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Home My WebLink About05-13-2024 - Special Study Session Agenda Packet SPECIAL STUDY SESSION AGENDA CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 W. 29th Ave. Wheat Ridge CO May 13, 2024 Meeting will start at the conclusion of the Regular City Council Meeting This meeting will be conducted as a virtual meeting, and in person, at 7500 West 29th Avenue, Municipal Building. City Council members and City staff members will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Attend the meeting in person at City Hall. Use the appropriate roster to sign up to speak upon arrival. 2. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on May 13, 2024) 3. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone: • Click here to pre-register and provide public comment by Zoom (You must preregister before 6:00 p.m. on May 13, 2024) 4. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the City of Wheat Ridge. Contact the Public Information Officer at 303-235-2877 or wrpio@ci.wheatridge.co.us with as much notice as possible if you are interested in participating in a meeting and need inclusion assistance. Public Comment on Agenda Items 1. Lutheran Legacy Campus Height Limitations Survey Results 2. Staff Report(s) 3. Elected Officials’ Report(s) Item No. 1 Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Patrick Goff, City Manager DATE: May 8, 2024 (for May 13 study session) SUBJECT: Lutheran Legacy Campus Height Limitations Survey Results ISSUE: A survey was conducted between April 30th and May 8th by Magellan Strategies to obtain input from Wheat Ridge residents and to measure support for or against a proposed ballot measure to amend the City Charter to remove the building height limitations for those areas described as mixed use in the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan. Representatives from Magellan Strategies will present the results of the survey at the May 13th study session. BACKGROUND: On October 25, 2021, City Council approved the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan. The plan outlines a vision of the future for the 100-acre site that has served as a medical campus since 1905. The plan was a collaborative effort: led by the City and a consultant team, funded by the hospital, and created by the public. The document outlines a framework for future development, describing community expectations and goals. A central goal of the plan was to envision a realistic future—balancing the most likely future land uses, the value of the property, and the values of the community. The plan doesn’t identify specific uses or site plans. Instead, it identifies critical elements of redevelopment that reflect public input while retaining reasonable flexibility for future owners. The master plan describes three key expectations which represent the central tradeoff associated with future redevelopment: 1. The perimeter should serve as a buffer and transition between the campus and existing adjacent neighborhoods, 2. Future development should integrate existing assets to the greatest extent possible (such as the chapel, blue house, and trail along the Rocky Mountain Ditch), and in exchange, 3. The interior will be afforded more flexibility in terms of land use and height. This approach is summarized in the plan’s framework map (shown below) and detailed in Chapters 4 and 5 of the Master Plan. The plan anticipates the site to include a mix of uses and a mix of housing types. Office, civic and cultural uses are appropriate in the interior of the site. If commercial uses are introduced, they should be limited so as not to cannibalize the nearby main street at 38th Avenue and Wadsworth. Open space and multimodal facilities are mandatory. LLC Height Limitations Survey Results May 13, 2024 Page 2 Chapter 6 of the Master Plan outlines the next steps required to bring this vision to reality. These include a zone change for the whole property, an amendment to the City Charter to allow additional height in the interior, and creation of an urban renewal area. The Urban Renewal Authority has prepared an Urban Renewal Plan for the Lutheran Legacy Campus which was presented to City Council on March 18, 2024. Final