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Boulder trustees press staff on 37-property residential portfolio, $9 million backlog and Hodges options
Summary
Trustees at a May 13 meeting heard staff describe OSMP’s 37 residential structures (replacement value ~$16M), estimated maintenance backlog of about $9M, annual rental revenue near $340,000, and debated options including conservation easements, targeted disposals, enterprise-style management and continued support for farmworker housing.
Open Space and Mountain Parks staff presented a systemwide review of the department’s residential portfolio at the May 13 Board of Trustees meeting, describing 37 residential structures that support agriculture, staff operations and leased tenants.
Jeff Haley, deputy director for visitor experience and infrastructure, said the portfolio’s current replacement value is about $16 million and that industry standards recommend investing roughly 2% of replacement value in preventive maintenance (about $320,000/year). Staff estimate a deferred maintenance backlog of roughly $9 million (up from about $4 million in 2016); some properties are in poor condition and uninhabitable, with individual renovation estimates such as $800,000–$1,000,000 cited for the Wells house.
Staff described how 27 structures are leased (managed by a third-party property manager), 10 are reserved for staff or operational use, and roughly 62% of residences support agricultural operations. Annual rental revenue was described as roughly $340,000. Staff and trustees discussed that many agricultural leases are offered below market to support farm operations and recruitment of farm workers.
Trustees debated potential responses: retain all properties and increase investment; pursue targeted disposal/transfers coupled with conservation easements to protect open-space values while removing some management burdens; treat the portfolio more as an enterprise fund; or seek philanthropic partnerships to speed repairs. Several trustees emphasized taking community concerns seriously, staging any disposal discussion carefully, and describing conservation easements or transfers as a mechanism to preserve open-space values rather than "abandoning" property.
Staff said disposal has been considered carefully in prior discussions (Hodges was cited as a case previously taken off the table amid public comment) and that any future transfer would aim to protect conservation values via easement or restrictive covenant. Trustees requested more granular condition and cost breakdowns by parcel (for example, which of the $9M backlog items are agricultural residences) before deciding on disposal or other strategies.
Next steps: staff offered to provide a more detailed parcel-level condition and cost breakdown and to continue public engagement if specific disposal or transfer proposals are brought forward.
