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Berthoud trustees deny Tundra Flats neighborhood master plan over limited commercial mix
Summary
After weeks of debate and a split recommendation from the Planning Commission, the Town of Berthoud Board of Trustees voted to deny the Tundra Flats neighborhood master plan and accompanying rezoning, citing insufficient commercial space and concerns about impacts on adjacent land uses and viewsheds.
The Town of Berthoud Board of Trustees voted to deny the Tundra Flats neighborhood master plan and the companion rezoning request following a public hearing and extended discussion.
Planning Manager Tom Hillenbrand summarized the proposal as a conceptual plan for a 6.6-acre infill site north of Mountain Avenue with one mixed-use building (about 3,700 square feet of ground-floor commercial) and four multifamily buildings totaling roughly 140–150 residential units. Hillenbrand told the board that the Planning Commission reviewed the request on May 28 and recommended denial, finding the application failed to meet neighborhood master plan review criteria 30-6-106(g)(1) (land-use mix) and 30-6-106(g)(5) (community desirability and balance of uses).
Tom Hillenbrand said, “Planning Commission found that the Tundra Flats request does not meet the neighborhood master plan review criteria, specifically criteria number 1 and number 5,” and he encouraged trustees to ask questions about the code interpretation and site specifics.
Applicant representatives described the project as an infill mixed-use development that would preserve open space (the design shows about 57% open area), add sidewalks and trail connections, and provide housing types the town lacks. Don Ryan of LAI Design Group said the team sought a balance between commercial activation and feasible residential density and that the site constraints had limited larger commercial prototypes: “We envision it as a vibrant, community hub for this part of Berthoud,” he said.
Trustees focused their deliberations on whether the proposed 3,700 square feet of commercial space met the comprehensive-plan and Mountain Avenue overlay intent for a primarily commercial corridor. Several trustees and Planning Commission members said the application placed too much weight on residential uses and not enough ground-floor commercial activation to carry the Mountain Avenue corridor’s mixed-use vision. Concerns also included potential view-shed impacts from three-story buildings adjacent to lower neighborhoods and whether the proposal adequately mitigated impacts to adjacent land uses.
Staff had recommended the master plan be approved on the basis of certain criteria (including criterion 2, related to changing conditions and phasing out of PUD zoning), noting the development would provide a housing type not readily available in town and would further housing diversity goals. Trustee discussion repeatedly returned to the subjective nature of interpreting a plan word like “primarily commercial” when the code does not set a specific percentage.
Trustee Anderson moved to deny the neighborhood master plan and rezoning and asked the town attorney to draft findings of denial; Trustee Grace seconded the motion. The motion passed on a roll-call vote recorded by the clerk.
The board directed staff and the town attorney to prepare ordinances and a resolution reflecting the findings of denial for formal adoption at a subsequent meeting. The applicant may revise the proposal and return through the neighborhood master plan and site-plan review process if they choose to address the board’s concerns.
What happens next: Staff will draft the findings of denial and bring ordinances/resolutions to a future meeting; the applicant can submit a revised application for future review.
