C I T Y O F B O U L D E R PLANNING BOARD AGENDA ITEM MEETING DATE: July 19, 2018 AGENDA TITLE: Public hearing and consideration of a Use Review application (case no. LUR2018-00008) for a change in the operation of the Colorado Chautauqua Cottage 1 (aka Galey Cottage) which is part of the Chautauqua use and located near the Chautauqua Auditorium. Proposed are a small events and meeting space venue as well as a short-term rental for lodging at Chautauqua. No change to the square footage of the building is proposed. Exterior improvements and maintenance are proposed as approved through HIS2017-00369. Minor landscape changes are also proposed. Applicant: Shelly Benford, Executive Director Colorado Chautauqua Association Property Owner: Colorado Chautauqua Association REQUESTING DEPARTMENT: Planning, Housing and Sustainability Jim Roberson, Executive Director Charles Ferro, Development Review Manager Elaine McLaughlin, Senior Planner OBJECTIVE: 1. Hear Staff and Applicant presentations 2. Hold Public Hearing 3. Planning Board discussion 4. Planning Board action to approve, approve with conditions, or deny SUMMARY: Proposal: Colorado Chautauqua Cottage 1 (aka Galey Cottage) located near the Chautauqua Auditorium as small events and meeting space venue as well as a short-term rental for lodging at Chautauqua. No change to the square footage of the building is proposed. Exterior improvements and maintenance are proposed as approved through HIS2017-00369. Minor landscape changes are also proposed. Project Name: Chautauqua Cottage 1 (Galey Cottage) Location: 900 Baseline (Colorado Chautauqua); Cottage 1 address: 1 Chautauqua Park aka 1 Chautauqua Drive aka 1 Goldenrod Drive Size of Tract: 40 acres overall, Cottage 1: approximately 5,750 square feet Zoning: Residential Low – 1 (RL-1) Comprehensive Plan: Low Density Residential KEY ISSUE: Staff has identified the following key issue: does the proposed project meet the Use Review criteria of the Land Use Code section 9-2-15(e), B.R.C. 1981? I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The proposed Use Review is for a change in operating characteristics from an owner occupied residential use to a small events and meeting space venue; as well as a short-term rental for lodging at Chautauqua. The Use Review was approved by Planning and Development Services staff on May 4, 2018 and the decision was called-up during the 14-day call up period on May 17, 2018. As shown in Figure 1, the 40-acre Colorado Chautauqua is located off Baseline Avenue at 9th Street on the west side of the city and at the base of the Flatirons. It is regarded as one of the primary visitor destinations in the city for entertainment, culture, education, and recreation with numerous hiking trails originating from the site. Figure 1 illustrates an aerial of the site context. Agenda Item 5A Page 1 of 50 The Colorado Chautauqua has a long, well-known history. It was established in 1898 as part of the national ‘chautauqua’ movement for education and culture. At the height of the original movement, around 1915, approximately 12,000 communities had hosted a chautauqua. According to the Colorado Chautauqua, “Founded in the spirit of the original New York Chautauqua, the Colorado Chautauqua embraced the vision of a “university experience” for all. This was the beginning of adult education. Courses offered during the early years ranged from training in science and the arts for teachers, to literary lectures for general visitors. From the start: a true summer retreat intended to uplift and enlighten.” The Colorado Chautauqua originated from Texas educators and officers of the Colorado and Southern Railroad who came to Colorado searching for a location for a Chautauqua as a summer school for teachers by the Texas Board of Regents, it was originally called the Texas-Colorado Chautauqua. Boulder city leaders offered land, facilities, and public utilities to the Texas educators and partnered with them to create the cultural and educational summer retreat. According to the Chautauqua Network website notes, “at its height, the Chautauqua movement attracted millions to hear educators, preachers, explorers, travelers, scientists, politicians and statesmen, singers, violinists, pianists, bands and orchestras.” And, “Theodore Roosevelt hailed it as, “them most American thing in America.” Over the past 118 years, the auditorium has also hosted variety of speakers from William Jennings Bryant, Al Gore and the Reverend Jesse Jackson to TEDx talks; with a diverse array of performers including Wynton Marsalis, Lyle Lovett, Boulder Philharmonic, Joan Baez, BB King and Ziggy Marley. Figure 4 illustrates several posters for events over the decades that illustrates the long-term variety of cultural, entertainment and educational events that have occurred at Chautauqua, in keeping with the original vision. Agenda Item 5A Page 2 of 50 Today, the Colorado