02.11.15 UHCAMC Packet
UNIVERSITY HILL COMMERCIAL AREA MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING – February 11, 2015
9 – 11 a.m.
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13 Street Conference Room, 1720 13 Street
AGENDA
1. Roll Call
2. Approval of the January 21, 2014 Meeting Minutes
3. Police Update
4. Public Participation
5. CUSG Update
6. Hill Boulder Update – Rubino
7. UHNA Update – Nancy Blackwood
8. Public Hearing and Consideration of a Motion to Recommend to City Council the Staff
Recommendations and Related Strategies for the Residential Use Moratorium
9. Parking Services Update – Matthews
10. Matters from the Commissioners
Grandview Site for Potential CU Future Conference Center –Rubino
11. Matters from Staff
Hill Reinvestment Strategy Update: Wiebenson
i. Feedback on Neighborhood Retail Preference Survey – Draft Questions
ii. Feedback on Hill Revitalization Strategy baseline conditions survey
st
AMPS Update – Joint Board Meeting January 21
Commission/Council Liaison List
Update on the EcoPass Feasibility Study - Wiebenson
Attachments
Sales and Use Tax Revenue Reports – November 2014
Police Stats
Public Hearing and Considerations of a Recommendation to City Council Regarding the
University Hill Commercial District Moratorium Project Memo by Ruth McHeyser
The Hill Boulder Support for Grandview Letter
Draft Residential Retail Preference Survey Questions
Uni Hill Baseline Survey Questions
Council/Commissioner Liaison List
Upcoming Meetings:
nd
February 11, 2015 UHCAMC Meeting and Moratorium Public Hearing (note 2 Wednesday)
Commissioner TermsUHCAMC 2015 Priorities
: :
Soifer 2019 (business owner) - Establish baseline/benchmarks for Hill Reinvestment Strategy
Griffith 2015 (resident) - Determine feasibility of Hill employee Eco Pass program
Rubino 2018 (business owner) - Extend Hill Community Development Coordinator funding
Raj 2016 (resident) - Pursue anchor tenant and public-private partnerships on UHGID sites
Liguori 2017 (business/property owner) - Pursue short-term incentive program for building improvements
- Enhance communication and coordination with CU
- Integrate arts into planning for ‘Event Street’
- Evaluate liquor restriction impacts
- Greater engagement with Hill Commercial Area Community
CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: UNIVERSITY HILL COMMERCIAL AREA
MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
NAME/TELEPHONE OF PERSON PREPARING SUMMARY: Ruth Weiss – 303-413-7318
NAMES OF MEMBERS, STAFF, AND INVITED GUESTS PRESENT:
BOARD MEMBERS: RAJ, GRIFFITH (absent), SOIFER, RUBINO (absent), LIGUORI
STAFF: WINTER, WIEBENSON, LANDRITH, McHEYSER, TRUJILLO, JOBERT
GUESTS: NANCY BLACKWOOD
TYPE OF MEETING: Regular January 21, 2015
AGENDA ITEM 1 – Roll Call:
Meeting called to order at 9:01 a.m.
AGENDA ITEM 2 – Approval of the December 10, 2014 Meeting Minutes (Action Item Below):
AGENDA ITEM 3 – Police Update:
Trujillo said students are back and classes began January 12. There was light foot
traffic, normal number of party registrations and one registered fraternity party was closed down. Code Enforcement is
working with Everyday market regarding graffiti. There was a BPD meeting with the business community meeting
regarding transient issues on the Hill and hope the new ‘squeaky wheel’ policy for calling the non-emergency police
number with issues would be pursued. St. Patrick’s Day and 4/20 were mentioned.
AGENDA ITEM 4 – Public Participation:
None
AGENDA ITEM 5 – CUSG Update:
None
AGENDA ITEM 6 – Hill Boulder Update:
Liguori mentioned the Hill Boulder had its fourth meeting and had great
attendance, next meeting is at the end of February. The focus is creating events; Herring is working on the Slide the City
event and hopes to make it a large event. Liguori continued that Soifer is creating a coupon book for the Hill and hopes to
get more businesses involved with a minimum of 25 to 50 businesses participating. Non Profit designation for the Hill
Boulder paperwork is in the works. Go Boulder is looking to partner up with Parking for the coupon book. There was a
CU breakfast last month, they would like a job board on the website, more movie events, and open the lines of
communication. The transients were discussed, the smoking ban downtown, and cleanliness was discussed. Liguori said
the hill need to be regularly scrubbed clean. Raj was in agreement. Liguori said she will see about bringing the Boulder
International Film Festival to the hill in 2016. Jobert mentioned that some of the World Conference meetings were held
on the hill years ago. Soifer mentioned that a high end coffee shop is going into the former Yeye’s Café space. YoYo’s
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and College.
and Budget Alterations are gone. Alpine Café is taking the former Co op location at 9
AGENDA ITEM 7 – UHNA Update:
Nancy Blackwood, UHNA, is excited with entities going in on the hill.
Blackwood thanked the commission for all they are doing on the hill and in the neighborhood. Blackwood asked for
support by the commission on the over occupancy issue and offered that another advantage to have office uses, would
make a huge difference in the economic vitality when students are gone.
AGENDA ITEM 8 – Parking Services Update:
Winter said the steam cleaning is a budgetary issue. Examination of
the budget and revenues will determine if funds are available for additional cleaning. Soifer suggested marijuana shops
open on the hill for its sales revenue and obtain special zoning for a coffee shop to allow on-premise smoking. Jobert
mentioned that the UHGID fund does not get sales tax. Winter said she is not familiar with marijuana regulations and
find more information.
AGENDA ITEM 9– Hill Moratorium Update and Feedback for Study Session Memo:
McHeyser said that next
Tuesday at City Council Meeting the Hill Moratorium will be presented at Study Session and it will be televised.
Materials are being sent out for the Planning Board’s Public Hearing and Consideration of a Recommendation to City
Council on February 5th. Both packets go out today. Staff recommendation is some ordinance changes, a number of
strategies that will be incorporated into the Uni Hill Reinvestment Strategy work plan and changes to the CP&S work
plan. Raj asked what kinds of ordinances are being considered. McHeyser said it will relate to the BMS zoning district.
Winter will send to commissioners the Study Session memo for the council meeting when it is public. There is no public
comment at the Study Session and the commissioners were invited to attend. Notice to property owners and stakeholders
will go out today. Final decision will take place in March. Soifer queried McHeyser on the Daily Camera Grenadier
blurb. McHeyser replied that they were happy that they were highlighted, office uses are viable and the challenge is that
there are no other spaces for them to move to. McHeyser said that at the Planning Board meeting, they discussed the
office situation on the hill in a more robust way. Soifer mentioned the number of people supporting the businesses on the
Hill; they need to rely on the students/residents currently and not business support. Winter offered that it’s a matter of
getting people up to the Hill to understand the dynamics. SPARK was discussed and Wiebenson mentioned that they are
doing well, student focused, and looking at shared work space for an older group. Dakota mentioned Jen Lewin and event
space on the Hill. Raj questioned the parking garage and the building above it, is it just housing for professionals or will
it be office space. Winter said that nothing is decided. Raj said that it’s a good idea to look for communal space for other
events on the hill and to get buy in from CU. Wiebenson said that one of the strategies is that the UHGID sites are
catalyst sites, and two sites under UHGID control are opportunities for partnerships. Wiebenson mention incentives and
programs for businesses.
AGENDA ITEM 10–Matters from the Commissioners
: None
AGENDA ITEM 11– Matters from the Staff:
Winter said there was a meeting last week regarding 2A projects, will
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be working with Event Street, irrigation and lightning; there is a February 20 deadline to get these schedules in. The
event street design will be examined while students are in and construction when the students are gone. Soifer suggested
that construction while students are in would be more desirable from a business viewpoint and using the student down
time for hill events in the summer.
