commissions and City Council when evaluating potential amendments to TVAP. Given that feedback, the
transportation plan was evaluated and amended to incorporate the community’s desires. All connections included in this
Amendment should be designed in accordance with the city’s Design and Construction Standards (DCS).
Phase 2 prioritizes people-focused connections, like multi-use paths, over vehicular connections.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
CONNECTIONS PLAN
TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT22Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
23
36. Multi-use path: This short connection is flexible and
intended to illustrate a bike connection from the Multi-
use path along Foothills Parkway to Frontier Avenue
and the internal circulation system on these parcels.
37. Multi-use path: This path will continue the existing
path along the west side of Foothills Parkway and
contribute to a complete bike facility along the
parkway. Given the limited opportunities to cross
Foothills Parkway, this will mirror the Multi-use path
along the east side of Foothills Parkway and will provide
a primary north-south off road bike facility from the
Boulder Creek Path to Valmont Road. (see 57 for bridge
description)
38. Multi-use path: This path will continue the path along
the ditch to Foothills Parkway multi-use path.
39. Multi-use path: This short connection is flexible and
intended to illustrate a bike connection from the Multi-
use path along Foothills Parkway to Old Pearl Street.
40. Pedestrian connection: This connection provides
access from the mixed-use industrial and residential
areas along Old Pearl Parkway to a paseo/pedestrian
environment along the south bank of the Goose Creek
Greenway.
41. Pedestrian connection: This connection provides
access from the mixed-use industrial and residential
areas along Old Pearl Parkway to a paseo/pedestrian
environment along the south bank of the Goose Creek
Greenway.
42. Multi-use path: This multi-use path connection will
serve as a connection between the north and south
sides of Goose Creek. It is intended to provide an
opportunity for a placemaking bridge/sculptural
element.
43. Multi-use path: This path along the east side of the
railroad tracks, and outside of the railroad right of
way, provides access from Pearl Parkway to a paseo/
pedestrian environment along the south bank of the
Goose Creek Greenway. It will provide a safe, off-
road alternative for those who do not wish to bike on
roads. It also provides a connection to the planned
multimodal system along Pearl Parkway and the ditch.
44. Alley: This connection provides access from Center
Green Ct to Wilderness Place. It is intended to be
flexible in location pending site design.
45. Multi-use path: This connection provides access to the
south end of the rail platform from the street system in
Wilderness Place.
46. Multi-use path: This connection provides direct access
to the rail platform and track crossing from the street
system in Wilderness Place.
47. Local road connection: This connects Center Green
Court to the cul-de-sac to the south with the intent
of providing a finer street grid for improved mobility
and access. It should also provide sidewalks for
pedestrians. This connection will occur only when the
adjacent parcels redevelop. It is intended to be flexible
in location pending site design.
48. Local road connection: This connection will connect
Center Green Court and Wilderness Place south of
Valmont Road. This connection will occur only when
the adjacent parcels redevelop and should provide
sidewalks for pedestrians.
49. Bike route: This bike facility provides a connection
from Valmont Road to Pearl Parkway.
50. Multi-use path: This multi-use path along the east
side of the railroad tracks, and outside of the railroad
right of way, provides access from Goose Creek to
the future rail platform. This connection provides a
safe, off-road alternative for those who do not wish to
bike on Wilderness Place or other roadways to the rail
platform and connects to the Goose Creek Multi-use
path.
51. Multi-use path: This multi-use path connection
provides access from Old Pearl to the North Boulder
Farmer’s Ditch multi-use path.
52. Multi-use path: This multi-use path connection
provides access from the path west of Foothills
Parkway to Wilderness Place and is aligned across from
the path that leads directly to the future rail plaza as a
safe, off-road alternative.
53. Multi-use path: This multi-use path connection
provides access from the multi-use path running on
the east side of the tracks to Wilderness Place and
contributes to a finer grain pedestrian network.
54. Multi-use path: This multi-use path extends from the
future rail platform to Valmont Road.
55. Pedestrian connection: This pedestrian connection
would extend from the proposed local road south of
Center Green and connect to the paseo/pedestrian
environment along the north bank of the Goose Creek
Greenway.
56. Multi-use path: This multi-use path connection
provides access from the local road at the intersection
of Wilderness Pl and Center Green Ct to the multi-use
path running along the west side of Foothills Parkway.
57. Bridge connection: This bridge connection is
intended to mirror the condition of the multi-use path
connection on the east side of Foothills Parkway. It will
attach to the west side of the Foothills overpass.
58. Intersection Improvement: This improved intersection
provides safe and protected crossings to connect the
multi-use path network across Pearl Parkway and limit
conflicts with high-speed vehicular movements at the
on- and off-ramps to Foothills Parkway
CONNECTIONS EXPLANATION AND RATIONALE
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
ATTACHMENT B
Revised TVAP Summary for BVCP Chapter 5
Transit Village Area Plan / Boulder Junction
The Transit Village Area Plan guides development of an area that is within walking distance of a
transit hub near 30th and Pearl Streets. The plan, originally adopted in 2007 and amended in
2023, recommends land use changes to transform this mostly industrial, low-density, automobile-
oriented area into a more urban, higher-density, pedestrian-oriented environment with a mixture
of uses, including new retail and office space and new residential neighborhoods for a diversity
of incomes and lifestyles. Many of the existing service, commercial and industrial uses will
continue to be allowed, while also encouraging new residential and mixed-use redevelopment.
The plan also focuses on developing new, high-quality public spaces and streets, creating a new
home for the historic Union-Pacific train depot and protecting and enhancing Goose Creek.
