[BoulderCouncilHotline] Study Session Comments - August 10, 2021

[Young, Mary]

Dear Colleagues,

As I will not be present at Tuesday's Study Session, below is my input on the topics.

Facilities Master Plan (FMP)

Questions

  1.  How do city owned vacant lots fit in to the FMP?
  2.  How would an unfunded acquisition opportunity be handled should one present itself prior to the establishment of a funding strategy?
  3.  How would housing as an adaptive use for a current holding be considered?

Comments

  1.  It would be helpful for the master plan to include a list of city owned buildings that, through consolidation of uses, may be considered for disposal. If necessary, this list could be a later addendum.
  2.  If vacant lots are to be part of the master plan, these should be included in the list as well.
  3.  As part of the decision framework, consider a decision point for suitability of beneficial uses such as housing that could be done in partnership.

Answers to questions:

  1.  Yes, I support the Maintain Well strategic initiative.
  2.  Yes, I support the Consolidate Uses strategic initiative with consideration of comments provided here.
  3.  Yes, I support exploration of a financial strategy after FMP adoption. However, staff should develop a short-term strategy as part of the FMP that is in effect until adoption of a long-term strategy.

Multi-Board Concept Plan Review

Questions

  1.  Page 92 of the packet enumerates Design Advisory Board responsibilities. From my time on Planning Board, I recall that this board used to be the Downtown Design Advisory Board (DDAB). During the exploration of a strategy for better building design, the Downtown was dropped when the board was tasked with reviewing projects throughout Boulder at the request of Planning Board or Council. Code section still shows Downtown Design Advisory Board. What was the plan for codifying this change?
  2.  Similarly, the $25,000 threshold was to be changed. Was this considered and abandoned or is it still pending?

Comments

  1.  At Concept Plan, Planning Board is tasked with reviewing general circulation patterns and encouraging use of a variety of transportation modes, and commenting on general architectural characteristics. These areas fall within the purview of the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) and the Design Advisory Board (DAB), respectively. It makes sense to have all three boards at once, provide feedback and for the Planning Board to be able to leverage the presence of TAB and DAB board members. Having a joint Concept Plan with all three boards could be a net benefit to Boulder as well as to the applicant given that, contrary to the statement in the matrix on packet page 94, the applicant would receive additional advisory feedback without prolonging the schedule and at likely little additional cost.
  2.  Another option, not included in the matrix, would be to Require joint Planning Board, DAB & TAB meeting to hear select Concept Plans (similar to the final option in the matrix). A methodology for selecting would need to be developed. Said process would need to include consideration of projects outside of area plans or as part of an annexation. This is the option that I would recommend.
  3.  Additional training for board members is not necessarily a con. Currently, there is an ongoing staff effort to develop more training/onboarding for boards. Any resultant need for training could be made part of that effort.

Thank you.

We're all in this together.

In solidarity,

Mary Dolores Young
Boulder City Council
303-501-2439

[cid:0ac391d9-2ebe-4f5c-816a-43f19e7afb0f]

"All ethics ... rest upon a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts..." - Aldo Leopold

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