The contract with the RSD coordinator is being finalized, there are two components to the Residential Service District
with one being the Ready to Work crews and the other to have a part time coordinator to supervise the Ready to Work
Crew, and to work with Wiebenson, CU, and Code Enforcement on litter and graffiti in areas adjacent to the commercial
district. There were two responses to the RFP. The Parking Utilization study is looking at revenue analysis, and parking
enforcement officers are doing car counts in the lots and on the streets. Hope to have some initial feedback by the council
Study Session.
Wiebenson gave an update on progress with the UHCAMC and Council priorities, including the contract with RRC to
put together a focus group of hill stakeholders to establish a baseline public perception of the Hill at the start of the Hill
Reinvestment Strategy (HRS). Baseline information is anticipated to be available after the first quarter of this year.
Liguori questioned the criteria. Wiebenson replied that they are trying to identify a broad range of people. Soifer
suggested including people with no current connection to the Hill. Wiebenson replied that RRC is examining this
direction. Soifer requested a copy of the questions to be used.
Wiebenson provided an update on the Hill EcoPass feasibility study, an intercept survey was created and they would
need a minimum $10,000 contract to pursue the pass. Fox, Tuttle, Hernandez are doing a survey to collect data. There
are approximately 90 businesses and 14 vacancies.
Both the baseline perception study and the Eco Pass feasibility study are components of the HRS. An HRS work plan
continues to be developed; numerous existing programs in the residential areas and new programs being developed for
the Hill Commercial Area. Raj questioned what UHNA is looking at. Wiebenson replied that UHNA will be partnering
with the City and CU on welcome bags, student orientation and beautifying the Hill in partnership with CU and The Hill
Boulder. Messaging and branding of the district will happen later. The focus now is the moratorium, uses in the district
and how to attract users next. The work plan spread sheet will be available shortly.
Winter said that the 1/27 council Study Session will focus on the moratorium, conference center and an update on the
Revitalization Strategies. It will be a head’s up for council and another formal study session will occur in May for
additional council feedback on policy. Wiebenson said the newly established partnership with CU volunteer
organizations will provide dozens of people per month to help clean up the hill, alternating between projects in the
residential and commercial areas. Projects will include painting of the bicycle racks, railings and other streetscape
elements in need of beautification. There will be a student contest to name the partnership but for now it is the Volunteer
Partnership. Liguori asked if the commission has areas in the revitalization that are not being addressed. Winter
suggested linking the board to council members to chat over coffee as a liaison to UHCAMC.
Liguori questioned roles and deadlines for the new commissioner. Winter replied that Griffith’s term is up, deadline is
2/12, needs to be a Boulder resident and Citizen at Large, will be appointed by city council, staff’s role is to get the word
out, and interviews are in March.
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Tonight is the AMPS Joint Board Workshop, will be with EAB, Planning Board, DMC, BJAD and UHCAMC, for an
update on priorities for 2015 with a primary focus to provide some tools to discuss the sticky issues of 2015 such as
adding more parking, parking pricing, and other uses for parking. Heidi Brinkman, facilitator, will discuss tools to use
when discussing these topics. The goal is not to solve the issue, but to have everyone open and listen to different points
of view. Most of the parking management is within the three districts and looking to create city wide policies. The
meeting is to identify issues and open one’s perspective.
Televising board meetings was discussed. If a board that isn’t televised, has an issue that would benefit by exposing to
the community, council can review for approval to be televised.
Date for the 2015 UHCAMC retreat, thinking about what month to hold it, have before the city council study session on
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May 26. The retreat is usually at the Academy
Landrith said the Smoking Ban hearing will be on 2/3.
Meeting adjourned at 10:38 a.m.
ACTION ITEMS:
MOTION: Liguori motioned to approve the December 10, 2014 meeting minutes. Raj seconded. Motion
passed 3 -0, with Rubino and Raj absent.
FUTURE MEETINGS:
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February 11, 2015 13 Street Conference Room Off Site Meeting
APPROVED BY: UNIVERSITY HILL COMMERCIAL AREA
MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Attest:
Ruth Weiss, Secretary Dakota Soifer, Vice Chair
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MEMORANDUM
To: University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission
From: Ruth McHeyser, University Hill Moratorium Project Manager
Date: February 11, 2015
Subject: Public Hearing and considerations of a recommendation to City Council regarding the
University Hill Commercial District Moratorium Project
I.Executive Summary
The purpose of this agenda item is to provide recommendations to City Council regarding the
Uni Hill commercial district moratorium project.
The Hill commercial district, along with the university, is designated as one of Boulder’s three
major activity centers. The Hill has a rich historic past as a shopping and music center for the
area, but in recent history, it has been widely acknowledged that it faces challenges and is in
need of revitalization. Last year, City Council adopted University Hill as one of its top priorities,
and staff began work on the Hill Reinvestment Strategy, which provides a framework for
improving the quality of life on the Hill for residents, visitors and businesses, with the city acting
as a catalyst for sustained public/ private partnerships and private investment over the long term.
The Reinvestment Strategy acknowledges that there is no single solution to resolving issues for
the Hill, and the city recently hired a fixed-term Hill community development coordinator, Sarah
Wiebenson, to coordinate the inter-departmental Hill staff team, strengthen stakeholder
relationships and develop and implement the Hill Reinvestment Strategy work program.
The moratorium project was initiated by City Council to address a specific concern that the
current economic environment strongly favors student rental housing in the Hill commercial
district, making it difficult for other more diverse uses to compete in the market place. Over-
concentration of any single use in this small commercial district would conflict with the
community’s vision for the Hill, defined in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) as
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In August, 2014, Council passed a temporary moratorium on new residential uses in the Business
Main Street (BMS) zoning district on the Hill to allow time to analyze and present options to
address community concerns. The moratorium expires on March 18, 2015.
The project was designed to address this narrow issue in the following five phases
:
1
Information gathering, issue identification, and analysis 6HSWDQG2FW
•Public outreach on preliminary findings and possible strategies 1RY
Refine findings and strategies and develop staff recommendations 'HFDQG-DQµ
Planning Board & UHCAMC hearings and recommendations )HE
City Council public hearing(s) and decision )HEDQG0DUFK
Findings from the analysis and public outreach are generally that:
1.The proximity of the University provides significant economic, intellectual and cultural
benefits to the city, and has influenced the Hill’s unique, student-centric and bohemian
character. While it is neither desired nor necessary to change the student-focus of the Hill,
diversifying the users and uses on the Hill will make it more lively year-round and attractive
to the community at large as envisioned in the city’s long-term vision for the Hill.
2.There is already an over-concentration of housing in this small commercial district and
adding more units will limit opportunities for non-residential uses that would attract more
diverse users.
3.There are very few offices on the Hill, yet office uses could potentially play a crucial role in
adding a year-round diversity of ages and professions, and benefit from the proximity to both
CU and downtown.
4.Among the barriers to expanding the diversity of uses and users on the Hill are:
•
The current market favors student rental housing over all other uses allowed, and it is
difficult for more diverse uses to compete.
•Insufficient parking (or the perception of a lack), particularly for office uses and city-wide-
serving retail uses;
•Lack of another attraction or anchor that could attract a broader visitor mix;
•Lack of other office uses and “comps” (i.e., lack of comparable sales figures), which makes
attracting other office uses and financing offices difficult; and
•The inherent student-centric market, which has resulted a somewhat run-down aesthetic in
portions of the Hill, because property upkeep is not essential to stay competitive.
