[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: FW: Growth & Development Issues

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Jones, Suzanne

>From Councilwoman Suzanne Jones
Concerns regarding growth and development in Boulder
       1) Pace, Scale and Nature of Development: The current pulse of development-in particular large-scale buildings with height, setback, or building intensity variances-has prompted public concern about the pace and scale of development and questions about whether this development aligns with our community vision. Perhaps just as important as the amount of additional development, is the type and the nature of new development and redevelopment, i.e., what it "feels" like, and whether or not it adds to people's sense of community and supports collective ambitions and values.
       2) Ensuring city zoning/building codes/current processes get us what we want and incentivize the type of development that the community supports: The current building boom is happening in the midst of some significant issues and shortcomings with our development planning process. Even if we were clear about our community vision for growth and development, it is not clear that our existing mechanisms are incentivizing the kind of development we want.
Proposed Action Items
1) Undertake a public dialogue about scale & pace of development: I think it is time for another community dialogue about our collective vision regarding overall development and growth. Such an engagement process should be a very inclusive and rigorous discussion about how much, what type, where, and at what pace. This public process needs to tease apart the many interrelated issues and address head-on the real trade-offs of various approaches in terms of carbon footprints, transit, neighborhood character, affordable housing, and other key values that are often in conflict. It should include mechanisms to review what has worked well and what hasn't and to enable people to identify specific examples of Boulder development that they like/dislike, so we can move forward informed by history lessons and community desires. The outcome should be a quantifiable Comprehensive Development Strategy, to be integrated with the Boulder Comp Plan, to guide future development and residential/commercial growth.
2) Address specific issues within our planning processes:  Let's look at the existing work plan to examine how to incorporate the following efforts (some are short-term, others longer-term):
.       Review and clarify what kind of explicit public benefits, in addition to density, should be sought in exchange for height and intensity bonuses, and amend policies to ensure bonuses are only given for explicitly enumerated community benefits that are binding, measurable, and enforceable. Explore requiring projects that receive intensity and height bonuses to be net zero GHG emissions above by-right.
.       Revise site review criteria to incorporate goals about tangible community benefits in exchange for increased intensity and height limit exceptions. Change policy to require that site review approvals are binding with regard to key project aspects and trigger a review/approval by Planning Board if a significant project feature is eliminated.
.       Review/amend Boulder's codes governing by-right development to ensure they are resulting in quality buildings with above-average architecture and made of lasting materials, and which set basic standards for shared parking and other measures often considered in discretionary review.  
.       Reconsider adequate public facilities fee methods to ensure they cover public impacts, including carbon emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and affordable housing as part of increases in workforce population.
.       Explore requiring that Transportation Demand Management plans for new commercial projects, particularly ones with intensity entitlements, last longer than 3 years and perhaps indefinitely.
.       Review/revise our current land use intensity code to incentivize smaller residential units over larger ones.  
.       Develop joint strategy with Boulder Housing Partners, including needed zoning/ordinance changes, to incentivize preservation of existing affordable and workforce housing, with specific projects targeted.
.       Consider creating a Housing Advisory Board to help develop, coordinate, and monitor City actions on housing issues at all levels as part of the Comprehensive Housing Strategy.