Implementation of the Plan
After adoption of the plan, the area was renamed Boulder Junction. Implementation entails
significant public investment in the transit facilities, the adjacent pocket park and civic plaza, the
new north-south collector road, rehabilitation of the Depot, Goose Creek enhancements and the
city-owned site at the northeast corner of the 30th and Pearl intersection. Property owners will
contribute to construction of new streets, sidewalks and bicycle facilities when they develop their
properties. In 2010 and 2011, land use and zoning changes were made on the west side of the
area, and a general improvement district was formed to manage parking and provide
Transportation Demand Management services. The Boulder Junction Form Based Code (FBC)
pilot, now Appendix M of Title 9 – Land Use Code, was completed in 2016 and establishes
building-specific form and design requirements for the west side of the area (Boulder Junction
Phase 1). Land use changes and public improvements on the east side of the area (Phase 2) were
amended in 2023 to reflect current community needs after substantial completion of Phase 1.
Land use and zoning changes for Phase 2 could include expansion of the FBC and general
improvement districts to achieve the goals of the amended plan.
Attachment B - Revised BVCP Chapter 5 TVAP Summary
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
From:Simone Smead
To:Johnson, Kristofer
Cc:Ranglos, Christopher; Hieb, Rebecca; Castro-Wooldridge, Vivian; Pfenninger, Ali; Edwin Taylor; Peter@BIS;
Patricia Ammann Ammann -save; Patrick Keane
Subject:Request Boulder Junction MUTOD Zoning for 3203 Pearl St
Date:Friday, August 18, 2023 4:20:43 PM
External Sender
Dear Boulder City Staff
I am a 20 year co-owner and Board member of Boulder Indoor Soccer located at
3203 Pearl Street. I have also been a member of the Boulder Junction Focus
Groups. I have been providing input via the Focus Groups but I've seen no
adjustments so I am conveying my justification, and my request, for 3203 Pearl Street
to be zoned MUTOD. Below outlines the reasons why I believe it's in the City's and
owners best interest to zone 3203 Pearl at MUTOD.
There are two significant and unique factors, along with other practical issues, that
justify the MUTOD classification for our particular lot. Assigning this parcel MUTOD
zoning now as part of this project is clean, it's supported by existing codes, and it
saves time, effort, and expenses down the line for both the City and owner to
undertake zoning reclassification, especially in an area that has just gone under
massive rezoning.
The issues stem from the fact that our land is bounded by the railroad tracks (very
inflexible and public transit nexus), Goose Creek (inflexible and open space), and
lastly, the land is at a dead end road without visibility from Pearl Street. Our concerns
are as follows:
1. Our understanding is that per City Codes, there are two considerations for an
industrial property to go “all residential”, known as MUTOD in TVAP Phase 2: (1) if they
are within ¼ of a mile to transit OR (2) if the 1/6 of the property borders on open space,
park etc.:
3203 Pearl is approximately 418 feet (.08 mile) to the Depot Square RTD Station.
3203 Pearl’s total property line perimeter is approximately 1,854 linear feet.
1,854 linear feet / 6 = a requirement of 309 linear feet to border open space.
The northern property line, bordering Goose Creek path, is approximately 660
linear feet (more than double to requirement). It is our understanding that a
property only needs to meet one of the criteria, however, it appears 3203 Pearl
meets both.
2. We are not an old warehouse building. We bought and built this undeveloped
land in 2013-2014. We put all the infrastructure: roads, sewage lines, lighting,
sidewalks, trees, etc to all current codes and standards. Some forward looking
renderings in the TVAP Phase 2 attachments completely negate the
infrastructure that we already have in place and their plans are not realistic with
regard to our property. The drawings show:
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Roads and buildings that cut parts of our property off in multiple locations
Cul-de-sacs and new egresses that completely change entry point and
require demolition of modern infrastructure
Our property will be locked away at the end of a cul-de-sac still bounded
by railroad tracks and Goose Creek.
1st floor business isolation is not the recipe for success given its difficult
access, tight confines, and end of the road location.
We have been stating in all the stakeholder meetings, along with the other MUI zoned
property owners, that the MUI area should be the same as all the rest of TVAP Phase
2, making everything MUTOD. However, there has been no changes.
Therefore, if there is not a wholesale adjustment changing the entire MUI area to
MUTOD, the land owners and operators of BIS, respectfully request our particular
property be considered on it's own merits and be zoned MUTOD. We have a unique
setting (flag lot), we have current City Codes that allow us to request all residential re-
zoning already (adjacent to open space and transit), and our modern infrastructure
would be negatively impacted. This forward thinking action would save both the City
and us time, money, and effort by avoiding a re-zoning request down the line.
Thank you for your consideration,
Simone Smead,
Owner/Board Member
Boulder Indoor Soccer and BIS, INC.
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
1
Johnson, Kristofer
From:Patrick@BIS <Patrick@BoulderIndoorSoccer.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 17, 2023 12:58 PM
To:Johnson, Kristofer
Cc:Ranglos, Christopher; Hieb, Rebecca; Castro-Wooldridge, Vivian; Pfenninger, Ali
Subject:REVISED - Property Owner Letter Petition - MUI to MUTOD
Attachments:TVAP_MUI_Effected_Property_Owners_Petition.pdf
External Sender
Kristopher,
I apologize for the wrong leƩer aƩached. We have spent a lot of Ɵme on this project in the past with mulƟple files!
Please disregard the past aƩachment and forward this aƩachment on to the Planning Board and City Council for
consideraƟon. The original email is below.
Thanks,
Patrick Keane
Owner / President
Phone: work. 303.440.0809
cell. 720.273.7198
Email: Patrick@BoulderIndoorSoccer.com
Kristofer,
AƩached is a signed peƟƟon and leƩer to be sent to the Planning Board and City Council. We, the property owners that
have been designated in the proposed MUI Land Use Category strongly disagree with this decision. The owners in this
area find it unjust to single out a small secƟon of properƟes and force us into a less flexible Land Use. All property
owners in MUTOD have the opƟon to develop in the future: full light industrial, full residenƟal or mixed use. Why would
we not get the same treatment? This has been brought up mulƟple Ɵmes, by several different individuals. The Planning
Board refuses to listen to our concern with the designaƟon and conƟnues to put forth the same proposed amendments
for land use.
