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The ProjectThe City of Arvada is in the process of updating the Design Guidelines for Olde Town Arvada. In 1998 the Arvada Downtown Historic District was established and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Subsequently the city adopted Design Guidelines in 2004 for Olde Town and established a process for overseeing development in the district and surrounding conservation area.

The city adopted the Arvada Transit Framework Plan in 2007 in anticipation of the arrival of the commuter rail and station in the heart of Olde Town. Plan implementation strategies included the exploration of amendments to the Design Guidelines for Olde Town Arvada which would be supportive of development that is both sensitive to maintaining the character of the Downtown Arvada Historic District and the character of a transit oriented development. In addition, several years of work with the Design Guidelines have identified the need to update and reorganize the adopted document.

Workshop #1 ContentAn essential component of the study is to frame a future vision for the Olde Town area. In Workshop #1 citizens were provided an opportunity to identify and comment on various development prototypes within the study area.

The following handouts and display materials were provided to inform the discussion and document feedback:

• Zoning Code Map• Photo Tour Poster• Design Framework Map

• Worksheet Set 1: Building Types HandoutThis set of handouts provides examples of six building types and related design criteria. Design criteria for these building types addresses: building placement, building articulation, first floor definition, height and open space.

Design Guidelines Update for Olde Town Arvada

Workshop Summary

Participants provided comments on case study infill projects for specific sites within the study area.

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• Worksheet Set 2: Case Studies WorksheetParticipants provided comments on case study infill projects for specific sites within the study area. The case studies used the building types from Worksheet set #1, so participants had a general understanding of the projects they were viewing. These case studies did not represent actual projects, but were provided to collect feedback on whether or not citizens felt these project were appropriate to sites within the study area.

The following is a list of comments that were provided and does not necessarily reflect consensus from the participants.

Case Study #1• Three stories is not appropriate• Second story is appropriate if it is set back from front facade• Consider solar access at the front and back of the building• Reflect the traditional pattern of one and two story parapet heights• Second story provides view opportunities from this side of the street

Case Study #2• Third story is not appropriate• Third story is appropriate if it is set back from the facade• Reflect the traditional pattern of one and two story parapet heights• Reflect the traditional building widths• Activate the plaza edge

Case Study #3• Increase building setback along Ralston to allow for additional solar access and wider sidewalks• Third story is appropriate if it is set back from the facade• Three story facade is appropriate at the corner of Ralston and Yukon• Provide a variety of parapet heights• Articulate the building facade to reflect traditional commercial building widths • As you proceed south along Yukon, break up building• Consider views from Old Wadsworth• Like the variety of one, two and three story buildings along the street

Case Study #4• Increase building setback along Ralston to allow for additional solar access, site lines and wider sidewalks• Third story is not appropriate• Third story is appropriate if it is set back from the facade• Three story facade is appropriate at the corner of Ralston and Yukon• Provide a variety of parapet heights

Citizens were engaged in workshop

activities throughout the evening!

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• Articulate the building facade to reflect traditional commercial building widths • Treat intersection as gateway to Olde Town; provide corner plazas• Provide transition to residential edge; step building down

Case Study #5• Reflect the traditional pattern of one and two story parapet heights• Articulate the building facade to reflect traditional commercial building widths • Allow for grand views from the street and north side• Consider solar access to the street• Activate plaza edge

Case Study #6• Break up the building mass• Activate the park edge • Density is appropriate• Architecture should relate more to Olde Town (“not Water Tower buildings”)• Activate plaza edge

• Worksheet 3: Appropriate Building Types in Contexts WorksheetAfter Worksheet #2 was complete, citizens then identified appropriate and inappropriate building types for other subareas within the study area. They pasted images from the Building Type illustrations on the maps and added notes.

The following is a list of comments that were provided and does not necessarily reflect consensus from the participants.

Historic Commercial Corridor• No third story• Set back third story from front facade• Small mixed use appropriate (Type D)• Keep Olde Town building height

Participants identified appropriate and inappropriate building types within subareas.

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Historic Commercial Row• No third story• Small mixed use appropriate (Type D)• South side two story OK• View concerns

Transitional edge• Mixed-use with interior parking structure (Type B)

Residential Edge (no images pasted)• Multifamily homes should blend with historic homes• Duplex that look like historic homes• Commercial maintained in a historic fashion only• Keep it low• No change - keep residential scale• No mixed use

Ralston Road Corridor• Improve streetscape; streetlights, wider sidewalks and trees-similar to Olde Town• Set back third story from front facade• Mixed use appropriate (Type C)

Olde Town Core• Third story is appropriate if it is set back from the facade• Multifamily appropriate (Type A) ; third story is appropriate if it is set back from the facade• Mixed use appropriate (Type C)• Small mixed use appropriate (Type D)

East edge of Olde Town• Fourth story is appropriate if it is set back from the facade• No more than three stories• Mixed use appropriate (Type C)• Small mixed use appropriate (Type D)

Key themesThe following key themes are noted:

• Building design should be close cousins to historic buildings• Provide a variety of building heights• Consider views• Consider solar access• Transition to sensitive edges• Break up building mass• Provide pedestrian-friendly edges

Viewpoints differ about building height in the following areas: Old Wadsworth Blvd. (two and three story buildings), Ralston Road Corridor (two and three story buildings), and East Edge of Olde Town (three and four story buildings).

Next steps

The consultants will be developing a strategy regarding height policy in the Olde Town area. This will include another public workshop where we will refine the building height policy for each of the subareas within the study area boundary. The design guidelines update will then be completed to reflect the policy that is established.

For more Information contact:

Cheryl Drake, Senior PlannerCity of ArvadaPlanning & Zoning Division8101 Ralston RoadArvada, CO 80001-7000

(720) 898-7435cheryl@arvada.org

Consultants:Winter & Company1265 Yellow Pine AveBoulder, CO 80304303-440-8445winterandcompany.net

S H E A R S A D K I N S1821 Blake St., Suite 1ADenver, Colorado 80202PH. 303-436-9551www.shearsadkins.com