II.Staff Recommendation
Staff analyzed eleven potential strategies to address the findings and recommends:
revising the BMS zone district standards for the Uni Hill commercial area to limit new
residential uses, except for permanently affordable units or housing for persons 62 years
or older.; and
implementation of the strategies listed below, to be incorporated into the Hill
Revitalization Strategy and Community Planning and Sustainability Work Plan:
Near Term Actions:
The city, working with the city, the university and private sector partners, including Hill
property owners, to attract an anchor use on the Hill that could change current market
dynamics and entice non-residential uses that would add diverse users to the Hill.
As part of the Uni Hill Reinvestment Strategy Work Plan and the city’s Access
Management and Parking Strategy (AMPS), move forward on several fronts to improve
multimodal access and address concerns about lack of public parking on the Hill
a.Study the utilization of existing public parking to determine whether there is an
insufficient supply of parking to meet the needs of existing demand on the Hill, and
the extent to which the two UHGID lots are under-utilized due to their locations and/or
lack of visibility.
b.Continue to explore public/ private partnerships to redevelop existing surface parking
lots with desired uses and add more parking in the district.
c.Continue efforts to shift Single Occupant Vehicle travel to other modes.
•Develop a public education and outreach process to explore National Register Historic
District designation for the commercial district to allow property owners to receive
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Federal and State rehabilitation tax credits (for up to 50% of rehabilitation costs).
Longer Term Actions
•Depending on the success of the above actions in attracting office uses, determine
whether to consider revisions to portions of the RH-5 zoning district adjacent to the Hill
commercial district to encourage office uses in existing residential structures. If so,
design an appropriate public outreach and analysis process before moving forward.
•Consider other strategies as part of the on-going Uni Hill Reinvestment Strategy,
including:
Creation of Innovation/ Creative/ Arts District.
o
Creation of a Façade Improvement Program
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III. Public Input
7KH3KDVH7ZR3XEOLF,QSXW5HSRUW is provided at the project website -
https://bouldercolorado.gov/planning/uh-moratorium. It contains a compilation of all public
comments received to date and a chart summarizing the outreach efforts in each of the project
phases. The report includes about 50 public comment forms that were submitted during an Open
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House and during drop-in “staff open hours” on the Hill November 19 and 20 and from a
survey that was posted on the moratorium project website. The comments were in response to
questions about the preliminary findings and potential strategies to address the findings that were
presented at the Open House/ Open Hours and available on-line.
Although the comments and surveys are not scientifically representative of the community, they
were from a cross-section of Hill stakeholders, including property owners, business owners, CU
students, long-time Hill residents and nearby homeowners.
In discussions with various Hill stakeholders during this project, areas where there seemed to be
the most agreement were about:
the desire to improve the diversity of uses to make the Hill more attractive to diverse ages
and professions;
the need for an anchor use to attract and make other types of uses more viable;
the need to improve access, particularly access to public parking for a broad range of
users;
the importance of the relationship with the University and of coordinating on Hill-related
issues; and
the importance of making students feel welcome to the Hill and ensuring that any action
that limits future student housing does not mean that students aren’t welcome or
important to the Hill. The Hill came into being to address the needs of students, faculty
and staff, and they will continue to be important to the health and vitality of the
commercial district.
IV.Background
On July 29, 2014, City Council approved an emergency ordinance temporarily suspending the
acceptance of building permits and site review applications that would result in adding any floor
area to properties within the University Hill commercial district (specifically, properties within
the BMS zoning district as shown in Attachment A, appendix 1). That ordinance expired at 8:00
a.m. August 20, 2014, and affected all proposed additions of floor area in the area. On August
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19, City Council approved a substitute ordinance that more narrowly suspends applications on
the Hill for residential floor area, while also allowing submittal of applications for concept plan
review (a non-binding process). That ordinance expires on March 18, 2015.
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The temporary moratorium was necessary to address a current economic environment that
strongly favors student rental housing in the University Hill commercial district, making it
difficult for more diverse uses that could revitalize and meet the city’s adopted vision for the
area to compete in the market place. The moratorium “hit the pause button,” providing time to
analyze whether this trend is likely to continue and to consider whether it is appropriate for
student rental housing to dominate the area. The purpose of the moratorium is not to create a new
vision for the Hill or to change the allowed density (i.e., the maximum Floor Area Ratio of 1.85).
The larger vision for the area, as described in the 1996 University Hill Area Plan, is of a
commercial area that is “a safe, comfortable, and attractive place to shop, work, visit, and live,”
and its role in the community, as defined in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP), is
as both a place to “entertain the daily activities of a large portion of Boulder’s population” and “a
neighborhood center for the surrounding neighborhood.” (2010 BVCP, p 75-76). An over-
concentration of student housing in this area would run counter to these community aspirations
and could weaken the long-term economic health and vitality of the Hill commercial district.
The 8QL+LOO0RUDWRULXP3URMHFW3KDVH2QH5HSRUW, summarizes the results of the first phase
analysis of the Hill’s history, existing use composition, demographics, zoning and
comprehensive plan designations, future growth potential, past parking and access studies, as
well as recent market and economic analysis prepared by consultants hired by the city for this
project.
V. Analysis
A.Economics and Market conditions- EPS reports
The city hired Economic Planning Systems Inc. (EPS) to provide updated market information
about the Hill and to analyze various development scenarios to understand the economic factors
affecting recent development and current trends on the Hill. Their two reports are provided in
summarized below.
Demand and Perception (from EPS’ Preliminary Market Assessment, Nov 18, 2014)
•Housing: Demand for multifamily housing is almost completely for student oriented housing.
Units in the Market Area and near the University Hill area rent for higher rates on average than
the city as a whole meaning renters pay a premium to be located on the Hill.
•Retail: The analysis for retail on the Hill found that students constitute the majority of demand
for retail. The potential demand from area residents that are non-students is not sizeable
enough to drive retail demand on the Hill. Parking is another barrier to non-student oriented
retail, because the district is not well suited for a larger number of customers to come in cars.
To increase demand for non-student oriented retail, the City can explore ways to grow the
market potential from groups that are not students and address ways to make the area more
accessible and attractive.
•Office: Several factors were cited as barriers to office users being attracted to the Hill
including; lack of a professional environment, lack of parking, difficult and limited traffic
access, the perception of the area as only a student area and a lack of interest from employers
in the area. Despite current perceptions, some brokers identified the potential for niche office
space for smaller businesses needing small or flexible spaces of less than 3,000 square feet.
Creative, start-up, computer oriented, and technology firms may seek out the Hill if space is
less expensive than the Pearl Street area and if their business had a nexus or benefited from
locating next to campus. A market anchor or destination was cited as a way to potentially
4
change the culture and dynamic of the Hill enough to attract some office spaces. A hotel was
cited as a potential use that could be developed in concert with office space to help catalyze the
market.
Development Feasibility (from EPS’ Uni Hill Development Scenarios, Jan 19, 2015)
Under current market conditions, EPS analyzed the potential “feasibility” of several programs
for new construction, assuming current trends and current land prices. The major findings from
the feasibility analysis are that:
1. Student housing development produces a significant return and is highly profitable.
Student oriented rental housing on the Hill and particularly newer student oriented projects have
been able to achieve higher rental rates than more conventional rental units. Typical, new student
oriented housing projects include 3- to 4-bedroom units sharing a larger living space. Leases are
per bedroom, not per unit, and command rents of $1,000 per bedroom per month or higher.
Within this structure, units rent for approximately $2.50 per square foot per month. The overall
average rent for apartments in the University Area is $1.97 per square foot per month.
2. Building student housing units with multiple bedrooms per unit (i.e., three or four
bedrooms per unit) reduces the required amount of parking by zoning (1 space per unit) of
a project compared to a conventional apartment project with a mixture of (unit sizes).
This type of building program reduces parking required and therefore the cost of development.