The few property owners that have not signed the peƟƟon, have not been reachable or are out of the state and can’t
physically sign the peƟƟon. We ask that city council listens to the property owners in MUI and amend the land use to
MUTOD for all.
Thank you for your Ɵme and consideraƟon.
Sincerely,
Patrick Keane
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
2
Owner / President
Phone: work. 303.440.0809
cell. 720.273.7198
Email: Patrick@BoulderIndoorSoccer.com
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
July 24, 2023
To: Boulder City Staff,
We would like to thank the City Staff for your time and effort developing the proposed amendments for Land
Use, Urban Design and Transportation for Transit Village Area Project (TVAP) Phase II. This is a daunting and
complex task, and we appreciate your invitation to provide comments.
The collective property owners in the proposed MUI Land Use Category are submitting this letter to
respectfully request reconsideration for the proposed MUI designation and change it to MUTOD. This
adjustment offers us the same flexibility advantages afforded to all the other Phase 2 property owners. Please
review the following points for this reconsideration:
Land Use
• Simplifying the zoning process to MUTOD for the entire Phase 2 project allows for maximum flexibility
in the evolution of Phase 2 for future development.
• It is unfair to single out a small group of property owners and force us into a less flexible zoning (MUI)
than are neighboring property owners to the north and south.
• Maximum flexibility in Phase 2 (MUTOD) will help underutilized Phase 1 properties where first floor
retail/service property spaces have not been successful. Phase 1 property owners continue to struggle
for tenants and have shown that businesses below residential is not a sustainable option. Currently,
Phase 1 is 75% vacant in the first-floor light industrial spaces. MUI in Phase 2 will recreate the same
problem instead of allowing maximum creativity found in MUTOD zoning to make the area successful.
We do not want to repeat Phase 1 mistakes.
• The proposed Goose Creek Park would be much better served by having the same Land Use flexibility
on both sides. With the MUTOD to the north, it seems that the park could have residen�al buildings
with back yards overlooking the park. This would only make sense to have the same opportunity for
buildings to the south of Goose Creek. If the creek could be bordered by residen�al units on the first
floor, the park would be widely used. If the south side of goose creek is MUI, the frequenters of the
park would be recrea�ng around the back of industrial buildings, dumpsters, storage areas, etc. The
south side would also become dangerous in the evenings without residen�al 1st floor homeowners on
site.
We, the property owners in the proposed MUI area designated in the Land Use slide sent by City of Boulder
Planning Department, are requesting that the MUI area be changed to MUTOD.
The following petition is a table of signatures from Property owners currently in the proposed MUI
requesting to be changed to MUTOD. Some Property owners are not currently in the state. We will continue
to gather the remaining signatures. We have spoken to the majority of the property owners, and they all
agree that the zoning should change.
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to reach out.
Thank you again for the staff’s efforts and I look forward to the next steps in the process.
Sincerely,
Patrick Keane
Owner / President
Boulder Indoor Soccer, INC.
BIS Holdings, LLC
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Attachment D - Compiled CommentsItem 4B - TVAP Amendments
From:Patrick@BIS
To:Johnson, Kristofer
Cc:Peter@BIS; simonesmead@yahoo.com; ed_sabine@msn.com; ammannpop@gmail.com
Subject:Boulder Indoor Soccer, BIS Holdings, LLC - MUI to MUTOD Request
Date:Monday, July 24, 2023 2:27:36 PM
Attachments:image001.png
BIS Letter To Planning Board_7_24_23.pdf
External Sender
Kristofer,
It was nice meeting you at the last Phase II committee meeting. Please review the attached letter
from the business owners of Boulder Indoor Soccer, INC. and BIS Holdings LLC. Feel free to give me
a call for any clarification. We are very concerned with the current proposed amendments to the
TVAP Phase II project regarding Land Use Zoning and Transportation Connections.
Please forward this on to other planning department employees or city council members for
everyone’s consideration.
Thanks,
Patrick Keane
Owner / President
Phone: work. 303.440.0809
cell. 720.273.7198
Email: Patrick@BoulderIndoorSoccer.com
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Boulder Indoor Soccer
3203 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80301
July 24, 2023
Dear Boulder City Staff,
We are wri�ng to you as landowners (BIS Holdings LLC) and business owners of Boulder Indoor
Soccer, INC. We are very concerned about the City’s proposed Land Use Designa�on detailed in
the TVAP Phase 2 plan which classifies our property as MUI. Our parcel of land has several
unique factors that are not well suited for MUI’s retail/service/light industrial designa�on. We
are also concerned about the Mu�-use Path cu�ng through our property, south of Goose Creek
running East to West.
• We are the only flag lot in the proposed MUI zone. This is problema�c because we are
hidden behind all the other Pearl Street northside MUI proper�es. To get to our
property you go West on Pearl Street, wrap around to the north, and end up behind the
Pearl Street buildings on our dead-end street that has no other services.
• Our isola�on and MUI’s retail/service/light industrial focus is a recipe for business
failure. Our lack of visibility, lack of foot traffic from the Pearl Street corridor, very limited
street traffic due to dead-end, difficult access, and business isola�on puts us at a
significant disadvantage in finding business tenants who can succeed. No one wants to
operate out of a hidden, hard to find, dead-end, facing the backside of buildings next to
train tracks.
• Every other MUI property has direct access and a forward face to the proposed Pearl
Street corridor. We would be the only property that does not have that significant
advantage. We are not bounded by other poten�al stores, we are bounded by the
railroad tracks, Goose Creek, and the backside (dumpsters, storage rooms, mechanical
rooms, and repair shops) of the Pearl Street proper�es.
