Boulder City Council sets its two-year agenda: Housing, wildfire preparedness and downtown revitalization take center stage

The Boulder City Council this week set its two-year policy agenda, giving particular attention to increasing the city’s housing supply, making homes more wildfire-resistant and boosting economic development downtown, particularly in response to shifts in work patterns accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The two-day retreat at the Municipal Services Center in East Boulder was the first time the new city council gathered to decide its priorities for the next two years. Councilmembers were sworn into office in December 2023. 

The scope of their policy agenda was somewhat constrained by limited city funds, expected stagnation in sales tax revenue and the already-stretched workload capacity of city staff. City officials noted that many of the council’s priorities were already in the works heading into the retreat. 

After a 2023 municipal election focused on rising homelessness, the council decided against new homelessness programs, choosing instead to mainly evaluate current ones.

Here is a summary of their agenda. 

Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update 

The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan is a long-term land-use planning document jointly used by the City of Boulder and Boulder County. It plays an influential role in determining what can be developed where. The last major update to the plan was in 2015. 

Councilmembers are likely to consider changes to the plan that would help increase the city’s housing supply. This would include relaxing density limits that currently restrict the number of housing units that can be built in certain areas. They may also explore whether to develop an area to the city’s north known as the Area III planning reserve. This is one of the city’s single-largest tracts of undeveloped land that can be used for housing. The city is currently studying whether it’s possible to supply utility services to the area. 

City officials said they were already in the process of updating the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, but councilmembers made it one of their priorities to complete the update by 2026.

Increasing housing density

The Boulder City Council last year changed city code to allow duplexes in single-family neighborhoods. On paper, the code change eliminated single-family zoning by no longer only permitting single-family homes in certain neighborhoods. But in effect, density and other rules remain in place that still prohibit duplexes on certain lots. 

At the retreat, councilmembers made it a priority to increase the city’s density limits to allow more homes on properties in these neighborhoods. This could include duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes. Some also want to tweak zoning rules to allow corner stores, such as bodegas and coffee shops, in neighborhoods where commercial properties are prohibited. 

Landscaping rules and ‘wildfire hardening’

Councilmembers are seeking to amend the city’s zoning and building codes to make it harder to use flammable landscaping and building materials. This means, for instance, that certain highly-flammable plants and trees, such as juniper trees, may soon be prohibited in new landscaping projects. The rules are likely to only apply to future projects, not existing properties, councilmembers said. 

Councilmembers also want the city to create new rules requiring landscaping that uses water-efficient plants. 

Economic development and office vacancies 

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the percentage of residents working from home has nearly doubled, according to a recent city survey. Downtown office vacancy rates have soared to nearly 30%, according to the most recent market report from Dean Callan, a Boulder-based market research firm. This has led to less foot traffic and spending downtown. 

Partially in light of this, councilmembers made economic development and vitality a priority. A key part of their strategy is addressing downtown office vacancies. They indicated they want to ease permitting requirements, making it easier to repurpose empty office spaces into retail stores, restaurants or housing units, for example. 

They’re also interested in providing subsidies to property owners who convert offices into housing. Some suggested using state grants or money from the city’s Affordable Housing Fund to help offset the costs of such conversions. 

Mobile home rent stabilization

Mobile and manufactured homeowners often do not own the land beneath their homes. In recent years, investors have bought up mobile home parks across the country and increased pad rents, sometimes forcing people out of the community. 

To prevent this, councilmembers want to offer property owners of mobile home communities outside city limits access to city utilities, such as water services. In exchange, owners would agree to limit pad rent increases. 

The mobile home communities just outside City of Boulder limits include Table Mesa Village Mobile Home Park on Marshall Road, Sans Souci Cooperative on the South Foothills Highway, San Lazaro Park on Valmont Road and the Columbine Mobile Home Park on Arapahoe Avenue. 

Increasing council pay 

Councilmember compensation is determined by city code and is adjusted to account for inflation. Currently, councilmembers make about $1,000 per month, plus benefits. Some have said they work as much as 30 hours per week. Depending on the hours worked, the pay can fall below minimum wage.  

Councilmembers want to propose a ballot measure that would increase their pay, perhaps by tying it to the area’s median income. By increasing pay, councilmembers said more people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds would be able to serve on council. They noted the challenge of volunteering time while needing to work. 

Homelessness 

In addition to studying current homeless programs, councilmembers indicated they want the city to explore funding a new initiative targeting “high utilizers,” people who repeatedly cycle through the city’s hospital and the county jail. The initiative would seek to provide housing, substance use and mental health treatment, and other services. 

Local law enforcement officials have been advocating for this program and have identified dozens of people who they consider high-utilizers. City officials estimate the program would cost about $5.2 million in the first year. Much of this money would be spent on creating housing, according to a city official. 

Separately, in recent months, councilmembers have discussed creating a legal encampment, known as a safe outdoor space. However, they put off making a firm decision about whether to pursue it in part due to uncertainty over how to pay for it. 

Other business: financial planning, climate action, multi-use paths and process changes 

Councilmemers prioritized forming a working group to address council process changes and, separately, want to devise a long-term financial strategy for the city. This could include a review of fees the city charges. 

They want to improve the connection between the city’s downtown and University Hill, particularly the multi-use path running past the Andrews Arboretum near Boulder High. 

Councilmembers considered codifying the city’s greenhouse gas reduction targets into city code as a means of “accountability” for the city. One goal in the city’s Climate Action Plan is to reduce emissions 70% by 2030, using 2018 as the baseline. City officials indicated codifying such targets would be a “significant” lift in terms of workload. City officials instead were more supportive of updating the plan with resiliency measures, which theoretically would help the city better adapt to baked-in global warming and its impacts, such as heat waves and wildfires. Councilmembers made it a priority to update the climate plan with resiliency measures.

During the retreat, councilmembers also discussed procedural matters, such as allowable poster size at council meetings, the possibility of hosting a council meeting at CU Boulder, and taking off another week or two during the summer. 

They directed city staff to draft a change to city code that would make it harder for councilmembers to weigh in on foreign affairs. This rule change stems from disruptions at council meetings by people calling on councilmembers to pass a resolution demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. A majority of councilmembers decided to not vote on such a resolution. City code already restricts when councilmembers can vote on international matters, but it does not provide definitive guidance.  

Update: This story was updated on April 5 with additional information from the retreat related to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan and councilmembers’ climate priorities.