On June 15 under matters for city manager, Boulder City Council gave city staff direction to move forward with staff exploring the “5 unrelated concept”. This means if passed 5 unrelated persons would be allowed in any home or apartment citywide, regardless of zoning district. Landlords would still retain the right to have less unrelated if they so choose. During the meeting, there was a lot of discussion regarding non-conforming occupancy and if the ordinance changes; what the impact would be to those non-conformities. City staff stated that they will be bring Council more detailed information on the impact to those nonconformities.
The next step is that City Council will review the ordinance on first reading (no public hearing) on Aug. 3. We will send an update out after that meeting. BARHA has not taken a position on the ordinance.
The public hearing on the ordinance is set for Aug. 17. Comments may be given in person, virtually or by submitting comments at this link for any of these meetings. Check the City Council webpage (link) for the Aug. 3 and Aug. 17 in coming weeks for the finalized packets and for any updates. The city requires advance registration to speak at the City Council public hearing. Instructions to register are available here.
City Council directed Planning and Development Services to address occupancy reform as part of the council’s 2022-2023 work program. City Council will be the final decision maker on this ordinance. We encourage you to provide your input over the coming weeks and appreciate your feedback and involvement throughout this process. Questions? Contact meghan@barhaonline.org.