The Daily Camera has devoted a lot of ink to the debate on CU South over the last few months and rightfully so. What happens at this 308-acre site in the coming years will have a big impact on Boulder as well as the university.
First some background. CU bought the former gravel pit in 1996 with the intent of holding it for their long-term future needs. For the ensuing 25 years, they have kept the land open to the public and it has become a favorite destination for hiking, biking and dog walking. Many people now assume that it will forever be there for them and their canine companions to enjoy.
Unfortunately for local dog lovers (myself included), the entire parcel was never intended to be off-leash open space in perpetuity. In 2015, CU leaders started working with the city of Boulder to have CU South annexed into the city limits. This is a critical first step toward accessing city services and utilities that will be necessary to develop the property in the future.
The years since 2015 have included tough negotiations and more than a few disagreements over CU’s priorities versus those of the city. The process has been ugly at times but mostly collaborative. After countless offers and counter offers on dozens of issues, the two sides finally hammered out a draft agreement that is fair and offers benefits for both the university and the city. Let’s look at what Boulder gets first:
Flood Control and Open Space: First and foremost, the city will wind up owning more than half of the property — 155 acres. This includes 36 acres dedicated to critically important flood control that will protect more than 2,300 homes. The remaining 119 acres is earmarked for permanent open space which is some good news for us dog owners. The price tag to the city for all of this land is under $3 million which is less than half of what they have paid for other recent open space purchases.
Affordable Housing: CU has agreed to dedicate five acres to permanently affordable housing which will be open to anyone who meets the criteria and not just CU students or employees. In addition, there is agreement that non-housing development will be limited to no more than half the square footage of residential space. This commitment to residential uses will take some of the pressure off the housing supply and prices in other parts of Boulder.
Now let’s look at what the university is getting in exchange for setting aside all of that land for flood control, open space and affordable housing.
Space to Grow: The agreement allows up to 750,000 square feet of non-residential development which, according to the agreement, can be used for “academic, research, office, athletic, recreation and commercial uses.” Opponents of the deal say this is a lot of square footage and it is. But in the context of 308 acres, it is actually a very small fraction of the available space on the site.
New Housing: The agreement allows for up to 1,100 new residential units which will provide critically needed housing for employees as well as non-freshman students. While some of these homes will be the permanently affordable units mentioned above, CU will
use the remainder to help offset the housing shortage they have struggled with for years.
It is totally understandable that nearby residents are nervous about potential impacts to their neighborhoods. Yes there will be a multi-modal transportation hub and limits on new traffic generation. But there will still be more traffic. Yes the new buildings will be designed to protect views and minimize visual impacts. But there will be some impacts.
In the long run though, the sum of those impacts is outweighed by the benefits to both the city and the university of moving forward with CU South. It has been a long and tough process but the agreement as it stands now is a win/win and it should be approved.
Sean Maher is the CEO of RRC Associates in Boulder. He can be reached at sean@rrcassociates.com