Planning board hears site‑review proposal for three R&D buildings at 1855 South Flatiron Court; board continues decision to Feb. 4

Developers and design consultants presented Jan. 21 to the Boulder Planning Board a site‑review application for a three‑building research and development campus at 1855 South Flatiron Court. The project would redevelop a 9.87‑acre property with three three‑story buildings and associated sitework, approximately 207,011 square feet of building area in total. The applicant requested two height modifications (buildings in flood‑plain areas) and a 23% parking reduction (398 spaces proposed where 519 are required by standard code calculations). The applicant also requested an extension of the standard three‑year vested‑rights period to nine years and a phased construction plan.

Why it matters: The site sits inside the Flatirons Business Park and the East Boulder sub‑community plan’s “destination workplace” place type, which anticipates employment‑focused uses but also encourages multimodal access, ground‑floor activation and connections to the Flatiron Greenway. The project raises questions about long‑term vesting, how parking reductions match future occupancy and how roof‑line and facade treatments can reduce the perceived bulk of floor‑plate‑heavy R&D…