[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6305128,"mediaKeyId","2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115","parentId",2450380,"title","Boulder consultants recommend a square‑foot impact fee to fund affordable housing from home teardowns and large additions","audioSeconds",3848,"startMs",234000,"endMs",4082000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115&start=234&end=4082","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115/thumbnail_234000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6305128/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-consultants-recommend-a-squarefoot-impact-fee-to-fund-affordable-housing-from-home-teardowns-and-large-additions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305128-dc7e0e10e3a63cc681f1d834285ef4f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130241&Signature=EitCpRMLQIypVkw24xM-2nGg~is6I3GdokEvTEro2J~FHOnLDRozK5YZCGn3kU8B2~PoU4DgBgJ-PrDZFj~IEzh5v3AB5e~~8PiLxMeZ-oCgO4CbhfuTZcjStNJI-U5C3QkMqfbnYcMo4X08bs2aAZjTm6S9ozwR1chlCPUZZq4o9WR~O2Dw~uiwRVVZ-TkMrp9~mNzyvcQbF0LdSvWhBOTcFLbW7DN3ieGVp2MiWfkmJcJG2Ut4rpy4DzyENVXoFDKPeLY9H8rWa-xp2UwE~jNV4doq5oSS0yzp4fqbrY6pzDFiXtAen5xe369qtHcksXK8oxqzAXd9snVO6oevXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-02-28T23:02:47Z","article","City of Boulder staff and a paid consultant told the Housing Advisory Board on Feb. 26 that a legally defensible nexus exists between single‑family teardowns/large additions and the city’s need for affordable housing, and they recommended creating a per‑square‑foot impact fee to capture contributions from those projects.

The study, prepared by Bruin & Associates (presented by consultant Andrew Rochford) and introduced by Solon Walbert, the city’s Inclusionary Housing Program manager, found that replacing modest homes with much larger market‑rate houses and substantial additions increases local housing costs and demand for workforce housing. The consultant advised a square‑foot fee up to about $15 per square foot for net new above‑ground area and suggested exempting small projects and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The presentation estimated the fee could generate roughly $1 million to $1.5 million a year for Boulder’s affordable housing fund under a $15/sq ft assumption.

The study summarized three prototype project scenarios (small teardown/replacement, larger replacement, and modest addition) and concluded the replacement/expansion produces higher home values and attracts higher‑income households. The consultant’s economic modeling estimated those households’ spending would create jobs in the city and, in turn, additional workforce demand requiring affordable units; that demand was converted into a per‑unit financing “gap” the city would need to close. The analysis produced sample maximum fees per project (roughly $25,000 for some small‑lot teardowns, about $45,000 for larger teardown projects, and about $14,000 for modest additions) and a per‑square‑foot legal justification for a fee in the mid‑teens.

Board members pressed staff and the consultant on assumptions in the modeling, including the share of workers created by these projects who would live in Boulder (the consultant said the analysis assumes two‑thirds will be housed locally, an assumption described in the presentation as optimistic but commonly used in nexus studies to justify fees). Members also discussed how to craft exemptions so the fee does not unduly burden longtime owner‑occupants making modest improvements; options noted included a larger square‑foot cutoff, a percent‑increase threshold, or a homestead‑style exemption tied to occupancy period. Staff said the legal design and administration details would be decided through the public outreach process and code drafting.

Walbert told the board the city already directs nonresidential impact fee revenue and other housing revenues into an affordable housing fund; the presentation noted the city collected roughly $102 million into that broad fund from 2015 through 2023 (short‑term rental tax and other sources were referenced during discussion). The consultant highlighted comparable programs elsewhere (Evanston, Denver, Los Angeles, Aspen) and said Boulder’s recommended fee levels are similar to fees that apply to some single‑family projects in Denver.

Next steps identified in the meeting: staff plans further community engagement this spring and summer, presentation to the Planning Board the following week, and a code‑change package for Council consideration in the fall. The consultant and staff said the city would phase in any fee and adjust it over time, and they recommended exempting small additions (the presentation suggested 500 sq ft as an administrative cutoff but board members proposed considering higher thresholds or percent‑increase rules).

Board members and staff emphasized design tradeoffs: the fee’s primary purpose is to generate revenue for affordable housing and to make contribution expectations more equitable across types of residential development; some members also discussed the fee’s potential to modestly deter certain projects. No formal action was taken by the board on the study at the Feb. 26 meeting; staff asked for the board’s input as part of the ongoing outreach process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2-26-25 Housing Advisory Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City of Boulder staff and a paid consultant told the Housing Advisory Board on Feb. 26 that a legally defensible nexus exists between single‑family teardowns/large additions and the city’s need for affordable housing, and they recommended creating a per‑square‑foot impact fee to capture contributions from those projects.","taxTitle","Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",3386,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6305118,"Housing Advisory Board approves quarterly update talking points for council and adopts minutes",36,8084000,8120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115&start=8084&end=8120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115/thumbnail_8084000.jpg","/articles/6305118/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Housing-Advisory-Board-approves-quarterly-update-talking-points-for-council-and-adopts-minutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305118-aad3380b90bad07abb291449a143c275/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130241&Signature=ligIUOh2Cxv1zFquDY~yC0X1FdzJNiDaMhO--P0-Rlz2tkfY39IRBNN8xQ3Kfd1Dw1pKSdEmwsIm280MotStudhDzmLh~J2WyAb6PWi9AwwxNeb1mHq6yZYX8rlunLFuAHaUrj7fkLHFS-i1YXIzdu1Xx2ErUp8w4r4fDXWUw2FuHTAMY9jmx8U14ncRPUV3JPjh-z0Hs69WXxf0CQ85ETsNuO-AcUzEZhXiilIolrpZzzsd0Vav1FSJ1P49QPnUJTzDo2takuY9tjq~kA09hDsWSP9rOYRgpQ~SryqT7bcWmOaIYFM3rlVrwZgL3BNVaZPulPIDG~0aJZTSmIiHeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the Feb. 26 meeting the Housing Advisory Board voted to approve a set of talking points for a planned quarterly update to the City Council, with three small edits: change “relationships” to singular “relationship,” add language asking council whether there are specific topics the council wants the board to investigate and advise on, and remove an extraneous congratulatory phrase. The board recorded the motion, second and a unanimous vote in support.

