The Aurora Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 22 voted 7-0 to find that the proposed Thirteenth Avenue Station Urban Renewal Plan conforms with the city comprehensive plan, sending the draft plan on to City Council for further action.

City urban renewal staff presented the plan as a tool to unlock two underused development sites near the Thirteenth Avenue RTD station by funding a new secondary access — a bridge across Tollgate Creek — and related public improvements. Jennifer Orozco, who presented the plan for the city, said the draft cooperation agreements with Aurora Public Schools, Arapahoe County and the Mile High Flood District have been signed by the other taxing entities and will be brought to council for approval on the Aurora side.

Orozco said the city has identified two constrained parcels — an RTD parking site north of Thirteenth Avenue and a privately held site (referred to in staff materials as the BOC/Bak Homes site) south of Tollgate Creek — that currently each have only a single point of access. The plan would finance a new connection from the terminus of Dillon Way across Tollgate Creek to the RTD property, providing secondary access the city says is necessary for higher‑density transit‑oriented redevelopment.

City staff presented a working cost estimate for the bridge of about $8 million, noting the figure is several years old and that engineering is underway. Staff reported $4 million in grant funding from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and a $5 million loan from AURA (the Aurora Urban Renewal Authority) that the city would expect to repay with tax increment financing (TIF) revenues from the new urban renewal area over a 25‑year period.

Orozco said the combined sites could accommodate roughly 950 housing units under the concept plans shown to the commission — about 430 units on the RTD parcel and about 526 units on the southern parcel — and that the plan is aligned with the Aurora Places comprehensive plan goals for transit‑oriented development, housing choice and parks/places.

Commissioners asked for clarifications on the TIF mechanics and grant timing. Commissioner Geiser asked whether the TIF would reduce tax receipts for the other taxing entities; Orozco said the taxing partners had negotiated cooperation agreements and that Arapahoe County, Aurora Public Schools and the Mile High Flood District had agreed to participate (staff later listed commitments of 60% from the county, 70% from APS and 100% from the city and AURA for the project). Commissioner Riley asked about grant expiration; staff said the first DOLA grant that is funding engineering must be spent by next October and that engineering work is underway.

After discussion, Commissioner Walls moved and Commissioner Riley seconded a motion that the Planning and Zoning Commission find the proposed Thirteenth Avenue Station urban renewal plan conforms with the city comprehensive plan; the motion passed unanimously. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council, which must consider the urban renewal area later in the process and hold the statutory public hearing before adoption.

The city staff presentation and the commission’s vote do not adopt the urban renewal designation or authorize construction; they are a recommendation that the plan conforms with the comprehensive plan and proceed in the statutory urban renewal process. The next steps staff described include Council consideration in December and a public hearing targeted for early spring 2026.