CU Boulder South plan
University of Colorado officials on Monday detailed long-term plans for the 308-acre site at Table Mesa Drive and U.S. 36. They include:
— 750 apartments and 375 townhomes for campus workforce, graduate students and non-freshman undergraduates on 68 acres
— 700 parking spots to go along with the housing
— 8 academic buildings on 40 acres
— 3 recreation fields on 81 acres of flood-storage land
— 66.2 acres of land left undeveloped
Read more about CU’s plans, and comment on them, at colorado.edu/cubouldersouth
The University of Colorado revealed its long-term aspirations Monday for its contested CU Boulder South property, including 1,125 housing units for students and employees, athletic fields, natural land and academic buildings that campus officials said could take decades to fully develop.
All structures and buildings planned on the 308 acres south of Table Mesa Drive and west of U.S. 36. would be located outside the 100-year floodplain, CU officials said.
Upon annexation of the property by the city, CU intends to devote 81 acres to a flood mitigation plan to protect the flood-prone neighborhoods surrounding the land, which the university bought about 20 years ago.
“We are following the city’s lead when it comes to the flood plan and fully behind their plans and eager to help them through that,” said Frances Draper, vice chancellor for strategic relations at CU.
Jeff Arthur, Boulder’s director of public works for utilities, described the proposed flood plan as a dam to be constructed alongside U.S. 36. The dam would have the same elevation at the top, but as the highway starts going downhill, the perceived height of it would get taller, with the tallest point being at the Table Mesa Park-n-Ride.
“In terms of obstructing views and whatnot, it’s already a pretty impacted area,” Arthur said. “And then as you get farther east, the height basically goes to zero.”
Inviting the community into the “inextricably intertwined” relationship between CU and the city, the university is publicizing its proposed draft plan for the CU Boulder South property, allowing residents to weigh in before the university comes to the city to finalize annexation talks.
Draper said university officials have been listening to the community’s desires to be included in the planning process for the land.
The CU Boulder South site has been controversial since its purchase in 1996, as neighbors have worried that the university’s plans to eventually develop the site would put neighboring homes at greater risk from floodwaters.
The university launched a new website Monday with a preliminary map, answers to frequently asked questions and a survey that will remain open through 11:59 p.m. May 10. Comments also can be submitted by email to CUB.South@Colorado.edu through the same time frame.
“Nobody is seeing anything the public can’t see,” Draper said. “There’s a distrust surrounding this project. We want to do this in an open way.”
Once the flood mitigation is in place, CU leaders said the next project they’d like to develop are three recreation fields, such as baseball fields the community and school district could use. These would be built on 81 acres of flood-storage land designated along the outskirts of the South Boulder Creek. If the creek flooded onto this land, Jeff Lipton, CU’s director of real estate, said the grass could simply be replaced with minimal damage to anything else.
The plans also include an area for lockers, showers, bathrooms and other “athletic support services.”
Housing won’t ‘happen overnight’
On the western side of property, CU is proposing about 68 acres of housing meant for the campus workforce, graduate students and non-freshman undergraduates. While not city-designated affordable housing, Draper said the housing would be more affordable simply because the land is already university-owned.
Plans include 750 apartment units in three-story buildings and 375 townhomes with space for trails, playgrounds and parking.
Although CU officials suspected this would be ” the most pressing need” due to skyrocketing and limited housing prices impacting those on campus, they didn’t have any idea when the housing would be developed.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen overnight,” Draper said.
A transit hub and 700 parking spots for on-site use are proposed to go along with the housing area.
For use down the line, CU has set aside about 40 acres for academic buildings, although campus officials said actually developing the proposed eight buildings and 3-acre lots for additional classroom buildings could take decades.
“We’re very unique as an institution in that we look out 100 years,” Lipton said. “We are going to need land, so we purchase it. But it could take half a century to develop.”
The university likens CU Boulder South to the East Campus, which was purchased in 1955 and sits near Arapahoe Avenue and 30th Street. The East Campus contains several research labs along with campus office buildings.
“It’s a good analogy,” Lipton said. “It was in the late ’80s before we did any significant development.”
Surrounding CU Boulder South, the university is proposing to reserve 66.2 acres as natural habitat, with no-build areas including wetlands.
“Almost half of the site is not developed for anything,” Lipton said.
‘Be proud of it’
Draper said CU wants the property to be as beautiful as it is functional, promoting trail connectivity and open space. The development would include a formal trail connecting U.S. 36 and the South Boulder Creek Trail. Buildings and land uses would reflect the style of the university while remaining sensitive to the character of the surrounding neighborhoods.
“When people are driving into Boulder, we want them to look at this and be proud of it,” Draper said.
As a state entity, the university isn’t required to adhere to the city’s building codes, but Draper said campus officials would work with the city as closely as possible and likely would build to an even higher standard than Boulder would require.
For residents concerned about building height, Draper said CU is planning all buildings to stand less than 55 feet tall.
CU officials recognized the contentious debates surrounding the CU Boulder South project and hoped their transparency would break bread in the community.
“The feedback that comes of this would be the basis from which we start negotiating with the city, and it’s complicated,” Lipton said. “There’s a lot of passionate feelings. In Boulder, there’s a lot of passionate feelings about everything.”
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-473-1106, hernandeze@dailycamera.com, twitter.com/ehernandez
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