Well, I'll go ahead and uh call the meeting to order and Melissa, why don't you go ahead and do the official roll call?

Okay, so we'll have Solange do that.

Do you want to follow the chair scripted usual or or do we just want to go right into roll call?

Pardon?

Okay.

Okay, Solange is gonna go ahead and start the roll call.

One moment member Nolette.

Here member Cusman here.

Here member Hensler here.

Sorry, Lord.

Here board member Friedman.

Sure.

Board member Mikulas.

Sorry, can we repeat that as board member Mikulas present today?

I I don't see him on yet, no.

Board members of call here.

Board member Luciano.

Here thank you.

We have eight members present.

And before we're some about to address that.

So before we get into the rest of the meeting, and it's gonna be very short-lived.

If everybody can stay muted unless you're gonna talk, because I think we're experiencing some some feedback, and I think it's just maybe the way we're hosting it.

But um, if you guys can help by keeping yourselves muted in between talking, that'd be super helpful.

Okay, I'll go ahead.

Uh I don't think there's any changes to the uh agenda or postponements.

If not, we'll move Ryan to YouTube for communications.

Thanks, David.

Um Ryan T.

Fertiller, Urban Planning Manager.

Um as you guys have probably all seen on the agenda, there's a number of items I want to cover as part of presentations, item nine, but I do have maybe two quick communications to uh relay right off the bat.

Um there were two receptions organized this spring to uh honor and appreciate boards board members and commission members volunteers uh throughout the city.

The mayor's reception was last week, and I believe a few people attended.

I want to say Sam Harrison and Amanda, if I remember correctly.

Um so um appreciate you guys attending that.

I certainly no pressure to attend these things, but um glad that uh some DRB members were able to, and and hopefully you got some good uh food and beverage and socializing uh out of that.

So that's great.

Um, and then there is another one.

This is the uh reception for council appointed boards and commissions that's scheduled for May 13th.

Uh I don't have the details of that, but hopefully you all have seen that um announcement.

And if you're um interested and available, uh you certainly have the uh support to to attend that.

So I just wanted to remind uh everyone of those two receptions um and also just relay uh staff's appreciation for you guys' time and and efforts on the downtown review board.

Um my only other communication uh right off the bat here is as I as I typically try to do, um our next meeting is scheduled for June 2nd.

I currently don't have any items uh that are likely to be needed uh needing a hearing for that for that meeting, so there's a pretty reasonable chance that that one will be canceled.

I do have one project that is in internal review and will eventually get to the DRB.

It might be ready for the July meeting, which would be the 7th, July 7th.

Um so keep that.

I mean keep both meetings on your calendar for now, and we'll obviously just be in touch on on cancellations or um full agendas.

So uh those are all the communications I had right off the bat, David.

Um, but happy to answer any other questions.

Ryan, do you want to uh brief the uh group a little bit on where the uh Palmer High School closing a boulder is for the uh group?

I am happy to do that, and that's actually in item 9A here, staff updates.

Um, that was one of the things I wanted to cover regarding downtown planning.

Okay, good.

I'll let you uh do that then.

Is there any other items for uh Ryan that we uh need to bring up?

Okay.

Uh the next item on the agenda.

Did anybody uh have any changes or edits they wanted to make to our minutes from our March 3rd meeting?

Uh it's item DRB 2305.

That's a no for me.

I wasn't there.

My computer's giving me trouble.

David, just to help you out a little bit, if if you could still hear us, um, it doesn't look like anyone had any necessary changes, and I think if a board member would want to move to approve the minutes, uh we could we could do that.

Okay, is somebody willing to do that, please?

This is um board member Harrison's okay.

I'll move to approve the minutes.

Thank you, Harrison.

Sarah second.

I'll second.

This is uh board member no level.

Okay.

Uh all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Hang tight.

We've got to do a one by one vote.

So one of the cues, by the way.

Board member Nilaic.

Aye.

Board member Kuzman.

Hi.

Board member coates.

Board member Priestma.

Hi.

Thank you.

The uh motion passes with seven members in favor.

Okay, I think our I don't think we have any on finished business.

