Ernest Health Rehabilitation Hospital

This is a new online concept review! Share your ideas about how this development application might be improved to better serve the community, leave comments that will be shared with the City Council, and/or ask questions about the proposal using the tabs below.

Project Overview

This proposal is for a new approximately 53,000 sf rehabilitation hospital to be located at 9150 Metro Airport Avenue, just north of the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. The Northwest Denver Rehabilitation Hospital is a facility that will provide care for patients recovering from stroke, heart attack, brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic conditions, cancer, and pulmonary conditions. The facility will offer physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy services that bridge an important gap in transitioning patients from acute care facilities back to living at home. The proposed use complies with the uses listed in the Jeffco Business Center Planned Unit Development Plan.

A full movement access from Metro Airport Avenue will connect to Longs Peak Drive. Two points of access into the proposed lota are shown off of Longs Peak Drive, which connects to Wadsworth Parkway via a right-in-right-out movement.

Per the Broomfield Municipal Code, Chapter 17-32-050, off-street parking is required for hospitals at a ratio of 1 space per bed. While this property is located within the Broomfield Station Parking Reduction Area, hospitals are ineligible to be considered for parking reductions. The project narrative indicates this hospital will include 56 beds. A minimum of 56 parking spaces is required based on the number of beds proposed. The concept plan indicates that they are providing 133 parking spaces, with 120 designated as standard-sized stalls and 13 designated as ADA-accessible. The site is overparked by 77 spaces.

Bicycle parking is subdivided into long-term and short-term types. No long-term bicycle parking spaces are required. A minimum of 5% of the total number of motor vehicle parking spaces is required for short-term bicycle parking spaces are required. A minimum of 3 short-term bicycle spaces are required at the primary building entrance.

A full review of the required number of parking spaces - including electric vehicle parking - will take place should this application move forward with a formal development review application.

Project Details

Location: 9150 Metro Airport Avenue, west of Wadsworth Parkway and south of Metro Airport Avenue

Project Type: Commercial

Applicant: Great Lakes Capital

Project Description: The concept plan review of a proposed rehabilitation hospital. Should this development proceed past the concept plan review stage, a final plat and site development plan/urban renewal site plan will be required. The final plat would subdivide an approximately 11.79-acre lot into two lots.

City and County Staff Analysis

Consistency with Zoning: The property is zoned Planned Unit Development (PUD) being subject to the Jeffco Business Center PUD Plan. The proposed use is consistent with the uses listed in the PUD Plan.

Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and Compatibility with Surrounding Uses: The property is identified as "commercial" per the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed use for the property is consistent with the land use map in the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed use is also compatible with the surrounding uses in the area.

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport: The site is to the north of the Jefferson County Metropolitan Airport within the designated Airport Influence Area, but just outside the airport critical zone and runway protection zone as identified in the Jefferson County Map with the airport overlay. Due to its adjacency to the airport, the building should be constructed with sound attenuation building materials.

An avigation easement granted to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport will be required with the final plat.

Long-Range Financial Plan: The proposed use is consistent with land use assumptions in the long-range financial plan.

Conceptual Sustainability Elements: Sustainability elements have not been finalized at this stage of the process. The applicant has indicated that elements of sustainability will center around meeting the energy codes to include providing electric vehicle charging stations.

Inclusionary Housing and Public Land Dedication: Since this is not a residential use, the inclusionary housing and public land dedication requirements are not applicable.

Possible Key Issues:

Staff has identified the following key issue based on the request to develop this site into a hospital:

Parking - The Broomfield Municipal Code establishes the minimum number of parking spaces at a ratio of 1 parking space per bed. The proposal includes 56 beds. Given that the parking plan on the concept drawings shows 133 parking spaces, the proposed development is overparked by 77 spaces. Staff will work with the applicant during the formal development review to reduce the parking. Or if the applicant wants to continue with this many parking spaces, they would need to submit a parking and traffic study that demonstrates the need for the proposed number of parking spaces with their formal development review application.

Public Engagement

You can engage with this project using the Questions and Comments tabs below, or by emailing planning@broomfield.org. Feedback must be submitted by during the concept plan review. Feedback shared on this project page will be provided to the City Council as they consider the development application.

You can also provide comments for the City Council Concept Review via the Public Comment tab below. You can participate by phone using the instructions found on the City Council Meeting Web Page.

Concept reviews are the first step in the land development process. Concept reviews allow developers an opportunity to introduce their development proposal and receive initial feedback from City Council, Broomfield Boards and Commissions (including the Land Use Review Commission), and residents. This step in the process does not approve or deny the proposal but instead helps the developer to consider feedback while they refine their development proposal prior to the formal development application. This step is the best time to share concerns or comments as it allows the developer the most time to consider changes in response to the feedback they receive.

The project timeline on this page provides an overview of the next steps in the development process should the developer choose to move forward with their proposal.