Downtown Review Board Meeting – October 7, 2025
Downtown Review Board Meeting – October 7, 2025
The Downtown Review Board (DRB) met on October 7, 2025, to receive an update on the Elevate Downtown Plan (the update to the 2016 Experienced Downtown Plan), approve the September 2025 meeting minutes, and participate in the annual ethics training. The board also approved the 2026 work plan and welcomed new member Harrison Sokol. No public comments or consent calendar items were presented.
Discussion Items
- Elevate Downtown Plan Update (DRB 2301): Austin (Downtown Partnership) and consultants Mark DeLatour and Ellie Schaefer (MIG) presented the draft plan, which builds on the 2009 Imagined Downtown and 2016 Experienced Downtown plans. The plan has two volumes: a Plan of Development (DDA-focused) and a Downtown Master Plan. Engagement included over 2,200 survey respondents, 16 focus groups, and multiple pop-up events. Key points: since 2016, downtown has seen over $2.5 billion in investment, over 2,000 new housing units, and new amenities like Weidner Field and the Olympic Museum. The draft plan emphasizes small business support, walkability, arts and culture, safety and cleanliness, public restrooms, homelessness coordination, affordable housing, density, and 26 catalytic sites (including a potential downtown grocery store). The plan will be presented to City Council on October 27, 2025, followed by a public comment period, and then back to the DRB for a recommendation in early 2026.
- Board Questions and Comments:
- Chair David asked about boundary expansion of the DDA and integration with future developments like the Union Printers Home and the North Corridor. Austin noted that the plan addresses influence sites and potential boundary expansion, including a goal to add 100,000 square feet of Class A office space.
- Harrison Sokol expressed concern about large block developments lacking ground-floor activation and the loss of older buildings. The plan includes strategies for activating ground floors, small-format storefronts, and historic preservation through adaptive reuse.
- Chair David inquired about a transportation hub. The plan references a downtown transit center as a catalytic site and discusses connections to front-range passenger rail.
- Chair David requested stronger incentives for affordable housing. Austin described DDA’s TIF program that offers higher reimbursement for projects with affordable units (e.g., 80–100% TIF for 40–100% AMI units). Ryan noted that form-based code updates will include density bonus provisions for affordable housing, and the plan mentions land trusts.
- Board member Nadine asked about the South Tejon area near Mill Street. The plan identifies it as a key gateway and includes streetscape improvements.
- Ethics Training: Young from the City Attorney’s Office presented the annual ethics code review, covering gifts, conflicts of interest, appearance of impropriety, and open meetings law. Board members were reminded to seek written advisory opinions for potential conflicts and to avoid ex parte communications. Harrison Sokol asked about communicating with his neighborhood association; Young advised case-by-case review and recommended sharing communications with staff.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes of the September 2, 2025, DRB meeting (motion by Amanda, second by Harrison).
- 2026 Work Plan: The board approved the draft 2026 work plan, as presented by Ryan Sever, with no changes. The plan will be submitted to City Council staff.
- Next Meeting: The next DRB meeting is scheduled for November 4, 2025, and will include a substantial item expected to last up to two hours.
- Future Steps for Elevate Downtown Plan: The plan will be presented to City Council on October 27, 2025; a public draft will be released at that time. The DRB will conduct a formal review and recommendation in early 2026, followed by Planning Commission and City Council adoption.
Meeting Transcript
Testing. Good morning. Good morning and welcome to the downtown uh review board meeting for October 7th, 2025. The downtown review board meets monthly to review downtown development applications using the downtown Colorado Springs form-based code regulating plan. The downtown review board is comprised of nine members appointed by city council. Board members are community volunteers with expertise across a wide variety of disciplines. Each member acts independently, carefully assessing all the evidence presented to make their decision. Harrison, I don't know. I I I missed our last meeting and you may have been, but uh welcome as the uh new member to the downtown review board. Um we're excited about having your uh viewpoints. I think you live in our downtown and have been involved, so welcome to the uh board. We all look forward to getting to know you better. Thank you. It's really nice to be here. And I do live in the form-based zone and I'm representing the midshooks neighborhood. Um so thank you for having me. Uh are there uh if there are any uh items uh that we need to uh add to the agenda or change, I think our agenda is good. Um Ryan, I'll turn it over to you. I for your communications, I think you have several items to bring before us. I do. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair, Ryan Sever Teller Urban Planning Manager. Uh first I just want to uh congratulate David, our chair, uh, for his recent lifetime achievement award that was conveyed by the the mayor, Mayor Yemi. Um I'm sure everyone uh probably most of you all were at the annual uh State of the City breakfast. Um, but uh just wanted to extend those congratulations again. Um I also wanted to, you've kind of already done this, but welcome Harrison Sokol to uh the downtown review board. Uh Harrison is filling Max Cronstadt's seat as the adjacent neighborhood representative, as Harrison said, he lives in the Midshooks Run neighborhood. Um and Harrison's been very involved with uh a number of downtown efforts and projects and communications. He's been participating in some of the um stakeholder meetings for the downtown plan effort. Um a fun fact, Harrison has gone back and watched all the available downtown review board meetings that are online since I believe 2014. So uh he will be uh if you have questions about institutional knowledge, projects in the form-based zone. Uh I'm a little worried that Harrison might know more than I do, uh, given his recent uh viewing of all those meetings. So uh welcome, Harrison. Uh appreciate your participation on the board. I also just wanted to recognize uh Amanda as being reappointed to a second term uh by city council uh last week as well. So uh both Amanda and Harrison are starting an additional three-year term. Um let's see. I did send an email to the board members yesterday morning with a draft 2026 work plan. As you recall, uh City Council staff has decided uh they they took the step last year to require all boards and commissions to do an annual work plan and an annual report. Uh so last year was our first work plan uh for 2025. I basically took our 2025 plan um updated some dates as far as expected completion times um and uh uh changed the title from 2025 plan to 2026 plan. Um I'm happy to make any additional changes if you like, but I think this is a pretty good indication of the things we're gonna focus on uh uh uh for the rest of this year and going into early 2026. Uh obviously the hope is that both the master plan and the form-based code updates will be done first third or so of 2026, but um the board's primary task, as you all know, is to review applications as they can come in, which is I believe the first of the three goals in the plan. Um so like I said, I'm happy to take any comments, make any changes if you wish. Uh if there are some informal head nods, I'll provide this to council staff later this week. Um I'm seeing some are there any uh are there any comments or questions? I I had looked it over and uh you know obviously our work is somewhat designated um kind of thing. So I think Ryan um did a good job. Appreciate you uh uh doing doing that. So I would say proceed to uh submit it to the proper people and I did print some hard copies if anyone wants to take one home or didn't get a chance to look at the email attachment.
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