For the aforemen�oned reasons, we strongly believe that a MUTOD zoning designa�on for this
unique parcel of land gives it the necessary flexibility to succeed and posi�vely contribute to the
overall vision of Phase 2 development. We respec�ully request the Planning Board to change
our zoning from MUI to MUTOD.
Mu�-Use Path – Transporta�on Connec�ons
• The addi�onal mul�-use path on the south side of Goose Creek is redundant and causes
the small amount of space for a goose creek park to be pointless. The Goose Creek
proposed park should maintain the current mul� use path to the north and allow the
public to cross over the small creek with small pedestrian crossings. The park will be
unsafe for small children with cyclists racing through the park on both sides of the creek.
Thank you for your considera�on.
Sincerely,
Patrick Keane – Owner / President
Peter Ambrose – Owner / Vice President
Patricia Ammann – Owner / Secretary
Simone Smead – Owner / Treasurer
Ed Taylor – Owner / Board Member
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
1
Johnson, Kristofer
From:susan m osborne <susanna.osborne@me.com>
Sent:Thursday, July 27, 2023 2:19 PM
To:Johnson, Kristofer
Cc:Mueller, Brad; Ranglos, Christopher; Castro-Wooldridge, Vivian
Subject:Re: My comments regarding TVAP2
Dear Kris,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my email. I appreciate it and it helps me better understand your view of the
TVAP2 project. I do still think that staking a bold position regarding the area, viewing it as a generational opportunity, is
what I’d look for were I still on council or long range planning director. And honestly, if the Planning Department isn’t
being innovative and creative at the outset of a project, where will new important ideas come from?
Of course I’m aware of citywide energy initiatives, but that doesn’t negate the possibility of innovative climate initiatives
here. For example, district heating using renewables or an Xcel‐funded solar farm on TVAP roofs require an advance
commitment, maybe land purchase, and detailed planning. Has the climate initiatives group that you mentioned
identified any possible projects? What has been that group’s input? As an aside, I was delighted to hear from the
tree/climate cooling guy at the last meeting. I wonder if he has a tree preference or other techniques for reducing the
heat island effect in this part of the Transit Village…
I also think knowing any restrictions that the flood utility would apply to landscaping and structures along four mile
creek, and the desires or concerns of the fire department regarding transportation connections and configurations
would be helpful, even in this early stage. It would give the plan more gravitas and grounding—
Best regards,
Susan
PS‐ I’m going to work my hardest to get a good council with some planning experience and interest elected this fall.
Those guys have a role to play in encouraging innovation, even expecting innovation, from city staff. It’s a view of
Boulder as one of a few American cities that are out front, experimental and somewhat daring in its planning and
implementation that has been lost in recent years, IMHO‐
Susan M Osborne
525 College Ave.
Boulder, CO
80302
(720) 340‐0159
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 26, 2023, at 10:44 AM, Johnson, Kristofer <JohnsonK3@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote:
Good morning Susan,
Apologies for the slightly delayed response to your message. We were in the throes of preparing for last
night’s Planning Board presentation and I wanted to make sure I had some quality time to respond. I
want to thank you very much for your perspective and candid comments. Your feedback is meaningful,
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
2
and I have passed it on to the rest of the team for awareness and the opportunity to continuously
improve our outreach approach.
Here are a few thoughts on your specific comments:
1. The questionnaire was intended to be more of a quick ‘pulse check’ from the focus group
members, especially for those that were not able to attend the in‐person meeting, and not
necessarily a way to gather detailed feedback. I felt like we were able to have those more in‐
depth discussions during the final meeting and the previous focus groups.
2. We have an internal team of representatives from Parks, OSMP, Transportation, Utilities,
Housing, Climate Initiatives, City Attorney’s Office, and Community Vitality that have met three
times throughout the project. Their input has guided many of our recommendations (such as
the Goose Creek enhancements), and they will also be reviewing the draft plan amendment in
the coming weeks to ensure it is aligned with their department policies and programs. The next
step of this process will be to work with those same departments to develop an implementation
plan that will identify the capital improvements that the city will undertake (as opposed to
private redevelopment), funding and phasing of those improvements, and more detailed
conversations with our community service departments such as Fire and Police.
3. Old Pearl is central and very important to the future character and success of the Phase 2 area.
Our recommendation to use the MUI land use category vs. MUTOD is a nod to the unique
nature that currently exists and a desire for the future of that area to be the eclectic ‘heart’ of
Phase 2. Based on the feedback from you and others regarding the need for more visualization
of possible outcomes, we will include more imagery in the plan amendment to help convey the
intent. Future work on a possible form‐based code for this area will delve into much greater
detail as to the character of this area.
4. The Transit Village Area Plan includes a Vision on page 9 and it is summarized as:
1. Lively and engaging with a range of uses attracting a broad diversity of ages, incomes,
and ethnicities
2. “Charming chaos” with a variety of building sizes, styles, and densities
3. City‐wide and neighborhood‐scale public spaces
4. “Eco‐village” that emphasizes alternative energy, sustainability, walking, biking, and
possibly car‐free areas
The scope of this project was to strategically update the land use, transportation, and urban
design elements for Phase 2, but not to revisit the entirety of the area plan. We believe this
overarching vision still rings true and can be supported through the proposed plan amendment.
Further, any unique elements to combat climate change in Boulder are happening at a greater
scale beyond just the Boulder Junction 2 area as we make progress citywide on energy efficiency
and reduced carbon. Any re‐development/development in Phase 2 will be subject to new
standards and programs and be the beneficiaries of this work. Council just held a study session
on 6/22/23 regarding a planned update to the Energy Code, which is designed to move
operational energy standards even further, including a movement to eliminate gas
power. Outreach on this initiative will be starting soon, with the intent of council adoption of a
new code late in 2023 or early 2024. In addition, council has indicated a desire to look at
embedded energy standards (materials, carbon footprint, etc.) in 2024, so that is shaping up as a
major work program as well.