Chautauqua is one of only 17 remaining in the country and is also one of only 25 National Historic Landmark Districts in the State of Colorado as well as a local Landmark Historic District, with both designations occurring in 1978. Additional historic photos of the Colorado Chautauqua are available on the website. The subject Galey Cottage 1 (Figure 4) was constructed in 1925 and is considered a contributing structure to the National Historic District. A separate Landmarks Alteration Certificate was approved earlier this year and the improvements to the building are pending approval of this Use Review. Figure 4: Front of Galey Cottage Build out of the site occurred overtime, with tents replaced by cabins and fixed foundations. Figure 5 illustrates how the site was infilled over time, provided by a landscape study of Chautauqua done in 2003. Since that time, the site has remained static in terms any addition structures. The exception being a small restroom building added to the west side of the Auditorium. Figure 5: Figure Ground Map of Chautauqua’s Urban Form Overtime As shown in Figure 6, there are a number of different types of functions on the 40-acre property ranging from the large Chautauqua Auditorium, to the Dining Hall, Community House, Missions House Lodge and Columbine Lodge, along with the park ranger station, a small gift shop (referred to as the “General Store”) and 99 cottages, most of which have existed on the site since the turn of the last century. The Colorado Chautauqua is owned by the City of Boulder and the applicant, the non-profit Colorado Chautauqua Association (CCA), is the 501(c)(3) organization that operates as the stewards of the site. The City of Boulder owns three of the site’s buildings: the Auditorium, the Dining Hall, and the Academic Hall which the CCA leases from the City. The CCA owns the Community House, the Missions House Lodge, the Columbine Lodge and 61 of the 99 cottages on the premises; the remaining 38 cottages are privately owned with land subleases that are executed through the CCA. Under the city’s lease agreement, the CCA has first right of refusal on the sale of any private cottage in the leasehold, and in early June of 2017 the CCA purchased the Galey Cottage which was the first cottage acquisition the CCA made in 16 years. On Jan. 18, 2018 the CCA was granted a Landmarks Alteration Certificate for replacement of non-historic windows and doors on a contributing structure through its association with Chautauqua and its well-preserved Craftsman design. Agenda Item 5A Page 3 of 50 Subject Site Figure 6: Chautauqua Grounds and Uses Agenda Item 5A Page 4 of 50 Hiking Trails. Chautauqua is also a staging area for a number of hiking trails that lead to the Flatirons. The subject Cottage 1 (Galey Cottage) is located adjacent to the trail access to the Enchanted Mesa and McClintock Upper Trail and a parking area for both the picnic pavilion as well as the trails. Land Use and Zoning. The BVCP land use designations at Chautauqua are “Park, Urban and Other” and Low Density Residential (Figure 8). The zoning on the site is Residential –Low 1 (RL-1) refer to Figure 9; and the overall use of the site is considered a “governmental facility.” According to the Chautauqua Design Guidelines, “while the site is zoned RL-1, the average lot sizes is only one-half the size of lots within the zoning district. Because it was originally platted for tents, the average lot size was increased somewhat with the shift in emphasis to more permanent cottages. The buildings are typically set back 15 feet from the street and five feet from the side property lines. There are no lots that delineate individual properties, in the same way that the densely planted landscape materials are unrelated to property. This creates the effect of a summer camp…” Figure 8: BVCP Land Use Designations Figure 9: Zoning PROCESS. Given the that the build out of the site occurred well over 100 years ago, there is no specific overall development plan, and because of the ownership and management of the property, it is considered a “government facility” use. In 1989 Design Guidelines were adopted, and in 1996, the city established protocols for evaluating modifications and updates to structures. In a memorandum prepared by Deputy City Attorney Jane Greenfield (Attachment A) it stated, “it is our understanding that housing of various types were commonly associated with Chautauquas of the late 19th and early 20th century as providing housing for performers, teachers and guests.” In addition, it was noted, “each individual structure will not be reviewed for its conformance with particular use category, but rather as part of the entire Chautauqua use.” Agenda Item 5A Page 5 of 50 At that time, an as-built plan was created at that has been utilized as a means to assess any changes on the site, typically through Minor Modification and Landmarks review process.