And so I think we're now to uh and I don't think we have any specific new business.

So I think now we're to the things uh Ryan that you wanted to present on.

So I'll turn it over to you.

Great, thanks, David.

Um I appreciate everyone participating this morning, and I appreciate your patience with some technology uh uh regarding to the virtual meeting.

We just thought, given there weren't any action items virtual would be a little bit easier for everyone and not have to head down to the RBD um just to hear me talk for 10 or 15 minutes.

Um I I thought about canceling this meeting as well, but we've canceled a number of meetings recently, and I have had some communications with a few DRB members about um the elevate plan and form-based code updates and a number of different things.

So I just wanted to give everyone the opportunity to hear a few updates and um ask any questions of staff that you might have and provide any input or um guidance to staff that you might have.

Um so again, I just appreciate everyone taking some time this morning.

Um so I had kind of three things that I put on the agenda.

Uh downtown planning, form-based code, and the downtown review board.

Um, and I'm gonna do those largely in that order, though I'm gonna move things around a little bit.

Um first, just with some downtown planning updates.

Um, as as David mentioned, the Palmer High School project that you all heard um a couple months ago, I guess it was, uh I think it was February.

Um it did move forward to city council and city council approved the zone change and the land use plan.

So Palmer High School is now within the form-based code and or form-based zone and part of the DRB's um uh geographic uh area of of authority.

Um the as I'm sure most of you have read or seen on the news, the third application to vacate boulder between Nevada and Weber initially failed on a four to four vote.

Then there was a request for reconsideration by councilwoman Williams that initially failed on a four to four vote.

But then the vote to reconsider was reconsidered and it finally passed on a five to three vote.

But I will say that since the council hearing in early March, there's been a lot of dialogue among city staff and the school district and their team regarding possible physical improvements to further improve pedestrian safety in the area.

And that could be incorporated into their action on the vacation, and also could be incorporated into the Palmer High School Development Plan, which is the fourth application associated with the project.

That fourth application, the development plan will likely end up in front of the downtown review board in the months ahead.

And that development plan will obviously refresh reflect what's being built today, but could also reflect some required pedestrian improvements, uh safety improvements in the area.

So stay tuned.

Well, let me let me restate the the vacation is a legislative item.

So there's certainly where it were able to talk about that.

Um the zone change and the land use plan were quite judicial, but those have been finalized and are done.

Um so I just wanted to brief you you all on the status of that legislative application, the the vacation um and indicate that it it is tied on some level to the development plan, which could end up back in front of the DRB, or I should say, and for an initial hearing in front of the DRB uh later this summer here.

Um and then I guess the other the last comment on this before I'll see if anyone has questions about Palmer High School.

Um it is a little bit weird to see the building going up.

Uh it is coming out of the ground, three stories tall along Weber.

Uh, they're making significant progress on it.

Um, and they are, as I think you all know, doing that as a public school that can uh gain those approvals through uh essentially through the state of Colorado, even though the development plan doesn't have an approval stamp on it just yet.

Um so I'll pause there and see if anyone has any questions specifically about Palmer High School.

Uh hearing none, I'll move on uh to my next downtown planning related communication.

The elevate downtown plan.

Um as you all know, you uh heard the presentation and voted on that uh a couple months ago, voted to uh recommend that city council approve that as both the new um neighborhood plan or land use plan for downtown as well as the downtown development authorities plan of development.

Um that was heard by planning commission a month after you all um uh I guess that was in early April.

Um planning commission voted to approve or to recommend that council approve it on a I believe it was a seven to one vote.

There was one vote against uh recommend uh against approval.

Um and that planning commissioner expressed concerns with overbuilding downtown and um infrastructure capacity that uh her concern uh and she didn't go into much detail regarding her concerns and and actually uh I'll just thank uh board member Hensler for uh pressing her to communicate her concerns um after the fact, but it was essentially that she felt the plan uh was too aggressive as far as uh overbuilding, supporting too much density, too much overbuilding, and that our infrastructure wouldn't wouldn't be able to support it.

