Resilience in Downtown Evergreen, Colorado

Report Summary: Downtown Evergreen is a charming mountain town main street in Jefferson County, Colorado. It was built in a floodplain along Bear Creek near Evergreen Lake before zoning existed. Current zoning, onsite parking requirements, and floodplain regulations don’t fit with the existing buildings or character of this unincorporated area. Recently, there have been proposals for retrofitting existing buildings to allow additional uses, such as residential above retail or office. While these uses are supported by the Comprehensive Master Plan, the zoning, parking, and floodplain regulations are hinderances to redevelopment. Additionally, there is not a sufficient funding mechanism in place for the local community to improve the physical infrastructure of the downtown. In September 2019, ULI Colorado convened a Technical Advisory Panel composed of volunteer experts to help Jefferson County and the Evergreen Legacy Fund (ELF) answer their questions about zoning, parking and connectivity, financing, and resilience for downtown Evergreen, CO.