Golden Planning Commission Regular Meeting and Study Session on Housing Action Plan Scope - July 1, 2026

The Planning Commission of Golden, Colorado, held a regular meeting at 5:30 PM on July 1, 2026, followed by a study session to discuss the scope of the Housing Action Plan (HAP). The regular meeting was brief, with approvals of the agenda and minutes, and no public comment. The study session featured a detailed review of the HAP scope, including state-mandated components and proposed Golden-specific additions, as well as feedback from commissioners.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Agenda: Moved by Webb, seconded by Hilliard, passed 6-0.
• Approval of Minutes (May 20, 2026): Moved by Caldwell, seconded by Klein, passed 6-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the regular meeting (open and closed at 5:33 PM).
• During the study session, two public comments were noted regarding the proposed addition of a narrative analysis of historic housing barriers: a formal letter from the REDI Task Force and a separate comment from Kathy Smith (also a REDI member), which provided background information considered helpful for the consultant.

Discussion Items

• Housing Action Plan Scope: Affordable Housing Policy Coordinator Lauren McKinney (on her last day) presented the draft scope of work for the HAP, required by Colorado Senate Bill 24-174 and due by January 1, 2028. The plan must include baseline components (e.g., addressing displacement risk, selecting strategies from a state menu). Staff proposed three additional Golden-specific analyses:
  1. Narrative analysis of historic housing barriers faced by BIPOC communities, including redlining and exclusionary zoning.
  2. Review of existing programmatic housing efforts (e.g., rental assistance, housing navigator) to identify gaps and effectiveness.
  3. Analysis of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Economic Incentive Fund to assess funding sources and eligibility criteria.
• Commissioner Feedback:
  • Commissioner St. Angelo questioned the need to revisit historic discrimination, arguing it was not current. Other commissioners and staff explained that understanding historic barriers informs displacement risk and universal policy design.
  • Commissioner Klein suggested adding an age analysis to track young people leaving Golden (e.g., high school graduates not returning) and whether affordability or housing types are causes.
  • Commissioner Caldwell raised the impact of student housing from the School of Mines, noting it is a large population that may be difficult to quantify.
  • Commissioner Webb suggested incorporating wildfire resiliency into housing development analysis.
  • Commissioner Hilliard emphasized the need for Golden-specific, actionable goals rather than vague additions.
• Staff (Karl Onsager and Lauren McKinney) noted that the state covers 75% of consultant costs (estimated $50,000 total) and that the next grant cycle opens mid-July. They welcomed the feedback and will incorporate it into the final RFP scope.

Key Outcomes

• No formal vote was taken; the study session was for feedback and discussion.
• Staff will incorporate commissioner suggestions into the Housing Action Plan scope, including age analysis, student housing impacts, wildfire resiliency, and a focus on Golden-specific needs.
• The consultant RFP will be issued with the refined scope, and the city will apply for state grant funding.
• Planning Commission expects to be engaged throughout the HAP process, with periodic updates and eventual adoption of the plan as an addendum to the Comprehensive Plan.
• Lauren McKinney’s last day was July 2, 2026; interviews for her replacement are scheduled for the following week.