But it was essentially that she felt the plan uh was too aggressive as far as uh overbuilding, supporting too much density, too much overbuilding, and that our infrastructure wouldn't wouldn't be able to support it.

But but ultimately uh it was a it was the the recommendation from planning commission was for approval, and that also is scheduled for city council action on May 26th.

Um so stay tuned.

Uh hopefully that goes well, and the elevate plan will become officially the plan for downtown Colorado Springs later this month.

Um I'll pause again and see if anyone has any questions on that.

Ryan, the other thing I'd like to just say I I think she's on the uh call as a guest.

I just really want to thank uh Chelsea uh for her leadership and her staff and the many hours and Troy with the uh DDA board uh for their work on this.

I hope it goes well uh at council.

But um it's a terrific document.

Uh I think it can really help our downtown move forward.

And I know the downtown partnership, both their boards and others.

So Chelsea, I don't know if you want to say anything, but I just want to thank you for your leadership getting us to where we are at this point.

Did you want to add anything at all?

I just want to say thank you for your words.

So it's been a tremendous lift for our organization over the last year or so, and we're certainly still in the midst of a lot of work coming out of it, right?

The completion of the plan is just the start of everything to come.

But I really appreciate your words.

I really appreciate all of the questions that y'all asked when we did go through the approval or recommendation for approval from you.

And we are looking forward to getting the final bow tied with city council later this month.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, and David, I'll echo uh your kudos to Chelsea and her team.

Um it's been uh a very hands-on effort working with the consultants and stakeholder groups and city staff to uh get that across the finish line.

So hopefully, hopefully we'll see that here later this month.

Uh I also um I just saw and realized uh Bobby Micculus board member Micculus joined the call.

And so I don't know if Solange, if you need to note that in the in the record, but uh we do have, I believe, all nine board members on the call now.

Welcome, Bobby.

Um the last uh downtown planning related communication I have here is just uh um very brief comment on the Tejone Improvement Project.

Um as many of you have probably noticed just over the last few weeks, the final landscaping has gone in.

The uh improvements at Busy Corner, so that's Tejon and Pikes Peak have been essentially wrapped up with the granite paver crosswalks.

Um you might have seen if you've walked across Tejone on the south side of Pikes Peak recently that that particular granite crosswalk has a number of um damaged pavers um that were chipped for one.

We're not exactly sure, at least unless Chelsea may know more, so I'll give her the opportunity to weigh in.

But my understanding is we don't know exactly how or why a lot of those were damaged, but they are being replaced uh here, I believe later this week.

Um so the project is essentially done, and I think it looks great.

Um is it perfect?

No, there's always those couple little freckles or moles uh that you wish could have been done differently, but uh I think it looks great.

And so I just wanted to uh mention that that progress.

Chelsea, do you want to say anything about that effort as well?

Uh nothing to add beyond the fact that yeah, it's our understanding it was kind of a bad batch of that granite and they are going back in to replace it.

I think there's also we did finish the live plantings over this kind of last final phase of um kind of the traffic shutdown, which I know there was some inquiries when we first planted the trees to say it was a little bare, but we knew we wanted to wait, although right, we might get 10 inch.

So snow tomorrow we wanted to wait until we had better weather to do the rest of those live plantings.

And um, there's also been some commentary on the choice for the bollard looking bicycle racks.

So we're actually actively working with Pike Ride to do a replacement of some of those as well, so that there'd be more user-friendly.

I I think those have been replaced just within the last week or so.

The um right at Busy Corner, you'll see these, they look like needles, like threading, like sewing needles, uh bollards that also serve as bike racks.

Those were used up and down the two blocks.

Um, but most of those have been replaced with slightly more traditional looking bike racks.

Um other than right at Busy Corner, then we still have those kind of needle bollard shaped things.

Um yeah, I think it looks great.

Hopefully, the the new live landscape survives tonight's uh snow and freeze.

Um but uh but yeah, it's pretty nice.

So um, unless there's any other questions on that, I'll move on to the next topic.

Uh pausing briefly.

And I'll decide the obvious.

I have a Bobby Michaelus.