approval of the Plan will be brought back to Council shortly before the Campus is sold to a private developer. A Resolution to initiate a legislative zone change for the Campus will be presented to City Council at the May 13th regular meeting. This survey was the first step in determining next step for a potential ballot question amending the City Charter to allow additional height in the interior of the Campus. REQUESTED ACTION: Staff is seeking further direction from City Council on the following: 1. Should staff continue preparing for a November 2024 ballot question to amend the City Charter to remove building height limitations from those areas described as mixed use in the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan? 2. Should staff conduct additional polling before a final ballot question is submitted to the Jefferson County Clerk for inclusion on the 2024 ballot? ATTACHMENT: 1. Final survey instrument This development framework diagram from the Master Plan (page 51) illustrates in yellow the expectation of lower density and lower intensity uses on the perimeter. By contrast, the purple shading represents a flexible mix of uses that could be taller and more dense in the interior of the site. The asterisks identify some of the existing buildings and potential reuse opportunities. City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey MAGELLAN ID: COWHEATRIDGE-0412124 Interview Goal: 600n Field Dates: TBD Margin of Error +/- 3.95% Hello. The City of Wheat Ridge invites you to participate in an important survey regarding a possible ballot measure to amend the City Charter to remove height restrictions from portions of the Lutheran Legacy Campus to facilitate future redevelopment at the Campus. Your opinion matters, and the City wants to hear from you. The survey will take about 12 minutes to complete, and your answers will remain confidential. T1. Could you please verify that you are at least 18 years old and a resident of Wheat Ridge, Colorado? Yes;-1 No;-2 IF 2: Thank you for your interest, but this survey is for residents of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, who are 18 or older. Have a good day. T2. Do you think things in Wheat Ridge are heading in the right direction, or do you feel things are off on the wrong track? Right Direction;-1 Wrong Track;-2 No Opinion;-3 IF T2 = 1 ASK T3 IF T2 = 2 ASK T4 IF T2 = 3 SKIP TO T5 T3. Please explain the reasons why you think things in Wheat Ridge are headed in the right direction. TEXT BOX, SKIP TO T5 T4. Please explain the reasons why you feel things in Wheat Ridge are off on the wrong track. TEXT BOX T5. Do you approve or disapprove of the job the City of Wheat Ridge is doing providing services to city residents? Strongly Approve;-1 Somewhat Approve;-2 Somewhat Disapprove;-3 Strongly Disapprove;-4 No Opinion;-5 ATTACHMENT 1 Magellan ID#: COWHEATRIDGE-021023 City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey Page 2 of 7 Interview Goal 600n, MoE +/- 3.95% Field Dates: TBD Magellan Strategies | 1685 Boxelder St. Suite 300 | Louisville, CO 80027 www.MagellanStrategies.com | 303-861-8585 Thinking now about the Lutheran Legacy Campus, located at 8300 W. 38th Avenue in the heart of Wheat Ridge… T6. Did you know that in August 2024, the Lutheran Hospital is moving to the Clear Creek Crossing development on a 26-acre parcel at I-70 and 40th Avenue? Yes;-1 No;-2 T7. How familiar are you with the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan that was approved by the Wheat Ridge City Council in October 2021, which lays out a vision for the future of the Lutheran Legacy campus? Very Familiar;-1 Somewhat Familiar;-2 Not Too Familiar;-3 Not Familiar at All;-4 Unsure or No Opinion;-5 T8. Did you know that the Wheat Ridge City Charter limits development height in most areas of the City? Yes;-1 No;-2 Before we continue, it is important to understand that the City has made no decisions to put a ballot measure before Wheat Ridge voters this November asking them to approve or reject an amendment to the City Charter. Your responses to the following questions will help the City make that decision. Let’s continue the survey now. As mentioned before, in October 2021, the Wheat Ridge City