The Boulder City Council last week approved a concept plan for a mixed-use apartment building at 1840 and 1844 Folsom Street, effectively preventing delays for the project.
The developers, Coburn Partners and Element Properties, propose to demolish two office buildings to make way for a five-story structure with 183 apartments, ranging from 400-square-foot studios to three-bedroom units. Most parking will be underground.
Local housing advocates support the development, in part for its potential to provide affordable housing for Boulder’s workforce and revitalize the Folsom Street corridor. However, residents of the adjacent Horizon West condominiums have raised objections about the impact on their views, sunlight, traffic and property values.
The council’s decision not to call up the project for additional review means it will not hold a public hearing on the concept plan. Coburn Partners will still need site review approval and demolition and building permits before construction can begin.
Outrageous. Perfectly good commercial property gone to waste. Increases further the jobs housing imbalance. Council not paying attention.
For those who want to better understand the location of this proposed development, these are the office buildings on the east side of Folsom to the north of the Water Street shopping and offices complex, and just south of the Horizon West condominium complex.
Will they be “affordable,” or will developers opt for the ever popular cash-in-lieu? We should get 25% affordable housing mainly for LOW income residents as specified by inclusionary housing code: “….Required rental permanently affordable units shall include eighty percent of the required permanently affordable units as low/moderate income dwelling units and twenty percent of the required permanently affordable units shall have rents set to be affordable to households earning no greater than fifty percent of the AMI.” The remaining 20% of the required affordable units can be for middle income renters up to 120% of AMI. The code differentiates between moderate income housing and middle income housing. I’ve never hear about “moderate” income earners before. What is that range?
Can’t the community have a say in the proposal, apparently not with this council, reminds me of bedrooms for people that we voted against and they passed it anyway! 🙄
The Folsom corridor is busy so it will only be marginally impacted. The new building will hopefully be attractive and enhance values. Yes, lower units at Horizon West up to the fourth or fifth floor will lose views and light on the South side only. Upper units 6th – 11th will be fine. This is a good lesson for all real estate buyers, look around, think about the future. Change will happen. I live in both, Boulder and New York. I experience and see changes happening constantly in Manhattan. Buildings come down, buildings go up so my advice to buyers, be aware of your surroundings before you buy. Example, we bought on the top floor at Horizon West because we knew our mountain views would be protected forever.
It should not be 5 stories- this sets a REALLY dangerous precedent.
Established residents have carefully found a place to live harmoniously with light and view and suddenly they lose health, peace, and property value.
Connection to natural light, ventilation and views of mountains and nature is beneficial
to our heath, especially mental health and peace of mind, and especially important for the elderly and others who have challenges to getting out.