However, a developer/project owner may need to provide more spaces than required by zoning
to make the units marketable. It may be helpful to modify the parking requirement to be based on
a per bedroom factor instead of a per unit factor if there is a fear the projects are being under-
parked and causing parking issues elsewhere on the Hill.
3. The residential redevelopment programs (student and market) tested were found to be
feasible based on the assumptions made.
EPS modeled two housing programs to test feasibility of redevelopment on the Hill. The student-
oriented housing program (ground floor retail with 2 stories of student oriented units) was found
to be a feasible development program with estimated value of the program exceeding project
costs by more than 10 percent. A non-student orient program (market), which includes ground
floor retail with two stories of small, one and two bedroom units, was also found to be
marginally feasible with average rental rates found in the area. Estimated project value for this
program was approximately equal to project development costs.
4. The office development programs tested were found to be infeasible with or without on-
site parking.
Two office development programs were tested with ground floor retail and two stories of office
space above. One program had parking built on site and one with parking provided within
UGHID lots. The office programs generated development values that are approximately 25 to 30
percent less than development value generated by the housing programs.
Parking was cited in the market study as a major requirement for attracting office space users to
the Hill. Parking is also a major development costs that has large impact on development
feasibility if it needs to be built on-site. Assuming parking spaces can be dedicated to office
users within UGHID lots the development cost for building office space reduces greatly. The
office program without parking was still found to be infeasible. Development value generated by
the program was approximately 6 percent less than the cost of development. The gap under the
program tested was approximately $392,000. If parking is provided on site, the gap increased to
$818,000 million and the development value was 11 percent less than development cost.
5
5. A hybrid residential and office development program was found to be financially
feasible based on the assumptions used but is not deemed to be a marketable development
project due to an incompatible mixture of uses.
A mixed office and residential program was tested which included ground floor retail, one story
of office space and one story of student oriented residential units. This program was deemed to
be feasible, as development value 5 percent more than estimated development costs. However,
we expect that developers would not build this type of building due to the logistics and costs of
maintaining three uses within a small building and the difficulty of renting office space within a
building that also includes student housing.
6. The feasibility analysis for programs based on the Scenario 2 renovation of existing
building space and the addition of new space generated similar results; the residential
programs are feasible while the office programs are not feasible.
EPS found similar findings related to renovation and expansion of existing buildings on the Hill
to the redevelopment scenario. Adding additional residential units was found to provide a return
to building owners large enough to support costs associated with renovating their existing
building and constructing additional space. Office uses were found to not generate enough
project value to cover costs of renovation and expansion.
Given the gap between what the current market would attract on the Hill and the city’s long term
vision for more diverse uses, EPS also provided an analysis and description of potential
approaches to achieve the vision that are incorporated into Section VIII.
B.Existing Land Uses
Staff’s analysis in the Phase One report
supports EPS’ assertion that the current
uses on the Hill are very student-centric.
As illustrated in Figure 1, retail uses
occupy the largest amount of square feet,
followed by residential at over 25% of
occupied floor space. Office uses occupy
less than 3% or less of occupied floor
space. Retail in the district is student-
centric – a reflection of market conditions
created by the user groups who are
present.
Figure 1: Existing land uses on the Hill by percent of total
buildin suare footae
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Housing
University Hill has long been known as Boulder’s primary student housing neighborhood and
today, just over 6,000 university students live within the west-of-Broadway market area of the
Hill commercial district.
The university places significant demand on the Boulder rental housing market. CU requires that
freshman live on campus and the university currently houses approximately 27 – 30% of its
roughly 30,000 students. Although CU’s Flagship 2030 Plan establishes a goal of increasing the
proportion of upperclassmen living on campus from 5 to 20% through the introduction of living-
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learning environments, the majority of students will continue to be housed in the private market
off-campus. Today, approximately 67% of CU students live in Boulder, while 6,000 live
outside the city limits. Some of these in-commuters do so by choice, while others are likely
being priced out of town by the housing market.
Within the 11.5 acre commercial district alone, there are already more than 100 rental units, most
if not all of which are for students. This compares to approximately 130 residences in the 100+
acre downtown commercial district.
Non residential uses
Student-centric retailers such as
fast-casual restaurants and coffee
shops dominate in the Hill
commercial district due to the built-
in customer base of students nearby;
making them the most predictably
profitable of potential uses. The
larger income potential of these
student-focused retailers has, over
time, increased their numbers
relative to other retail uses.
There are a total of 91 businesses on
Figure 2: Commercial uses on the Hill by total number
the Hill, and 8 vacant retail units.
As can be seen in Figure 2, the majority of these businesses are Fast-Casual Restaurants and
Services such as tanning salons, dry cleaners, etc. There are a total of 10 office businesses on the
Hill. This pie chart is based on a door-to-door survey of current retailers, with each business
given a classification.
Potential Role of Office Uses
Office uses have the potential to create a year-round vitality to support business retention and
attract new businesses. The nature of office uses is changing and there could be a strong synergy
1
with the university. According to Prof Richard Florida, the “creative class” is a key driving
force for economic development of post-industrial cities in the United States. Boulder, with its
culture of innovation and track record of federal research labs and major technology firms like
Ball Aerospace and Google, is a community that has already seen the benefits of just such a
creative class. Uni Hill, with walkable proximity to campus and a vibrant mixed-use
environment, could make a good home for the kind of startup companies that drive an innovation
economy.
Although office uses are currently under-represented on the Hill, two relatively recent additions
2
are examples of the types of uses that fit well in this location. Spark, a co-working space that
th
caters to student entrepreneurs and others looking for inexpensive office space is located on 13
Street near the university. Here, workers join as “members” and have access to desk space and
telecommunications technology 24 hours a day at a low price. Also on the Hill is Grenadier
Advertising that, in contrast, is in the professional services industry and does not cater
exclusively to younger workers. In spite of the perception of the Hill as being exclusively for
students, Grenadier indicated in a recent letter to City Council that they are very happy with their
location and would like to expand.
1
7KH5LVHRIWKH&UHDWLYH&ODVV (2002), &LWLHVDQGWKH&UHDWLYH&ODVV (2004), and 7KH)OLJKWRIWKH&UHDWLYH&ODVV (2007), by Richard Florida
2
Spark is located in the basement of the Hilltop Building at 1310 College. TheUni Hill moratorium project public open house and staff open
hours were held at this location.
7
An additional idea suggested by Planning Board is that the city locate some of its own office
space on the Hill. Staff has proposed that this idea be considered as part of the Civic Area office
space planning and implementation. It should be noted that the city leases 814 square feet of
office space on the Hill in the form of the Police Hill Annex.
It has also been suggested that the city evaluate the extent to which city services and programs
currently located across the Boulder community, including those on the city’s Municipal
Campus, could be a potential fit for the current Boulder Community Health facility on
Broadway. An update on Civic Area implementation is scheduled to be provided under Matters
at the March 17 City Council meeting. A recent update on city office space was provided in the
January 20 Information Packet: https://www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/20150120_IP-1-
201501151359.pdf
C.Potential Future Growth at “Build-out”
3
A recent build-out study of the BMS zone reveals that the district is only around 52% built out
at total 304,238 square feet. An 80% buildout of the district would result in approximately
162,000 new square feet of usable floor space, not including basements. This is based on a
theoretical buildout to the maximum 1.85 FAR of 582,742 square feet –278,504 more square feet
than the present day. 80% of the maximum is approximately 466,200 total square feet, a
difference of around 162,000 from the existing.
The following estimates are based on the above figures and extrapolated based on the building
program of the recently constructed 1350 College – assumed to be the most likely building form
under current zoning and economic conditions.