Council approved the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan. The plan is a collaborative effort that outlines a framework for future development while taking into account community expectations and goals. It anticipates that the site will include a mix of uses, including residential, office, civic, cultural, parks and open space, and commercial. However, the site is currently zoned as a Planned Hospital District, and permitted uses include only hospitals, hospice care, and accessory uses associated with a medical campus. Therefore, both the zoning for the site and the City Charter would need to change in order to realize the community vision outlined in the Master Plan. We will now ask you to read a potential amendment to the City Charter and indicate whether you would vote yes and approve it or vote no and reject it. T9. The Wheat Ridge City Council is considering placing the following amendment to the City Charter on the ballot this November: THE BUILDING HEIGHT LIMITATIONS OF THE CHARTER SHALL NOT APPLY TO THAT AREA DESCRIBED AS MIXED USE IN THE LUTHERAN LEGACY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN, ADOPTED OCTOBER 25, 2021, SPECIFICALLY AS SHOWN ON Magellan ID#: COWHEATRIDGE-021023 City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey Page 3 of 7 Interview Goal 600n, MoE +/- 3.95% Field Dates: TBD Magellan Strategies | 1685 Boxelder St. Suite 300 | Louisville, CO 80027 www.MagellanStrategies.com | 303-861-8585 PAGE 51 OF THE PLAN. THIS SHALL NOT MODIFY ANY CURRENT ZONING ON THE PROPERTY; UNLESS AND UNTIL MODIFIED THROUGH FUTURE ORDINANCES APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL AFTER PUBLIC HEARINGS. If this amendment were on the ballot this November, would you vote yes and approve it or would you vote no and reject it? Definitely vote yes and approve;-1 Probably vote yes and approve;-2 Probably vote no and reject;-3 Definitely vote no and reject;-4 Undecided;-5 We will now share some information about the Lutheran Legacy Campus and why this amendment to the City Charter is being considered. After reading the information, please indicate if you are more likely to vote yes and approve the ballot measure or if you are more likely to vote no and reject it. Let’s get started: [SAME RESPONSE OPTIONS FOR T10 TO T14] T10. The image below from the Master Plan shows a general description of the future uses at the current Lutheran Hospital site. The charter amendment would allow for taller developments in the mixed-use areas (shaded in purple) in exchange for keeping lower heights and open space on the perimeter (shaded in yellow) adjacent to existing neighborhoods. Knowing this, are you: T11. This amendment to the City Charter would only apply to the interior of the Lutheran Campus and would not apply to the perimeter of the campus or other areas of Wheat Ridge. Knowing this, are you: Magellan ID#: COWHEATRIDGE-021023 City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey Page 4 of 7 Interview Goal 600n, MoE +/- 3.95% Field Dates: TBD Magellan Strategies | 1685 Boxelder St. Suite 300 | Louisville, CO 80027 www.MagellanStrategies.com | 303-861-8585 Much More Likely to Approve;-1 Somewhat More Likely to Approve;-2 Somewhat More Likely to Reject;-3 Much More Likely to Reject;-4 Unsure or No Opinion;-5 T12. Currently, the City Charter limits height for residential buildings to 35 feet and 50 feet for commercial buildings. The current Lutheran Hospital is approximately 100 feet. Knowing this, are you: Much More Likely to Approve;-1 Somewhat More Likely to Approve;-2 Somewhat More Likely to Reject;-3 Much More Likely to Reject;-4 Unsure or No Opinion;-5 T13. The height of new buildings would not exceed the height of the current hospital. Knowing this, are you: T14. The Master Plan calls for a number of community and civic-focused amenites such as open space, parkland, restoration of historic structures, and other civic uses that were deemed highly desirable by the community. It will not be financially feasible to provide these types of amenities without allowing taller development in the interior of the property. Knowing this, are you: Much More Likely to Approve;-1 Somewhat More Likely to Approve;-2 Somewhat More Likely to