Um, besides the obvious, this is a question for Ryan, Chelsea, and and anyone else.

I I have gotten multiple inquiries about how and why the city chose to allocate resources for these two or three blocks and how that's justified.

Um, I I know you're understanding this sentiment.

So can you give me some talking points to respond to you know, people that ask me about that?

Chelsea, why don't you understand my perspective?

You go first, and I I might add to your to your response when you're done.

Yeah, so it wasn't necessarily these two three blocks.

So there was a whole corridor up to Boulder, I believe, that I was identified when we were seeking the grant funding.

This was just intended to be the first phase of that.

And it was very much um, it was a main streets grant through CDOT at the state.

And so it was really looking at reinvestment into some of the oldest parts of our downtown.

And we've seen a lot of new development, obviously, you guys have ever seen that um throughout downtown.

And as Ryan was even mentioning with Palmer, with a lot of that development, there is reinvestment into the streetscape.

And so this was really an opportunity to go back to an area that's not seeing kind of that wholesale redevelopment of an entire block face to be able to do sort of these expansions.

And I think a lot of it was really off coming off of COVID and recognition that additional outdoor space would be really beneficial to um beneficial to this area where we have a lot of local restaurants, food and beverage establishments.

So it was really a reinvestment into the historic core, a um sort of larger project, and this was just intended to be the first phase of it.

Yeah, absolutely.

That's great.

Yeah, agree with all.

And I'll just say that this revitalizing main street grant from C dot.

Uh, I mean, I think we pursued that in 2021.

So it was five years ago, and and it was significant dollars.

I want to say 1.6 million or some two two million.

It was a lot of money.

And so, you know, the project obviously ended up costing more than that, but um, but yeah, everything Chelsea said is absolutely correct in um uh reinvesting in the the key part of our our pedestrian corridor where we've got lots of opportunities for outdoor dining, uh, probably our highest pedestrian volumes.

Um, and this is intended to be just the first phase in a larger project over time as as other grants or other funding opportunities arise.

We'll look uh northward and eventually, you know, southward.

I saw a letter to the editor in the Gazette recently about South South Tejone down near Cimron and the need for additional investment down there.

And and yeah, I I think I think there's areas all over our downtown that could that could that would benefit from this level of investment.

But um, we got to start somewhere and and these two blocks stretch obviously made a lot of sense to to reinvest in.

So I'll add thank you very much.

Sorry.

Go ahead, Bobby.

Uh go ahead, Chelsea.

I want to hear what you have to say.

I was just gonna add that this was very directly in alignment with the experience downtown plan because Tejone was um oh gosh, I'm blinking uh signature street identified as a signature street, and to the point of talking about Elevate and Ryan's point of other corridors that we think deserve similar investment.

Um I I'm not sure what it was identified in experience, but certainly in elevate as we've seen the proliferation of development further south and into what we note as the south end.

Um we've identified other corridors that we would want to see a similar sort of reinvestment expansion of, and that is certainly identified the one that you're speaking to.

Thank you so much.

That helps me.

And is it is it fair to say that the majority of this project was funded through a grant that was for this specific use?

Um the majority of it was not from the grant.

It was intended to be uh fun fact.

As Ryan noted, we sought this grant in 2021.

It was the first thing I did when I came to the partnership, the two weeks into working at the partnership.

Um as it kind of expanded and went on in time and construction costs, obviously expanded.

A majority of it, I believe, was actually paid for through the parking enterprise, which is really right when we talk about why are people paying for parking um or how is this being reinvested back into the community?

Streetscape upgrades have largely been funded public side, I should say, through the parking enterprise through the collection of that funding.

So a majority of that funding reinvestment into the streetscape came directly from parking enterprise um monies.

Thank you.

And I'm sorry I'm not uh more up to speed or rec recalling those facts, but it's helpful for me to be able to just respond to constituents and friends and family who asked these questions.

So thank you.

No problem.

Nope.

Uh thanks for the question.

Um, I'll move on to the next topic here on my list.

And this is where I'm going to take things slightly out of order is um a little bit of updates on downtown review board.

Um, so we have three DRB members with some term issues um coming up here.

