[BoulderCouncilHotline] Thoughts related to tonight's discussion of Planning and Development Services Project Scheduling and Work Planning

[Folkerts, Lauren]

Good morning colleagues, staff, and Hotline followers,  



I appreciate your patience and understanding both with the length of this email, and the timing so close to our upcoming meeting.  I have been thinking deeply about how we can best balance the capacity challenges Planning and Development Services is facing, and the important work we have prioritized as a council.  I have some additional proposals and clarifications related to today’s discussion of prioritization of P&DS work plan items.   



First, I would like to start with a little framing around our housing crisis and why it is crucial that we move forward with urgency on these items.   Housing costs are rising much faster than wags and workers and families are rapidly being priced out of our community.    This is a crisis, and in order to move forward quickly and efficiently I would like to propose the following paths forward for our discussion tonight related to occupancy, ADUs, and zoning for affordable housing: 



Occupancy. Easing occupancy restrictions is without a doubt the most expedient and environmentally sensitive way to increase housing options.  We know that when families are dealing with hardships such as divorce, domestic abuse, and eviction, doubling up on housing is one of the first strategies they employ to avoid unsheltered homelessness.  Allowing up to 5 unrelated adults and their dependents to share a dwelling would open up more housing options for residents who are struggling to find affordable housing in our community.  Because it is a flat maximum number of people and isn’t based on bedroom count, it avoids the our community’s concerns regarding the potential for developers to create dormitories in residential neighborhoods.  This number also aligns with what residents of Denver recently approved through a ballot measure. To respect the extensive time many in our community have already expended on occupancy, I would like to see us hold a focus group on this 5 plus dependents proposal with the community connectors and groups like EFAA that support low-income communities that do not typically engage in city policymaking; conduct a brief, city-wide survey that is open to everyone; check in on the feedback in the first quarter; and move forward with an ordinance and public hearing early in the spring.  



ADUs.  Instead of choosing between staff’s recommended scope and a more expanded scope, I propose we split this item into two modules, where Module One includes the more straightforward items staff has included in their recommended scope:  

  *   Eliminating the saturation limit (Boulder is as far as we know the only city in the country with this type of limitation, and implementation creates significant burden for both staff and applicants) 

  *   Increasing the size limits (to encourage ADUs sized appropriately for families and to create more flexibility) 

  *   Standardizing the method of measurement for ADUs (to reduce confusion and headache for both staff and applicants) 

  *   Clarifying the code language and improving user-friendliness, as well as several procedural changes to help improve the process for residents and applications 

These items represent straightforward incremental change to a program that has received extensive feedback and engagement.  I would like to see us check in with the community connectors, incorporate any suggestions they may have for improvements, and then move forward on these Module One items with an “Inform” level of public engagement.    

Module Two should include the broader scope of reforms and a more robust level of public engagement to evaluate the following: 

  *   Removing minimum lot size requirements 

  *   Eliminating parking requirements 

  *   Allowing administrative variance for some types of floor area increases 

  *   Allowing more than one ADU per parcel  

  *   Creating a variance option for height 

  *   Removing the lockable separation of unit requirement for attached units  

  *   Clarifying if LLC’s qualify for owner occupancy requirements  

  *   Allowing separate ownership of detached ADUs 

  *   Creating pre-approved designs for detached ADUs 



Zoning for Affordable Housing Project.  Given the complexity of our current zoning code and the myriad ways it incentivizes smaller units and smaller infill type development projects, this also may make sense as a phased endeavor with different levels of community engagement.  I trust that as staff moves forward with this work they will bring back recommendations for dividing these up, but ultimately, the full scope of this project should include the following: 

  *   Review of ALL zoning districts to understand how they can help fulfill the comprehensive plan goals of obtaining more housing types 

  *   Reduce or eliminate minimum lot area, open space requirements, and parking requirements, if necessary, adding form and bulk standards that aren’t tied to use, allowing for more predictability in building form and adaptability of use over time.   

  *   Creating density bonuses, fee waivers, and a streamlined approval processes for small scale projects with on-site deed restricted units, and large-scale projects with an extremely high level of affordability.   

  *   Streamline and simplify regulations for cohousing and other small and medium scale group living.   



The three items in the order that I have laid them out are my top priorities that I would like to see P&DS address first.  I understand there is ongoing work with projects such as the Use Tables and Standards, and the Site Review Criteria Update that are currently underway.  I am concerned that some of this work may open more doors to additional work that is not yet seen. I would like to talk tonight about how we can support staff in finalizing and bringing forward the work completed to date that aligns with Council and Planning Board, in a way that doesn’t stop these projects when they are so close to completion, but ensures they are wrapped up with maximum efficiency.  With all of these efforts I would also like us to discuss a timeline for check-ins after ordinances are adopted, to ensure there is opportunity for adjustment as we learn more through implementation.


Thank you all for your time, and I look forward to our discussion tonight!
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