| Building EXPLOSION! | Iris Ball Fields | West Pearl Shutdown |

Dear Neighbors,

Hello!

This month’s newsletter has some specific land-use topics that caught our eye - as well as some thoughts on the upcoming fall election.

Boulder County may be catching the ‘build baby build’ fever that our city council consistently promotes: the beloved Iris ball fields — truly ‘family-friendly’ and, surprisingly, county-owned but within Boulder’s city limits — may be forced to close for potentially more residential density.

If you breathed a sigh of relief when the COVID-driven West Pearl street closure was finally decommissioned, you might want to see what some agitated citizens are cooking up to reinstate it.

Boulder Action research team delivers! You will be astonished at what our City Council has planned for our future density. We provide hard facts to back up the coming tsunami. But all is not lost! Watch for upcoming ballot initiatives!

We offer our take on the importance of the upcoming election and are ringing the bell for any citizen who feels the call to run for city council.

Boulder Action has been growing!. We are a 100% true-grassroots VOLUNTEER operation.With our growth we are now looking for more people who are serious about bringing REAL change to Boulder’s government. Our areas/committees could use your help. Please take a look at this list and please pick one or more; then hit the red Signup Button below and submit the form for the area(s) you’d like to work in.

• Outreach

  • Helping to build housing petition signatures—(immediate need!)

  • Writing Letters to the Editor, Guest Opinions

  • Developing new member channels

  • Social media committee

• Back-office

  • Web design

  • Communications

  • Treasurer

• Research

  • Tracking/Researching Council votes

  • Identifying political trends

  • Any type of search work in support of BoulderAction activities

• Think Tank

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

By Emily Reynolds

We’ve recently seen phenomenal development throughout Boulder: commercial developments, office buildings, tech offices, ADU’s, alley houses, apartment complexes, condos, townhouses, senior housing, blocks of Soviet-style housing, along with tiny proportions of affordable housing. Between 2005 and 2018, 6,925 housing units were built in Boulder, per City figures. Plus, vastly more are in process — ready to roll or being considered. The next five—ten years will give you whiplash in terms of the number of developments presently approved and being built or anticipated.

Tallying the in-process and near-term projected developments reveals approximately 22,103 units. Using City figures of 2.3 people per unit, this represents an increase in population of 50,837, or nearly 50 percent more current, year-round residents. With Boulder's present total of 47,142 units, these 22,103 units represent a 47 percent increase in housing, almost half again as many units as we have at present.

These projects are approved and currently under construction or ready to break ground; the one as yet unapproved project is Area III, which Council is discussing, wants to develop, and has on the docket for development.

Our roadway capacity, traffic lights, diminishing water supply, and other public infrastructure can’t even remotely handle this massive additional strain. Development of Area III would cost taxpayers $1 billion or more to provide City services to this rural undeveloped area north of town.

And what proportion of all that development is affordable? Surely this is a priority since City Council so often flaunts their record on affordable housing despite the fact that most of what we see is just more luxury housing. There were only 27 affordable units built in 2023 and 125 added in 2024 (https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder-measures/affordable-housing-boulder). It seems we're lagging behind on our goal of 15% affordability in Boulder.

It’s unnerving to understand that the pro-development Boulder Progressives on City Council and Planning Board continue to demand unrestrained growth. Think twice in November before re-electing pro-development Boulder Progressives-sponsored Council candidates Nicole Speer, Lauren Folkerts, and Matt Benjamin.

Should West Pearl Really Be Closed To Traffic?

By Barbara Fahey

There’s a petition circulating that proposes closing West Pearl between 11th and 9th Streets. This was done before as a temporary pandemic measure. I believe this proposal is well-intentioned but will have unintended consequences.

First, the closure of West Pearl will divert westbound vehicles to Spruce. Ninth and Spruce is an unprotected, non-signalized intersection at the bottom of a steep hill. It’s an accident waiting to happen, especially when streets are slick and stopping distances decrease. We certainly don’t want to see another death like at Spruce and 20th St. in the past when a driver slid through the intersection and killed a child.

Second, our downtown is already reeling from a nearly 30% office vacancy rate. Let’s direct pedestrians to the downtown Mall which needs foot traffic for businesses struggling to remain. Let’s listen to West Pearl businesses who point out how their sales dropped during the prior closure. We don’t need beloved businesses like Zoe Ma Ma or West End Tavern being forced to close.

Third, closing West Pearl will divert traffic through the adjacent neighborhoods. The Mall “Loop” of one-way streets circling the downtown was designed to protect neighborhoods by directing traffic to parking structures on the Loop rather than neighborhood streets. Excess traffic degrades the resident experience and will result in higher vacancy rates. Nearby residents are some of the biggest customers of downtown businesses so we want to encourage full occupancy, not cause residents to flee due to increased traffic.

Thriving downtown neighborhoods are a big reason our pedestrian mall is one of the few successful pedestrian malls in the country. Let’s keep it that way by leaving West Pearl open to both vehicles and pedestrians. This will maintain safety, support local businesses and protect our neighborhoods.

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

The Selling of Iris Ball Fields

Boulder, CO – February 17, 2025 – Boulder families and community members are rallying to prevent the sale of Iris Fields, a cherished home of nearly 70 years for Little League baseball and youth sports.

Boulder County announced on February 4th, 2025, its intent to sell the 17.5 acre North Broadway Complex which includes Iris Fields.  This act would erase a key part of the city’s recreational landscape.

“This isn’t just about baseball,” says local organizer Thomas Click. “It’s about preserving a space where generations of kids have learned teamwork, discipline, and the value of community.”

A petition to stop the sale is being circulated with hundreds of signatures collected over the last 24 hours. Concerned residents contend Boulder City and County should prioritize preserving public green space.  

Boulder City and County residents are requested to contact City Council and provide their input on the County's decision to shutter Iris Fields.  Residents are asked to consider signing the petition and contact local officials to voice their opposition.

For more information or to sign the petition, visit https://www.change.org/SaveIrisFields

Media Contact:

Thomas Click

720-285-7638

WHAT DO WE DO?

• Bring attention to and simplify understanding of city council initiatives

• Publish city council meeting dates and agendas

• Give Boulder’s best thinkers on the moderate side a free space to fully express themselves without editorial restrictions

• Manage a website (www.boulderaction.org) that hosts writers and provides blog space, informational links and a video library of many civic presentations that most citizens normally never see.

• Maintain a presence on many social media platforms (Instagram, Bluesky, Threads)

• Work to ensure the community at large is aware of how each council member has voted on key issues

• Bring awareness of any civic function that supports our values and positions through email and social media communication.