City of Boulder

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City of Boulder

INITIATIVE PROPOSED TO GIVE BOULDER VOTERS SAY ON ANNEXATIONS
A group of South Boulder residents is mounting an initiative campaign to get a question on the November ballot that would give Boulder voters authority to approve annexations. The group, ‘Empower Boulder’ is opposed to the development of the Hogan/Pancost property west of 55th Street next to the East Boulder Recreation Center. The group’s website, www.empowerbouler.org also identifies the CU South property at U.S 36 and Table Mesa Drive and the Palmos property at 28th and Jay as examples of potential annexations voters should decide. In truth, the group is focused on the Hogan/Pancost property that is near their neighborhood. The voting on annexations is an attempt to change the rules to block constructions of 115 homes at the site. Petitioners need to collect signatures from 4000 registered voters to get the question on the November ballot. This is potentially very bad public policy. It is consistent with the historic development of land use policies in Boulder that has overlaid numerous amendments to the code in reaction to small groups of citizens to address their grievances. The result is the most complex, confusing and costly land use regulatory system in the country. Nearby municipalities of Erie and Mead have voter annexation approval requirements and have struggled with a variety of unintended consequences that have limited their respective development opportunities and options. Erie will ask voters to substantially amend their requirement this November. (See details in Town of Erie section below.)

CITY PARTNERS WITH BEC FOR ECONOMIC VITALITY
For the next four to six months the Boulder Economic Council (BEC) Director, Sean Maher, will serve as the City’s interim director of economic vitality. A post vacated on May 3rd after nine months on the job by Michael Stumpf, the City’s first economic vitality coordinator. City Manager Frank Bruno announced the move to the City Council on May 17. The partnership between the City and the BEC is unprecedented in Boulder, but is similar to public/private economic development partnership used all over the country. Maher will provide staffing, leadership and coordination for the Economic Vitality program.

INTERNET REPORTING OF CODE VIOLATIONS ENCOURAGED
City officials announced a new Internet site in May that will allow citizens to report neighbors’ code violations, including downloading photos of the alleged violation(s). City officials believe the move will save time and money while allowing for efficient enforcement action. Web based communication will replace the often time consuming back and forth telephone messages that has been the most common way citizens repot alleged violations. Over the summer, the Planning Department will launch several Web-based services that will increase customer convenience and save taxpayer dollars. Examples include an application that will allow individual to check the status of various permit applications while another will let residents see all the various zoning, building code, flood plain information that applies to their home simply by entering an address.

500 BLOCK OF MARINE NOW A HISTORIC DISTRICT
City Council approved the creation of the Highland Lawn Historic District on May 3, 2005. The 19-home neighborhood includes all properties in the 500 block of Marine Street. The neighborhood was originally a Town in the late 19th century. The Highland Lawn Historic District is the first historic created in the City since 2001. An attempt to declare virtually all of University Hill neighborhood a historic district in 2003 was broadly opposed and quickly abandoned. City officials plan to revisit the historic designation process over the summer. Since the early 1970’s, 84 municipalities and 18 counties in Colorado have adopted historic preservation and land-marking regulations.

CU SEEKS MEDIATION IN LAND DISPUTE WITH BOULDER COUNTY
University of Colorado officials are holding out an olive branch to city and county officials regarding the future of the so-called CU South Campus. In April, the CU Regents approved a resolution asking the Colorado Supreme Court to suspend the legal process involving the University and Boulder County for 90 days to allow mediation of the dispute. Boulder County has claimed jurisdiction over the property and the authority to approve any development proposed on the site. CU disagrees and filed suit in state court. The 308-acre parcel located west of U.S. 36 and south of Table Mesa Drive has been the center of controversy since the mid-1990’s when the University purchased the property. The land has been identified as potential open space by the city for decades. Although the mediation process will be conducted behind closed doors, public briefings will be scheduled that will allow citizens to get updated information and have their questions answered.

CU CONSIDERS CHANGE TO CAMPUS HOUSING POLICY
Property managers, landlords and investors should keep an eye on CU discussions considering requiring students to live on campus during their freshman and sophomore years. Currently CU requires incoming freshmen to live in campus housing. According to CU officials, the policy change is being considered to bolster academic performance. In order to accommodate the policy change, CU would need to construct housing that would add 1000 beds to the University’s current 5700 inventory. At a time when the rental vacancy in Boulder is at historic highs, hovering around 10 percent, adding 1000 beds could present a challenge to the local property management, landlord and investor communities.