Boulder could see some, but not too much, more housing pop up on University Hill if City Council no Tuesday approves the removal of a zoning restriction in the area.
In 1995, the city through special zoning amendments limited the number of additional dwelling units that could be hosted on the lots in four areas of the city, out of concern to changes in neighborhood character following a development moratorium that had been imposed.
One, the subject of Tuesday’s discussion, was a stretch from Aurora Avenue to Baseline Road between 17th and 19th streets; the others were on Grandview Avenue between 18th and 15th streets, between 13th and 14th streets from High Street north to Balsam Avenue, and a block along Alpine Avenue between 17th and 19th streets.
While the latter three special zoning designations are set to remain in place to cap the lots from holding the number of dwellings they normally could under the standard zoning, the University Hill designation could be removed, if Council follows city staff recommendations.
With the extra layer of zoning in the area of Baseline and 18th, a vacant lot at 756 18th St., which once held a duplex destroyed by fire, cannot legally have a triplex constructed on it, which a developer has proposed, according to city staff.
Getting rid of that extra layer should allow the triplex construction, along with additional housing units on three other parcels; there are 132 parcels with 208 dwellings in the area impacted by the special zoning, and 30 of the properties could contain more than one unit based on the size of the lots, should the special zoning be eliminated.
But 26 of those 30 already are at the maximum number of dwelling units for their respective parcels, meaning three others — two on 19th Street with one on either side of Cascade Avenue and one on 17th south of Cascade — could hold more housing.
With the vacant lot and its ability to host three units, should the special zoning be eliminated, a total of six new housing units in the area could be added, with the property on 19th north of Cascade already holding a duplex that could become a triplex; the other two lots with homes already on them contain one unit apiece, with the capacity for one additional unit each.
Councilman Aaron Brockett said he would not immediately push for examining getting rid of the similar special zoning, known as a medium-density overlay zone, in the other three areas of the city that could prevent additional housing units from being added where they would normally be legal under regular zoning.
“For Tuesday, I’m just focused on eliminating the medium-density overlay zone in the one area of the Hill, but I would definitely be open to exploring removing it in other areas as a future step,” Brockett said.
Councilwoman Rachel Friend this week neither supported nor opposed the newly proposed 208-unit apartment development in the Gunbarrel area that has neighboring property owners wary. But she agreed increasing housing capacity increases in this area of the Hill would be more optimal.
“That’s a good example of where housing makes great sense,” Friend said of the 18th and Baseline area. “… I generally am in favor of locating density in areas that are highly walkable and have great options for alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles.”
Boulder Planning Board last month voted 6-1, with John Gerstle in the minority, to support Council eliminating the overlay zone on the Hill.
“I note the original objective of this overlay has not been met,” Gerstle said at the board hearing. “The original objective was to get in place architectural guidelines that would ensure some sort of preservation of neighborhood character. One can disagree on how important that is, but if we just eliminate the requirement by moving ahead on and eliminating this overlay, then we have not met the objective of 1995, the year this was put into place.”