So, first, Nadine, who is the planning commission representative and recently appointed planning commission chair.

Nadine's first term expires in July.

And I know we've talked a little bit, Nadine, about whether you're going to pursue a second term on the DRB or whether we're going to look to a different planning commissioner.

So I don't know if you want to say anything, if there's any progress on that decision yet.

Um yeah, as much as I would echo, um, as much as I would love to stay in this role because I do love it so much and what we do on this board.

I think that realizing that I have a lot more responsibilities as planning chair.

So I am trying to figure out who would be the best fit um to step into this role from planning.

We are also um we just appointed one of our alternates to a voting member because Ken Casey, who was on planning commission, was appointed a city council.

So then I was vice chair, I moved up to chair.

Um, so there's a whole you know domino effect.

Um so we're we just replaced uh the voting member role that Ken held, and then we had um 24, I think it was 21 or 24 applications for planning commission, and we're getting interviews scheduled currently.

So given that my term is through July, I'd like to propose to stay on at least through the July meeting, and then hopefully by then I'll have a full makeup of planning commission members that we can determine kind of who is best suited um and has the capacity to do that.

I'm also trying to figure out a couple of other positions for planning commissioners to take.

So that's my plan right now is just to get through the next two months, get the next voting number and a couple of our alternates seated and potentially even.

Um I don't know, I guess I need to ask about that.

I was gonna say potentially even maybe one of our alternates could be a fit if they have the right, you know, interest or acumen, but I don't know that that's allowed.

Maybe it has to be a voting member, but that's probably a discussion for later.

But either way, I'm gonna have one new voting member and two or three new alternates on planning here soon.

So great.

So uh appreciate the update, um, Nadine, and uh obviously as we get closer to July and and you leaving the DRB, we'll be sure to um have additional updates on that after we also have uh Chair Lord.

Uh your um, well, actually, let me hit Bobby first.

Bobby Micculus, uh, your second term expires in late August, and then Chair Lord, uh your second term expires in early September.

So uh Bobby, you're the representative of the downtown partnership.

So I've had some dialogue with Chelsea.

I know Chelsea dropped off already, but um downtown partnership leadership is already thinking about uh possible candidates to represent uh the downtown partnership on the DRB and Chair Lord, you are a FBZ property owner seat.

You're one of the two property owner representative seats.

So we'll just have to do, and I've been talking to council's uh liaison staff to get that publicized and uh try to find some FBZ property owners that are interested in serving on the DRB as well.

So uh I'll just share uh two thoughts.

One is uh a huge amount of appreciation to both Chair Lord and board member Micculus on on your uh lengthy two terms on the board.

Uh you've been uh incredibly helpful and uh a huge asset to the decisions we've been making.

Obviously, you still got time, so uh uh through the through the rest of the summer here, but um, but also just kind of throw out if anyone knows anyone that owns property within the form-based zone or is a um controlling entity of an LLC uh or a representative of a development organization that controls property.

Um please do relay the fact that we'll be looking for a new uh representative for that seat, uh FBZ property owner seat by the end of the summer.

Um, I guess and and relatedly to this, obviously uh with um chair lord and vice chair miculus, uh come the end of the summer, we'll be needing new chair and vice chair.

So begin thinking amongst yourselves about who is might have interested in in taking over those roles.

Any questions on that?

Uh Ryan, this is David.

I want to just make two comments.

First, I want to congratulate Nadine and thank her for taking on uh an incredibly important uh position in our community.

I can't think of anybody who will be uh better at it.

And I I know they spend uh incredible uh hours.

So Nadine, uh congratulations to you and uh all the best.

I hope you don't have too many real huge controversies, but I'm sure there'll be some.

Uh yeah.

Oh, my computer screen just went blink.

Oh, there we go.

Uh thank you.

I don't know if it should be congratulations or condolences, maybe a little bit of both, but um uh but yes, thank you so much.

And I bet we do have a few big things immediately on the horizon if you watch the newspaper headlines.

Thank you.

The other uh uh if in the next uh uh month or so, uh if if any of you uh have an interest of moving up to uh you know becoming chair, I think there's a lot of good people.