Board members also approved the January meeting minutes and a revised version of the November minutes (the November revision removed a prior letter “e” per a prior direction). A board member volunteered to present the board’s quarterly update at City Council in March; scheduling and logistics will be coordinated by staff.

These procedural votes were taken during the meeting’s business section and recorded on the public meeting record; the edits to the talking points were to be circulated and finalized by staff before the council presentation.","The Housing Advisory Board voted unanimously to approve talking points for a quarterly update to City Council (with minor edits) and approved meeting minutes for January and a revised November; a board member volunteered to present the update to council.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6305123,"DRCOG presents regional housing needs assessment: 200,000–511,000 units cited as future gap; low‑income bins drive need",2064,4484000,6548000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115&start=4484&end=6548","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2450380-2182bacd9bb1f35162ba038e1dd1c115/thumbnail_4484000.jpg","/articles/6305123/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/DRCOG-presents-regional-housing-needs-assessment-200000511000-units-cited-as-future-gap-lowincome-bins-drive-need","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305123-2d132f049a35c4541a3f3ff22a54fa02/orig.mp4?Expires=1771130241&Signature=ajc026-EK9lhfP4s6qMBMDzW6FJCW2C0UT6s453GLRwMFkB1Gq3Ilklua4~tucjlxgZuxquaySZToKzJ8qgoI4-l1k257cMOdBpKbAq93EObX1yZUpl~5oyQyLfM4W0DXh8-d-8m3~aE221hZMn~jJldP-YRrjHMfIv5DRACNrPMTExjNzHzzyDrw9l3LsoKAKbrNACTghct7TbVPayZoS~s7QzdgAEZSZiP5NEsQ0cLm0b81vDhIpW5x6QbntozMYc6n-pRmYUghtacC4sI77hPfnozEbnxvu0kS3uA9bWgVNH1mj~hpCQ5Ykww3kBZt3StiRWPhhSG7ImbpMtYFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) briefed the Housing Advisory Board on Feb. 26 about a regional housing needs assessment intended to inform a DRCOG regional housing strategy and the next update to Metro Vision, DRCOG’s regional plan.

Sheila Lynch, DRCOG’s director for regional planning and development, described a three‑part study: a data‑driven needs analysis, a systems barriers review and early stakeholder input to frame strategy options. DRCOG staff said the assessment estimates roughly 511,000 new housing units regionally by 2050, and—using a shorter policy window—about 200,000 additional units by 2032. The report and accompanying dashboard break the need into area submarkets and income bands (AMI), with the greatest shortfalls concentrated in the lowest income bands (0–30% and 30–60% AMI).

DRCOG staff explained their methodology: population and household forecasts from the State Demography Office, distributions to submarkets based on employment, transit access and current vacancy, and an AMI‑level matching of households to housing supply. DRCOG said it estimated current unmet need as two parts: (1) “missing households” from changes in household formation and (2) unhoused households (DRCOG cited outreach‑based counts for the latter and used an estimate of roughly 30,000–35,000 unhoused households regionally).

The presentation produced jurisdiction‑level allocations of need; DRCOG’s dashboard shows the City of Boulder’s share of the shorter‑term allocation at roughly 10,000 units (DRCOG staff noted many local factors drive allocations, including employment and transit access). DRCOG representatives emphasized the assessment is a foundation for a regional housing strategy that will run through engagement in 2024 with a target to advance a strategy by January of the following year; robust, multi‑sector stakeholder involvement was described as a priority.

Board members questioned DRCOG staff about assumptions—particularly the distribution of need by AMI across all submarkets (DRCOG said the AMI distribution is set at the regional level and then allocated to submarkets), the handling of second homes and short‑term rentals (staff said they excluded them from supply but reviewed their impact), and how behavior change (for example, shifts to smaller units, ADUs, or reduced auto dependence) would alter housing demand. DRCOG staff said the regional strategy will consider such policy levers and that the needs assessment is the analytical foundation for those conversations.

DRCOG invited jurisdictions and stakeholders to use the online dashboard and to participate in spring engagement; staff said the board should expect more specific strategy conversations starting in April and continuing through the next year.","Denver Regional Council of Governments presented a regional housing needs assessment to the City of Boulder’s Housing Advisory Board, reporting large regional shortfalls concentrated between 0–60% AMI and a near‑term need figure the study framed as roughly 200,000 units (shorter policy window) and 511,000 by mid‑century.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Boulder consultants recommend a square‑foot impact fee to fund affordable housing from home teardowns and large additions

Housing Advisory Board approves quarterly update talking points for council and adopts minutes

DRCOG presents regional housing needs assessment: 200,000–511,000 units cited as future gap; low‑income bins drive need