Tuesday October 6th – Rubber Stamp of “pops and scrapes” rules likely

Dear LMHA! Members:

Despite our best efforts, it now appears certain that Council will move forward with a set of regulations that, while softened slightly, will still significantly impair the ability of Boulder homeowners to make additions to or remodel their homes.  Council calls the proposed regulations a “compromise”, but really they placed a straight jacket on 13,000 homes, then loosened the straps one notch.  Far too many relatively small and totally appropriate projects will be caught up in the complex web of these new regulations.  Unfortunately, most of the affected property owners are still unfamiliar with what Council is doing to their homes, lives, hopes and dreams.  What’s next?

Members – check your email for information about help we need with getting the ballot issue moving.

Fat chance, but…..On October 6th, Council will have the 3rd (and likely final) reading of the proposed regulations.  We strongly encourage you to send your feedback to Council and come to the meeting and express your opposition during public participation.  Public comments start at 5:00 PM, signup is open at 4:00 PM.  While last time we had a peaceful protest outside of the Municipal building, we’d like Council to know we remain opposed to their misguided approach and speak to them directly during public comment.

If you want to personalize your feedback to specific Council members, send a letter, or make a phone call, here is a link to their contact info:

http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/files/City%20Council/ccpublic.pdf

Send your feedback to the City:

The City has a form on their website that you can use to express your opposition to the proposed regulations. Please visit the link below and weigh in:

http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9051&Itemid=3865#TRIG

LMHA Peaceful Protest Pics

LMHA urged members to show up to the Municipal Building tonight from 5:00-7:00 PM as an alternative to yet again flooding a Council meeting only to have our concerns ignored.  This represents a turning point in the debate from trying to get Council to seek concensus to looking ahead to the election and ballot issues we will use to disarm Council’s misguided regulations.

Here’s some pictures of LMHA members – along with the Hopes and Dreamsicles we provided for folks to write down their address and add their home to the roster.

Thanks to everyone that showed up to support our efforts!  The momentum is clearly building. Next step – drafting the ballot language so we can start collecting signatures. We will need more funding and volunteers to get the job done.  Spread the word!

LMHA on KCFR’s “Colorado Matters” Tomorrow, Tuesday, 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM

Ryan Warner of KCFR (Colorado Public Radio)  interviewed LMHA steering committee member Warren Hultquist for the “Colorado Matters” radio show.  Councilman Macon Cowles representated the folks seeking to limit house sizes,  pushing small families and folks with modest financial means out of Boulder.  The show will air on Tuesday, Sept. 15th at 10:00 AM and again at 7:00 PM.  Be sure to tune in and spread the word about this.

You can listen via your radio or via the KCFR website here: (the show will appear on the site once it airs on the 15th)

Colorado Matters – Sept. 15th – House size limits in Boulder.  Hultquist vs. Cowles

or…here is a link directly to the archived audio.

LMHA! Alternative Protest Tuesday Night, Sept 15th

Hello LMHA! Members,

As you may know, City Council is set to hear the proposed Home Size Regulations on second reading next Tuesday, Sept. 15.  The meeting will start at 5 p.m., and the regulations are Item 5B on the Agenda.  We do not know exactly when the public hearing on these regulations will begin, but a good guess is around 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.  Discussion and action will likely extend late into the evening, possibly until midnight or later.  Council has reserved the right to continue the item to another meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17 if they choose.

We understand that many of our members are frustrated about this process on a number of levels.  Several of the Council members have demonstrated overt hostility toward anyone who opposes these regulations, and on the whole, it appears that at least four of the Council members (Cowles, Morzel, Gray and Osborne) have completely made up their minds to vote for an extreme version of these regulations despite a clear majority of opposition.  We also know it is frustrating to be asked to sit through hours of mind-numbing blather extending late into the night in order to be given three minutes to express your opposition to these extreme regulations.

Accordingly, although you should still feel free to sign up and speak at the hearing if you want to, we are encouraging all LMHA! members and supporters to join us in an alternative protest on Tuesday night.  All we ask is that you come to the east side of the Municipal Building (located at the southwest corner of Broadway and Canyon) between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night.  You will not need to speak.  You will not need to stay more than a few minutes, although we would like to gather as a group at 7:00 p.m.  We strongly encourage you to bring your spouse, children, dog, neighbors, grandparents, friends and anyone else who wants to be part of a beautiful, peaceful protest in support of families and the right to enjoy our homes and pursue our hopes and dreams free of oppressive government regulation.  You won’t want to miss this event!

Don’t forget to wear your Leave My Home Alone T-Shirt – and we’ll have more on hand for those of you that don’t yet have one.

Please spread the word.  This is democracy in action, and it can make a difference.

Thank you for your continued support of LMHA!

August 4th Council Meeting – We Need You There!

LMHA Members:  Time to Step Up!

While we are clearly making headway on this issue, we need more folks to join our group – and it is very important that we get as many people as possible to send emails / letters to Council expressing dissatisfaction with the proposed regulations.

We also need folks to show up at the August 4th Council meeting. Our large crowd of people at the Camera meeting last Friday was very effective. Let’s show Council that the majority is ready to take action.

If you feel reluctant, consider this: When else in your life has someone announced they will take $50K, $100K, $1 Million in value from you without asking your permission? What sort of hopes and dreams do you or your family have that are tied to your home and property? Is it fair to have those hopes and dreams taken from you without a vote of the people, if at all?

You have to speak out, and do so without fear of the nonsense the supporters of these regulations try to use to shame people into backing down. Protecting what is yours isn’t greedy. Taking the property of others without asking permission is worse than greedy – and certainly not a laudable community value.

