Broomfield staff calls for design changes to proposed Via Varra EV station
The proposed six-charger station generally fits the property’s commercial designation, staff says, but needs site and design changes before a formal application and public hearing.
Broomfield staff says a proposed 24/7 electric-vehicle charging station at 13892 Via Varra generally fits the property’s commercial designation but needs changes to its design and site plan before the applicant can submit a formal application.
Staff recommends changes to Via Varra station design
The proposal calls for six high-speed, dual-port chargers serving 12 publicly accessible charging stalls on a 1.79-acre property. It would include a pull-through canopy and an approximately 217-square-foot unmanned building with bathrooms, vending machines and maintenance storage. If it advances, the station would be Broomfield’s first stand-alone electric-vehicle charging station, the city’s study-session packet says.
Staff’s advisory review says the concept is generally consistent with the site’s commercial designation and that the planned-unit development allows fuel stations in the applicable area. Staff identified changes needed to the canopy, amenity building, landscaping, screening, lighting and signage.
The packet says the concept does not yet meet gateway-development policies calling for high-quality landscaping, entry features, signage and compatible architectural design. Staff also said lighting fixtures must point downward and avoid glare on adjacent properties.
Residents raised concerns at a May 18 neighborhood meeting about the station’s compatibility with surrounding uses, maintenance and operations, noise, lighting and landscaping. The applicant addressed those topics in its project narrative.
The concept review is advisory and does not approve or deny the station. The City Council is scheduled to discuss it at a Sept. 15 study session.
If the applicant proceeds, it must submit a formal Site Development Plan. Because the property is smaller than seven acres, the application would require a public hearing before the Land Use Review Commission and could be called up for City Council review.
That site-specific process is separate from Broomfield’s citywide electric-vehicle charging ordinance. Council approved Ordinance 2301 by a 9-1 vote after rejecting a proposal to remove stand-alone charging stations from permitted-by-right use lists in several business and mixed-use districts, the Sept. 8 meeting record shows. The ordinance packet addresses when charging stations may operate as a primary use; it does not replace the design and public-hearing process for this proposed station.