City seeking land usage proposals

Boulder City is seeking requests for the development of city land to be used in completing its 2014 Land Management Plan.

Any individual, developer or group with an interest in acquiring or leasing city-owned property is encouraged to file a written request with the city clerk by Sept. 30. For more information on the application process, visit the city’s website, www.bcnv.org.

The applications will be considered by the Boulder City Council at an October meeting, and then selected applications will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for review.

The council will use the Planning Commission’s advice to complete the 2014 plan, which will likely be approved at a January meeting.

“Every January (the council) directs the city manager what to do with all the parcels,” Community Development Director Brok Armantrout said.

The application process allows parties to suggest that new parcels be made available, Armantrout said. The process also allows for suggestions of zoning changes of existing parcels.

“A parcel might be (zoned) for one use, then someone comes along say I want to use it for something else,” he said.

To suggest a property for a certain use, the applicant does not have to be interested in developing the property, Armantrout said.

“You can be a regular citizen and think, ‘This is a good idea, the city should push this project,’ ” Armantrout said. “It’s a way for the regular citizen to get involved and see things they want to see.”

The city develops the land management plan each year, to assist it in administering the various lands under city ownership.

“It’s a way of orderly development, instead of trying to hear requests at every council meeting,” Armantrout said.

The plan also formalizes the process in a way that provides public notice of the disposal of city-owned land.

The 2013 Land Management Plan identifies 25 available parcels, zoned for low-density residential development, multifamily residential use, senior housing, light industrial use, boat storage, hotel use, and other uses.

Parcels have been added to the plan almost every year since 2003, the first year properties were identified in the plan. There were, however, no parcels added in 2012 and 2013.

Once a new parcel is added, the city seeks a competitive bid on the property before lease or sale, Armantrout said. However, not every new parcel is successfully leased or sold.

Also, the city cannot seek a bid for every existing parcel every year.

“It costs money to put out a (request for proposal) every year,” Armantrout said. “We target those projects that are most likely to be developed or leased or sold.”

City Manager David Fraser said he is considering the benefits of developing 40 acres of low-density residential development near Boulder Creek Golf Club, which was approved for sale by voters in 2010. The sale of parcels larger than one acre have to be voter-approved.

If high-end custom homes were developed near the golf course, some would move into them from smaller homes elsewhere in the community, Fraser said.

“It would have an effect on other types of housing in the community,” he said.

The city had received no land requests by Tuesday, Fraser said.

Contact reporter Jack Johnson at jjohnson@bouldercityreview.com or 702-586-9401.