The Boulder City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a rezoning in Goss Grove that is designed to preserve the existing mix of multi-unit and single-family housing and prevent more apartment buildings from being built in the central Boulder neighborhood.
The area will be downzoned from high-density residential to mixed residential, which will make it harder for multi-unit buildings to be built there.
The area targeted for rezoning lies roughly between 16th and 23rd streets and between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard, though the boundaries snake around property lines to pull in or exclude additional lots.
Nearly two dozen residents attended the City Council meeting to express support for the rezoning. They said the mix of long-term residents in single-family homes and students in rental properties is just right and that if more apartment buildings are built in the area, it will be harder for the "anchor families" to set the right tone.
One property owner asked to be excluded from the downzoning because his two rental properties are surrounded by apartment buildings.
Naropa University, which lies just outside the downzoned area, expressed opposition to the rezoning in a letter. Naropa officials said the measure will make it harder to create more student housing for the Buddhist university.
An amendment to exclude the property owner was defeated 5-4. The council members then voted unanimously to approve the downzoning.
Several City Council members said they want Naropa to stay in central Boulder and want to work with the university to meet its needs.