Longmont planning commission approves 1313 Spruce (Bond Farm) preliminary plat with park‑buffer trade

The Longmont Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 10 approved a preliminary plat for the 1313 Spruce Avenue project, known as Bond Farm, and four associated administrative modifications, including a negotiated reduction of the park buffer along the site’s proposed neighborhood park. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote of 6–1 and the decision enters a seven‑day appeal period beginning Dec. 11.

The project as approved would allow 61 dwelling units — a mix of duplexes, townhomes and small multi‑unit buildings — on land designated as Residential Mixed Neighborhood under Envision Longmont. Planning staff recommended approval of the preliminary plat and the requested modifications, noting the property had been treated as an infill site and is eligible for larger deviations under the city’s land development code.

Developer Mark Young and the design team told the commission they had substantially reworked the site through multiple community charrettes and staff reviews. Mark Young offered two conditions he said the team would pursue if the commission approved the plat: an effort to improve Park Place as a temporary gravel turnaround to add parallel parking (subject to separate city approvals), and acceptance of a larger park buffer than the developer had initially requested — moving from a 9‑ft buffer to 14 ft 6 in — in exchange for allowing limited, unenclosed 3‑ft front porches, steps and egress window wells to encroach into the front‑yard setback. "I think we've reached with the community," Young said, describing the compromises negotiated with neighbors.

Several neighbors urged a smaller scale or asked staff and the commission to preserve the park legacy. Neighbor David Palmer said residents had asked for 24–36 units and warned the proposed density would overload narrow neighborhood streets; "This 1 month of delay ... is going to increase the cost of every single home in this community by $1,000," public commenter Shaquille Doolal told commissioners as an example of process costs that can affect housing affordability.

Commissioners and staff discussed technical issues at length: how converting alleys to public streets affects setback and transparency standards; fire access requirements and building sprinklers; pedestrian and trail connections to the nearby Saint Vrain Greenway; and parking counts. The developer and architect provided a site parking summary during deliberations: they reported roughly 110 garage spaces, about 57 driveway spaces, 12 recessed spaces on Spruce Avenue and a few additional unassigned surface spaces; they also said the total supply exceeded minimums under the city’s current guest‑parking ratios.

Vice Chair Poland (motion maker as recorded in the minutes) moved to approve the plat and modifications with the buffer adjustment and specified encroachments; the motion was seconded, amended in form by the maker, and approved by a 6–1 roll call (Commissioner Lang voted no). Chair Judson Hite read the formal approval into the record and advised that the decision is subject to a seven‑day appeal period through Dec. 17 at 5 p.m.

What happens next: approval of the preliminary plat allows the applicant to proceed toward final plat and design submittals. Several items discussed by commissioners — the developer’s proposed Park Place improvements, the final park programming and any detailed building materials or massing — will be resolved in later review phases or in consultation with parks, public works and other city staff. Interested parties may submit a written appeal to the city clerk and planning office within the stated seven‑day window.

The commission praised the level of community engagement reflected in the project’s charrettes and asked staff to continue developing tools to streamline certain affordable‑housing and infill reviews. The applicant and staff emphasized that some concessions offered to neighbors (parking improvements, porch encroachments) require separate city approvals and are not guaranteed by the plat action alone.