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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-16-2025 Study Session NotesCity Council Study Session NOTES CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 WEST 29TH AVENUE, MUNICIPAL BUILDING  June 16, 2025  Note:    This meeting was conducted both as a virtual meeting and hybrid, where some members of the Council or City staff were physically present at the Municipal building, and some members of the public attended in person as well. Eight members of Council were present in Council Chambers for this session.  Before calling the meeting to order, Mayor Starker stated the rules and procedures necessitated by this meeting format.  1. Call to Order Mayor Starker called the Study Session to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call Council Members present: Scott Ohm, Rachel Hultin, Korey Stites, Leah Dozeman, Jenny Snell, Janeece Hoppe (via Zoom), and Dan Larson. Absent: Amanda Weaver Staff present: City Manager Patrick Goff, Assistant City Manager Marianne Schilling, Management Analyst Cole Haselip, Police Chief Chris Murtha, Police Sgt. Lucas Hunt, and Sr. Deputy City Clerk Margy Greer. 3. Public Comment In Person Walt Kordziel – resident - spoke about the effect the development on Lutheran Campus will have on his home. He stated the City Council representatives have never pushed back against city management regarding the zoning. No residents were involved in the decision-making process. He stated that decisions are made by Council and city management and the residents’ opinions Julia Reese – resident – stated there is no historic designation for the structures on Lutheran Campus. She stated there is no guarantee that the developer will do the right thing and not tear down the buildings. She stated that 2000 homes can be built on the property. She stated that something of this magnitude should be voted on by the people of Wheat Ridge. 4. Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Developer City Manager Patrick Goff stated that Intermountain Health used a comprehensive request for proposal process regarding the development of Lutheran Legacy Campus. After reviewing ten proposals, Intermountain asked the City to interview the three finalists. Once the process was completed, Intermountain chose E5X. Goff introduced Chris Elliott of E5X to introduce the proposed project. Mr. Elliott introduced his firm and spoke to the effort the City and residents put into developing the Master Plan for the project. He stated the Master Plan makes the process of integrated the project into the community much more sensible. The concept of utilizing a mix of housing options and requiring along the perimeter of the property that they be similar in nature to surrounding properties on 3-sides. Mr. Elliott spoke to the history of the property, their preliminary conversations regarding the different types of housing, the rezoning of the property, and the layout of the Master Plan. He stated there are conditions embedded in the zoning code which mandates preservation of the chapel and the blue house. He said they will be integrated into the overall community. Chris Elliott spoke to the need for tree preservation helping buffer into the new community. There will be open space through the middle of the property along with working with the ditch company to replace the ditch with an underground pipe and incorporate it into the open space, so it becomes a more active park and trail area. He went on to show a brief PowerPoint presentation which depicted architecture similar to the existing towers at the entryway, reminded Council that it is a very preliminary layout. LEGACY will probably be used as the name of the overall development. He spoke about integrated landscaping into the entryways of the property. He showed photos of the proposed park area, walking/biking paths throughout the housing areas, and proposed water features and utilizing the water for irrigation. He then answered questions from City Council members and stated he looked forward to working with them in the future. 5. Municipal Facility Feasibility and Planning Draft Report City Manager Patrick Goff introduced this item by explaining the history behind the City Council, giving approval to move forward with the architectural planning contract needed to research the feasibility of moving some of the city offices to the Lutheran Legacy Campus. Rebeccah Silva with the architectural firm also gave the history of the buildings on site and showed options for the best utilization of the buildings for city facilities. She reviewed the cost estimates, stating they were very preliminary figures. After a question-and-answer period, City Council reached consensus to move forward with the architectural firm’s recommendations. Mayor Starker called a recess at 8:12 pm and reconvened the meeting at 8:20 pm. 6. Property Acquisition for Public Works and Parks Shops Patrick Goff showed the layout of the current Public Works’ shop, and the property proposed for purchase by the City for a much-needed addition to the Public Works’ shops. Pinnacle Real Estate representatives were available to answer questions. They gave a brief presentation on the inclusions and requirements that would be incorporated into the purchase agreement. Dan Beiers, City Facilities and Fleet Manager, stated that the available space is the exact area of space needed. After a question-and-answer period from Council members, Council reached consensus to have staff move forward with the purchase of the property. 7. City Manager’s Report Patrick Goff spoke to the upcoming high temperatures and spoke about the products and services being provided to those unhoused during the heat wave. Patrick Goff asked Lauren Mikulak, Director of Community Development, to present the update regarding the car wash on 44th & Gray. Mikulak stated that the city has been in touch with the operators daily and she stated it is taking more time than anyone anticipated to get the problem resolved. The car wash owner was cited into Court with a July court date and the city continues to with them to solve the issues. 8. Elected Officials’ Report Mayor and City Council Members stated their pride in the City, thanked staff for their hard work, and reported on events and activities they attended over the past weeks. 9. Adjournment There being no further business to come before Council, Mayor Starker adjourned the Study Session at 9:09 p.m. _________________________________ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk _______________________________ Korey Stites, Mayor Pro Tem