Boulder planning board backs rezoning for East Boulder 300‑unit project, approves form‑based code review with conditions

The City of Boulder Planning Board voted to recommend that City Council rezone 5501 and 5505 Arapahoe Avenue to MU‑4 and, in a separate decision, approved the developer’s form‑based code application for a five‑story mixed‑use building containing 300 dwelling units and about 2,918 square feet of retail. The rezoning recommendation passed unanimously; the form‑based code approval passed 4–3 after extended questioning about design, open space, and exceptions.

Why it matters: The project is the first major redevelopment under the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan (EBSP) and the new East Boulder form‑based code (STAMP). Staff and the applicant argued the project would deliver housing near jobs and transit, preserve an existing East Boulder business in relocated retail space, and provide a significant contribution to the city’s affordable housing fund. Board members and members of the public identified tradeoffs between achieving higher density and ensuring street‑level design quality, usable outdoor spaces, and production‑oriented ground‑floor spaces.

What the board approved and required: Staff found the application generally consistent with the form‑based code aside from several requested exceptions; the board ultimately approved the application with these key…