2nd and 3rd Floor Student Rentals (“current trends”)
Under these parameters, staff estimates that approximately 113,000 new square feet of
ndrd
development are possible on the 2 and 3 floors alone. If the current trend of residential
ndrd
dominating the 2 and 3 floors were to continue, there could ultimately be over 190,000 sf of
residential space – potentially enough to rival even retail as the predominant land use in the
district (today there is around 176,000 sf of retail, with a modest amount more possible in the
future). Given the current trend for new residential construction of around four bedrooms per
unit (or about 1,200 sf per unit), this could represent approximately 90 new three to four
bedroom units, or around 300 new residents.
2nd and 3rd Story as Office Use
If residential uses were prohibited and the additional 113,000 developable square feet on the 2nd
and 3rd floors were developed as office space, it would equate to approximately 300-400 new
year-round workers on the Hill.
D.Role of “Catalyst” Sites, Access Management and Parking Strategy
From as early as the 1996 Hill Plan, the role of “catalyst” sites has been a primary strategy for
Hill revitalization. Catalyst sites are defined as key properties that are sufficiently substantial in
size to accommodate redevelopment projects that can contribute to implementing the city’s
vision for a greater diversity of uses. Catalyst sites also provide the opportunity to achieve other
Hill priorities such as creating public gathering areas, increasing public art and increasing
parking, which has been identified as a key foundation to attracting more office use, city-wide
entertainment and retail.
3
2013 UHGID Development Projections study by RRC Associates.
8
As in many historic areas, the existing surface parking lots present the greatest
opportunity for redevelopment efforts. On the Hill, there are three surface parking lots –
two are owned by the parking district (UHGID) and one by the University of Colorado.
These sites and the gas station at the corner of Pleasant and 13th Street have been
repeatedly identified over time as the four opportunity catalyst sites. Larger private
sector sites with larger footprints, such as the former Colorado Bookstore site at
Broadway and College, could also play a role as catalyst sites.
Partnerships play an essential role in the redevelopment of Hill catalyst sites for a
variety of reasons. First, the size of the Hill commercial district parcels are relatively
small and do not provide the economic feasibility and scale of redevelopment to
accommodate underground parking. Combining multiple parcels and/or utilizing the
UHGID sites enables a scale of development with the highest likelihood of economic
feasibility.
Second, the need for replacing and accommodating parking, along with other multi-
modal strategies, is fundamental to providing the infrastructure to create more diverse
uses such as office, retail and entertainment that attracts a citywide or regional
audience. Due to the confined space on the Hill and basic urban design principles, the
majority of parking provided within these redevelopments would be underground which
is very expensive to build and operate. Creating a large enough building footprint
affords a greater efficiencies of scale and parking layout. Should the Hill remain a
commercial district primarily catering to the basic needs of CU students as they travel
between home and classes, then the need for additional parking would be questionable.
Thirdly, UHGID lacks the financial resources and ability to finance the construction of
structured and/or underground parking, and must explore innovative public/private
partnerships with other entities, including private developers. New incentives may also
be needed to make such parking development financially feasible.
The Hill Revitalization Strategy work plan first pursues improved transit/bike/pedestrian access,
and then investigates how to address current and projected parking demands to achieve the
Council goal of Business/Residential Diversity, as follows:
Improve Access Options
a.Install B-Cycle bike sharing station on College Avenue (COMPLETE)
th
b.Fund an eGo car sharing space in the 14 Street UHGID parking lot (COMPLETE)
c.Feasibility of a Hill employer master contract for an Ecopass program (IN PROCESS)
th
d.Introduce a taxi stand on 13 Street
th
e.Work with RTD to re-route bus lines down 13 Street
Introduce Structured Parking to Attract a Diversity of Uses and Users
th
f.Pursue partnership for structured parking on the 14 Street UHGID lot (IN PROCESS)
g.Pursue partnership for structured parking on the Pleasant Street UHGID lot
h.Consider incentives to achieve public underground or structured parking on
redevelopment sites
F.Existing Zoning
The Hill commercial district is zoned BMS (Business Main Street), a commercial mixed-use
zoning district patterned after the character of historic Main Street business districts. BMS is
designed as a mixed-use zone encouraging development in a pedestrian-oriented pattern, with
buildings built up to the street, retail uses on the first floor, and residential and office uses above
the first floor. It also allows complementary uses. It is applied to three areas of the city, including
West Pearl, North Boulder and within the Boulder Junction area by Steel Yards. Zoning
9
immediately adjacent to the Hill commercial district is RH-5 (Residential High – 5).
Recent Development on the Hill
4
All recent development on the Hill has occurred “by-right” with the exception of some proposed
changes of use that required Use Review. Some recent redevelopment examples are the Lofts on
th
the Hill at 1143 and 1155 13 Street in 2009 and 1350 College in 2010, both of which include
ndrd
residential uses on the 2 and 3 floors above commercial uses within buildings up to the
permitted 38-foot building height limit.
Bulk and Massing
City Council stipulated that the moratorium
project would not change the vision for the
Hill or the underlying maximum floor area
ratio (FAR). BMS on the Hill is different
from other areas zoned BMS, because it is
within a general improvement district where
parking for commercial uses do not rely on
on-site parking, but rather managed on- and
off-street parking (see “Parking District” on
page 5). In the Hill BMS zone, the allowable
FAR is 1.85. A representation of the total
mass possible on a site within the Hill BMS
zone considering the 1.85 FAR is shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 3 Typical building massing based on existing
This example shows the expected form and
BMS zoning standards for Uni Hill
massing of a by-right building on a 6,250
square foot lot that meets that required setbacks of BMS. Notice the first two levels are built to
the street while the upper story is set back 20 feet reducing its apparent mass and height.
As many of the issues that prompted the moratorium are more “use” related, staff is not
proposing any changes at this time that would impact the form and bulk standards within the
BMS zoning district. Rather, possible changes that were analyzed as part of this project relate to
uses allowed on the Hill.
Allowed Uses
Although current BMS zoning on the Hill allows a high diversity of uses, the predominate uses
are student-serving retail and student rental housing, as discussed earlier. Further, residential
units with multiple bedrooms within the Hill commercial district continue to be highly
marketable on the Hill given its close proximity to the university and shifts in student
demographics. These characteristics and the BMS zone’s relatively low on-site parking
requirement of one parking space per dwelling unit effectively create an incentive for a
concentration of bedrooms within units. The character of the Hill commercial district as a
student-oriented district is also heavily influenced by the surrounding residential neighborhood
where high density residential of 14 or more dwelling units per acre (i.e., RH-5) exists.
Although the BMS zoning allows a high diversity of uses, it cannot specifically mandate any one
use. Considering the current over-concentration and strong market demand for residential on the
Hill and the desire for more diverse commercial uses, staff identified a range of strategies that
would limit, to varying degrees, additional housing on the Hill within the BMS zone. These and
4
By-right means those projects that meet all the zoning district standards and can be approved by submitting a
building permit application (i.e., they do not require a discretionary review process such as Site or Use Review).
10
other strategies, including one that provides an incentive to add office uses in the adjacent RH-5
zone, are discussed in Section VIII.
VI.Findings
From the analysis summarized above, staff reached the following conclusions:
The proximity of the University provides significant economic, intellectual and cultural
1.
benefits
and has influenced the Hill’s unique, student-centric and bohemian character. While
diversifying the
it is neither desired nor necessary to change the student-focus of the Hill,
users and uses will make it more lively year-round and attractive to the community at
large
--a more comfortable and attractive place to shop, work, visit and live.
There is already an over-concentration of housing in this small commercial district and
2.
adding more units will limit opportunities for non-residential uses that would attract
more diverse users to the Hill.
