Council approves Mid Cities PUD amendment to convert hotel site into 150 apartments with income-aligned units

The City and County of Broomfield City Council approved Mid Cities Planned Unit Development Amendment No. 10 to permit standalone residential on Lot 1 (480 Flatiron Boulevard), allowing up to 150 apartment units and requiring compliance with income-aligned housing rules.

Planning staff told council the amendment would increase permitted residential units on the site to 150 and trigger a public land dedication (PLD) obligation totaling 6.89 acres, with a calculated cash-in-lieu estimate (based on current average land value) of about $658,200. Staff noted the proposal remains consistent with the comprehensive plan's mixed-use commercial designation when considered across the larger Mid Cities PUD area.

Applicant representatives described an adaptive-reuse approach to convert an extended-stay hotel into apartments. The applicant said units already include kitchens and full baths, making conversion more straightforward than a ground-up build, and said the conversion can deliver a mix of studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms. Sky Stewart, a project team member, said the team plans to meet the municipal code requirement for affordable units and that they view that as a floor rather than a ceiling: "We are planning to meet the code requirement around, affordable housing, but also want to say that that's really a minimum for us."

Council members questioned whether the required affordability would be provided on-site or satisfied via cash-in-lieu. Staff and the applicant said a memorandum of understanding commits to the code minimum (20% of units at 60% AMI) and that broader affordability conversations with partners could continue if housing is approved on the site. The finance presentation noted the fiscal analysis used typical market assumptions rather than the property's recent occupancy levels; staff explained that the $60,000 estimate in the memo reflects market comparables and not the current, lower occupancy at the property.

Councilors also raised airport noise and sound mitigation and asked whether upgrades (windows, notification devices) would be needed; the applicant said hotel construction already incorporates some mitigation and that they would address any necessary improvements where required by code.

After council discussion, the resolution authorizing the PUD amendment passed unanimously (8-0) with one member having left the meeting. The approval allows the property owner to proceed with adaptive-reuse design and follow-up permitting; final cash-in-lieu amounts and PLD calculations will be set at building permit stage per municipal code.