City council considers sub-area draft plans, new zoning designation

New Town and Northeast Arvada draft plans done, pocket neighborhoods being weighed

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Arvada City Council recently convened for a pair of study sessions at city hall; one concerning sub-area draft plans, and the other pertaining to pocket neighborhoods.

Both study sessions at the April 10 meeting consisted of presentations from city team members and discussion from council; council did not make any voting decisions on anything presented at the meeting.

Sub-area draft plans: New Town and Northeast Arvada e draft plans for two sub-areas — the city’s targeting of speci c areas of Arvada for the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code — have been nished. New Town and Northwest Arvada are the sub-areas where draft planning has wrapped up. e project team has recently been weighing community feedback garnered from multiple open houses, Ask Arvada surveys, and other engagement opportunities, to include that feedback in the draft plan. e New Town sub-area is a 0.40mile parcel located between the Gline tracks in the north and the I-70 interchange in the south. A largely commercial parcel that has recently seen development from the “$30 land deal” come to fruition, the New Town draft plan includes guidance to encourage higher-density housing and a ordable development. e draft plan also emphasizes preserving views from Olde Town and increasing parking e ciency through a “managed parking” strategy, which includes having parking limits, paid parking, and validation from local businesses.

Also recommended was improved pedestrian crossings in the subarea, speci cally at the intersection of 52nd Avenue and Wadsworth Bypass.

Community feedback indicated that including multiple building styles, built with natural materials is preferable to locals for new developments in the area.

“Years ago, we had a model (at city hall), of what was envisioned,” Williams said of the New Town area. “ ere was an actual physical model; it had a lot of high rises, it’s very consistent with this.” e Northwest Arvada sub-area is generally located along Highway 72 between Highway 93 and Indiana Street, and also on Indiana between