Hopefully this offers some additional context on the scope of the project and how we have arrived at
certain decisions. If you would like to talk directly, I am available for a phone call in the next few weeks.
Please let me know if that is of interest and we can coordinate a date/time.
Thanks again for your participation and all of your comments. We appreciate the time and effort you
have given to the process.
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
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Best,
kj
Kristofer Johnson, AICP, PLA
Comprehensive Planning Manager
(Pronouns: He/Him/His) What's This?
<image001.png>
O: 303-441-4277
johnsonk3@bouldercolorado.gov
Department of Planning & Development Services
1739 Broadway | Boulder, CO 80306
bouldercolorado.gov
‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐
From: susan osborne susanna.osborne@me.com
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2023 10:35 PM
To: Johnson, Kristofer JohnsonK3@bouldercolorado.gov
Cc: Mueller, Brad muellerb@bouldercolorado.gov
Subject: My comments regarding TVAP2
External Sender
Dear Kris,
I filled out most of the questionnaire and tried to submit it but it seemed to have disappeared! I didn’t
want to answer a few of the final questions because I hoped to send a note with a more complete
explanation of my concerns. The questionnaire seemed very superficial to me and it was hard to see
how you’d get a thoughtful critique from any of us… In any case, I hope you were able to get my limited
responses.
Here are my thoughts:
1. It was not clear that the plan had been fully vetted with other city departments, inc the fire dept. Are
the implementing departments fully committed to the details of the plan? For example, has open space
weighed in on what limitations to possible improvements to 4 mile creek there may be… Are
implementing departments prepared to upfront the cost of key infrastructure improvements?
2. It seems to me the plan lacked clarity about old pearl— what role will it play in the future? What
might improvements look like there? Is it meant to be a utilitarian street that serves the neighborhood?
Is it meant to evolve into an eclectic place with both commercial and light industrial uses? Do we believe
housing has any place there? To me, because it’s literally and figuratively very central to the area, it
should be much more fleshed out. Drawings would help…
3. But last and most importantly, Kris, there is nothing visionary in the plan (or show me that I’m
wrong…). For me right now there is nothing more important than doing what we can to mitigate climate
change… and local governments, and Boulder in particular, should be demonstrating best practice for
the rest of the country. Was there any brainstorming about what a new “net zero” mixed neighborhood
might entail? Micro‐grids, a solar improvement district, other innovations‐ has the city’s energy group
been involved? Has Xcel been tapped for ideas or a partnerships?
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
4
What about the governor or Will Toor?
I hope you can appreciate why it was almost impossible for me to answer such a breezy questionnaire. I
really really want to see us as a community deal with energy use/climate change/resiliency and TVAP2
seems to me the perfect opportunity to see what can be done.
Thanks,
Susan
Susan M Osborne
525 College Ave.
Boulder, CO
80302
(720) 340‐0159
Sent from my iPhone
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
1
Johnson, Kristofer
From:No Reply
Sent:Thursday, June 8, 2023 3:36 PM
To:Council; ContactCoB; Mueller, Brad; Stanek, Cate; Causa, Julie; Johnson, Kristofer
Subject:Crystal Gray :- Transit Village Area Plan Update/Boulder Junction Phase 2
Preferred Form Language: English / Inglés
Name: Crystal Gray
Organization (optional):
Email: graycrystal@comcast.net
Phone (optional):
My question or feedback most closely relates to the following topic (please choose one):Transit Village Area Plan
Update/Boulder Junction Phase 2
Comment, question or feedback: Re: Comments on TVAP 2 Study Session Packet and some suggestions
June 8, 2023
To: City Council
From: Crystal Gray‐ 303‐906‐5509
As one of the TVAP Focus group members and a Council member when TVAP 1 was planned, approved and
implemented I wanted to give you a few comments and observations:
The Planning Staff team did an excellent job gathering information, organizing data and input, listening and creating
events that were interactive and informative. I thought this packet was interesting and easy to follow. I especially
appreciated Sarah Cawrse, the principal planner ‐ and Brad Mueller and the staff who showed up and were very
engaged!
2. I thought the most important piece of information in the packet was the Racial Equity Strategies section p.5. If this
plan accomplished what was out lined it would be a success. I agreed with every statement in these few short
paragraphs. Read p. 5 first!
3. TVAP 1 only had 22% permanently affordable housing. This is a disappointment. Please 2 should do better and aim for
40% including housing for the middle and home ownership. If we need additional public funding to make this happen
that should be addressed in the plan. I would activate a Housing Focus group and include providers such as BPH, Thistle,
Habitat for Humanity. CU and BVSD also have housing needs for their faculty and staff and there might be partnership
opportunities.
4. TVAP 2 should be addressing the future needs of infrastructure for renewable energy and a day when this can become
a micro grid backed up with storage. There are new grants coming on line that fund this exact issue. If the State
legislature approves a Community Choice Energy Bill next year there can be opportunities to have more creative and
equitable energy options then what are currently available. I would get together local energy experts to brain storm this
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
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2
and TVAP 2.
5. It was often mentioned by the public and focus groups members that there was a need for more trees, public
gathering spaces and parks. This was accompanied with a statement that the city did not own land in the area. Maybe
we should look at that and how to fund this. We do not want to create parts deficient housing areas as we densify‐
especially after seeing the important of public spaces during COVID.. When east Pearl was densifying along Pearl and
Spruce west of Folsom (Whittier Square) the Whittier Neighborhood went to council and asked for a park at Folsom.
After working with council for several years the city bought the land that became Greenleaf Park (inspired by John
Greenleaf Whittier’s middle name).
Thanks for your time reading this ‐ and I do prefer an option that creates housing, spaces for small local businesses and
parks.
