Boulder County

COUNTY NOW USING S.B. CREEK UPDATED FLOODPLAIN MAPPING

In mid-November, Boulder County began using the recently updated South Boulder Creek 100-year floodplain mapping to regulate land use in the affected areas and will continue doing so until the mapping receives final approvals from the federal government and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The mapping places significantly more homes in the 100-year floodplain, 1,137 compared to the 363 previously affected properties. The map projects that the most severe flooding in a 100-year event would occur west of Foothills Parkway between south Boulder road and Baseline Road. The City of Boulder submitted the revised mapping to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for adoption in August. FEMA approval is likely by fall 2008. The City will begin using the mapping to regulate land use on January 1, 2008.

COUNTY STRENGTHENS GREEN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS

On November 28, 2007 the Boulder County Board of Review adopted significantly strengthened BuildSmart (Green building) code changes that will substantially increase the level of sustainable development and redevelopment in unincorporated Boulder County. The BuildSmart program includes five mandatory requirements; 1) deconstruction, 2) recycling and reuse of construction waste and materials, 3) energy efficiency, 4) use of on-site renewable energy systems, and 5) and indoor water conservation. BuildSmart will apply to new residential construction as well as additions and remodels of existing structures throughout the County's unincorporated areas. The larger the resulting structure, the more stringent the requirements. The Board of Review action on building code changes is final. No Board of County Commission action is required. On another front, The Boulder County Planning Commission will meet on December 5 to review the results of consultant's economic analysis of the Expanded TDR program beginning at 6:30PM. The analysis, released on November 29, concluded that the program, as proposed, is viable but includes some market uncertainty.