Monday, October 27, 2008

Boulder Surveys for House Size Limits

Below is an announcement that the City of Boulder will survey over 13,000 households about home expansions and the compatable development. I want to advise you how important it is that you respond to the survey to protect their use of your property and its future resale value. It will be important for city officials to hear from a truly representative group of homeowners, not just those with strong feeeling about home expansions.

Compatible development surveys to be delivered to single-family homes in BoulderAs part of the Compatible Development in Single-Family Neighborhoods project (formerly known as "Pops and Scrapes"), a survey will be mailed to all potentially affected property owners around Friday, Oct. 24. The purpose of the survey is to garner homeowner input regarding residential development in relation to neighborhood character.

A total of 13,036 addresses will receive the survey. Affected property owners include the following residential zoning districts:
· Residential Low Density (RL-1)
· Residential Low Density (RL-2)
· Residential Estate (RE)
· Residential Mixed Density 1 (RMX-1)
· Residential Rural 1 (RR-1)
· Residential Rural 2 (RR-2)

The survey was developed by the city's consultant Winter & Company with assistance from RRC Associates - a private firm that specializes in market research and collecting and analyzing customer feedback.

Along with the recently completed community workshops, the survey is part of the first step of the project to "Define the Question." A workshop summary is currently available on the project Web site.

In the project's next step, the information gathered in the survey and workshops will be used to develop a recommended strategy. This strategy will be introduced to the public at a series of community workshops that are expected to occur in mid-January. Public feedback will be used to refine the strategy before it is considered by the Planning Board and City Council.

For more information about the project, visit http://www.boulderplandevelop.net/ and click on "Hot Topics and Current Projects" or contact Senior Planner Julie Johnston at 303-441-1886.