[[FSF080521]] Submission ID is #: 1109996401
Compose a Response to this Email
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
1
Johnson, Kristofer
From:No Reply
Sent:Thursday, June 8, 2023 2:48 PM
To:Council; ContactCoB; Mueller, Brad; Stanek, Cate; Causa, Julie; Johnson, Kristofer
Subject:Jerry Shapins :- Transit Village Area Plan Update/Boulder Junction Phase 2
Preferred Form Language: English / Inglés
Name: Jerry Shapins
Organization (optional):
Email: jshapins1@gmail.com
Phone (optional): (720) 839‐6280
My question or feedback most closely relates to the following topic (please choose one):Transit Village Area Plan
Update/Boulder Junction Phase 2
Comment, question or feedback: Hi wonderful council members!!!
Thank you so much for your service !
Re BJ2 tonite. Its been great for me to contribute to this process being on one of the focus groups. I love learning and
trying to help.
The framework you see is good because:
1. The pink zoning is more flexible, simple and strategic and gives a wide envelope to the private sector compared to
todays plan.
2. The connections framework is reasonable too…especially the creek and BJ1 ped bike connections
but…….
3. Re urban design and character….the planning districting will eventually influence dev character thru guidelines and
more. Goose Creek is a HUGE amenity and somehow needs to be reflected there…in the future we all can see an artsy
mixed character place with redev, infill and preservation working with the recreational and water resources. This is an
amazing opportunity that should be planned for now
4. The public spaces are key to placemaking. This diagram needs more depth and hirrarchy to influence the
future…paying attention to current and future needs…and tied directly to the methods of implementation so the
amenities shape the development…not the other way around. I just returned from Copenhagen and its simply amazing
how the pub/pvt partnerships there have built trust first before implemrntation. How will this happen? Its key for us to
focus on this especially with thr cast of talented and great companies that of coarse are interested!
Thank you sooooo much. Sorry this is late…
ciao! Jerry
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
2
[[FSF080521]] Submission ID is #: 1109976697
Compose a Response to this Email
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
From:JAN BURTON
To:boulderplanningboard
Subject:TVAP II
Date:Sunday, August 20, 2023 5:01:24 PM
External Sender
Dear Planning Board Members,
I’m currently serving as Chair of Create Boulder, an organization that advocates for the arts in
Boulder. Last year, we commissioned a study for arts venues, including performing arts spaces,
rehearsal spaces, galleries, and work spaces. Boulder is severely lacking in these types of affordable
facilities, and it has a dampening impact on our arts organizations.The full report is available here:
https://www.createboulder.org
I’m writing in regards to proposed Land Uses for the Transit Village Area Plan Phase II. I understand
staff has recently recommended inclusion of essential components such as Cultural, Entertainment,
Education, and Hospitality uses. Having this designation could benefit the community in much-
needed cultural and creative spaces in an area of town that is conspicuously devoid of such
amenities.
Create Boulder wholeheartedly supports this inclusion, and we hope that staff and Planning Board will
continue to look at creative approaches to adding creative work spaces and venues to our city.
Best regards,
Jan Burton
Create Boulder Board
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
From:Sue Prant
To:boulderplanningboard
Subject:TVAP Phase 2
Date:Monday, August 21, 2023 11:02:54 AM
External Sender
Dear Planning Board members:
On Tuesday you will convene to vote on the proposed land use updates for the second phase of the Transit Village
Area Plan (TVAP II). This decision carries enormous weight, as it will not only influence the Transit Village Area
Plan itself but also hold implications for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan that require both the Planning
Board and the City Council's approval.
Our goal is to ensure that the forthcoming planning decisions lead to a dynamic blend of housing, commercial and
retail establishments, innovative mobility networks, and inviting community spaces. To achieve this vision, we need
your support to engage with the Planning Board through emails, expressing your endorsement for the following
crucial points:
· The binding nature of the allowed place types and uses is of particular concern.
These proposed uses have overly restrictive ground floor and upper levels
requirements that hinder activation, walkability and vibrancy.
· The overarching purpose of advocating for mixed-use, transit-oriented
development (MUTOD) zoning is to rectify the design shortcomings of TVAP I. The
present state of TVAP I and its surroundings lacks cultural, educational, and
entertainment value and uses.
· TVAP II offers a remarkable opportunity to create a connected and bikeable hub
of community life in Boulder. With its inclusion of cultural, entertainment,
educational, and hospitality elements, TVAP II could elevate the area, a potential
that would be compromised if East Boulder criteria are imposed on Boulder
Junction.
· The proposed TVAP II land use plan needs refinement. As it stands, it closely
resembles the East Boulder Sub-community Plan, even incorporating excessive
parking and industrial areas that exceed demand and preference.
· The characteristics of TVAP II, centered around transit-oriented development
and a rich mix of uses, are incompatible with the current area plans for East Boulder.
· We support the transportation connections amendment to include a multiuse
path underpass on Pearl Parkway connecting TVAP I and TVAP II.
This is our chance to shape Boulder Junction for generations to come, establishing a thriving community that
addresses current needs and future aspirations. By supporting the infusion of cultural and creative spaces into this
currently underserved region, we can foster a vibrant environment that enriches lives.
Sue Prant
Executive Director
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Community Cycles
Attachment D - Compiled Comments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
From: Daniel Aizenman <daniel@cbayco.com>
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 2:52 PM
To: boulderplanningboard
Subject: Support for TVAP II
External Sender
Dear Planning Board members:
This Tuesday you will convene to vote on the proposed land use updates for the second phase of the
Transit Village Area Plan (TVAP II). This decision can be a real positive one, as it is best opportunity our
city of Boulder to meet its immediate housing needs, located within the core of the city, with proximity
to mass transit and bike and pedestrian connectivity, and in close proximity to existing infrastructure
and services.
