[BoulderCouncilHotline] Re: Questions concerning 2504 Spruce St. Call-up checking.

[Ferro, Charles]

Councilmember Joseph,
Thank you for your questions. Please find staff's responses below:
Q1: What is the likely sale price of 2,400 to 2,600 square feet condominiums at 2504 Spruce?
The applicant will be prepared to speak to this at tonight's meeting.
Q2: Is the developer amenable to increasing the number of for sale units in phase 1 and decreasing their size?
The applicant will be prepared to speak to this at tonight's meeting.
Q3: D. Ensign mentioned in the Planning Board notes for this project that the rezoning would be a heavy lift. why/ how so? and what is the rezoning process in this area, in order to increase the number of for sale units/ affordable housing?
Rezoning in Boulder typically only occurs following an area planning process or an update to the Comprehensive Plan. Rezonings are considered under the criteria found in Section 9-2-19 of the city's code and require a recommendation from the Planning Board as well as approval from City Council. In this case, a rezoning would likely be city initiated and would require a community conversation about potential neighborhood impacts. Alternatively, council has considered ordinances from time to time to modify City standards when a circumstance necessitated exceptions where either a special public benefit (permanently affordable housing) would arise from the exception or an undue hardship on a property owner could be avoided, in the interest of the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the city and where consistent with the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.  Some land use code modifications were allowed by ordinance, others through specifically through annexation. Most of these ordinances were to modify a singular aspect of the code to permit a project as proposed. That said, land use planning efforts and rezonings in Boulder have for the most part been deliberate and have involved direct conversations with the community to weigh policy issues, with results that have been consistent with the vision established by the community in the comprehensive plan.
Q4: 2504 Spruce is a transit rich area, can we allow the developer to utilize the land/space in a way that is more effective/ efficient to create more housing for people who do not want/ have cars?
Yes, the Site Review process allows an applicant to reduce the amount of land area dedicated to parking as long as a robust transportation demand management plan (TDM) is approved, implemented and maintained.
Q5: Whether Staff is aware of any for sale middle-income units produced in Boulder since the passage of the middle-income strategy? If so, how many?
28 homeowner units have become available in our affordable housing stock since 2015. Here's the breakdown of the 28 units by AMI:
AMI Category
# units
AMI Percentage
60% AMI
11
60
HUD + 10%
12
79.6
HUD + 47%
4
116.6
HUD Low
1
69.6

Q6: Landmarking the Oblong Box Gas Station [Mecha building] at the NE corner of the Spruce Street project site: According to Question 44 from the Call-up check-in report/ memo, the Mecha building is not eligible for federal or state landmarking. Is preservation of this building as a landmarked structure worth the loss of 6 or more units of rental housing? Just because this building is eligible for City landmarking, why *should it be* landmarked?
Staff's recommendation that an application to landmark the building at 2546 Spruce Street be submitted as a condition of Site Review is based upon Section 2.27, Preservation of Historic and Cultural Resources of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbouldercolorado.gov%2Fmedia%2F3350%2Fdownload%3Finline&data=04%7C01%7CFerroC%40bouldercolorado.gov%7C488d5f90029a4675dff708d982bf0ac0%7C0a7f94bb40af4edcafad2c1af27bc0f3%7C0%7C0%7C637684579289892295%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=QX%2BmRHGHz%2BQ0%2Bvtb0ftoSIiJ%2FWSqHsnrYDOI1cz%2B%2BAQ%3D&reserved=0> which states that the city, "will seek protection of significant historic and cultural resources through local designation when a proposal by the private sector is subject to discretionary development review." Properties potentially eligible for local landmark designation are considered to meet this standard of significance and, over the years, a number of locally significant buildings in Boulder have been protected through landmarking as a condition of Site Review approval. In this case, a survey (discussed in more detail below) of the building found that it has local significance as it is representative of the neighborhood's, and more broadly, Boulder's commercial development during the 1960s and 1970s and that the location, adaptation and interpretation of the structure makes it noteworthy. There are several policies in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan related to the provision of housing as well as historic preservation. Part of the Site Review process involves striking a balance between critical policy objectives. In this case, the applicant could likely rearrange building mass on the site and apply for a height modification through Site Review to accomplish both objectives.

