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Record of Proceedings

Lafayette Planning Commission Meeting of January 8, 2025: Old Town Tomorrow Action Plan Recommendation

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, January 8, 2025
BodyLafayette, Colorado
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, January 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:54

Lafayette Planning Commission meeting of January 8th, 2025 is called to order.

1:00

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:25

May we have a roll call, please.

1:27

Chair Thomas.

1:29

Vice Chair Phillips.

1:30

Here.

1:30

Commissioner Hiergee.

1:32

Here.

1:32

Commissioner Mettler.

1:33

Here.

1:34

Commissioner Ortiz.

1:35

Here.

1:35

Commissioner Watson.

1:37

Commissioner Wilson.

1:38

Here.

1:38

Thank you.

1:40

Okay.

1:41

Items from the public.

1:42

Not on the agenda.

1:44

Are there any items from the public not on tonight's agenda?

1:48

Please, if you haven't, please follow a speaker request form.

1:52

And you can do that afterwards.

1:53

If you haven't, come to the podium, state your name, address for the record.

1:59

I see no one, and I do not believe we have had anybody call in.

2:03

Is that correct?

2:05

Alrighty.

2:08

So next item on the agenda, meeting minutes for December 11th.

2:13

Are there any revisions to those meeting minutes?

2:18

I'll have one.

2:20

Okay.

2:20

Commissioner Smith wasn't here for it, but his name is on the Commissioner Smith Smith wasn't here for the meeting with his name.

2:29

All right.

2:30

Any other amendments?

2:35

All right.

2:36

The chair will entertain a motion to approve the minutes as amended.

2:43

Okay.

2:44

So uh item we moved by Commissioner Wilson and seconded by Commissioner Ortiz.

2:50

All those in favor, please say aye.

2:53

Aye.

2:53

All those opposed.

2:55

Great.

2:58

Moving on to our major item of the meeting.

3:03

Um that be the recommendation of the old town tomorrow action plan and staff.

3:10

Please take it away.

3:11

Hi, good evening.

3:12

Thank you for having me.

3:13

Um, my name is Bridgekeating.

3:15

I'm the city's economic development director.

3:16

It's good to see some of you and nice to meet some of you tonight.

3:19

Uh I also serve as the executive director for our Urban Renewal Authority in Lafayette.

3:24

So I'm pleased to be here tonight to give the planning commission an overview of the Old Town Tomorrow project, which many of you are familiar with, which ultimately led to the um creation of the Lafayette Downtown Development Authority, which will replace our Urban Renewal Authority.

3:39

And tonight I'm here um to seek a request for a recommendation of support for the Old Town Tomorrow Action Plan.

3:45

Uh it will ultimately be going to council in February, and through state statute, it allows the planning commission to provide that recommendation, if they so please.

5:01

And so the financing that funded Laura's activities expired in October 2024, which led to the creation or the kickoff of the Old Town Tomorrow Project.

5:13

So this really was a transition project that had three main objectives.

5:17

The first was to wind down and prioritize Laura's functions, what should they be focusing on.

5:22

Um, and then also we worked for the past two years with Old Town constituents and community leaders to create a refreshed vision for the next 25 years.

5:31

And you'll hear with us, there's been so much work lately with the complan, with a lot of our strategic plans that we didn't start over from square one.

5:39

We wanted to build on all the great work that's been happening in the past couple years.

5:42

And then through this project, um, we procured Puma, uh, which is Progressive Urban Management Associates.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Downtown Development Authority█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Economic Development████████████13%
Capital Projects█████6%
Procedural█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Zoning And Land Use█████5%
Public Space Management███3%
Land Use Code Update███3%
Small Business Support██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lafayette Planning Commission Meeting of January 8, 2025

The Lafayette Planning Commission met on January 8, 2025, to consider a recommendation to City Council regarding the Old Town Tomorrow Action Plan, which establishes a guiding framework for the newly formed Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The meeting also included approval of previous meeting minutes and updates from commissioners and staff.

Consent Calendar

  • The commission unanimously approved the December 11, 2024, meeting minutes as amended, correcting the attendance record for Commissioner Smith.

Discussion Items

  • Old Town Tomorrow Action Plan Presentation: Bridget Keating, Economic Development Director and Executive Director of the Urban Renewal Authority, presented an overview of the two-year project that led to the creation of the Lafayette Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The DDA was approved by 80% of eligible voters in November 2024 and will replace the existing Urban Renewal Authority. The Action Plan outlines six priority areas: small business support and retention, land use and character, marketing and activation, connectivity and infrastructure, public space and placekeeping, and arts and culture. Keating emphasized that the DDA is funded through tax increment financing (TIF)—not new taxes—and will operate in partnership with the city. Commissioners discussed market forces threatening small businesses, the DDA's role in supporting small business ownership, infill development, and the balance between preserving character and encouraging reinvestment. Keating noted that the DDA board will be appointed by the mayor and include a city council member, and that the plan is intended to be updated every five years.

Key Outcomes

  • The commission voted 6-0 to direct staff to prepare a letter recommending City Council approval of the Old Town Tomorrow Action Plan. This recommendation fulfills a statutory requirement for planning commission input before City Council final adoption.

Other Business

  • Commissioner Watson reported on Historic Preservation Board activities.
  • Several commissioners attended a Commuting Solutions Boulder transportation forum, where regional rail and bus route planning were discussed.
  • Chair Thomas promoted the Lafayette History Museum's fundraiser, "Noyer Antifs," on January 18, 2025.
  • Staff announced that a neighborhood meeting for a proposed VASA Fitness special use application at the former King Soopers property will be held January 9, 2025.
  • A pre-annexation meeting was held for a Tebow-owned property at the southwest corner of Arapahoe and Highway 287; a public hearing is set for February 18, 2025.
  • Staff reported progress on development projects, including Peak to Peak and Kalita Grill on South Public Road, and delays on Dutch Bros. Coffee and Sundar development. A new current planning manager, Jake Nigel, started January 6, 2025.
  • The next planning commission meeting is scheduled for January 22, 2025, which may include a work session on land use code criteria and trade-offs.

Meeting Transcript

Lafayette Planning Commission meeting of January 8th, 2025 is called to order. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. May we have a roll call, please. Chair Thomas. Vice Chair Phillips. Here. Commissioner Hiergee. Here. Commissioner Mettler. Here. Commissioner Ortiz. Here. Commissioner Watson. Commissioner Wilson. Here. Thank you. Okay. Items from the public. Not on the agenda. Are there any items from the public not on tonight's agenda? Please, if you haven't, please follow a speaker request form. And you can do that afterwards. If you haven't, come to the podium, state your name, address for the record. I see no one, and I do not believe we have had anybody call in. Is that correct? Alrighty. So next item on the agenda, meeting minutes for December 11th. Are there any revisions to those meeting minutes? I'll have one. Okay. Commissioner Smith wasn't here for it, but his name is on the Commissioner Smith Smith wasn't here for the meeting with his name. All right. Any other amendments? All right. The chair will entertain a motion to approve the minutes as amended. Okay. So uh item we moved by Commissioner Wilson and seconded by Commissioner Ortiz. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed. Great. Moving on to our major item of the meeting. Um that be the recommendation of the old town tomorrow action plan and staff. Please take it away. Hi, good evening. Thank you for having me. Um, my name is Bridgekeating. I'm the city's economic development director. It's good to see some of you and nice to meet some of you tonight. Uh I also serve as the executive director for our Urban Renewal Authority in Lafayette.

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