[BoulderCouncilHotline] Re: Please - Do Not for forward with current Alpine-Balsam Plan

[Morzel, Lisa]

Dear Carol

Thanks for writing.

The initial goal for the city to acquire this site were two fold:
1. To help consolidate city offices
2. To create affordable housing

The city, and even the county, never considered at the onset to include county offices at this site and the county has not been clear about their ultimate intentions.

I agree with you the city should include significant affordable housing at this site especially for seniors, people with disabilities, and those without cars. The Alpine Balsam site is especially excellent for these types of housing given the nearby shops (grocery, pharmacy, gifts, liquor) and services (medical, laundry, banking, restaurants, etc. ) and transit options (3 frequent and different bus lines).

Some have suggested doing some kind of a “swap” with the county for their land at Iris and Broadway yet that parcel is 0.8 miles from the community plaza which houses Ideal Market and 0.9 miles from the Hillside Shops which houses Lucky’s. For the populations I mentioned above, the Iris and Broadway county site would be far from convenient and in sharp contrast to being able to walk across Broadway for shops and services or across 9th Street to the park. Our focus must continue to be on housing.

Thanks for your input.

Lisa

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


How far we humans as stewards of the Earth have fallen.



On Sep 29, 2019, at 1:02 PM, Carol <cciufolo at aol.com<mailto:cciufolo at aol.com>> wrote:

I have written before about this issue but I will try again.

Please reconsider your plans for this site.  They say it is never too late to get it right, but in this case it is now or never with no going back.

I have to question the decision to put City/County administrative space over and above affordable housing or other opportunities for low income, moderate income, veteran housing, tiny homes, mobile homes - any combination.  You would certainly save money moving administrative functions but would I ever see those savings?  Doubtful.  And are those your priority over all else?  Surely you must recognize the unnecessary traffic issues that will arise if people are coming across town to these functions.  Where will they park?  Which already overly busy streets will they drive on?  Why not relocate your offices and staff to the opportunity zone where you can have parking and reduce in-traffic?

Please - especially now with the article in today's paper about staff poll - listen instead to what your true stakeholders are -- the citizens of Boulder.


Carol Ciufolo

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