Reject;-3 Much More Likely to Reject;-4 Unsure or No Opinion;-5 T15. Thank you for learning more about the Lutheran Legacy Campus and why an amendment to the City Charter is being considered. We will now ask you to read the ballot language again and indicate whether you would vote yes and approve it or vote no and reject it. THE BUILDING HEIGHT LIMITATIONS OF THE CHARTER SHALL NOT APPLY TO THAT AREA DESCRIBED AS MIXED USE IN THE LUTHERAN LEGACY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN, ADOPTED OCTOBER 25, 2021, SPECIFICALLY AS SHOWN ON PAGE 51 OF THE PLAN. THIS SHALL NOT MODIFY ANY CURRENT ZONING ON THE PROPERTY; UNLESS AND UNTIL MODIFIED THROUGH FUTURE ORDINANCES APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL AFTER PUBLIC HEARINGS. If this amendment were on the ballot this November, would you vote yes and approve it or would you vote no and reject it? Definitely vote yes and approve;-1 Probably vote yes and approve;-2 Probably vote no and reject;-3 Definitely vote no and reject;-4 Magellan ID#: COWHEATRIDGE-021023 City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey Page 5 of 7 Interview Goal 600n, MoE +/- 3.95% Field Dates: TBD Magellan Strategies | 1685 Boxelder St. Suite 300 | Louisville, CO 80027 www.MagellanStrategies.com | 303-861-8585 Undecided;-5 IF T15 = 1, 2 ASK T16 IF T15 = 3, 4 ASK T17 IF T15 = 5 ASK T18 T16. Please describe the reasons why you would vote yes and approve the amendment to the City Charter. TEXT BOX, SKIP TO T19 T17. Please describe the reasons why you would vote no and reject the amendment to the City Charter. TEXT BOX, SKIP TO T19 T18. If you had to decide today, do you lean towards voting yes and approving the ballot measure, or do you lean toward voting no and rejecting it? Lean Toward Voting Yes;-1 Lean Toward Voting No;-2 Still Undecided;-3 And now, we have a few questions for statistical purposes only… T19. Are you registered to vote in the City of Wheat Ridge as an Unaffiliated voter, a Democrat, a Republican, are you registered with another party, or are you not registered to vote? Unaffiliated;-1 Democrat;-2 Republican;-3 Other party;-4 Not registered to vote;-5 T20. How likely are you to vote in a local ballot measure election this November regarding a potential amendment to the City Charter? Are you: Extremely likely to vote;-1 Very likely to vote;-2 Somewhat likely to vote;-3 Unlikely to vote;-4 T21. Which gender do you most identify with? Male;-1 Female;-2 I prefer to self-identify as (____________);-3 T22. Are you between the ages of: Magellan ID#: COWHEATRIDGE-021023 City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey Page 6 of 7 Interview Goal 600n, MoE +/- 3.95% Field Dates: TBD Magellan Strategies | 1685 Boxelder St. Suite 300 | Louisville, CO 80027 www.MagellanStrategies.com | 303-861-8585 18 to 34;-1 35 to 44;-2 45 to 54;-3 55 to 64;-4 65 or older-5 T23. Which race or ethnicity do you most identify with? White;-1 Hispanic or Latino;-2 Asian;-3 Black or African-American;-4 American Indian or Alaska Native;-5 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander;-6 Two or more races;-7 Other (please describe: _____________);-8 I prefer not to say;-9 T24. Do you rent or own your home? Rent;-1 Own;-2 Other-3 I prefer not to say;-4 T25. How would you describe your annual household income? Less than $34,999;-1 $35,000 to $49,999;-2 $50,000 to $74,999;-3 $75,000 to $99,999;-4 $100,000 to $124,999;-5 $125,000 to $149,999;-6 $150,000 or More;-7 I prefer not to say;-8 T26. How long have you lived in Wheat Ridge? Less than a year-1 1 to 5 years-2 6 to 10 years-3 11 to 15 years-4 16 to 20 years-5 More than 20 years-6 Prefer Not to Say-7 Magellan ID#: COWHEATRIDGE-021023 City of Wheat Ridge Ballot Measure Survey Page 7 of 7 Interview Goal 600n, MoE +/- 3.95% Field Dates: TBD Magellan Strategies | 1685 Boxelder St. Suite 300 | Louisville, CO 80027 www.MagellanStrategies.com | 303-861-8585 T27. Looking at the following map, please indicate which City Council District you live in. District 1 (Blue);-1 District II (Green);-2 District III (Purple);-3 District IV (Orange);-4 The City of Wheat Ridge sincerely appreciates you taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions. Have a great day.