Title
An appeal of City Planning Commission’s approval of a development plan for the Broadmoor Event Center to allow a 169,988 square foot addition to the existing Broadmoor Event Center located a 3 and 11-19 Lake Circle.
(Quasi-Judicial)
Related Files: AR NV 19-00028, AR R 19-00017, CPC DP 03-00259-A10MJ19
Presenter:
Peter Wysocki, Director Planning and Community Development
Lonna Thelen, Principal Planner, Planning and Community Development
Body
Summary:
Applicant/Owner: The Broadmoor Hotel
Consultant Representative: NES Inc.
Location: 3 and 11-19 Lake Circle
A formal request has been made by the appellant to postpone this item to the May 14, 2019 City Council hearing, see FIGURE 1. Per City Code section 7.5.906.B.3 as a matter of course any person may request postponement of the first scheduled City Council hearing or considerations of an appeal of the City Planning Commission’s decision to the next regular City Council meeting.
This application is an appeal of City Planning Commission’s decision to deny the appeal and uphold the administrative approval of the nonuse variance, administrative relief and development plan for the Broadmoor Event Center. The approved development plan illustrates a 169,988 square foot exhibit hall addition along with a nonuse variance to allow a 16 foot tall retaining wall and fence adjacent to Mesa Avenue and Lake Circle where a 6’ accessory fence structure is the maximum permitted per Code. An administrative relief for building height is also part of this package; the relief allows the building addition to be constructed at an overall height of 57.25 feet where 50 feet is allowed (45-foot maximum building height plus five feet for ornamental structures). A waiver of replat was approved administratively to combine two existing lots into one lot, but is not a part of this appeal package. The appeal is attached as FIGURE 2.
Please note that “approval of the appeal” results in denial of the applications; whereas “denial of the appeals” results in approval of the applications.
Previous Council Action:
On April 23, 2019, this item was postponed to the May 14, 2019, City Council meeting.
Background:
The Broadmoor Hall, Colorado Hall and International Center were originally approved for construction in 2004. This approval allowed the construction of the 146,943 square foot Broadmoor Hall, the 26,774 square foot Colorado Hall, the 32,841 square foot International Hall and the 4,192 square foot Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum. The area where the new 169,988 square foot exhibit hall will be constructed was previously illustrated as an unpaved parking lot for employees and allowance given for the yearly temporary erection of a 40,000 square foot tent for special events. Although this is a physical expansion by virtue of constructing a new building, the site has historically hosted exhibition events; therefore, to certain extent, staff sees the new building as a conversion of tents to an enclosed building, not as an introduction of a new use to The Broadmoor.
The applications being appealed were approved by staff on February 19, 2019 and approved by City Planning Commission on March 21, 2019. The documents approved illustrate the 169,988 square foot Broadmoor Exhibit Hall addition - including 93,500 square feet of exhibit area designed to provide flexible multi-purpose space for events in conjunction with the existing Broadmoor Hall, Colorado Hall and International Center. This much needed facility will provide support and expansion for nationally recognized events such as the annual Space Foundation Space Symposium. The proposed structure would also provide additional multi-purpose area for multi-day events and conferences during The Broadmoor’s off-season (mid-October through mid-April).
The major neighborhood concerns raised included the use of the parking operation plan to determine onsite parking requirements, the ability to supply employee parking onsite, and concerns with the traffic generation letter. Extensive detail on these concerns is provided on pages 4 and 5 of the staff report prepared for City Planning Commission. Additional rationale for staff recommendations on the project are also addressed in detail in the City Planning Commission staff report.
Review of the appeal:
The appeal to City Council outlines the following concerns: a rezone should have been required to C-6 to allow this use, the plans cause adverse impacts from the shuttle system to bring people to and from The Broadmoor, the original application should not have been administratively approved, the application does not comply with the development plan review criteria and the parking for the site is not met.