As the owner of 11 acres inside TVAP II, Conscience Bay encourages the Planning Board to approve the
plan without delay, and supports the plan per the email memo sent the city on Friday, August 18th at
5:22 PM that include the following revisions:
1. Revise the Place Type graphic to include Lodging uses and more clearly communicate the intent
of the graphic which is to describe the difference between ground floor and upper floor uses
(and not to pre-determine heights in the different Place Types)
2. Rename “Innovation TOD (Residential)” Place Type to “Regional TOD” Place Type
3. Add flexibility for Lodging, Public & Institutional, Dining & Entertainment, and Office uses in the
Regional TOD Place Type (particularly above the ground floor where uses were restricted to only
residential)
4. Clarify Residential as a Conditional Use on the ground floor within the Fun(ky) Functional Place
Type (conditions will be detailed in a future implementation step but will likely include proximity
to open space, transit facilities, etc.)
5. Clarify the FAR range in the Fun(ky) Functional Place Type is the same as the Neighborhood TOD
Place Type
6. Clarify the Useable Open Space expectations for each Place Type to be “10-20% based on
building height” in order to be consistent with recently adopted land use code changes.
We support and celebrate the city staff and their effort so far in creating a collaborative environment
with the focused groups.
We hope planning board can support the plan amendments and work toward the implementation plan
phase where all the additional details can be worked out further.
Thanks again for your time.
Daniel Aizenman
Conscience Bay Company
daniel@cbayco.com
(979) 739 8422
929 Pearl Street, Suite 300
Boulder, CO 80302
https://www.cbayco.com/
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
02 URBAN DESIGN
A desire to provide additional direction and detail for all of Phase 2 was identified by the community, advisory boards
and City Council when evaluating potential urban design amendments to TVAP. Updated guidelines better describe
the desired design character of the area, which includes maintaining a diversity of building types and providing more
landscaped areas and tree canopy than Phase 1.
WHAT WE HEARD
• Utilize Goose Creek as an amenity
• Create outdoor gathering spaces
• Improve retail viability
• Keep Boulder fun(ky)
HOW IT IS ADDRESSED
• Pedestrian focus along Goose Creek with
an opportunity for signature bridge crossing
• Multiple outdoor space locations that can
accommodate a variety of outcomes
• Emphasize opportunities for retail at activity
nodes
• Guidance for creative architectural
outcomes, urban tree canopy and
landscape, gathering spaces, etc. will be
further defined through future steps
Place Types
Place Types describe the design intent and performance
expectations for evolving neighborhoods. The Place
Type descriptions and performance measures can be
used to guide redevelopment options and help future
phases of implementation. The Place Type performance
standards also describe elements that tie land use to
important mobility features, such as access and parking
and streetscape character. Place Types provide greater
refinement to the larger land use areas and set forth
performance expectations for redevelopment outcomes.
Three Place Types have been identified for the Phase 2
area:
• Regional TOD
• Fun(ky) Functional
• Neighborhood TOD
Height Limit
Fun(ky) Functional
* Note, additional or alternative uses can be considered in each Place Type through the Site and Use Review processes.
Regional TOD Neighborhood TOD
PLACE TYPES USES
Residential
Dining & Entertainment
Retail
Personal Services
Light Industrial
Auto Service
Indoor Recreation
Office
Greenhouse
Parking
Public & Institutional
Lodging
13
Regional TOD
Lodging
Revisions on this page include the Place Type name
and changes to the graphic below. Missing uses were
added to Regional TOD and Residential was clarified as
Conditional in Fun(ky) Functional.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
14 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
PLACE TYPES Revisions on this page include the Place Type name.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
15
Place T
REGIONAL TOD
The Regional Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Place Type intends to maintain opportunities for light industrial and
flex uses while integrating public-facing retail and providing transit supportive, attainable housing options. The area
should prioritize energy conservation, urban rewilding strategies and creativity in new and redevelopment.
Allowed Uses
• Dining and entertainment such as restaurants,
taverns, cafes, and event/performance spaces;
• Light Industrial;
• Residential such as attached dwellings, townhomes,
and live-work units;
• Retail;
• Personal services;
• Public and institutional uses such as daycares,
educational facilities, and museums;
• Lodging.
Allowed Uses Above Ground Floor
Attached residential; Structured parking; Office; Lodging;
Dining & Entertainment; Public & Institutional
FAR Range
1.0-3.5
Useable Open Space
Minimum 10-20% of total land area based on building
height
Building Character
Buildings may have large ground-floor openings for
loading/unloading that may serve multiple purposes.
Architecture should express innovation, creativity, and
Boulder entrepreneurialism. This place type prioritizes
energy conservation and activation.
Street Level Activation
Building frontages along arterial and collector streets
should offer transparent and engaging front-door
environments, which will likely include roll-up doors,
loading and unloading areas, outdoor dining, etc.
Traditional window displays should be limited in favor of
sharing what is happening inside the spaces.
Streetscape Character
Streetscapes accommodate small, medium, and some
large sized delivery trucks while also encouraging a transit-
supportive and active pedestrian and bicycle environment.
Consistent elements should include landscape with
integrated stormwater elements, street trees, seating, and
designated areas for bike/scooter parking.
Access and Mobility
Side and rear vehicular building access; transportation
connections should offer safe, comfortable pedestrian and
bicycle access and slower speed vehicular movement to
minimize conflicts between modes; centrally placed mobility
hubs should offer micromobility (e-bike, e-scooter) options
for first and last mile connections; curbs should be managed
to allow for different uses by time of day and/ or deliveries/
loading/drop off based on adjacent uses; pedestrian paseos
(especially through larger blocks) enhance pedestrian
connectivity.
Parking
On-street parking for ROWs that can accommodate; rear
or alley parking; promote structured parking and transition
away from large surface parking lots; promote efficient use
of parking areas through Shared, Unbundled, Managed, Paid
PLACE TYPES
REGIONAL TOD
•Pu blic and institutional uses such as daycares,
educational facilities, and museums;
•Lodging.
