Cleaning Up the Hill:Pilot Planned This Fall for
High-Density Residential Services District
A pilot program this Fall will test-drive a concept intended to revitalize the University Hill neighborhood, namely the creation of a High-Density Residential Services District. The idea of the District is to share costs and create economies of scale for basic maintenance services, such as litter, graffiti and snow removal. The target area is the neighborhood zoned as high-density residential, adjacent to the Hill commercial district.
The concept is one of two “big ideas” presented to City Council in April of 2010 by the Hill Ownership Group, an ad-hoc group of University Hill property managers, residents, business owners, CU employees and students, and City staff working together to revitalize the Hill.
The District is entirely conceptual at this point, with boundaries, services and governance structure still to be determined. The Hill Ownership Group is exploring the concept of a taxing district that could potentially address the following services:
Litter pickup in the public right of way and potentially, with appropriate waivers, in specific areas on private property – i.e. front yards.
Graffiti removal in the public right of way and potentially, with appropriate waivers, on specific locations of private property
W
eed removal in the public right of way
Sidewalk snow removal
Notification procedures for more serious quality of life offenses
Coordinated approach to recycling
Additional trash service pickups at specific times, i.e. move in and move out
Pilot Project
The pilot project is designed to gather information and demonstrate the positive effects of coordinated maintenance in a limited area and in a limited time period: September 30 - November 7, 2011. The area covered by the pilot program will be between 10th and 13th streets, and between College and Pleasant avenues. The services provided during the pilot project include litter pick-up, graffiti removal, limited landscaping clean-up, and limited snow removal, depending on weather.
A subcommittee of the Hill Ownership Group is in the process of contacting property owners and managers in the pilot area to inform them of the project and obtain permission to remove litter and graffiti from portions of their properties.
The city will provide supervisory staff, and donated funds will pay for temporary labor and for supplies (paint, garbage bags and tools). The pilot will include students from the restorative justice program for a few larger clean-ups. An important component of the pilot project will be documentation of before and after conditions and accounting for budgeting purposes.
If appropriate support is received from property owners and residents to create the District, the goal is to have an election of proposed district property owners in November of 2012.
Attend the committee meeting, Friday, Sept. 23 from 9:30-10:30 at Grace Lutheran Church, 1001 13th St. Boulder.