[BoulderCouncilHotline] HOTLINE: UHCAMC Comments on Hill Hotel Concept Design

[Wiebenson, Sarah]

Dear Boulder City Council,

In advance of tomorrow night’s City Council meeting, the University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission has requested that staff forward the following letter with their comments. The commission reviewed the concept design as previously submitted to the Planning Board at a special meeting on April 21st.

Please feel free to let us know if you have any questions for the commission. We appreciate the earlier HOTLINE questions from Council Member Wallach and are working on a response by mid-day tomorrow.

Best,

Sarah

Sarah K. Wiebenson
Community Vitality

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Email: WiebensonS at BoulderColorado.gov<mailto:WiebensonS at BoulderColorado.gov>

 Community Vitality
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Dear Boulder City Council,
The University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission (UHCAMC) convened a special meeting on April 21, 2020 to review the concept design for the proposed Hill hotel in advance of the council’s concept design review on May 12, 2020. UHCAMC is the advisory board to the City Council for matters related to the University Hill General Improvement District (UHGID) and pursuing the Hill hotel project would include the sale of a UHGID-owned surface parking lot. The commission has followed closely the evolution of the Hill hotel project and provided input to the development team and City Council periodically over the past five years to provide its perspective on supporting the vitality of UHGID and its businesses. UHCAMC also provides input on district streetscape improvements, beautification efforts and mobility/access enhancements. We are pleased to be able to offer our comments to you on the proposed concept design below.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Liguori, Chair and Property Owner Representative
KC Schneider, Vice Chair and Property Owner Representative
Gwynedd Bailey, Property Owner Representative
Robin Luff, Member At-Large
Andrew Shoemaker, Member At-Large

Building Mass and Scale

  *   Comfortable with what has been presented so far.
  *   Good flow through the site.
  *   Would be a huge upgrade from what is there now.


Use of Ground Floor Commercial Space

  *   Retail vacancies on the Hill are an issue, and it may not be advisable to mandate retail use in the commercial space.
  *   Use of the space for co-working would bring year-round users to the Hill and generate the foot traffic needed to fill vacancies in the historic core.
  *   The hotel needs to be a community asset, more so than driven by retail uses.
  *   It may benefit the project, however, to dedicate some portion of the ground floor space to retail concepts with crossover appeal among Hill residents, students and others. New construction offers a chance to attract high quality retail that currently won’t consider locating in the historic core.
  *   Whether retail or another commercial use, the goal is to activate the ground floor. Problems arise on the Hill in areas with little activity, creating a vacuum for bad behavior. If the commercial space is used for office, consider integrating a coffee shop or other retail uses in its lobby.


Prioritization of Alley Enhancements Plan Implementation

·       Commissioners unanimously supported the Planning Board suggestion to pursue concurrent implementation of alley enhancements plan elements, as funding and other UHGID priorities allow.


General Comments

  *   The project should raise the bar for the level of design and style on the Hill, and be an opportunity to return to the diversity of businesses that the Hill used to enjoy, i.e. offer both upscale and casual establishments.
  *   Important to note that an east-west pedestrian connection does not currently exist and may not be welcomed by the adjacent tenants. Goal is to reinforce the north-south connection, to make it as attractive as possible for hotel/conference center guests to access UHGID’s historic core.
  *   Consider landscaping and streetscape elements that reference those in the historic core to tie together the two parts of the district.
  *   Consider biophilic design (use of plantings within the building architecture) to soften the structure and make it more welcoming.

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