Boulder planning board approves 206,978-sq.-ft. life‑sciences campus at 5675 Arapahoe with parking reduction and bike‑parking condition

The City of Boulder Planning Board on Dec. 17 approved a site review for two new life‑sciences buildings at 5675 Arapahoe Avenue after debating parking, bicycle access and how the project fits the city’s light‑industrial goals. The project, which the applicant estimates will total about 206,978 square feet on an approximately 9.8‑acre site, seeks a 19% reduction in required parking to 420 spaces and would place most parking below grade.

Why it matters: The proposal represents a substantial new office/lab campus in East Boulder’s industrial general (IG) zone, and board members pressed the applicant and staff about how the development will affect local transportation, wetlands and future tenants. The board approved the site review but attached a condition requiring staff and the applicant to maximize horizontal, charger‑ready, fully secure long‑term bike parking.

Staff presentation and findings Chandler (planning staff) told the board the project meets applicable site‑review criteria for research and development in the IG zone and BVCP policies for light industrial and environmentally sensitive design. Chandler recommended the board support the applicant’s requested parking reduction, citing proximity to RTD bus routes (Jump 206 and 208 and local stops on 50th and Arapahoe), a proposed Transportation Demand Management (TDM) package and a planned 12‑foot multiuse path on the north side of Arapahoe that the applicant will build.

“Staff finds that the parking reduction is supportable based on those factors,” Chandler said.

Project details and applicant response Joe Anastasi, principal of Oz Architecture, and Kyle Flippen of Schnitzer West described the site layout and design. The plan calls for two buildings (Building A at 42 feet, Building B at 40 feet), about 41% usable open space (compared with the 15% minimum in IG), surface parking concentrated behind Building A (about 147 spaces) and a single‑level below‑grade garage below Building B (about 273 spaces).

The applicant said the plan preserves wetlands and floodplain buffers on the site: the project is set back roughly 250 feet from Arapahoe to avoid an existing half‑acre pond and designated wetlands, and the buildable area has been raised out of the high‑hazard flood zone. The applicant also said the buildings use a modern material palette, include wraparound balconies and will include rooftop PV and measures intended to achieve LEED Gold.

Board and public input Public comment was brief; Lynn Siegel urged caution on growth and traffic impacts around CU and downtown Boulder. Board members and advisory bodies focused much of their attention on transportation and the building’s eventual use.

- Transportation advisory board (TAB) had earlier encouraged the applicant to pursue a parking reduction and to expand micromobility and long‑term bike parking. Design Advisory Board (DAB) suggested refinements to circulation, parking visibility and site edge architecture. The applicant said those boards’ feedback prompted major revisions, including flipping the building layout from the original submittal and reducing parking from roughly 560 to 420 spaces. - The TDM package the applicant offered includes eco‑passes for employees for at least three years, bike and pedestrian connections to the new north‑side multiuse path, EV charging infrastructure, car‑share drop‑off areas and carpool priority spaces. The applicant and staff said exact bike‑parking counts were clarified in the hearing (the applicant confirmed plans call for about 142 long‑term bike spaces and covered short‑term racks), but several board members pressed for more detail and for accommodations for heavier e‑bikes.

Contention over “research and development” vs. office use Several board members sought clarity about whether the buildings will be true research‑and‑development / life‑sciences facilities rather than conventional offices. George (Planning Board member) asked, “What in your mind makes this light industrial research and development and not just an office building?” Staff and applicant representatives said the land‑use definition for R&D in the code is broad and allows office functions ancillary to lab activities. Charles Ferrell (planning and development services) said business licenses and subsequent tenant fit‑out reviews are among the enforcement steps the city can use over time to confirm uses.

“I think this is a case of a beautiful office campus that’s being pitched to the city as an R and D complex, to fit in light industrial,” George said during deliberations, arguing the project could attract thousands of higher‑wage employees and intensify local housing and traffic pressures. Other board members, including Laura, said the applicant had responded strongly to advisory‑board feedback and recommended approval with conditions.

Decision, vote and conditions After deliberation the board approved the site review application (case LUR2023‑00036). The vote approved staff’s findings and the project’s requested parking reduction and included a board‑adopted condition requiring the applicant, in cooperation with staff, to: provide long‑term bike parking that is horizontal (not hanging), charger‑ready, and to maximize the number of fully secure long‑term spaces (for example, a locked room or cage with controlled access). Staff was authorized to finalize details and exercise discretion on implementation.

The board attached that condition after a separate amendment and roll call vote on the site review motion; the final tally reported on the record was four in favor and two opposed. (The planning board’s roll call is recorded in the official minutes.)

Other clarifying details and next steps - Project: two life‑sciences buildings, ~206,978 sq. ft. total, on ~9.8 acres (former Granville Phillips site). Zoning: IG (Industrial General); BVCP land‑use: light industrial; East Boulder subcommunity area. - Parking: city code calculation would require 518 spaces; applicant requested 420 (a 19% reduction). Surface: ~147 spaces; underground garage: ~273 spaces. - Bike parking: plans show roughly 142 long‑term bike spaces (applicant clarified an earlier TDM memo typo that listed 57). Short‑term racks are covered; staff and board pressed for more horizontal, e‑bike‑friendly secure spaces. - Wetlands/floodplain: applicant says the buildable area has been raised out of the high‑hazard flood zone and the wetland area at the front of the site will be left intact; staff confirmed wetlands and floodplain constrain site layout. - TDM: includes multiuse path construction on Arapahoe’s north side, eco‑passes, micromobility support and EV charging. Several board members asked for stronger, enforceable measures to reduce single‑occupant vehicle trips.

The applicant will finalize technical (construction) documents and permit applications; staff will review compliance with the board’s condition before permits are issued. Because the project involves wetlands and floodplain constraints, staff noted certain final connections and adjustments (for example, to bike/ped connections at the western property line) may be subject to feasibility reviews and applicable floodplain/wetland rules.

What’s next: the applicant will proceed to final design and construction permitting. The city will record conditions in the site‑review decision and track implementation through technical doc review and inspections.