It's it's not an incredibly uh complicated uh position.

If you could let me know, um if not, I'll I may reach out to some of you all and and see and then uh work a little bit if we can develop a uh recommendation um, you know, for chair, and pending on when we meet, Ryan, knowing we don't meet every uh single month, but maybe if we end up meeting in July, we may want to do that in case we don't meet in August.

So um if there's anybody who's interested and would like to step up, we've got several people that have been on the DRB for a while.

Uh let me let me know or let Ryan know, and we can have a little bit of conversation, see if we can develop a recommendation for the group.

That's it, Ryan.

That sounds great.

Thanks, David.

I appreciate the additional comments.

Uh the last thing I'll say on this topic, downtown review board, is um council liaison staff are working to review and potentially update the rules and procedures documents for all the city's boards and commissions.

And the downtown review board, I think when most of you first came to the board, hopefully I sent you a copy of an old PDF of the rules and procedures, and it's pretty generic you know, stuff as far as chairs and vice chairs and um rules of order and and those types of things.

Um, but there's a pretty reasonable chance that we might get some recommendations on updates to those.

The count city council is hoping that most or if not all boards and commissions can have uh rules and procedures that are consistent with each other and consistent with the rules and procedures of city council.

Um so uh there will likely be some recommendations that will come before the DRB to update your rules and procedures.

And one particular item that came up in some conversations with Nadine recently is that planning commission's rules and procedures actually have a uh a somewhat unique provision that allows uh well, let me back up.

City code generally states that to serve on a board and commission in the city, you need to be a city resident.

But planning commission's rules and procedures actually have a additional provision that allows someone to live within three miles of the city boundary and still serve on the city's planning commission.

And the reason I bring that up is one of the possible CPC members that could fill the DRB seat, um does not live in the city.

She lives just outside of the city, but because the DRB rules and procedures don't have that same three mile provision, uh, she would not be eligible to be on the DRB.

So that's just one example of some differences between the rules and procedures of different boards and commissions and how we have to pay really close attention to some of those things to make sure we're uh adhering to city code.

So I just wanted to throw that out there.

Um it's probably long overdue because our rules and procedures were um based off the planning commission rules and procedures from 15 years ago.

Um, but we haven't updated them since then.

Go ahead, Nadine.

Yeah, and I'll just add to that.

And I'm really I really appreciate you bringing it up because um I think planning commission, we've updated a couple of times in the last I've been on the planning commission four years.

Um, but even as such, I think we're realizing that there are additional updates that we need to make in order to, so we're kind of looking at city council's rules because if if the planning commission rules and procedures don't state something, then it defaults to what city council.

And so if you think about that in kind of a you know, downflow of where the response is, there could be some opportunity for this body to look at planning commission, who then defers to council, right?

But maybe um, and I think the goal that we had in planning commission and reviewing our rules is how does someone have a consistent experience when they move through the different bodies?

And I think we've seen just this year several items that while maybe it's rare that we have something that goes through all three bodies.

I think this year we've had several of those, two, three, well, three on one and one, yeah, yeah, one on another.

So um, so having consistency from one body to the next when an item might move through all three has some validity.

Um we also have had some issues with attendance and participation, which I don't necessarily see on this group as much, even though I completely missed last week because my or last week, last month because my email got messed up and I didn't know where I was supposed to be.

Um, but right, I think just having consistency on kind of what's expected of board members.

And then when someone serves on one board or moves to another board or vice versa.

Um, and yeah, the three-mile rule, I didn't realize was so unique to planning commission.

Um, but it can make sense, right?

Someone can work in downtown and yet live just over the border.

I specifically did not buy a house in Glen Eagle because it would have put me over the border and I stayed on the city, right?

But that happens sometimes.

So I'll all that said, if um if David or Bobby or whomever is going to step up in other ways, if you guys want to meet or talk through and we can connect with Ryan on kind of what are the things that we're maybe proposing at planning commission rules that would be helpful for this body, um, happy to be part of that conversation as we update ours.

