[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Thoughts on CU South land use changes for Tuesday

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Weaver, Sam

Fellow Council Members and HOTLINE followers,

I have been thinking about options for moving ahead with CU South land use changes, and I find that I am not satisfied with the choices before us currently.    One option, of course, is no change to the current land use designations, but that seems nonsensical, with a medium density residential use shown in what is expected to be a flood detention area.  Another option we have been presented is the designation of all but approximately 80 acres of the CU South site as Public (with the southeastern remainder as OS-O).  This option seems to greatly understate the potential for flooding on portions of the property, pre-supposes that the CU levee will remain in place moving forward, and does not fully honor the potential habitat restoration that could take place in the center of the property immediately west of the CU levee, as detailed by our Open Space and Mountain Park Board of Trustees.

In light of the many findings by our staff and Planning Board, I would propose another option, which is to designate the current 80 acres as OS-O as proposed by staff , but to supplement with additional OS-O lands which follow the border of the 0.2% flood area as designated by FEMA (see map here: https://www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/FEAM_map_sbc-1-201702141100.pdf?_ga=2.93981791.312108163.1495734087-65912058.1495655805 ). Whether this designation is captured with a map or via the wording of the guiding principles, or both, is not as important to me as designating the high-value habitat that we have the opportunity to preserve/restore to the west of the CU levee, as well as the protection of human life through proper flood planning in the area.

In addition, in the area to the north that we expect to be flood detention or otherwise disturbed when a flood dam is constructed on the northern section of the property, I propose a Parks (Urban or Other) land use designation.  This type of designation acknowledges the possibility of light use such as athletic fields, but with no structures with around the clock habitation.

It is clear that we will not know precisely which uses make sense where on the property until additional geo-technical studies have been done, and further habitat restoration studies have been accomplished.  I would urge us to be cautious about changing land use designations until we have the study results which will enable the detailed design of the dam to protect South Boulder from future flooding.  Only when we have clear flood mitigation and habitat preservation plans should we move ahead with any additional land use changes, in my opinion.

I look forward to discussing these issues further on Tuesday evening.

All the best,

Sam Weaver
Member of Boulder City Council
weavers at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:weavers at bouldercolorado.gov>
Phone: 303-416-6130