Q7: Was the Landmarks Board involved in this process? As I was reading through the document, I did not get a sense of where this recommendation to landmark came from? was it staff? the Planning or Landmark Board?
One of the main purposes of the Concept Plan Review is to identify key issues early in the process. In this case, staff has identified the structure as a potential landmark based on criteria set forth in the city's historic preservation regulations. The Landmarks Board has not yet been formally involved in the review of this property. 2546 Spruce Street was identified as being potentially significant during the Pre-Application review for the redevelopment of block. Staff relies on historic building inventory documentation (survey) to assess the potential historic significance of properties in Boulder. Because the building at 2546 Spruce Street had not been surveyed prior to this application (and was identified as being of architectural interest by historic preservation staff), Cultural Resource Historians, LLC were contracted to complete an Colorado Architectural Inventory Form for the property to assess any historic and/or architectural significance. Cultural Resource Historians recommendation is that the building meets the City of Boulder's Criteria for Individual Landmark Designation<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.bouldercolorado.gov%2FWebLink%2FDocView.aspx%3Fid%3D175306%26dbid%3D0%26repo%3DLF8PROD2%26_ga%3D2.160887229.107029893.1632758770-1273178010.1616444930%26cr%3D1&data=04%7C01%7CFerroC%40bouldercolorado.gov%7C488d5f90029a4675dff708d982bf0ac0%7C0a7f94bb40af4edcafad2c1af27bc0f3%7C0%7C0%7C637684579289902250%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Ap0KHM%2B3p5ma2JCEFrx%2FiAWeq%2F4EpKVfRq1dH4eHAZs%3D&reserved=0> for Architectural and Environmental significance.
At their discussion of the Concept Plan on September 2, 2021, the Planning Board agreed that the applicant should explore preserving the building through the Site Review process, and whether rearranging the massing on the site combined with a height modification could help accomplish both policy objectives.
If the City Council were to agree to the Planning Board's recommendation, a landmark designation application would be subsequently reviewed by the Landmarks Board and the City Council subsequent to the Site Review.

Q8: Whether Boulder's local landmarking process has been through the equity tool? Has this particular property to be landmarked- has been through the equity tool?
Not at this time. As indicated above, one of the goals of the development review process is to balance policy objectives. In this case, the hope is to be able to balance housing objectives with historic preservation objectives
Feel free to contact me directly with any additional questions.
Best,
Charles
Charles Ferro, AICP
Development Review Manager / Interim Comprehensive Planning Manager
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Department of Planning and Development Services
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From: Joseph, Junie <JosephJ at bouldercolorado.gov>
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2021 8:28 PM
To: Council <council at bouldercolorado.gov>
Cc: HOTLINE <HOTLINE at bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: [BoulderCouncilHotline] Questions concerning 2504 Spruce St. Call-up checking.

Dear Colleagues and Staff,

I had the opportunity to visit the call-up checking site and had conversations with community members. And based on these conversations and reading of the memo please see below some of my questions, for tomorrow, concerning the call-up check-in (2504 Spruce):


Q1:     What is the likely sale price of 2,400 to 2,600 square feet condominiums at 2504 Spruce?


Q2: Is the developer amenable to increasing the number of for sale units in phase 1 and decreasing their size?


Q3: D. Ensign mentioned in the Planning Board notes for this project that the rezoning would be a heavy lift. why/ how so? and what is the rezoning process in this area, in order to increase the number of for sale units/ affordable housing?


Q4: 2504 Spruce is a transit rich area, can we allow the developer to utilize the land/space in a way that is more effective/ efficient to create more housing for people who do not want/ have cars?


Q5: Whether Staff is aware of any for sale middle-income units produced in Boulder since the passage of the middle-income strategy? If so, how many?

 Q6: Landmarking the Oblong Box Gas Station [Mecha building] at the NE corner of the Spruce Street project site: According to Question 44 from the Call-up check-in report/ memo, the Mecha building is not eligible for federal or state landmarking. Is preservation of this building as a landmarked structure worth the loss of 6 or more units of rental housing? Just because this building is eligible for City landmarking, why *should it be* landmarked?


Q7: Was the Landmarks Board involved in this process? As I was reading through the document, I did not get a sense of where this recommendation to landmark came from? was it staff? the Planning or Landmark Board?


Q8: Whether Boulder's local landmarking process has been through the equity tool? Has this particular property to be landmarked- has been through the equity tool?


PS: Once sent, this email may have formatting issues.

Best Regards,
Junie


Junie Joseph
Council Member
MA Human Rights/J.D.
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Phone: 720-789-3234
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