- PDF meeting packet – 870 pages (most of those pages are attachments for the development code update agenda item)
- Video replay – 3:30:38
Click on the agenda item in the menu to the right of the video to go to that part of the playback.
While the summary below is intended to be fair, it may contain errors and is ultimately one person’s interpretation. All interested parties are encouraged to view the relevant portions of the meeting recording to come to their own conclusions.
The summary is not comprehensive but notes highlights from the session.
Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Commission Interviews
The council conducted interviews with two candidates and considered their application along with the candidate interviewed at the 5/13 meeting.
All three candidates are from Ward 3 with only one vacancy open. Ward 1 currently has no representation on the commission. One Ward 1 applicant withdrew from consideration.
Parks and Recreation Visioning Plan
The consultant for the parks and rec visioning plan provided council an overview of the project.
The project will produce a 2-5 year strategic plan and a 20-year comprehensive plan.
An equity tool is being built that will provide a public-facing dashboard communicating information on capital improvements, long-range plans, and land acquisitions. This is inspired by similar dashboards currently available through the Atlanta, GA and Tacoma, WA city governments.
The currently live community survey has received 180+ responses so far. According to the second-half 2024 population and housing report, Thornton has 153,992 residents.
Residents can take the survey here.
Development Code Update
Staff intended this briefing to be the final opportunity for council input before moving to the formal public hearing process ahead of adopting the code updates.
Staff addressed three areas of concern raised by council at the 5/20 meeting:
- Increasing housing choice/affordability in Residential—Low Density (RL) District
- Building heights and standards in Transit-Oriented Development areas
- Oil and gas well/production sites permitted by right
Housing Options in the Residential—Low Density (RL) District
At 1:03, staff displayed a table comparing the different residential districts and the types of housing permitted in each. This table is shown on page 52 in the PDF packet.
Staff presented options for expanding housing types in the low density district, allowing cottage housing and/or triplexes/quadplexes. Another option is to reduce lot size requirements or eliminate lot size requirements as requested by one developer.
Other options include requiring a mix of housing types and eliminating the low density district entirely, letting the mid density district to cover most housing types included in the low density district.
Council Member Martinez noted that the city’s housing needs assessment noted a deficit of rental housing, providing a counterpoint to concerns that housing density that increased rentals might lower property values. The city provides a Word document file version of the assessment.
Council Member Ayala asked whether there are means for the city to enforce affordability standards. Staff explained that the city does not currently have mechanisms to enforce affordability, such as deed restrictions.
Staff noted that the city currently has a consultant working on affordable housing recommendations.
Height Limit in Transit-Oriented Development
Staff recommended updating the Station Area Master Plans that were originally adopted between 2012 and 2017: Original Thornton at 88th, Crossroads at 104th, 112th Avenue, and Eastlake at 124th. New STAMPs should be created for new TOD areas.
Council Member Sandgren asked about the ground floor commercial requirements. Staff reported that the current requirement is 25% of a development be devoted to commercial, which is a reduction from 50% based on developer feedback.
Sandgren also described how apartment residents are being charged for parking now that state-level parking space reductions are in place. Staff reported that the city will not be enforcing those state-level standards.
Oil and Gas Wells/Production Sites
The city attorney’s office is working on a report describing what the city can do to regulate oil and gas sites within the scope of state and federal law.
New Comments from Developers
Staff sought council input on five topics raised in developer feedback: lot dimension standards, nonresidential and multi-unit dwelling facade and architectural standards, nonresidential vehicular circulation standards, parking lot standards, and parking standards (vehicles and bikes).
Council reaffirmed pedestrian-friendly measures for crosswalks and sidewalks that had received pushback from developers.
Project Finalization
No properties are being rezoned. Some districts are being renamed and two new districts are being created. A new zoning map will be prepared to reflect the name changes.
Planning and permit fees are largely unchanged. A new fee is proposed for administrative adjustments at $115 (2:37:00).
The code changes adoption will have its first reading before council and a public hearing on July 22.
Voter Designation for Colorado Municipal League and National League of Cities
Council selected representatives to vote at the Colorado Municipal League conference in Brekenridge, Colorado in June and the National League of Cities summit in Salt Lake City, Utah in November.
Council Member Sandgren was selected as the primary and Council Member Martinez as backup for the Colorado Municipal League.
Council had not yet finalized travel schedules for the National League of Cities summit, so that designation was deferred.
2025 Festivals and Events
Staff provided an overview on events scheduled for 2025 and a preview of the city’s 70th anniversary in 2026.
Council members raised ongoing questions related to lack of cultural diversity at WinterFest. Staff reported that those concerns were being addressed, including through coordination with the Thornton Arts, Sciences, and Humanities Council.
Staff reported that movie rights costs may require canceling the Float & Flicks special event at the Park Village Pool.
Some events, including Juneteenth, Pride, and Dia de los Meurtos, are outgrowing their current locations and will need to be relocated elsewhere within the city in the near future.
Staff called for community volunteers to coordinate a new Veterans Day event that would be supported by the city.
Council Discussion
Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow requested that the land acknowledgment reading be rotated among council members, incorporating a suggestion from Mayor Kulmann that the rotation be opt-in.
Council Member Martinez proposed a revision to a scheduled resolution condemning the June 1 antisemitic attack in Boulder and denouncing antisemitism.
Martinez sought to remove language that could be seen as entangling the city with matters of international policy, which he indicated had been the position of council in the past. Council agreed to the change.
Council Member Ayala asked council’s input on new ways the city can commemorate military service members. Ayala noted how other cities and Adams county have dedicated military parks while Thornton memorials are distributed in small spaces throughout the city. Staff will create an inventory and report.
Thornton Civic Observatory 