Boulder City Council votes to explore Area III development

By Kathleen Szott

Last week, the Boulder City Council voted seven to two to explore the potential development of a 493-acre piece of land in Northeast Boulder. The Area III Planning Reserve could eventually hold 8,700 homes over the next decade.

Council member Rob Kaplan voted for the measure. “ I feel like we should be visionary. I’m just afraid that if we say no and we wait another five years, we have another council that may not wanna do it. We could really be behind the eight ball,” Kaplan said.

The city currently has an Area I planning reserve, where most of Boulder’s urban development is focused, and an adjacent Area II planning reserve, which can be annexed. To annex Area III, both the City Council and the Planning Board must agree that it would be necessary to meet the community’s needs. The Planning Board previously voted against it, but this City Council vote could re-open that path toward annexation and development.

This story aired on The Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring local news and community members. Click here to listen to other episodes of The Morning Magazine.