The property is zoned C-5 and a zone change to C-6 was not required. The C-5 zone district allows for uses that are of moderate intensity and can be located near residential zoning. The C-6 zone district accommodates commercial uses that are high volume generators and are generally dependent on more than the immediate neighborhood for their market. The Broadmoor Hotel is a hotel with additional accessory uses that are accessory to the overall use of a hotel. Hotels are permitted uses in the C-5 zone district. The Broadmoor Hotel will generate visitors from outside the immediate neighborhood; however, all hotels generate visitors from outside the immediate neighborhood. The traffic studies provided show that the traffic generates no negative impact to traffic operations for the surrounding roadway network and existing site access. In addition, The Broadmoor has set up shuttle operation plans for those events where more than 4,000 people are in attendance. Other uses in the City Code similar to the use of the hotel and accessory event center use are public assembly, indoor entertainment, indoor sports and recreation, and clubs. The uses noted as similar uses are also permitted uses in the C-5 zone district. These similar uses would also create an attraction from users outside the immediate neighborhood and are high volume generators. Staff finds that the C-5 zone district is an appropriate zone district for the hotel use and accessory event center.
The other appeal concerns noted were thoroughly reviewed and discussed in the City Planning Commission staff report on pages 6 and 7.
The project supports the City’s Strategic plan of building community and collaborative relationships. It is an infill development that supports the themes of Unique Places, Thriving Economy and Renown Culture.
Financial Implications:
N/A
Board/Commission Recommendation:
At their meeting on March 21, 2019 the Planning Commission, as part of their new business calendar, voted 6-0-3 to deny the appeal (Aye: Hente, Raughton, Graham, Satchell-Smith, Eubanks, Almy Absent: McMurray, McDonald, Smith). The commissioners voting for the denial of the project cited the development plan criteria being met.
Please reference the minutes from the hearing for a detailed record.
Stakeholder Process:
The public process involved with the review of these applications included posting the site and sending postcards to 202 property owners within 1000 feet for internal review and a neighborhood meeting held on January 31, 2019. Approximately 110 people attended the meeting. Comments were received during internal review. The site was also posted and postcards sent for the City Planning Commission meeting to 236 property owners within a 1,000 foot buffer of the site. This mailing included those that were at the neighborhood meeting and had not received a postcard during the first mailing.
Neighborhood comments were received both in support and opposition of the project. Those that were in support cited the development of the Broadmoor Event Center and replacement of the gravel parking lot as a stimulus to the local economy. In addition, they cited that this development would provide the needed conference space for new events in Colorado Springs. Those that were in opposition cited concern for a decrease in property values due to the new development, parking issues, and disturbances from shuttles to and from the new event center.
Staff sent plans to the standard internal and external review agencies for comments. The external agencies included Council of Neighborhoods and Organizations (CONO) and the Old Broadmoor Neighborhood HOA. All comments received from the review agencies are addressed. Commenting agencies included Colorado Springs Utilities, City Engineering, City Traffic, City Fire, Police, Enumerations, Floodplain, Real Estate Services, Comcast, School District 12, Colorado Geologic Survey and E-911. This site is not within the Airport Overlay and was not seen by the Airport Advisory Committee and is outside of the buffer for review by USAFA.
Please see the Planning Commission staff report for more details.
Alternatives:
1. Uphold the action of the City Planning Commission;
2. Modify the decision of the City Planning Commission;
3. Grant the appeal and reverse the action of the City Planning Commission - granting of the appeal will essentially deny the project as proposed; or
4. Refer the matter back to the City Planning Commission for further consideration Uphold the action of the City Planning Commission;
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
CPC DP 03-00259-A10MJ19
Deny the appeal and uphold City Planning Commission’s approval of the development plan for the Broadmoor Event Center, based upon the finding that the appellant did not meet the review criteria in City Code Section 7.5.906.A.4 and that the development plan complies with the review criteria in City Code Section 7.5.502.E.
Summary of Ordinance Language