There are 103 dwelling units within the Hill Commercial
District. This compares with approximately 130 units Downtown, yet the Hill is only 11.5
acres in size whereas the Downtown encompasses approximately 108 acres While the
presence of housing close to or within any commercial district adds vitality and built-in
shoppers, the Hill commercial area has an abundance of high density residences on three
sides already and residences account for a higher share of square footage than is traditionally
expected in a commercial district. Furthermore, the recent economic analysis done by EPS
concludes that the demand for residences located in the hill commercial area “is almost
completely for student oriented housing.”More student rentals clustered in this small area
could create a party-like atmosphere that conflicts with the Hill vision as DQDWWUDFWLYHSODFH
WRVKRSZRUNYLVLWDQGOLYH. Moreover, unlike commercial spaces that adapt easily to a
variety of uses over time, once residential spaces are built, they are unlikely to convert to
other uses, thus reducing options for diversifying uses and attracting other users to the Hill.
There are very few offices on the Hill, yet office uses could potentially play a crucial
3.
role in adding a year-round diversity of ages and professions, and benefit from the
proximity to the University.
There are only 10 office uses housed in only 3% of the total
building square footage on the hill, and few more in the immediate neighborhood. Although
the EPS report indicates a strong market for office uses in the core area of the city, few
offices have located on the Hill in recent years, despite its proximity to CU and Downtown
and its location in one of the most transit-rich locations in the region.
Among the barriers to expanding the diversity of uses and users on the Hill are
4.:
The current market favors student rental housing over all other uses allowed,
a.
making it difficult for other uses to compete.
Student housing outperforms other uses
from a cash flow perspective, with current rates at more than $1000/ month per bedroom.
Multi-bedroom units are the most attractive investments, because of the cost-savings of
shared spaces such as kitchens and living rooms and because the zoning district requires
one parking space per unit, irrespective of number of bedrooms.
Insufficient public parking (or the perception of a lack of parking)
b., particularly for
professional office uses and city-wide-serving retail uses;
Lack of another attraction or anchor
c. that could change the current market perception
of being just for students and change the market demand to attract a broader visitor mix;
Lack of other office uses and office “comps” needed for financing,
d. making it difficult
to attract other office uses; and
The built in student-centric market, which has resulted in a low retail vacancy rate
e.
and a somewhat run-down aesthetic in portions of the Hill
, because property upkeep
is not essential to stay competitive and many properties have no debt, such that the
11
buildings are sources of steady profit.
VIII. Potential Strategies to Address the Findings
Staff identified a variety of possible strategies, described below, that could address the findings
above. Some of the strategies involve city regulations; others would be new programs or
financial incentives. Some can be combined with other strategies, or components of other
strategies. Staff’s recommended strategies are summarized in Section IX.
Use-Related Strategies
A.Residential Uses (Zoning Strategies)
A-1)
Prohibit all new residential uses
This strategy addresses findings 1, 2 and 4a regarding the over-concentration of housing
and current market dynamics. It would revise the BMS zoning district standards to list all
residential uses as “prohibited” for the Uni Hill commercial district only. It would mean
that all existing residential uses in the BMS zone in Uni Hill would become non-
conforming uses. As described on page 13, existing residences would be subject to the
city’s fairly flexible non-conforming use standards that allow expansion up to 10% of
existing floor area. This strategy would likely change the current market condition and
make office uses more attractive; however, it is also likely to affect property values in the
short-term, which are currently based largely on the cash-flow assumptions related to the
student rental market. If the market for office uses on the Hill changes over time,
however, particularly for Class A office uses, property values might improve. Over time,
ndrd
future 2 and 3 story uses would add year-round diverse users on the Hill, such as
office workers (an estimated 300-400 workers at “buildout”).
A-2)
Prohibit new residential uses, except Permanently Affordable or Senior Housing
This strategy also addresses findings 1, 2, and 4a, and has similar benefits and impacts to
Strategy A-1 above, but would allow permanently affordable or deed-restricted senior
units within the BMS zone. Encouraging permanently affordable and senior housing units
would be consistent with city policies to add more of these types of housing in the
community, and would contribute to diversifying the residential mix of the Uni Hill
commercial district. The strategy would similarly shift the current market dynamic that is
driven by the economics of market-rate student rentals, but not prohibit housing all
together as a use. This strategy would be accomplished by making residential uses
conditional uses on the Hill, requiring staff level review to determine compliance with
specific criteria, which would include deed restrictions on the units to ensure permanent
affordability and/or occupancy by residents who are 62 years of age or older. While it
may be unlikely that a senior-oriented housing development would occur in the near
term, there have been recent trends in many university communities of housing that is
marketed specifically to alumni who wish to live in close proximity to campus and its
many cultural offerings. Development of permanently affordable housing, particularly if
it is targeted to groups such as CU faculty and staff, may be more likely, but may require
the active participation of the city and/or university in addition to private or nonprofit
development partners.
rd
A-3)
Prohibit new residential uses, except on the 3 floor if in conjunction with a use or
“public benefit” that helps implement the Hill vision.
This strategy addresses findings 1, 2 and 4a, but to a lesser extent than Strategies A-1 and
A-2. It would allow some market rate units on the third story which would have less
12
financial impact on property owners than Strategies A-1 and A-2 by allowing some space
for market-rate units. It could also incentivize more upkeep of buildings on the Hill if
requirements to “improve the appearance” of buildings is added as a criterion of
approval. While this strategy may afford property owners more flexibility, it conflicts
somewhat with finding 2 as it would likely result in a high number of additional housing
units – units which would likely be developed as student rental housing given the market
demand. As EPS notes in their Development Scenarios analysis in Attachment I- B, it is
“unlikely that a developer would build a program like this considering the high
maintenance costs related with three different uses, the risk associated with having to
lease three different uses within one small building, and the difficulty with attracting
office users to a building with student housing within it.”
B.Office Uses
B-1
Create a density bonus for office uses.
City Council direction at the outset was that the moratorium project will not increase the
allowed floor area ratio (FAR) above the current cap of 1.85 FAR within the Hill
commercial district. Therefore, if a “bonus” for offices uses were created, a new lower
base would need to be established, so that 1.85 FAR would remain as the maximum. This
strategy addresses finding no. 1, as reducing the base FAR would limit the amount of
future housing; however, it would add more likely result in more student rental house and
Strategy A-3 would have about the same result, but would be regulated in a more
straightforward manner without reducing the by-right FAR.
B-2
Create an overlay zone in the adjacent RH-5 residential zone to encourage office
uses in existing residential structures.
Currently, office uses within the RH-5 zone require Planning Board approval of a use
review application and are subject to a specific review criterion that discourages
residential to non-residential conversions. Changing these requirements by, for instance,
not requiring Planning Board review and creating an exception to allow conversions to
office in the areas immediately adjacent to the commercial district, would help encourage
office uses. This strategy, if successful, would meet findings no. 2 and 3 in that it
increases the potential for more offices near the Hill to increase use diversity as intended
by the BVCP vision for the area. While potentially a good idea to address the findings, it
is expected that market conditions, which strongly favor student residential, would
continue and the likelihood of such conversions would be low. Further, such a change
would require significant public outreach and analysis to determine the boundaries, how
to address impacts such as parking, and criteria for review and approval. The time
invested may outweigh the results, but may be a strategy to consider in the future.
C.Parking
C-1 for projects that
Promote public/private redevelopment of surface parking lots
provide uses that address the city’s vision and include additional parking.