City Council will be meeting at Council Chambers at Canyon & Broadway on Tuesday, August 4th, 5:00 PM to consider the proposed “Compatible Development” regulations.

This is a crucial step in the public process where we need every person possible to show up and express opposition to this misguided and overzealous effort to limit house sizes. Do you have a neighbor, family member, or friend that feels the same? Please bring them all along.

Here’s what you can do to help:

1) Come to the meeting and sign up for public participation. Signup begins as early as 4:00 PM, so the earlier you come the sooner you can speak. Our rivals practically do this for a living, so give them a run for their money and sign up EARLY. Each person is given 3 minutes or you can pool your time with another attendee for up to 5 minutes. If you prefer not to speak, even your presence is helpful – as we will have free T-shirts for LMHA supporters. It is customary to wave hands & arms when people make statements that you support. Our goal is to flood this meeting and make it painfully obvious that the majority does not support Council’s proposed regulations.

Suggestion: Make your statement against the regulations right up front. Leave no question as to whether or not you support the regulations. Don’t leave room for interpretation.

2) Whether you’re able to attend or not, we need you to send an email to Council expressing your opposition to the proposed regulations: Council@bouldercolorado.gov

If you want to personalize your feedback to specific Council members, send a letter, or make a phone call, here is a link to their contact info:

Boulder City Council and Mayor’s Contact Info

Boulder Chamber of Commerce urges Council to Rethink “Pops & Scrapes” Regulations

LMHA received a copy of a letter sent by The Boulder Chamber of Commerce to City Council addressing the proposed house-size regulations. This is yet another large group deeply concerned about the over-stated scope and impact of “oversized” homes – as well as the unintended consequences we’re sure to see if Council embarks on this unprecedented grab of potential property value and use.

You can read the BC letter here:

07-31-09 Boulder Chamber of Commerce Home Size Message to Council

91% of 2008 New Construction Permits Would Fail Proposed Regulations – City-Wide Economic Impact: $2.3 Billion

LMHA member Dan Hersh crunched the numbers provided in the City’s report on new residential construction for 2008.

91% of new construction permits issued in 2008 would have failed the new regulations.

43% of permits for additions / remodels would have failed.

On average, 49% of all permits would have failed, out of compliance by an average of 1,159 sq feet.

On that basis, with an average net value of $200 per sq. ft., the city-wide potential economic impact across the 10,000+ RL-1 homes is $2.3 billion. This helps refine LMHA’s previous estimate of between $200 million and $2 billion. This is, indeed a massive taking of unprecedented proportions.  We certainly have a vote of the people for things that have far less impact.

You can dig deeper into Dan’s report – and the City’s 2008 permit stats – here:

2008 Building Permit Analysis

Council: Poppers & Scrapers – Set for Life

Some members on Council that support the “pops & scrapes” regulations have done some interesting things to their properties, yet they seek to stop others from making even modest improvements.

Here’s what we’ve found:

Matt Applebaum purchased 200 Pawnee Drive on 10/30/86 for $145K. In 2006, he subdivided the property to create two lots and sold the smaller one for $305K, keeping the larger of the two lots with the house on it for himself. It appears that he remodeled in 88/89 and then he scraped the old home and garage and developed a larger, new 3,750 sq. ft. home with a 676 sq. ft. garage in 2005.

Macon Cowles purchase 1680 Wilson Court on 2/2/1988 for $288K. The house size is 4,281 sq. ft., plus a 550 Sq. Ft. garage and an in-ground swimming pool. When the house was originally purchased, it was listed as only 3,291 sq. ft. Apparently, he expanded it, because it is now listed as being almost 1,000 sq. ft. larger.

Susan Osborne purchased 525 College Ave. on 5/9/90 for $155.5K. In October of that year, she scraped the existing house in order to develop a much-larger new home that is 3,455 sq. ft. plus a 520 sq. ft garage.

So, they got theirs – and now they’re poised to get yours as well.

My 1,925 sq. ft. home, plus 525 sq. ft. garage is much smaller than these homes – and my home will be non-conforming with the new regulations – right out of the gate.  Sure, my lot and home are smaller, which illustrates how the proposed regulations will disproportionately impact smaller homes, smaller lots – typically owned by folks without the financial resources to do what Applebaum, Osbourne and Cowles have done.

Here’s the detailed report:

City Council Research

Daily Camera Urges City to Table “Pops & Scrapes” Regulations

LMHA is very pleased that the Daily Camera listened to reason and fairness – taking a position that Council should table the proposed “pops & scrapes” regulations.

“Those most impacted won’t be those who can afford those oft-derided giant houses on giant lots: It will be those in small homes on small lots. And if you don’t have a basement, or are on a slope or hill (and hello: this is Boulder) the measure will actually encourage a scrape and not a pop. This is hardly the way to go in environmentally friendly Boulder, or of the measure’s stated goal of protecting neighborhood character.”

Even more encouraging, the Camera is saying that if Council insists on moving forward it should do so by allowing impacted property owners to vote on it.  Refreshing indeed.

You can read the full article here:

Table compatible development: If Council insists on moving forward, take it to the voters

Downtown Boulder Inc. (DBI) asks “What’s the Rush?”

We received an email today from a supporter bringing our attention to a guest commentary from Downtown Boulder Inc. (DBI) which addresses an array of issues – including the City’s  proposed “pops & scrapes” regulations.  It is rare for DBI to take such a position – which demonstrates just how extreme and unfair Council’s effort has been:

“We urge Council to consider the unintended consequences that often occur when actions are taken in haste without consideration for their cumulative impact on the local economy, city revenues and the people who live here. On these three issues, we urge Council to show restraint and not rush major changes during these unstable economic times.”

You can read the full version of the guest commentary at The Daily Camera website.