The Peloton – Inside Scoop!
by Osman Parvez ---- The Peloton hosted an open house on Friday celebrating the grand opening of a community building. As I mentioned in my last post, a $100,000 incentive was also being offered. That sounded like a big discount. So on behalf our clients and you loyal readers of this blog, I sent a top operative from Realty Unique to investigate... me. I toured the facility, sampled the catering, and chatted with the sales people. Here's what I found... Wait. First, I should mention that I didn't really know what to expect. Like you, I've seen and heard the [...]
What’s Next for Washington Village
by Osman Parvez ---- Now that the developer has conditional approval, what's next for the project? It seems a push for sales given an upcoming deadline for closing. From the Daily Camera: There are still details to be figured out. The City Council approved the project on the condition that Leach wait to develop two of the single-family housing lots to give the city — or another buyer — a chance to purchase them and convert them into park space. Leach said he's hoping neighbors — many of whom opposed the project — will urge the city to find the [...]
Lodging Boom in Broomfield
by Osman Parvez ---- Over the last few years, the pace of development has been on the rise in Broomfield. Some of it is easily visible from 36. Remember when the Omni was so large and alone that it literally loomed on the horizon? That's changed over the years. Well it's about to get even more competition. Much more. Broomfield is set to get as many as 7 new hotels. From the Daily Camera: Vacancy rates in the Interlocken district, where some of the hotels are proposed, are at 7 percent. It hasn't been that low since 1998, before the [...]
Changes to Green Points Workshop
by Osman Parvez ---- Considering a scrape-off, remodel, or new construction project in Boulder? There's a upcoming workshop you should attend for proposed changes to the Green Points program and building codes. What: Workshop on changes to building codes and green points When: 2 to 4 pm, October 23, 2007 Where: East Boulder Community Center (5660 Sioux Drive) Proposed Changes effective: January, 2008 Proposed changes include three mandatory measures: 1. New, tiered energy efficiency thresholds above 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for new construction 2. A home energy audit of the existing structure and the installation of compact fluorescent [...]
If Only Colbert Was Running for City Council
by Osman Parvez ---- There are currently 21 candidates running for City Council in Boulder. 21 for 7 open slots! Not only is this unusually high, but what other small city in America gets local election coverage in the Daily Kos (a popular political blog which receives up to 5 million visits a week)? In the past few months, there have been opportunities to meet candidates and consider the issues. From forums and debates, we know a little about what they think. We know who has endorsed their candidacy. We even know precisely where they live - on a Google [...]
Transit Village Wins City Council Approval
by Osman Parvez ---- From the Daily Camera The Boulder City Council approved a plan for zoning changes and street layout for the 160 acres of privately owned land surrounding a parcel of city-owned property at 30th and Pearl streets. That parcel, the 11-acre Transit Village site, will be the home of bus rapid transit and commuter rail expected to arrive in Boulder in the next decade. The chart below shows the comparisons between the transit village area today, in the future under current trends, and in the future under the Area Plan. It also compares the jobs to population [...]
Washington School Update
by Osman Parvez ---- The Washington School Cohousing Project was granted conditional approval from the Planning Board on Friday. ~300 people showed up for the meeting which lasted 8 hours. From The Daily Camera: The decision to approve the plan with a series of conditions — including a requirement that the developer provide more open space — may not be the final one. The City Council could decide to review, and possibly revise or even overturn, the Planning Board's decision. and Among the most significant [conditions] is the development will be required to provide more open space to the neighborhood. [...]
Another Opportunity to Speak Up!
by Osman Parvez ---- While I'm on the subject of speaking up, here's another opportunity. It's time for a "mid-term" review of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, or the "Comp Plan" as it is commonly known. Property owners and other members of the public may submit requests for the following changes to the plan: Land Use Map and description changes Area IIB to Area IIA changes Minor Service Area boundary changes Minor additions or clarifications to the policy section The deadline for submitting a request is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, 2007. Request forms and information is available at the [...]
Time to Speak Up
by Osman Parvez ---- The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for US36 was released in August and the end of the public comment period is Monday September 17th. The last public hearing on the DEIS is this Thursday at the East Boulder Community Center (5660 Sioux Dr). You can even snail mail a comment to: US 36 Mobility Partnership c/o CDR Associates 100 Arapahoe Ave, Suite 12 Boulder, CO 80302 If you are concerned with development in our community, I urge you to take the time to review the DEIS and comment. Comments are reviewed and become part of the [...]
A Storm Brewing on Washington Street
by Osman Parvez ---- It was about a year ago when I sat in a workshop directed at buyers of property at the Washington Street School development. I joined an interesting exercise directed at developing a vision for what this community would look like. Although I eventually passed on the project, little did I imagine the storm brewing today. The development is aimed at turning the former school property into a cohousing community, under the direction of Jim Leach and Wonderland Hills Development Corporation. The project, which gained some preliminary approvals from the City and has been in process for [...]
The Washington Street School Debate Rages
by Osman Parvez ---- Here's more open dialogue occurring around the Washington Street School Re-Development Project. This continues from my previous post. From Greg Sherwin: Hi John and Washington School Neighbors, Thank you, John, for taking the time to share your “neighborhood” perspective about Wonderland Hills, BVSD, the City government and yourselves as Washington School neighbors. I am receiving an education. The gift that you have given me, and ultimately perhaps yourselves, is detailing your reasoning for your chosen course of action to try and kill this Wonderland Hills proposed development of this site. I can now offer another perspective [...]
Pop Top Experience: An Interview with Camille Hook
by Osman Parvez ---- As you know from a few of our other posts, Martin Acres continues to buzz with construction and remodeling activity. Recently, I had an opportunity to interview Camille Hook, a local resident who completed her "pop top" project last Summer. Martin Acres is a small, well established neighborhood in South Boulder. It's a place where kids play on the street, the neighborhood park hosts picnics and birthday parties, and many folks know each other. It's also an entry point to buying a home in Boulder with prices that begin around the $300,000 mark. Changes are happening [...]
Google Maps: Martin Acres Pop Tops and Renovations
by Osman Parvez ---- As you know from our last post, "Up, Up, and Away!," we're sharing the story of a project undertaken by clients (and friends). They're popping the top and substantially renovating a home in Martin Acres, a neighborhood of Boulder. Recently, we started mapping other homes in this neighborhood that have been substantially remodeled. The Google map linked below will take you to the new Martin Acres Renovation and Poptop Map. I'm assuming most of you are familiar with Google Maps. You can zoom in/out, view a satellite image, or a hybrid image of map and satellite. [...]
Up, Up and Away!
by Osman Parvez ---- When I mention the subdivision of Martin Acres (a.k.a Martian Acres) most people in Boulder know the area to which I am referring. It's that South Boulder neighborhood with more than its fair share of 1960's, 1000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, brick ranches. Love at first sight is rare in a "mid century modern" area such as this one, that was once heavily rented to CU students. But Martin Acres is more than meets the eye and it's on the move... Homes in this Boulder entry level neighborhood are in demand. Average days on [...]
Unstoppable: Population Growth and Development
by Osman Parvez ---- You've probably noticed that I often write about issues other than the typical residential real estate rah, rah. One area I pay attention to is development. I posted a new feature a couple of days ago: The Boulder Development Map. It shows the location of many new developments in Boulder as well as expected locations for future FasTracks transit stations. Why is development so important? Simple. Take a look at the following chart showing historic and forecasted future population in Colorado. Colorado is a state with very positive immigration trends. From 1990 to 2000, we were [...]