This strategy addresses multiple findings from the Phase One Report: 4a insufficient
parking, 2 lack of office uses, and 4b lack of an anchor use. There are three surface
parking lots in the Hill commercial district: two owned by UHGID and one owned by the
University of Colorado. Surface parking lots provide excellent opportunities for mixed
use developments either as a stand-alone parcel or in combination with adjacent
properties by creating the opportunity for a “blank slate” project of desired uses and
placing parking underground. The facility can also accommodate infrastructure that
supports other modes of transportation such as car and bike share. The urban design
13
character of the Hill is improved by adding active ground floor uses. The larger site area
provides the flexibility for creating a diversity of uses that could include office and/ or
other anchor uses that achieve the Hill vision. A challenge of such projects is the cost of
underground parking. UHGID lacks the fiscal capacity to finance underground parking
on its own. The small size of the district limits its revenue generation as well as bonding
capacity. Partnerships with other entities and/or other strategies would be needed to
financially implement this approach.
Financial Incentives
D.
Explore tax policies to encourage and facilitate development of projects that address
desired uses that are difficult to attract or that provide a public benefit and implement the
Hill vision.
This could include a catalytic anchor use, office uses, public infrastructure and balanced
multi-modal options including parking. The tax policies could include allocation of some
portion of taxes (sales, construction use, or property) from Hill projects to cover a “gap”
in project financing or to invest in Hill public infrastructure; instituting a Public
Improvement Fee to Hill sales tax; creating other redevelopment or revitalization district
concepts such as Downtown Development Authority, Community Development
Corporation and/or business improvement district.
The proposed strategy could address findings 1, 3, and 4, by seeking to attract desired
uses, including potentially office uses, and breaking down various barriers to expanding
the diversity of uses on the Hill. Consideration of these policies would need to be
integrated into the Hill Reinvestment Strategy priority to explore sustainable, long term
governance and funding for the Hill. A pilot approach could be incorporated into some of
the policies, or they could be time-limited.
E.
Consider National Register Historic District designation, for portions of the Hill that are
potentially eligible, allowing eligible properties to take advantage of up to 50% income
tax credits.
This strategy addresses finding 4 e, federal and state income tax credits for rehabilitation
can be used for everything from routine maintenance to major interior and/or exterior
rehabilitation, and could provide the needed financial incentive for property owners to
rehabilitate their buildings and improve the appearance of the area. Additionally, it could
be a way to highlight and celebrate the rich history of the Hill, which could make the area
more meaningful to new students and residents. It could promote heritage tourism. In
conjunction with other strategies, it could also address finding 4c. It would require
significant public outreach and education about the benefits and responsibilities
associated with historic district designation, but National Register designation can be
particularly attractive to property owners given its largely honorary and does not restrict
property changes unless they are in association with the tax credits.
Programs
F.
Have the city take a lead role in working with the university and property owners in
attracting one or more ‘anchor’ uses to the Hill Commercial District with the potential in
turn to attract a greater diversity of uses and customers to the area.
This strategy directly addresses three out of the four findings. Pursuing an anchor office,
retail or hotel use has the potential to attract additional and more diverse users to the
district to help achieve the vision for vibrant, year-round commercial activity. It would
address the EPS finding that one or more anchors (and parking) are needed to attract the
desired mix of uses and users to the district. A revitalized district would benefit the
14
existing businesses and property owners. The fiscal impact to the city would depend on
what strategy is used to attract the anchor uses. If an anchor retail use is attracted, it
could reduce trips traveled by neighboring residents to meet their shopping, dining and
entertainment uses. Positive social impacts would include a greater diversity of
customers and visitors to the district.
G.
Continue to explore the creation of Innovation/Creative District. Build on the essential,
innate qualities of the Hill including creativity, youthfulness, and energy, and expand it to
foster creativity in the broadest sense for a diversity of users.
findings 3 and 4 e. An innovation or creative district could
This strategy addresses
stimulate the office market and bring in new users, re-define the district’s image and ties
to CU as being rooted in innovation, or potentially revitalize interest in the history and
function of the Hill as an entertainment district. Depending on the district’s focus, it
could also help to address findings 1, 2, and 4c. Bringing in new uses, be they cultural or
economic in focus, would help balance out the high concentration of student housing that
already exists and could help attract additional office space. Additionally, an innovation
district could directly address the finding that the area lacks a strong anchor attraction and
is limited by the market perception of being just for students.
H.
Explore the creation of a Façade Improvement Program.
A façade improvement program could facilitate the achievement of numerous goals for
the Hill such as enhancing the urban character by addressing the run down appearance of
numerous buildings and supporting history district designation. The program could be a
catalyst for and a component of a hill property and business owner initiative to create a
district development authority, improvement district, Main Street program, or community
development corporation to support the long term hill revitalization and improvement.
The program could include incentives such as low interest loans, rebates, design
assistance or subsidies that would encourage property owners to make an investment in
their properties and enhance the historic character of the Hill. Tying the façade
improvement program to National Register Historic District designation could provide an
added incentive to property owners to support the creation of an historic district.
IX. Recommended Strategies
As described in the staff recommendation in Section II, staff recommends BMS zoning change
per Strategy A-2 above. Staff is also recommending additional strategies below, to be
incorporated into the Hill Revitalization Strategy and Community Planning and Sustainability
Work Plan. Staff is seeking feedback on these recommended strategies:
Near Term Actions:
The city, working with the city, the university and private sector partners, including Hill
property owners, to attract an anchor use on the Hill that could change current market
dynamics and entice non-residential uses that would add diverse users to the Hill.
As part of the Uni Hill Reinvestment Strategy Work Plan and the city’s Access
Management and Parking Strategy (AMPS), move forward on several fronts to improve
multimodal access and address concerns about lack of public parking on the Hill
d.Study the utilization of existing public parking to determine whether there is an
insufficient supply of parking to meet the needs of existing demand on the Hill, and
the extent to which the two UHGID lots are under-utilized due to their locations and/or
lack of visibility.
e.Continue to explore public/ private partnerships to redevelop existing surface parking
lots with desired uses and add more parking in the district.
15
f.Continue efforts to shift Single Occupant Vehicle travel to other modes.
•Develop a public education and outreach process to explore National Register Historic
District designation for the commercial district to allow property owners to receive
Federal and State rehabilitation tax credits (for up to 50% of rehabilitation costs).
Longer Term Actions
•Depending on the success of the above actions in attracting office uses, determine
whether to consider revisions to portions of the RH-5 zoning district adjacent to the Hill
commercial district to encourage office uses in existing residential structures. If so,
design an appropriate public outreach and analysis process before moving forward.
•Consider other strategies as part of the on-going Uni Hill Reinvestment Strategy,
including:
Creation of Innovation/ Creative/ Arts District.
o
Creation of a Façade Improvement Program
o
At the January 27th City Council study session, staff will also be asking City Council to
provide policy direction
on whether staff should spend time in 2015 on a proposal for council
consideration that explores tax policies to encourage and facilitate development of projects that
address desired uses that are difficult to attract or that provide a public benefit and implement the
Hill vision. This could include a catalytic anchor use, office uses, public infrastructure and
balanced multi-modal options including parking. The tax policies could include allocation of
some portion of taxes (sales, construction use, or property) from Hill projects to cover a “gap” in
project financing or to invest in Hill public infrastructure; instituting a Public Improvement Fee
to Hill sales tax; creating other redevelopment or revitalization district concepts such as
Downtown Development Authority, Community Development Corporation or business
improvement district. Consideration of these policies would need to be integrated into the Hill
Reinvestment Strategy priority to explore sustainable, long term governance and funding for the
Hill. A pilot approach could be incorporated into some of the policies, or they could be time-
limited.
X.Next Steps
City Council’s first reading of the proposed zoning ordinance will occur on February 17. Second
reading of the ordinance and public hearing on the overall project is scheduled for March 3. If
needed, a third reading of the ordinance and City Council final decision will occur on March 17.
The moratorium expires on March 18.
