John Scarffe , Nederland.

A Boulder County Housing Authority affordable housing project received approval from the Nederland Board of Trustees during a regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, in the Nederland Community Center. About 20 people spoke to the Board about the project both in favor and opposed and the multi-purpose room was packed.

Boulder County Housing Director Norrie Boyd said the Housing Authority is asking for the final plat for up to 26 below market rate homes. The Board must consider three separate items: vacation of Tilden and Johnson streets and a waiver of the parking requirement and final plat and subdivision.

The Final PUD includes 26 residential units upon a total land area of 51,133 square feet. The development is intended to serve a range of household incomes, from very low-income multigenerational to workforce housing of 30-60 percent Area Median Income (AMI), with up to four units set aside for qualified Boulder Valley School District employees.

BCHA owns, manages and maintains 809 affordable homes with 55 properties in seven communities. This development will serve working people in Nederland.

BCHA has been working in Nederland since 1976 and some residents have lived here in Nederland for 20 years. They have 2,000 square ft. allowable. They will be taking a sliver of Tilden Street and the portion negotiated with Calvary Chapel.

Boyd said that Boulder County has invested in the Nederland community for three separate buildings, and they supported Nederland through the flood in 2013. The County is trying to reach a 12 percent goal for affordable homes by 2035. This project puts us ahead of the game.

The project will serve seniors, families and those who are working and have a job in Nederland. It will be open to anyone in the community. Clients need access to transportation and jobs, so being across from the RTD park and ride meets many of the goals, Boyd said.

The right of way on Tilden is just half a right of way. BCHA reached an agreement with Calvary Chapel to take the eastern portion of Tilden and Johnson streets, vacating it north and south, and they will split it east and west and the Calvary Church will gain a parking lot. The vacation will be 51,000 square feet.

The benefits of the project include affordable housing and payment of a portion of plant investment fees. They will have on-site property management and 54 percent open space.

The chosen construction firm has experience with mountains and affordable housing.

A BCHA Engineer said that the site plan has undergone a handful of changes since the previous Board meeting. The main structure now has 26 units and addtitional parking. They will provide fire access along with gated access to Third Street for emergencies, but would not allow the flow of traffic to cut through the site. They have a storm water management plan that includes existing drainage and they will have two filtration ponds.

Pete Weeber said he has been around Boulder County for 30 years with Coburn Architecture and has experience working in the mountains, including Crested Butte and Breckenridge.

The differences since the last proposal include a reduction of units and changes in design.

BCHA started with 34 units and then went down to 26, and the mass of the building changed. They also added an elevator to the building, widened the access way and removed carports for fire ladder access. The building has been pushed to the south side of the property with parking around it and focuses the outdoor attention toward Beaver Creek.

It will have landscaping all the way around the building and 36 parking spaces on site, Weeber said. The traditional false front and galvanized material will make it look like a Nederland building.

The project will be sustainable but instead of using LEED, they will go through Enterprise Green, which is lower cost but roughly equivalent to LEED solar. “We want to put that money back in the project,” he said.

The first actions before the Board were the vacation of the right of way for Tilden and Johnson Streets. Boyd said she made a request for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for a crosswalk, which would require a traffic study that could indicate they don’t need a lower speed but would like the flashing light.

Boyd said they have renovation plans for BCHA facilities in Nederland, which include exterior improvements, handicapped ramps and renovations of the kitchens. They have documents that detail what will be done to each building. The new facility will allow pets and there will be a pet waste station and residents will be allowed only two pets.

Trustee Topher Donahue asked how to prioritize availability for people who live and work in Nederland. Boyd said that right now they have an interest list on the website.

They have a preference policy for people and families living and working in Nederland. There is a fair housing law that guides what they can and cannot do, but BCHA is committed to working with the town on a policy for people who live and work here, which has been successful in other communities.

Lafayette had a policy proposed and did not implement it, but the Town has 70 percent of residents living and working there. They also did an 80 percent agreement for living and working in Louisville and it was approved.

“What we have committed to is providing a right of first refusal for BSVD employees and will provide four units set aside if they would like that,” Boyd said.

