Better Boulder extends our sincere thanks to Mayor Suzanne Jones and Councilmembers Aaron Brockett, Jill Grano, Sam Weaver and Bob Yates for voting to approve the project at 311 Mapleton. After three years of extensive review, this will bring 95 much-needed residential units for older adults; plus memory care and rehabilitation facitilies at the site. While we would have preferred the iteration before it was down-sized that featured smaller units in greater quantity, we appreciate those members of Council who advocated for the smaller cottages and ultimately voted yes. Better Boulder strongly supports this outcome as greatly preferable to McMansion single-family development for the ultra-luxury market.
Council members Cindy Carlisle, Lisa Morzel, Mirabai Nagle and Mary Young, however, voted to oppose the 311 Mapleton development, and by extension the building of 100 new units of affordable housing linked to the project at the former Fruehauf’s site in Boulder. Carlisle sited neighborhood character for her dissent, and Nagle stated that “I like the project, I really wish it were somewhere else.” It’s worth pointing out that Carlisle and Nagle campaigned on supporting new affordable housing. Carlisle referenced an interest in “creative affordable housing solutions,” and stated in the Blue Line, “It seems to me that too much affordable housing is being sent to the outskirts, and I really think it should be in central areas.” Nagle is a former resident of affordable housing, and ran as an advocate who would promote, preserve and expand this housing type which benefitted her.