Agenda Date: 7/22/2025
Subject:
Title
Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan Scoping and Goals Update
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Zareen Tasneem, Senior Planner |
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Sara Dusenberry, Senior Planner |
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Presentations: |
Zareen Tasneem, Senior Planner |
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Sara Dusenberry, Senior Planner |
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Adrienne Burton, Manager of Innovation and Performance Excellence |
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Rachel King, Economic Development Director |
PURPOSE:
Staff is seeking City Council support to move forward with the proposed scope and approach to the Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Vibrant Community with a Rich Culture; Sustainable Community with Natural Beauty; Robust and Resilient Economy; Safe Community
DISCUSSION:
The 2024 City Council retreat prioritized further study of Littleton Boulevard and was identified as one of the top 30 initiatives detailed in Horizon 2027, the City’s Strategic Plan. . Staff developed a project scope during summer 2024 based on feedback from a City Council study session on May 24, 2024 and issued a request for proposal (RFP) in November of 2024. Through the RFP process, staff identified a qualified consultant and is working to finalize the scope and process for the subarea plan. Staff will provide an overview of the proposed scope and process and is seeking City Council support to move forward with the plan approach.
BACKGROUND:
Littleton Boulevard nicknamed the “Mid-Mod Mile,” for the unique mid-century modern architecture that can be found in both commercial and residential buildings along the corridor, has long been a priority for the City of Littleton. This city gateway and corridor, once the main economic corridor of the city, is home to a large concentration of mid-century modern architecture, both commercial and residential.
In 2002, City of Littleton City Council voted to ratify a corridor study of Littleton Boulevard, which would have created design guidelines to enhance future development and preserve the unique character throughout the corridor. Though adopted, resources were not identified for implementation. Since then, two other studies commissioned by the City, as well as one Capstone project from a student at the University of Colorado-Denver’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program, have been conducted and provided further insight and unfunded recommendations.
As the region and Littleton continue to grow and develop, there is increasing pressure on the historic attributes of the city that require careful consideration for preservation. Littleton Boulevard provides a unique opportunity to preserve and showcase the mid-century commercial and residential architectural styles. This corridor has also been identified as a priority for economic development opportunities, increased housing density, and enhanced multimodal amenities. As a key gateway to the city, this subarea plan has been identified as a key strategy to investigate these opportunities and to establish a vision for the corridor that can be incorporated into the city’s Capital Improvement Plan.
Plan’s Purpose and Focus Areas
To address the current pressures and opportunities along Littleton Boulevard, the subarea plan seeks to serve as a guiding document for long-term corridor improvements and will focus on land use, historic preservation, economic development, housing, transportation and mobility, and streetscapes and green infrastructure. The study area is bounded on the west by the railroad tracks and on the east by the city limits. The north and south boundaries will be defined during the initial phases of the planning process to ensure a context sensitive transition from commercial uses to the surrounding residential neighborhoods. The final plan will be data-driven and community informed and will provide a guiding vision with prioritized regulatory strategies and recommendations to create a thriving corridor that balances preservation with progress.
The plan is centered on six main pillars to ensure a holistic approach to understanding the opportunities for preservation and growth along Littleton Boulevard. Each pillar and their purpose within the plan are noted below:
1. Land Use - Ensure development along the corridor is sustainable, equitable, and adaptable to future growth.
2. Historic Preservation - Preserve and celebrate the unique character of the corridor, while allowing for context sensitive, new development.
3. Economic Development - Ensure growth that stimulates economic activity, attracts investment, and creates job opportunities.
4. Housing - Encourage a mix of housing options, including affordable and workforce housing, to ensure that the area remains inclusive and accessible to a diverse population.
5. Transportation and Mobility - Enhance transportation infrastructure with a focus on multimodal options to improve connectivity and reduce reliance on cars.
6. Streetscapes and Green Infrastructure - Integrate green infrastructure and sustainable stormwater management systems to enhance aesthetic appeal of the corridor, while promoting environmental sustainability and resilience.
Planning Process
Data collection is a vital component of the plan and will include analysis of existing plans and studies the City has conducted, as well as existing conditions of each pillar along the corridor. Existing studies and plans relevant to the corridor will be reviewed to identify applicable data and gaps or needs in understanding Littleton Boulevard. The existing conditions analysis seeks to understand the current opportunities and constraints for each pillar along the corridor.