And then city staff is taking a huge kind of lead and lift in that too.

That legislative staff plus Ryan and others.

So stay tuned.

We'll be sure to be sending you all more information, reminding you of your current rules and procedures and providing some recommendations from uh particular from council staff as well as planning staff on uh what updates should happen to be more consistent with other boards and commissions.

Um moving on to the last topic.

Uh uh, we've gone longer than I expected.

I figured we'd be out of here in 20 or 30 minutes.

So I apologize for the the rambling, but uh this is great dialogue, and I appreciate the input from board members.

Um the last topic I just wanted to hit on because we spent a lot of time last year talking about updates to the form-based code, and I haven't said much about it in the last six months or so, uh, largely because there's been so much effort and focus on the elevate downtown plan.

But I did want to just make sure the the board understood that um staff is continuing to work with the city attorney's office.

I want to thank Young and his coworkers on giving some really good input and thoughts on um legal clarifications and updates that are needed to the to the draft uh changes that staff was previously proposing.

So work continues there.

We're also continuing to work on some layout and graphics related stuff.

So I just want the board to know that there is still effort underway on the proposed updates to the form-based code.

Um process is um basically I I continue to work on it.

We hope to finalize a draft that would then be um relay to the downtown review board through like a work session, a non-voting item.

I don't know if that would show up as uh just a presentation item or something, but what I'd like to do is when that draft is kind of finalized, have a lengthy and detailed work session or multiple work sessions if the DRB needs it, uh, to discuss the draft.

Um concurrent or immediately after that, we would have um public review, which would include an open house, uh document being posted on the city's website, email distribution to a number of key stakeholders and stakeholder groups, like adjacent neighborhoods, et cetera.

Um and then ultimately after we have public review and input, uh, we'll bring the draft back to the DRB for a public hearing and a vote.

Um, obviously um after the DRB, the DRB would just be making a recommendation on the form-based code updates, and then uh again, we'll get into one of these unique situations where the draft will go on to planning commission uh for planning commission's input.

And that is largely because um the draft changes to the form-based code will likely include um some modification to the form-based code map, um, specifically adding a handful of properties on the edges of the form-based zone into the zone, and doing so requires uh input and a vote from planning commission since those land since those properties today are not within the form-based zone.

Um, and so then planning commission would hold a hearing and make a recommendation, then obviously on to city council.

Um, we are still hoping to get that all done later this year.

Um, but we also want to make sure the DRB, the public, uh, and city council all have adequate time and opportunity to consider and weigh in and uh ultimately feel comfortable with those changes.

Um so I guess I'll pause there and just see if DRB members have any questions or concerns about that general process.

Um, and um if you want to weigh in on it, um I think now's we'd be happy to hear it.

Sam, I know you had some thoughts about the uh form-based code.

I don't know if you want to share them now or uh bring them up, but I know you had some good observations uh that you had sent to, I think myself and Bobby, and would love to hear if you have some thoughts.

And and yes, and I before you jump in, Sam, I'll just say that my beyond process, there's obviously more opportunity for the standards themselves.

And I've uh had some communication with Sam and I think a couple others about parking, about street level activation, about a number of standards that could be improved or clarified.

Um we definitely I'd love to hear those thoughts.

And if you guys want to put those in emails, you're welcome to send those my way as well.

Um, so I am interested both in the process that I laid out and if you guys have input on specific standards or considerations.

Yeah, thanks.

Uh board member Friesma.

Um I yeah, I I think we have plenty of time to hash out those details further, not necessarily today.

Um, but yeah, I encourage all of the board members to really really think through a lot of the things that you know we've seen over the last few years and the resulting buildings that have been built, and just you know what what we can start to consider as code language and how to get it in the code to affect you know the next stage of downtown's development.

Um so I just encourage everyone to put some thought into it before we get to some of these work sessions where we can really go over the the nitty-gritty details.

Um, I do just have one question for for Ryan.

So it was my understanding that we kind of were holding off on a lot of the code changes until the elevate downtown plan came out so we could sort of uh come up with a code that that met all those goals.

Is that is that true?

