02.06.17 DMC Minutes
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CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
NAME/TELEPHONE OF PERSON PREPARING SUMMARY: Ruth Weiss – 303-413-
7318
NAMES OF MEMBERS, STAFF, AND INVITED GUESTS PRESENT:
BOARD MEMBERS: CRABTREE, DEANS, FELDMAN, KNOFF, SHAPINS
STAFF: WINTER, LANDRITH, JOBERT, WEISS, CONNELLY,
McELDOWNEY, HAYDEN
GUESTS: Sean Maher, Andy Niemeyer
TYPE OF MEETING: Regular Meeting February 6, 2017
AGENDA ITEM 1 – Meeting/Roll Call: Called to order at 5:35 p.m.
AGENDA ITEM 2 - Approval of the January 9, 2017 Meeting Minutes (See Action Item
Below):
AGENDA ITEM 3 – Public Participation: None
AGENDA ITEM 4 – Police Update: McEldowney said the January stats were uneventful. Mall
officer hours have been changed with one officer position to be filled and an injury to another. Some
officers are coming in early to hit the campers on the mall. Mall area is being hit hard and looking for
assistance with the 13th Street bathroom complaints. Abel and Riley put out an internal note on the
cases they are working - 8 chronic users of the system. McEldowney said from the 700 block west,
residents are seeing a lot of campers. Crabtree asked how other cities deal with it. McEldowney has
reached out to regional cities for their solutions and no one has found one. McEldowney said there
are 10 vacancies in the department.
AGENDA ITEM 5 – Parks Update: Hayden said the Parks crew is being impacted by the
transients on the mall. Mall plants ordered, working with DBP to create a better planting schedule
and looking at bollard replacement. Civic Area construction is underway. Lighting will come down
this month and trees will go dark.
AGENDA ITEM 6 – Civic Area Construction Update: Nothing new since update given last
month.
AGENDA ITEM 7– BID Update: Maher said January was busy, seasonal banners are down and
student banners are up until April. January was a bad graffiti month. Holiday lights are down,
marketing published the 2017 Visitor’s Guide and distributed. Tulip Fairy and Elf Festival is April 2,
and Boulder Arts Week - March 31 to April 8th.
AGENDA ITEM 8 - Matters from the Commissioners: Shapins attended the Canyon
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Complete Streets meeting and bikes were a puzzle, three options were presented and some
people are questioning the need to accommodate bikes. Shapins continued that there will be a lot
of amenities. The scope is 17th Street to 9th Street with no money dedicated, working on the
concept and then funding. Crabtree questioned if it was still the four options presented earlier.
Shapins said yes. Shapins voted for the buffered bike lane that is somewhat protected and
flexible for future changes. Timing was questioned. Landrith mentioned that two lanes of traffic
be maintained east and west bound, trees and band shell would remain intact. Shapins said that
with mobility changes there may not need such a wide roadway.
Landrith said the Farmers’ Market will expand to host additional vendors use the ice rink area at
One Boulder Plaza.
AGENDA ITEM 9 – Matters from the Staff: Connelly said that 2d2, as of today, had 5005 people
registered, with 1.79 rides taken per registrant. People are registering and not using it. Pilot will go
through 2/14/17 and will have a full report for the commission in April with what was learned from
the pilot and what are the opportunities ahead. The goal of reducing parking demand is being met.
Deans questioned if there would be funding to do it again in the summer. Winter said they will be
exploring various possibilities.
Winter said staff is working with Library and Arts to incorporate arts in the parking garages and
looking at an RFP soon for both permanent and temporary art.
Winter said that starting today the PARCs system is being replaced in the 15th and Pearl Street garage
and will take two weeks. The gate access system will be installed in each garage. The gates will be
down all the time and will require payment during operating hours from 7am to 2 am. Free parking in
garages will continue on Saturdays. Validation system will change and will work with permit holders
and will use a license plate tracking system.
Winter said that Pollard Motors has left the 30th and Pearl site and there is an opportunity to do
remote parking there for about two years before the Pollard site is developed.
Connelly said that the Head Tax will not be pursued by council this year.
Recruitment: Crabtree said he would reapply and Andy Niemeyer is looking to apply.
Connelly said the ordinance prohibiting financial institutions on first floor uses on the Pearl Street
between 9th and 18th Streets will be presented to council tomorrow. Knoff said he sees a big
backlash on this ordinance. Knoff continued that the mall needs a plan for the mall businesses and
would like to see a more comprehensive plan. Deans hopes to see a planning and discussion process
to bring more vibrancy to the mall. Feldman was concerned that banks would push out retail and
mentioned it’s a character of rent increases. Maher said that the new Capital One site is more of a
coffee shop with Capital One monitors but no bankers and no cash. Maher said he would recommend
that the Downtown Boulder Partnership board recommend that Council table this item and develop a
collaborative plan and work together to come up with an alternative and for now, this is premature.
Winter recommended for the commission to provide a motion to council.
The Downtown Management Commission (DMC) reviewed and discussed the proposed
ordinance regarding restricting first floor uses along Pearl Street in downtown Boulder, and
unanimously passed (5-0) the following motion for Council consideration.
The Downtown Management Commission recommends that City Council table consideration
of the ordinance prohibiting financial institutions on the ground floor along Pearl Street
between 9th and 18th Streets in the downtown pending further involvement with the downtown
community to better understand and define the problem in order to consider possible