Minutes - Planning Board - 8/4/2011
CITY OF BOULDER
PLANNING BOARD ACTION MINUTES
August 4, 2011
1777 Broadway, Council Chambers
A permanent set of these minutes and a tape recording (maintained for a period of seven years)
are retained in Central Records (telephone: 303-441-3043). Minutes and streaming audio are also
available on the web at: http://www.boul(lercolorado.gov/
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Aaron Brockett
Bill f Iolicky
Willa Johnson
Tirn Plass
Andrew Shoemaker, Chair
Mary Young
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
Danica Powell
STAFF PRESENT:
David Driskell, Executive Director of Community Planning and Sustainability
David Gchr, Assistant City Attorney
Susan Richstonc, Comprehensive Planning Division Manager
Charles Ferro, Land Use Review Manager
Sans Assefa, Senior Urban Designer
Louise Grauer, Senior Planner
Jessica Vaughn, Planner I
Bob Iiarberg, Utilities Planning and Project Management Coordinator
Christie Coleman, Engineering Project Manager
Katie Knapp, Civil Engineer 11
Debbie Fox, Administrative Specialist III
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair, A. Shoemaker, declared a quorum at 6.05 p.m. and the following business was
conducted.
2. APPROVAL OF MINIJTIES
Oil a nlolion by 1I. Youn+'. seconded by A. Shoemaker. the Planning Board ahprovcd 5-
0 (13. Ilalickv rccusc(i. 1). Powell absent) thc.luly 7 Planning Board 117inHICS, as
amended.
On a motion by T. Plass, sccond(:(I by B. l lolickv, the 1'1:111111118 Board approved 5-0 (A.
Brockett ahstmiicd. D. Powell ahtienl) the July 21 Planning Board mill11tcs, IIS arrlciRIIccl.
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
4. DISCUSSION OF DISPOSI'T'IONS, PLANNING BOARD CALL-UPS
A. Site Review for Height Modification Correction, LUR20 1 1-00027, 809 Pine Street
B. Floodplain Development Permit, LUR2010-00035, 3005 Arapahoe Ave.
Tlie board did not call up these items.
5. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
A. Public hearing and consideration of a recommendation to City Council on the folio-tving
proposed code changes downtown:
1. Add a 1.0 floor area addition for non-residential uses in conjunction with a housing
linkage fee in the DT-5 zone district.
2. Add a 65-foot building setback from the centerline of the ('anyon Boulevard right-
of-way in zone districts P and DT-5, from %i, to 16(1, Streets.
Staff Presentation
L. Grauer and S. Assefa presented the item to the hoard.
Public liearing
1. Sean Maher, 3565 Catalpa, Boulder Executive Director of Downtown Boulder, Inc.
and Downtown Boulder. s Business Improvement District (BID). Spoke in support of the
staff recommendation due to the high demand ofoffice space in a vibrant setting like
downtown Boulder.
2. Chris Cornelius, 2331 Broadway, Boulder -Downtown Management Commission
Board Member. Spoke in support of the staff recommendation.
3. Susan Graf, 2440 Pearl President and CHI of the Boulder Chamber. Spoke in support
of"workforce housing and Class A office space and supports the staff recommendation.
4. Charles Hunker, 7318 Clubhouse Rd. - Retail business owner downtown and DBI
Board Member, spoke in support of the staff recommendation.
5. Rich Majors, 2120 13th Street - Owner of 1580 Canyon site. Spoke to the impact of the
65' setback will have on his property and asked for a change in the rear yard setback due
to the 20% loss in FAR.
6. Adrian Sopher, 3008 Folsom Street - Architect and consultant to Liquor Mart. Spoke in
regards to the connections plan that could be extremely impactful due to the future
connections.
Board Discussion
M. Young expressed concern about the environmental impact that frill build out will have, as it
will generate an additional 2.000 car trips totally 41500 metric tons of C02 per year, per the EPA
wcbsile.
A. Shoemaker and T. Plass will support the staff recommendation. A. Shoemaker responded to
M. Young's comment that downtown Boulder was designed to decrease car trips versus the
suburbs due to the high level of alternate mode use. Ilc felt this conversion will add to the
Boulder brand, create additional community and help Boulder transform from a bedroom
community into a vibrant community hub. T. Plass liked the approach to create an overall vision
downtown, as opposed to changing for one parcel. Ile expressed concerns that the linkage fee
needs to be set at an appropriate level, but supports the change to allow office space in DT-5 for
the same maximum FAR as residential uses.