And is there is there anything that came out of that study or report that caused you guys to consider making further changes or different changes?

Um yeah, that is absolutely true.

Is that as you recall, just kind of thinking back over the last couple of years, there was uh one particular project with a relatively tall building that had a lot of stakeholder interest and a lot of um a lot of I shouldn't say a lot, uh a small number of very vocal stakeholders that felt that our code should be a dot should be amended to limit building height.

And when that was discussed at city council in relation to this particular project, the response from staff and from the downtown partnership and others was you know what that's that's a bigger issue.

We really should have that discussion as part of a comprehensive um dialogue on updating the downtown plan.

And so that dialogue has largely happened.

Um, and that's how we end up with the draft elevate plan.

There is a chapter of volume two, it's chapter five that deals with the public realm and urban design that goes into a fair bit of detail about the form-based code, the sector designations, uh, and a handful of what they called form-based code considerations that should be um reviewed and discussed and potentially incorporated into an updated form-based code.

So that is in here, and assuming it gets approved by city council, that will help inform staff staff's efforts to date to update the code itself.

Um it's certainly not I don't mean to create the perception that all the stakeholder dialogue and participation on the elevate plan um means that we don't need to do additional public stakeholder effort and and coordination on the code itself, because we will um but the the thought was always we can't we couldn't we shouldn't just focus on one particular standard.

Um we really need to look comprehensively and think about density and economic vitality and mobility and all those things because you just start adjusting or changing one standard, and it really affects all those other um issues as well.

So um I hope I answered that question.

I know I kind of rambled a little bit, but um the short answer is yes, the the efforts on the elevate plan help inform the updates to the form-based code.

Yeah, thank you.

I just would uh you know, one of the things that's terrific about this uh uh our board is we bring people with different expertise and different viewpoints.

And you know, Sam, you're sort of the architect uh background, and again, uh appreciate uh your sharing as other board members share from their uh perspective.

So very much, Sam, appreciate as we do our deliberation you bringing your professional expertise to uh to our uh awareness and uh conversation.

So again, thanks, Sam.

Any other comments or input on the process they laid out?

Um this the kind of super general schedule moving forward.

Um, and and certainly you don't you don't need to do them now.

You can obviously follow up with an email if you have any additional thoughts later.

But I did it has been a while since we've talked about updates to the form-based code, and I just wanted to make sure you all knew where things stood.

Anything else to say anybody has that's all that's all I had, David.

So yeah, I'd I agree.

If anyone else has any other questions or comments, now's your time.

Otherwise, just uh quick comments going back to a previous topic.

We will need to think about a chair and a vice chair because of uh my term limits and David's.

So those are two positions that we'll need to consider.

Um, and then there is likely to be a change in ownership on North Tejone.

Um of the poor Richards building in the next few months.

So that's a property owner opportunity as well as Eric Brenner down at Red Gravy, I believe acquired that building in the last couple of years.

So those are two retail level, busy street um operators that may add an interesting perspective.

Just in case I forget them later.

I want to make sure they're in our mind.

I have no idea their desire or interest, but those came to mind that I want to make sure here.

Yeah, that that's a great those are great suggestions, Bobby.

I appreciate that because I think um you know we have two seats on the DRB for property owners within the FBZ, and they've largely been trying to think back for past DRB members, but I think they're they've largely been kind of the um developer representative type of uh uh seat as opposed to a small business owner.

And and most of our small business owners, you know, the more often than not, they're they're leasing space, they're not owners.

So um it would be an interesting and somewhat new perspective to get to try to get a small business owner that is also a property owner to serve on the board.

I think that I think that would bring some value.

And also a property owner and maybe some crossover with operations beyond nine to five.

A lot of the issues we discuss deal with weekends or outside evening hours, and so I I just feel whether it's those two individuals or someone else that we can dig up who um represents an operator perspective, but is also an owner.

I think that will add unique insight to some of these decisions that we haven't really had as much of in the past.

Yeah, great, great comment.

If there's nothing else, then I'll go ahead and uh say we're adjourned.

And uh I guess I'm in Florida, but I guess it's one of those days in Colorado state.