BCHA Director Frank Alexander said that we have a very active and engaged community and it’s the community network that influences people to apply. He also stated that there is a commitment to pass a preference policy, but people need to apply because it depends who applies first.

Regarding the vacation of Tilden Street, three residents spoke in favor of it. The vacation benefits the library and Calvary Chapel. Presbyterian Church Pastor, Hansen Wendlandt, whose church property is nearby, said that if we do not vacate these rights, we will have zero neighbors on our property. Some will be elderly seniors who will end up in Boulder, as well as students.

“We are lining up to make sure the neighbors who qualify will have their applications filled out at the top of the list,” he said.

Three people spoke against the vacation. Former Planning Commission Member Wendy Williams said that the greatest responsibility is to protect property rights of current residents who bought property, and this is a violation of her property rights.

BCHA housing currently has 60 residents and expects to have more than 70 residents. Nederland is being asked to give away $200,000 of land and the plan is inherently unsustainable, Williams said.

Past applicants have had to pay for that. It’s worth a lot. It makes fiscal sense to ask BCHA to pay for the value of the land, Williams said. This whole project goes against our comprehensive plan because it is unsustainable. This includes our roads, police and fire protection. Williams wanted to know how the Board plans funding for these shortfalls.

Trustee Dallas Masters said he thinks the vacation for public benefit is a good use of a vacation. “When we have a good use such as affordable housing, it’s exactly the kind of thing we use vacations for.”

Mayor Kristopher Larsen agreed and said this Board set, as one of its three main goals, to address affordable housing, and this vacation of roads that were platted long ago and never completed is a good use. The Board approved the vacation of Tilden Street and also approved the Johnson Street vacation.

Regarding the PUD application, six residents spoke in support of it, many of them members of the Nederland Human Services Task force. The Peak to Peak Human Services Task Force serves the community in the best and most important way and is a collaboration created to address the needs of Nederland residents.

They have found ways to address most needs except affordable housing. About 40 percent of Nederland residents rent and many are paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Business owners were not surprised to hear about the problem and owners report that they have difficulty keeping employees.

Wendlant said that this belongs in Nederland’s back yard and is the right thing to do for our schools. This project will make such a great difference but it’s only the first step.

In opposition to the project, Wendy Williams asked the Town how it plans to pay for this impact and fund the loss of $50,000. “How can we afford to do this? We have a tax increase on the ballot.

“What if the debt authorization and sales tax don’t go through, but let’s take on 26 more units. We’re looking at $10 million debt replacement cost. How can we fund our roads? I’d love to hear how you propose to make up for the task burden on the rest of us.”

Arapaho Ranch Owner Kayla Evans said she has seen this divide our community. “We all want housing. There have been testimonials from people in our community who are passionate about housing in this community. Some of us have been working on housing for five years.”

Evans is worried that Boulder County is saying a lot of ‘we intend to’ and ‘we hope to. “We should flesh out some of these concerns for the residents who have to live with this every day. Have we considered all the options? I’m not sure this is the best place for this.”

Trustee Topher Donahue said this has been in the works for quite a while, and it was not quickly done. “I don’t want to kick the can down the road looking for a better project. I’d like my house to be the last one built in Colorado.

“Making every decision based on money isn’t the community I want to be part of.” People who live there will be part of our community, and he supports the project. “We have to start working toward solutions to these problems and they are not always going to be easy.”

Trustee Julie Gustafson said she is comfortable and BCHA has been very responsive to the community. It looks like a beautiful place and it’s along the highway and accessible.

Mayor Kristopher Larsen said BCHA heard what the town said, and they have come up with an even better plan. This is going to include 26 new families and that’s a lot of sales tax.

The design of project is good and won’t increase traffic on Third Street.

The Planning Commission had nine conditions and parking has been addressed.

The Board appointed an oversight committee that will have responsibilities and one board liaison who could call special meetings. The Board liaison will be responsible for assuring that occurs. The Board approved the APUD with the conditions and the oversight board.

The next meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at the Nederland Community Center.