On Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. and again at 6 p.m., at the Nederland Community Center, the Town of Nederland, in conjunction with civil engineering professionals Bohannan Huston Inc., hosted a special meeting and public workshop concerning the Town’s Housing Needs Assessment project.

The Town of Nederland is required to provide an updated housing study and to make one change to their zoning code to promote affordable and/or alternative housing in order to complete the prerequisites for the Housing Planning Program Grant and be eligible for the Housing Development Incentive Grant Program.

The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) approved contracting with Bohannan Huston Inc. during their meeting on December 6, 2022.

The Housing Needs Assessment aims to gather data from the Town’s planning documents, the Comprehensive Plan (which is scheduled for a complete update) and Envision 2030, and from public surveys and workshops, in order to form suggestions for zoning code changes. These suggestions would be subject to another public workshop before being drafted as actionable ordinances to go before the BOT for final approval.

Senior Planner at Bohannan Huston Inc. Derrick Webb and Senior Vice President Denise Aten were present during the meetings on April 6 to answer questions from the community while also providing interactive and informative displays set up throughout the room. Some of these displays tasked residents with choosing their preferred solutions towards the issue of Nederland’s lack of affordable housing, as well as indicating the town’s strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats pertaining to affordable housing.

One of the interactive boards asked “Which strategies do you feel the Town should consider pursuing to support affordable housing development in the community?” There were 11 possible strategies to choose from on the board, and guests who participated were asked to select their four preferences.

By the end of the 3:30 p.m. workshop there were a total of seven votes for using vacant public-owned property for affordable housing development. There were four votes for dedicating a funding source to subsidize affordable housing infrastructure costs and fees, and also four votes for allowing smaller square footage residential unit sizes.

The least popular strategies were to allow planned unit developments (PUDs) with integrated affordable housing units, to promote submetering utility charges for affordable housing, to institute a density bonus program, and to allow multi-family duplexes and triplexes use-by-right in single family residential zoning districts.

The display board that tasked residents with indicating Nederland’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats was full of multicolored sticky notes by the end of each meeting. The community associated the main “threats” to finding housing solutions as NIMBYs, inaction from Town government, instability in Town staff, fire and other natural disasters, and zoning that favors large developments.

The lack of housing stock, the youth and workforce leaving town, lack of wage stability, and the unfocused efforts from the Town were listed as the “weaknesses.” However, allowing alternative housing (yurts and tiny homes), promoting rezoning efforts, partnering with Boulder County or Gilpin County, creating potential housing funds, and promoting annexation were indicated as the greatest “opportunities” toward creating affordable housing.

Some suggestions from the public also included proposing to landowners to leave their assets to the Town, increasing enrollment to the Boulder Valley School District, and building affordable housing in “wealthy” neighborhoods to “diversify the town.”

Town Administrator Dr. Miranda Fisher and Community Planner Britt DeMinck were also present for the workshop to answer any questions from the public. Fisher gave a short presentation on information regarding different development scenarios, using 750 West 5th Street, also known as the Old Town Shop site, as an example.

The lot is approximately 19,950 square feet and its surrounding properties are zoned Medium Density Residential. Under Development Scenario 1, 19 tiny homes (300 square feet), or 10 micro-units at 600 square feet, seven studio units at 855 square feet, or four 1,500 square-foot units could be constructed on 30% of the parcel, or roughly 5,985 square feet. All but the four 1,500-square-foot units require a Special Review Use process.

Under Development Scenario 2, 33 tiny homes, 17 micro units, 12 studio units, or eight 1,250 square-foot units could be constructed on 50% (9,975 square feet) of the parcel, but would trigger a special review. Four units at 2,500 square feet each would be “allowed” without a special review.

Under Development Scenario 3, 46 tiny homes, 27 micro units, 17 studio units, or 11 1,272 square-foot units could be constructed on 70% (13,965 square feet) of the parcel, but would trigger a special review. Four units at 3,500 square feet each would be “allowed” without a special review.

All units under Development Scenario 1 and 2 would have a minimum street setback of 25 feet, a minimum front yard setback of 25 feet, and a minimum side yard setback of 10 feet. All units under Development Scenario 3 would have a minimum street setback, a minimum front yard setback, and a minimum side yard setback of just five feet.

Community property owners have seemingly been unable to compromise on what, if any, form of affordable housing they would approve, whether it be infill developments, getting creative with zoning code, or allowing expansion through annexation. However, it has become increasingly clear that Nederland is not immune from the effects of a statewide and nationwide housing crisis, and that a solution needs to be reached.

Between now and the next workshop, currently planned for the Fall, Bohannan Huston have a lot of public feedback to sort through in order to return with their suggestions, not just from these preliminary workshops but from a public survey, which can be taken here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NederlandHNASurvey

For more information regarding Nederland’s Housing Needs Assessment, including access to an interactive map that highlights the study area of the assessment, as well as indicates the current zoning designations, go to: https://bhi. mysocialpinpoint.com/nederlandhousing needs-assessment