The final plan will provide recommendations and strategies for implementation to reach the long-term vision and goals for Littleton Boulevard as well as potential identified long-range capital investments. Public engagement and analysis of existing conditions along the corridor are vital to developing a strong, implementable vision for Littleton Boulevard. Engagement will seek broad community input through in person and virtual opportunities. Additionally, a stakeholder working group (SWG) will provide feedback and input throughout the planning process. This group is expected to be comprised of members of City Council, the City’s various boards and commissions, business owners, residents, and others. The input received through various engagement efforts, coupled with extensive analysis of the existing conditions will provide the framework for the vision and various recommendations for the plan.
The full subarea planning process is expected to take eighteen to twenty-four months.
Project Deliverables
The primary deliverable is the final plan document with recommendations and an implementation strategy. The implementation strategy is expected to detail actions for near term, mid-term, and long-term goals, and provide information related to responsible parties, funding strategies, partnership opportunities, timeframes, and metrics. In addition to the final plan, draft language for updates to the Unified Land Use Code (ULUC) will be provided and are an example of a near term implementation item. Updating zoning code language will allow the city to immediately start working towards the overall vision of the corridor by addressing historic resources and guiding future development. Mid-term implementation items may be strategies for economic development like the creation of public financing districts and branding, while infrastructure and transportationrelated projects would likely have a longer-term implementation period.
In addition to the final plan and recommendations, there are expected deliverables that will assist in the development of recommendations or implementation of the vision for the subarea. The expected deliverable and which pillar(s) they will most impact are listed below:
• Draft policy language for updating the ULUC
o Land Use, Historic Preservation, Housing, Economic Development, Streetscapes and Green Infrastructure, Transportation and Mobility
• “Mid Mod Mile” streetscape design guidelines
o Land Use, Historic Preservation, Streetscapes and Green Infrastructure, Transportation
• Financial model for prospective public financing districts
o Economic Development
• Economic and Demographic Analysis
o Economic Development, Housing, Land Use
• Parking Utilization Study
o Transportation and Mobility, Land Use, Streetscapes and Green Infrastructure
• Intersection Treatment Pilot Projects (if budget remains)
o Transportation and Mobility, Streetscapes and Green Infrastructure
Economic Impact Analysis
As noted above, study of existing plans and City efforts in other corridors is incredibly important, because Littleton Boulevard has influence on and is affected by other areas of the city. This is especially evident with the corridor’s proximity to Downtown Littleton. Historically, development along Littleton Boulevard drew business away from Downtown and was a primary driver for its economic decline in the mid-Twentieth Century. To ensure these two corridors work together to strengthen reinvestment, it is recommended to utilize the efforts of the Economic Impact Study (EIS) for Project Downtown and associated ad hoc services. The EIS will provide critical economic analysis, tactical insights, and implementation-focused strategies that strengthen the subarea plan’s recommendations and support alignment across major reinvestment corridors. Further detail on how these two efforts will work together is included in the attachments.
Next step
Staff will bring the contract award to City Council for approval at a future meeting date late summer 2025.
Prior Actions or Discussions
• 2002 City Council direction to investigate the potential for an overlay on Littleton Boulevard
• 2018 State Historical Fund grant to develop a historic context and complete reconnaissance and intensive survey forms related to the development of commercial modern architecture in the city’s Littleton Boulevard corridor.
• 2021 ULUC drafts contemplated a Mid-Modern Design Overlay for this area. It was determined in discussion with City Council and Planning Commission that additional work and research beyond the scope and timeframe of those updates were needed. As a result, the Mid-Modern Design Overlay is reserved as a special corridor planning area for the future.
• May 2022 A capstone report produced by a UC Denver student provided recommendations for preservation and enhancement of Littleton Boulevard.
• 2024 City Council retreat identified the Littleton Boulevard study as a 2-3-year priority initiative.
• Spring 2024 Historical Preservation Commission and Planning Commission provided insight regarding the scope of the proposed Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan.
• May 28, 2024 City Council study session discussion on proposed subarea plan scope and budget.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Funds to be appropriated at time of contract award.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A