Downtown Review Board backs rezoning, land‑use plan and vacates block of Boulder Street for Palmer High School campus consolidation

The Downtown Review Board on Nov. 4 recommended approval of a zone change that would move the Palmer High School property into the city’s form‑based zone, approved a land‑use plan for phased campus redevelopment, and voted to vacate one block of East Boulder Street between North Nevada and North Weber to permit a consolidated campus.

City staff and the applicant framed the project as both a safety and educational investment. Ryan Tiefertiller, urban planning manager, told the board that the three interdependent applications—a rezone into the FBZ T2A sector, a land‑use plan, and a right‑of‑way vacation—cover roughly 8.27 acres and would require separate hearings before Planning Commission and City Council. Jessica Wise, executive director of engagement for Colorado Springs School District 11, said the district is funding Phase 1A with $100,000,000 in certificate‑of‑participation proceeds and described the proposal as a community‑driven effort to modernize Palmer and better integrate the school with downtown.

Architects and planners described a three‑phase master plan. Phase 1A includes a new three‑story academic wing and renovation of Palmer’s 1939 ‘‘Front 9’’ building; Phase 1B would add a practice football field and regulation track that require using the current Boulder Street alignment; Phase 2 would add a gymnasium, pool and additional facilities. Brian Calhoun of RTA Architects said consolidating academic, athletic and extracurricular functions on a single campus would reduce students’ need to cross busy downtown streets during the school day.

Traffic, emergency access and neighborhood impacts drew sustained scrutiny. The applicant presented an April 2025 traffic study and follow‑up traffic counts from September 2025 after a temporary construction closure of Boulder; applicant consultants reported updated counts indicate less than the initially projected impact and said emergency response times would increase by about 20 seconds under the proposed closure. Todd Frisbie, city traffic engineering, told the board that signal retiming, bump‑outs and parking changes are mitigation options and that detailed pedestrian improvements can be refined on the development plan.

Opponents, including Cheryl Brown of the Historic Uptown Neighborhood Association and resident Daniel Wei, said vacating Boulder would break the historic 400x400 block standard, harm pedestrian connectivity and put pressure on unsignalized intersections. Brown urged saving four houses along Saint Vrain that fall within the Weber‑Wasatch historic district; the applicant replied those buildings were evaluated and did not individually qualify for historic registry and said the district had sought partners to relocate or preserve them but no partners had come forward.

Board members asked whether school permits issued through Pikes Peak Regional Building allowed work to proceed before local entitlements. Staff explained state review for public school construction permits can be processed separately; demolition and foundation permits issued for the school to use COP funds were consistent with that practice but vertical permits will not be circulated to city zoning for sign‑off.

Votes and next steps: the board voted to recommend approval of the zone change (Item 8a); it approved the land‑use plan (Item 8b) with technical modifications (passed with one board member opposed); and it approved the right‑of‑way vacation (Item 8c) with conditions and technical modifications (passed with two board members opposed). Each application will next be heard by Planning Commission and, ultimately, City Council, which has final authority over the vacation and any conditions tied to it.

The board’s decision creates a path forward for the consolidated campus concept while leaving open specifics on pedestrian mitigations, potential intergovernmental agreements to preserve public use if campus use ceases, and funding for later phases. Appeals of DRB actions must be filed with the City Clerk within 10 days of final action, per the City Unified Development Code.