W. Johnson was concerned for the loss of affordable development funds, but also feels that the
city should be flexible to the market conditions. She likes the idea of a sunset provision, as she
would like to see more of a mix with residential.
B. Holicky expressed concerns about creating a downtown without residential and doesn't agree
that planning should be contingent on market conditions. Ile would rather the City took a longer
term view and doesn't agree that Boulder is a bedroom community since 56,000 people commute
into Boulder. He felt that the city needs to create more housing, not more jobs. He would favor
the 0.5 floor area addition for office use, since he feels that if development provides all office use
at the higher FAR, it could be a detriment to the core.
A. Broekett agreed with B. Holicky. He i'elt this change makes the code flexible to the market,
helps create a niore vibrant core in downtown and he would not want. to take it away the
flexibility clue to the pendulum swing that could happen again between residential and
commercial.
On Zi mUtiUn by A. Shoemaker, seconded by A. Brockett. the Planning Board recommended
approval (6-0. 1). Powell ahstnt) for 1110 Plannin"~ Board to suphorl the t)rotmscd code chan
101- (It y Council considcr~iti~~n rind action with respect to code changes DT-5 FAIL bonus for
commercial.
M. Young would like a sunset provision to review code change and make adjustments, as
needed. A. Shoemaker would not support it as a friendly amendment. W. Johnson proposed a
sunset at 2015. A. Shoemaker rejected it.
M. Young proposed a resolution to revisit the change in code at the end of three years to review
how well the commercial uses and linkage fee are working and seeing if it needs any
adjustments. W. Johnson felt that three years wasn't enough time and, in turn, suggested five
years. A. Shoemaker seconded it and requested staff report back with all the data so that the
city council could reconsider. Staff noted that every program that every single FAR project
would come to planning board.
011 a motion by N1. Youny, seconded by A. Shoemaker. the Planning Board recommended
approval ofa resolution to revisit the DT-5 change in five years to review how twell it is working.
(4-2) D. Powell absent, B. Holicky and A. Brockett opposed).
On a nwtion by T. l'lass. ,cc()ndVd by B. llolickv. tlat Planning Board rcaâ–ºmnarndcd approval
0-0. 1). Po)~ell absent to support codify a 05-1ool setback from Ilse centerline r4canvoll blvd
right of wad from 0"' to 16"' streets for properties in the public (p) or ITT-5 zones.
B. Floodplain 101 Presentation and Public Hearin; and Recommendation to City Council
of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 9-3 "Overlay Districts", Section 9-16-1 "Definitions."
B.R.C. 981 to Amend Floodplain Regulations in Order to Protect Critical Facilities and
Mobile Populations in the 500- and 100-year Floodplains.
Staff Presentation
K. Knapp gave a presentation to the board on Floodplain 101.
C. Coleman presented the item to the board.
Public Hearing
I . Susan Graf, 2440 Pearl Street spoke to a concern that there hasn't been a good public
comment on the process and asked for more time to allow more businesses to review and
give input.
2. John Tayer, 4310 Ludlow Street- asked for the PB to postpone any action on this until
there is more time to review and comment since they did not get the ordinance until 3:00
p.m. today.
Board Discussion
The board discussed with the Deputy City Attorney, staff and public about the process the
recommended code changes took and the best way to move forward to help meet everyone-s
heeds.
)il a motion 1)t W. Johnson. uk:011decl I)v "1\1. Youn7. the Vlannin-.; Hoard apprmvd (()-l7, 1).
PoNlell ahscnt) tlic propwcd code chanucs ten- City Council c:onsicleration and action, as shown
in Attachment A_ with oily necessary wordsmithing. as reconlnlcncled by all parties.
7. MATTERS FROM T111E PLANNING BOARD, PLANNING DIRECTOR, AND CITY
ATTORNEY
A. S. Riclistone discussed the agenda for the Joint Planning Board/Landmarks Board
meeting on August 1 S.
L3. D. Driskell gave an update of the Energy Futures project.
C. Date for the Joint PB/BDAB tour- 31-' Thursday in September 22, 4:30 p.m.
8. DEBRIEF/AGENDA CHECK
9. ADJOURNMENT
The Planning Board adjourilcd the meeting at 9:21 p.m.
APPROVED 13Y
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DAFE