[BoulderCouncilHotline] Alpine Balsam options and discussion

[Morzel, Lisa]

Dear Colleagues,

After considering our discussion last night on alpine balsam and considering the specific options, I am fine with taking options 1, 3, and 5 off of the table so that staff can really focus on options two and four, which are basically the same, and do a good job with that.

I recognize not a majority yet agree with taking option 5 off the table but for me it is about land-use, urban design, building form, height variation, permeability, public spaces. My problem with option 5, as I stated last night, is bringing an office building back onto balsam and directly across the street from the two-story houses. Office uses should stay on Broadway. While the current hospital building extends into the middle block, the building is more concentrated on the south side of the middle block than on the north, which is parking and low building height. Having a four-story office building with zero setbacks right on balsam across the street from two-story houses does not seem to me like a compatible fit. I also strongly object to building any additional parking structures on the current Alpine Balsam block. For me, it is not whether it is county or city or both on this site, it is more about having an office building and not housing in that middle block, which is my objection. The city bought alpine balsam with the specific intent of having city offices and lots of housing that is affordable. 

I agree with Mary Young‘s premise that we, the city, need to bring the two end members in the public discussion to a more common ground and options two and four, in my mind, can do that. 

Thanks. 

Lisa

Lisa Morzel
Member, Boulder City Council
303-815-6723 c
303-938-8520 h


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