City OKs zoning change to build homes near golf course

Approximately 76 acres of land north and east of Boulder Creek Golf Club were approved for rezoning by City Council on Tuesday.

The changes will allow tracts 349, 350 and a portion of Boulder Creek Golf Club to rezoned from commercial real estate to single-family residential and special recreation areas.

There were a few issues, however, about the rezoning and how it would affect the surrounding areas where homes would be built.

During public comment, homeowners in the area were concerned with sewer drainage and widening gaps between neighborhoods where people could potentially loiter.

One homeowner also expressed concern about having a two-story home overlooking his backyard and invading his privacy.

"We're going to entertain multiple proposals," Mayor Rod Woodbury said. "We're just trying to get a zoning in place that we think will set a density. We want to avoid nuisance areas."

Councilman Cam Walker was the most concerned about the rezoning and the types and costs of the houses that will be built.

"The biggest question we have now as a community to look at is how do we decide who gets the property," Walker said. "If it's all about the mighty dollar, be careful what we wish for."

Walker said if the council needs to end up deciding on a park or on how the lots will be laid out, it becomes a beauty contest. He also said the community needs to get involved to clear criteria so that when developers come to the table, it's not a decision that rests solely on the council.

"It should be a decision we as a community have already made through the process," he said. "The process needs to be open, needs to be public and needs to have criteria specific enough to have us make a decision based on what the community wants."

Walker also discussed how the community has evolved, saying the city has lost 250 students in the school system the past 10 years.

The councilman spoke about maintaining affordable housing prices for the middle class, saying houses being built near the schools are now priced around $300,000-$400,000.

"How do we balance that as a community and where do we balance that as a community," Walker said. "I don't know the answer to that question. I hope we as a community can determine that, or we'll continue to lose the students in our classrooms and continue to disparage between the haves and the have nots."

Community Development Director Brok Armantrout said there's still many ideas on the table for discussion, including different zoning layouts, but that those would be better handled after the request for proposal process.

During the process, those bidding to build would provide detailed information about their proposed projects. Things such as traffic, park structures, drainage, grade change and the final zoning layout would all be better explained once the process is complete, according to Armantrout.

Walker agreed the process would help, but said the city is changing as a community and that there hasn't been growth in the past 10 years.

In the end, the council approved the rezoning with a clean sweep, 4-0, as Councilwoman Peggy Leavitt was absent.

Additionally, they council approved amendments to the city sign ordinance that clarified some terminology and made the ordinance consistent throughout, as well as approved expansion of the landfill by 60 acres, with the ability of the landfill to go 80 feet higher.

The $312,000 project will add 65-100 years of life to the landfill, according to Public Works Director Scott Hansen.

"The alternative is we have to ship our waste to Apex and that means millions of dollars per year," Woodbury said. "It's not going to be cost-effective for Boulder City."

Contact reporter Randy Faehnrich at rfaehnrich@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow him on Twitter @RandyFaehnrich