CU Plans Re-do of Family Housing Along Boulder Creek

Twice Goss-Grove representatives have been invited to voice concerns at planning discussions about the redevelopment of student housing along Boulder Creek. Jon and Jerrie Hurd spent the morning of May 19th on Campus listening to the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit program that offers expert advice in urban planning, discuss possibilities with CU Planning Staff and stake holders. We are considered a stake holder.

There will need to be lots of flood mitigation done in this area. The day care facility will be moved out of area because of flood concerns. Other than that, no decisions have been made.

The most likely possibility would be one of the following or a combination:

• Using the area for more recreation, including building a 3000 seat stadium for soccer.
  
• Putting a conference center at Arapahoe and Folsom.
  
• Replacing the existing student housing with a mixed use plan including retail along Arapahoe and some classrooms.
  
• Increasing the density of student housing, also with a mixed use plan and some high-end units that would be leased to non-students (alumni).

As Goss-Grove's representatives, the Hurds expressed concern for traffic and parking. The City of Boulder representative stated that Arapahoe will NOT be widened, but they do have plans to turn that street into a walkable corridor. CU offered multiple plans for handling parking including incorporating Car Share into the plan. Most of those plans seemed adequate, but not generous. They are basically looking at 1.1 car spaces per housing unit.

The morning included a walk through the area under discussion as many of the Urban Land Institute Planners were from out of town.

City Planners expressed desire to have more student housing on campus to relieve neighborhoods like ours.

If you have questions, the North Creek Project is discussed on CU's website.