Call-Up Agenda Memo

City of Boulder City Council Call-Up Agenda Item Meeting Date: May 7, 2026 Agenda Title Concept Plan Review and Comment on a proposed redevelopment at 1050, 1004, 990, 986, and 976 Arapahoe Ave. for permanently affordable senior housing. The existing Presbyterian Manor building at 1050 Arapahoe Ave. would remain. The project would involve combining four existing lots with the larger parcel and constructing a new 60unit, three-story structure. Reviewed under case no. LUR2026-00001

Staff Contact • •

Shannon Moeller, Planning Manager, Planning & Development Services (P&DS) Brad Mueller, Director, Planning & Development Services (P&DS)

Executive Summary The purpose of this item is for the City Council to consider whether to call up the abovereferenced application for review and comment at a public hearing. On April 7, 2026, the Planning Board held a hybrid meeting and reviewed and commented on the proposal. The 30-day call up period concludes on May 7, 2026. City Council is scheduled to consider this application for call-up at its May 7, 2026, meeting. The staff memorandum to Planning Board, recorded video, and the applicant’s submittal materials, along with other related background materials, are available in the city archives for Planning Board. The recorded video from the hearing can be found here: April 7, 2026 Planning Board Meeting (item starts 15:50 minutes into the video). The applicant’s submittal package is provided in Attachment A. The draft minutes for the meeting are provided in Attachment B.

Council Action Options Option

Outcome

Call up the application

To call up the application, council must pass a motion. Suggested motion language: Motion to call up Concept Review application #LUR2026-00001. Called-up item will be scheduled for a public hearing at a future council meeting within 60 days of the date of call-up.

Do not call up the application No council action is needed. In addition to a public hearing at City Council, City Council has authority to refer Concept Plan Review proposals to the Design Advisory Board (DAB) and/or Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) for their respective opinions. The purpose of such a review by DAB is to encourage thoughtful, well-designed development projects that are sensitive to the existing character of an area, the character established by adopted design guidelines or plans for the area. TAB’s opinion can be requested by council on transportation matters implicated in a Concept Plan Review proposal.

Planning Board History At the public hearing on April 7, 2026, the Planning Board heard presentations by staff and the applicant and asked questions following each presentation. Five community members spoke during the public comment portion of the hearing and provided feedback on aspects of the proposal, including concern regarding the design and appearance of the proposed architecture, support for the affordable senior housing aspects of the proposal, concerns about the removal of the four homes as they relate to the history of Boulder on the site, and comments from Historic Boulder regarding working with the applicant team to relocate the four houses. The Planning Board members discussed two key issues at the public hearing: 1. Is the proposed concept plan generally consistent with the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) land use designation and the goals, objectives, and recommendations of the BVCP? 2. Does the Board have general overall feedback on the proposal’s consistency with the Site Review criteria in Section 9-2-14, B.R.C. 1981? Regarding Key Issue One, Planning Board members agreed that the proposal is consistent with the BVCP Land Use Designation of High Density Residential because it provides housing in a location close to services and amenities; Planning Board

members also agreed that the proposal supports several BVCP policies, particularly related to housing. In this case, a majority of board members agreed that the proposal’s support for the city’s housing goals through providing new permanently affordable senior housing outweighs the city’s historic preservation goals related to the existing houses on the property. Several board members expressed support for a proposal to relocate the existing houses in cooperation with Historic Boulder. The board conducted a straw poll to ask if any members would recommend preserving the houses on-site, and no members indicated support for such a requirement. Regarding Key Issue Two, the Planning Board discussed the consistency of the proposal to the Site Review criteria and provided helpful feedback, including: • Board members expressed concerns with placing structured parking along Arapahoe Avenue where it detracts from street activation and the pedestrian experience and results in a long, uninterrupted building façade and monolithic appearance. Board members suggested design considerations to improve the interface of the building with Arapahoe Avenue while keeping in mind potential floodplain and financing constraints. Board members recommended additional attention to the streetscape, building siting, and overall design, such as using the adjacent iconic library building and residential tower to inform the architectural design. Board members recommended creativity in design and expressed support for code modifications to enhance design, e.g., modifications to setbacks and building height requirements to accommodate roofline variations and an improved design. • Board members recommended preservation of two significant trees along the north side of the property. • Regarding transportation, board members looked forward to seeing how the transportation aspects of the proposal would be designed for the needs of senior residents; encouraged a shift toward lower parking counts; and noted that safe pedestrian crossings at Arapahoe Avenue would be important given the location across from the civic center park and library.

Public Input Process Consistent with Section 9-4-3, Public Notice Requirements, B.R.C. 1981, staff provided notification to all property owners within 600 feet of the subject location of the application, and signs have been posted by the applicant indicating the review requested. Staff received some written public comments on the application including support for additional senior housing, historic preservation considerations, and concerns about future conflicts between the senior housing and the adjacent university student housing.

Analysis – Alignment with Relevant Portions of Boulder Revised Code The staff memorandum to Planning Board that includes staff analysis, along with the meeting audio and the applicant’s submittal materials, are available on the Records Archive for Planning Board.

Fiscal Note Review of this project is part of the P&DS team’s standard workplan, and its impacts are incorporated into the annual revenue forecasting as part of the Budget office’s annual budget development. Therefore, review of the project will not have a meaningful fiscal impact past what has already been included in the approved budget.

Next Steps for City Council The City Council may call up the application. If the application is called up, the City Council will review the application at a future public meeting.

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Attachments A: Applicant Written Statement and Concept Plans B: Draft April 7, 2026, Planning Board Meeting Minutes