7KH8QLYHUVLW\+LOO0RUDWRULXP3KDVH2QH5HSRUW and 7KH8QLYHUVLW\+LOO0RUDWRULXP3URMHFW
3KDVH7ZR3XEOLF2XWUHDFK5HSRUW , as well as the Economic Consultant’s (EPS) reports are
)
available at the project website - https://bouldercolorado.gov/planning/uh-moratorium
16
February 4, 2015
University of Colorado Board of Regents
1800 Grant Street
Denver, CO 80203
Dear University of Colorado Board of Regents,
As business owners in the University Hill Commercial district, we are writing in support
of the Grandview location for the potential CU Hotel/ Conference Center project.
The Hill Boulder is the collaborative effort of long time Hill business and property owners
to represent University Hill businesses through events, marketing and branding
throughout the community.
The history of University Hill reaches well into Boulder as a whole. From longtime
permanent residents to students, nearly everyone holds a memory of time spent
shopping, dining or seeing a show in our neighborhood. Literally the physical gateway
from the university to the greater community, this unique destination is often first
thought of when envisioning the Boulder “brand” with the iconic view of the Flatirons.
The potential Grandview location provides a mutually beneficial relationship for both the
business district and visitors to Boulder.
The Hill is home to many unique and locally owned businesses and the economic
impact of the conference center would be substantial. The Grandview location is firmly
aligned with the city’s efforts to revitalize the district. This development could prove to
be the catalyst for diversifying business interests on The Hill—a top goal identified by
Boulder City Council. From the increase in traffic, we would likely see a new mix of the
potential businesses opening on The Hill, as well as greater success and retention of
current businesses. This diversity would be beneficial to CU as well; picture walking
across Broadway with university professors and academics to our bustling commercial
district. With Westbound buses from Denver International Airport dropping off a mere
few blocks away on Euclid Avenue, this location would create a portal of pedestrian
traffic running parallel (or through, depending on route) the 13th Street commercial
district. Multiple bus lines, both local and regional, have stops on The Hill making transit
access easy.
A common objective of many Hill business owners is to create a greater diversity of
businesses that are sustained twelve months out of the year, not just the nine months
CU is in session. While we generally have a large influx of students throughout the
school year, we often look for ways to bring the greater population of both tourists and
permanent residents to The Hill. This type of development within walk-able distance to
the commercial district would create such a positive and vast impact on businesses that
would no doubt change the future and dynamic of The Hill.
Many of our businesses and amenities are nationally recognized and locally loved, and
we know The Hill would be a favorite destination to visitors of all ages. We are excited
for the potential opportunity for the CU Hotel/ Conference Center project in our
neighborhood, and thankful for the inclusion of Grandview in the university’s study.
Additionally, thank you for your consideration of our letter.
Sincerely,
Amanda Rubino, Frisk Jewelry, Co-Owner
Dakota Soifer, Café Aion, Owner
Cheryl Liguori, CEO Z2 Entertainment- Fox and Boulder Theatres
The Hill Boulder
2032 14th Street
Boulder, CO 80302
www.thehillboulder.com
cc: Philip P. Distefano, Chancellor, University of Colorado Boulder
Bruce D. Benson, President, University of Colorado Boulder
Frances Draper, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Relations, University of Colorado
Boulder
UNIVERSITYHILLRESIDENT
RETAILPREFERENCESURVEY
DRAFT
February11,2015
1.HowlonghaveyoulivedonUniversityHill?
a.03years
b.410years
c.10+years
2.HowmuchtimedoesittakeyoutowalkfromyourhometoreachtheHillCommercialArea?
a.05minutes
b.610minutes
c.10+minutes
3.IfyouDOcurrentlypatronizeHillCommercialAreaestablishments,howfrequentlydoyou
visit?
a.Daily
b.Weekly
c.Lessthanonce/week
4.Whichbusinessesdoyoupatronizemostfrequently?____
5.IfyoudoNOTcurrentlypatronizeHillCommercialAreaestablishments,whynot?_____
6.WhattypesofbusinesseswouldbringyoutotheHillCommercialAreamorefrequently?
_____
7.WhatelsewouldencourageyoutovisittheHillCommercialAreamoreoften?_____
8.DoyoueverusethepublicparkinglotonBroadway&PleasantStreet?zͬEͬŝĚŶ͛ƚknowit
wasthere.
th
9.Doyoueverusethepublicparkingloton14Street&College?zͬEͬŝĚŶ͛ƚknowitwas
there.
10.HowdoyoutypicallygettotheHillCommercialArea?Walk/Bike/Drive/Other
UniHillperceptionsurveyquestions
January2015
DRAFT#1
TheUniversityHillManagementCommissionoftheCityofBoulderisconductingabriefsurveywitha
verysmallandselectedgroupofindividualswhoareinvolvedinTheHill.Wewouldlikeyouropinions
aboutavarietyofissuesonTheHillsothatwecanknowwheretofocusattention.
Wewouldappreciateyourcandidfeedbackonthisbriefsurvey,andwouldalsoliketoinviteyouto
participateinamoreindepthfocusgroupdiscussionabouttheseandothertopics.
Pleaseseetheendofthesurveyforthefocusgroupdatesandtimes.
Thanksagainforyourhonestfeedback!
1.WhichbestdescribesyourrelationshipwithTheHill?
/͛ŵaresidentofTheHill
/͛ŵabusiness/propertyowneronTheHill
/͛ŵabrokerwithpropertiesonTheHill
/͛ŵaCUstaff/faculty
/͛ŵaCUstudent
Other:_______________________________
2.HowmanytimesinthepasttwomonthshaveyouvisitedTheHillareaforshopping,eating,
errands,hangingout,etc.?___________(enter0ifnone)
3.ThelasttimeyouvisitedTheHill,howmuchdidyouspendonthefollowing?
a.$________Restaurants/bars/eatinganddrinking
b.$________Retailstores/shopping
c.$________Services
d.$________Other:__________________________
Agree/Disagree(1to5).
Pleaserateyourlevelofagreementordisagreementwiththefollowingstatements,usingascalefrom1
to5,where1means,͞^ƚƌŽŶŐůLJŝƐĂŐƌĞĞ͟and5means,͞^ƚƌŽŶŐůLJŐƌĞĞ͘͟
StronglyStronglyŽŶ͛ƚ
AgreeDisagreeKnow
/͛ǀĞnoticedimprovementsonTheHillsinceSeptember201412345X
ThereisenoughparkingonTheHill12345X
ThereistoomuchCodeEnforcementonTheHill12345X
TheHillhastherightmixofstores12345X
OtheroptionstoaddŚĞƌĞ͙͘͘12345X
12345X
12345X
Satisfaction(1to5)
PleaserateyourlevelofsatisfactionwiththefollowingattributesofTheHill,usingascalefrom1to5,
where1means,͞WŽŽƌ͟and5means,͞ džĐĞůůĞŶƚ͘͟
ŽŶ͛ƚ
PoorExcellentKnow
OverallcleanlinessofTheHillarea12345X
Overallfeelingofsafetyandsecurityduringtheday12345X
Overallfeelingofsafetyandsecurityatnight12345X
Variety/Mixofretailstores12345X
Variety/Mixofrestaurants12345X
Variety/Mixofbusinesses12345X
Familyfriendlyatmosphere12345X
DirectoryInformation&Signs12345X
WhatarethegreateststrengthsofTheHillarea?
WhatarethegreatestchallengesfacingTheHillarea?
WhatarethegreatestopportunitiesforTheHillarea?
WhatwordswouldyouusetodescribethecharacterofTheHillarea?
Otherquestionshere:age?
2015 City Council Members
Liaison List
Matt Appelbaum
Macon Cowles
Suzanne Jones
George Karakehian
Lisa Morzel
Tim Plass
Andrew Shoemaker
Sam Weaver
Mary Young