Office; Lodging;
Dining & Entertainment; Public & Institutional
Minimum 10-20% of total land area based on building
height
Revisions on this page include the Place Type name,
clarification/addition of missing uses, and revision to
the Open Space expectations.
such as restaurants,
taverns, cafes, and event/performance spaces;
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
16 TRANSIT VILLAGE AREA PLAN AMENDMENT DRAFT
FUN(KY) FUNCTIONAL
The Fun(KY) Functional Place Type creates opportunities for an eclectic and creative exchange between local Boulder
business customers, workforce, residents, and visitors by infusing new residential opportunities into working, light industrial
neighborhoods. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings and redevelopment should offer new living and office spaces as well as a
“front-door” to great, local businesses located along key streets, trails or greenways. These areas are envisioned to allow a very
wide range of uses, especially on the ground floor, including a mix of light industrial, services, light manufacturing and maker
spaces, retail, arts studios and education spaces, office and residential, where appropriate, along active passageways.
Allowed Uses
• Light industrial such as arts studios, breweries
or distilleries, coffee roasters and small-scale
manufacturing;
• Dining and entertainment such as restaurants,
taverns, cafes, and event/performance spaces;
• Service uses such as autobody repair, computer repair,
and bicycle mechanics;
• Personal services such as salons and gyms;
• Retail sales of food and goods;
• Indoor recreation such as climbing walls;
• Greenhouse uses such as indoor food production and
plant nurseries.
Conditional Uses
Attached residential on the ground floor
Allowed Uses Above Ground Floor
Attached residential; Office; Light industrial
FAR Range
1.0 - 3.0
Useable Open Space
Minimum 10-20% of total land area based on building
height
Building Character
Aesthetic choices should express innovation, creativity and
Boulder entrepreneurism. Buildings will be industrial in nature
with large ground-floor openings for loading/unloading that
may serve multiple purposes. “Front-door” facades should
be oriented to adjacent trails or greenways, when present.
Expect tall ground floor ceiling heights to accommodate
industrial uses. Accommodate height flexibility to allow for
residential above the ground floor. This place type prioritizes
energy conservation in both new and redevelopment.
Street Level Activation
Building frontages along streets should offer front-door
environments, transparency along block-faces and interactive
exchanges between buildings and the street, which may
include café space, outdoor retail space, market space,
etc. When development is adjacent to trails or greenways,
prioritize the trail-facing sides of buildings for activation.
Streetscape Character
Streetscapes will support the industrial context of these
places and facilitate ease of movement for goods and
services in the area. Incorporating tree planting and
landscape that will make positive climate impacts into
streetscapes is strongly encouraged.
Access and Mobility
Street-side access should balance vehicular access and
needs with a supportive environment for pedestrians and
cyclists. Trail-side access is prioritized for pedestrians
and cyclists. Particular attention should be paid to the
connections between trail access and on-street networks
in the area. Transportation connections should offer safe,
comfortable pedestrian and bicycle access and slower speed
vehicular movement to minimize conflicts with vehicles;
centrally placed mobility hubs with high frequency transit
should offer micromobility (e-bike, e-scooter) options for first
and last mile connections; curbs should be managed to allow
for different uses by time of day and/or loading/drop off based
on adjacent land uses.
Parking
On-street parking for ROWs that can accommodate; Promote
efficient use of parking areas through Shared, Unbundled,
Managed, Paid approaches.
PLACE TYPES
Attached residential on the ground floor
Minimum 10-20% of total land area based on building
height
FAR Range
1.0 - 3.0
Revisions on this page include clarification on
residential uses on ground floor, Open Space
expectations, and inclusion of a FAR Range
(previously missing).
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments
17
PLACE TYPES
NEIGHBORHOOD TOD
The Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Place Type reimagines existing auto-oriented commercial and
retail areas as highly walkable and transit-supportive environments. Active ground floors may have mixed income housing
above when development is multi-story.
Allowed Uses
• Dining and entertainment such as restaurants,
taverns, cafes, and event/performance spaces;
• Neighborhood-hood serving retail such as grocery
stores, convenience stores, pharmacies;
• Residential such as attached dwellings, townhomes,
condos and apartments;
• Public and institutional uses such as daycares,
educational facilities, and museums;
Allowed Uses Above Ground Floor
Attached residential; Retail sales; Office
FAR Range
1.0 - 3.0
Useable Open Space
Minimum 10-20% of total land area based on building
height
Building Character
Building facades should have a high level of articulation
and transparency, especially facing pedestrian and bicycle
facilities (sidewalks, pathways, paseos, and breezeways).
Building materials may be eclectic, but of high quality.
Varied rooflines and architectural detail are important
design considerations to align with community vision for
the area.
Street Level Activation
Building frontages along streets should offer front-door
environments, transparency along block-faces and
interactive exchanges between buildings and the street, as
well as pedestrian-oriented internal circulation. Buildings
in this place-type will orient “front door” facades to higher
order streets and pedestrian paseos/courtyards. It is
anticipated that most “back of house” loading, service and
parking are provided in the rear of properties.
Streetscape Character
Streetscapes should encourage a safe and active
pedestrian environment, including consistent tree
canopies, landscaping and green infrastructure, seating
and designated areas for bike/scooter parking.
Access and Mobility
Side and rear vehicular building access; Transportation
connections should offer safe and comfortable pedestrian
and bicycle access separated and buffered from vehicular
movement when possible; curbcuts should be managed
and consolidated where possible to limit potential
conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians/cyclists;
pedestrian and bicycle connections should provide access
to nearby residents and employees.
Parking
Promote efficient use of parking areas through Shared,
Unbundled, Managed, Paid; limit parking supply to
encourage use of transit and alternative modes to a single
occupancy vehicles.
Minimum 10-20% of total land area based on building
height
Revisions on this page include clarification of Open
Space expectations.
Item 4B - TVAP Amendments