Complex proposal wins support
Broomfield Planning and Zoning Commission officials gave their blessing to a proposed apartment complex in the Interlocken business park but convinced the developer to remove a controversial portion of the plan that would have reduced the number of parking spaces required.
Hines Inc., a Houston-based global real estate development firm, is planning the Retreat at Broomfield on a roughly 6.5-acre parcel at 400 Interlocken Crescent. The project would include one-, two-, and threebedroom apartments, a pool, fitness center and dog park.
The developer is seeking a planned unit development amendment to allow for residential building within the Interlocken commercial area.
The site was initially purchased by Hines with an eye toward building office space, but recent market trends have forced a change of plans.
“The site does not work for an of fice building … because of its size and the current trajectory of the office market in this area,” Hines multifamily development director Elliott Marks told commissioners during a hearing this week.
In addition to the PUD amendment, Hines initially sought a variance that would reduce the number of parking spaces required to 1.5 spaces per unit. Code requires 1.5 spaces for each one bedroom unit, two spaces per two-bedroom unit, 2.5 spaces per three-bedroom unit.
Broomfield leaders have approved parking variances for past projects, but “sometimes those have come back to haunt us,” commissioner Earl Franz said.
Hines agreed to withdraw its parking variance request, and the
Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the PUD amendment. The project will not go before the Broomfield City Council for further review and ultimate approval.