Attachment E - Emails and Be Heard Boulder Responses

Regular Meeting, October 16, 2025 · item 3B: Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8712 amending Section 4-20-62, “Capita… · 38 pages

This is the text extracted from the file, without its layout, tables, or images. Use the original for anything that matters.

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Aileen Sandridge Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 23, 2025 5:13:41 PM image001.png

You don't often get email from aileensandridge@gmail.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi Sloane, This probably isn't what you want to hear, but I think such a fee is a bad idea altogether. These kinds of fees inevitably distort markets. I expect that already, laborers working on projects further from affordable housing require higher rates, so I think this additional cost would already be accounted for by the "invisible hand of the market". I.e. People building in Boulder are already paying for the lack of affordable housing through higher labor costs. And at least in that case, it actually goes to the laborers rather than to a city that doesn't have a great track record of building affordable housing units for a low cost. I'd much rather see the city reduce barriers (e.g. zoning, onerous/unpredictable/timeconsuming permitting, parking minimums, combatting nimbyism) to make it easier and more profitable for builders to build in Boulder than add ever more fees, making building in Boulder ever more expensive and thereby actually reducing housing and increasing housing costs. Thanks, Aileen On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote: Hello,

My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a home addition within the last three years.

Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing.

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Anthony Vaccaro Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 23, 2025 12:09:39 PM image001.png

You don't often get email from antknee2020@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Greetings, Thank you for your request. please find my responses below. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? No Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Yes, as large as possible. Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Absolutely Yes. As large as possible. The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? No. Additional costs incurred by the owner are already out of control. Costs of construction and lead times for approvals are extremely high. People are already pulling back on building and adding additional space. This program just furthers that problem and punishes people for trying to improve their personal living situation. Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? No Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? The largest cause for the high cost homes and the greatest impediment to Affordable Housing IS Government Bureaucracy. The answer is not more bureaucracy... the answer is lessening

restrictions and making building more efficient and cost effective.

On Friday, May 23, 2025 at 10:50:56 AM MDT, Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote:

Hello,

The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community.

More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related to affordable housing.

Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? Do you have any other feedback or recommendations?

From: To: Subject: Date:

NinGuna@11 Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Tuesday, June 3, 2025 4:52:16 PM

You don't often get email from ninguna@elevenstones.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi Sloane, Below please find my responses to your questions regarding Affordable Housing Impact Fees: Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? Answer: No. Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Answer: Yes, all homes should be exempt. Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Answer: Yes. I think all home additions should be exempt. The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? Answer: No. I believe an “Impact Fee” is the wrong way to address the affordable housing issues here in Boulder. Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? Answer: No. Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? Further feedback: I think that charging homeowners $15/sq. ft. is asking too much of Boulder’s home owners. In particular this fee will slow the building of additional floor space by adding additional costs. I believe this fee is also futile when the real problem is that the city has failed to clear the way via regulation reform for developers to actually build housing units within the city. In particular, Boulder’s regulations should allow multi-unit housing with 5over-1 design parameters (i.e. drop the 35 foot height limit). Furthermore, the city should rezone significant areas, starting with downtown (Arapahoe to Mapleton), especially east of Broadway, to allow multi-unit structures more in the size of 5-over-1 structures that cover whole city blocks. There are countless other regulatory barriers to development in Boulder that could be altered to encourage developers to build within the city. Boulder would be best served by unleashing the developers, but in a thoughtful way that builds an urban environment similar to places like Barcelona Spain. Please take a more forward looking approach that leverages natural economics for urban development.

Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of the city of Boulder, Erik On May 23, 2025, at 10:50, Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote:

Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a home addition within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Guy Stevenson Inclusionary Housing RE: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Wednesday, May 28, 2025 10:32:55 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Sloane, Hope you’ve been well. Here’s my two cents based on a few recent new builds. In general, the owners were livid that their budget was blown by the $60,000 or so fee associated with their build. Clients were trying to build an affordable home for themselves, but in the end their budget was blown by paying to make someone else’s home affordable. Applying the fee to more projects will increase the median home price, thus making Boulder even more unaffordable. Personally, I don’t think single family homes should have to pay into the program at all, and it should only be applied to larger developments. Just my two cents though! Thanks. Thanks, Guy Stevenson Stevenson Designs 303-447-0774

From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2025 10:51 AM Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

John Bogosian Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 23, 2025 11:42:34 AM image001.png

You don't often get email from bogosian.john@gmail.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi Sloane, My answers below: Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? No. The rationale that building a house puts stress on housing doesn’t seem well founded. There’s not a single contractor that worked on our home lives within 20 miles. Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? All should be exempt. Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? All should be exempt. The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? $15 sf is outrageous. You will all will and should lose your jobs. Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? No Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? Boulder is already too congested. No one who already lives here wants new housing, and we certainly don’t want to subsidize new housing.

Best, John

john@bogosian.com (c) 917-596-2508 LinkedIn

From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Date: Friday, May 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM To: Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a home addition within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Karl Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Wednesday, June 18, 2025 9:00:28 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Thank you for reaching out, As a resident and business owner in Boulder/Boulder County for the past 5 decades I have seen what initiatives like this have done to the real estate and construction industry. Heaping on more fees and restrictions has certainly made Boulder less inclusionary, especially for my friends and family. My children were never able to afford living in Boulder so this probably puts it further out of reach. Please don't add additional wealth transfer to the already daunting cost of working/living in Boulder. Thank you for your consideration. Karl Whitten President Address 183 Taylor Ave. Suite 159

Louisville, CO. 80027

Phone (303) 443-2518 Email Karl@whittendg.com Website WWW.Whittendg.com

------ Original Message -----From: "Inclusionary Housing" <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> To: Sent: 5/23/2025 10:50:46 AM Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a home addition within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Kate Bernhardt Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Wednesday, June 18, 2025 10:00:05 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hello Sloane, I am still interested in scheduling an appointment with you, however I am also sending along my response to your Questions or Feedback. Steve and I own a small home (540 square feet) located at 1300 Hawthorne. We are planning to eventually renovate and increase the building size to create a home of approximately 2000 SF. Our proposed home size would fit within the average or median size of home in the neighborhood and certainly falls far below new housing sizes in Boulder suggested by an AI on-line search. Adding an inclusionary housing impact fee to our project feels like a penalty for turning a clearly substandard and nonfunctional home into a modestly sized and functional home.

Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? No (thoughts on this: the City/State are supporting provision of ADU’s to address overall housing needs, including hopefully affordable housing needs) Should homes under a certain size be exempt? Yes If yes, what size should that be? 2300 SF (or average size of home within a neighborhood or zoning district) Should small home additions be exempt? Yes If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Again tied to average/median sized home within neighborhood or zoning district The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? No opinion Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)?

No Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? No

From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Date: Friday, May 23, 2025 at 11:46 AM Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition?

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Kim Cattau Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Thursday, June 5, 2025 11:06:41 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Input in line with your questions, in blue below.

From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2025 10:50 AM Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a home addition within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related

to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? No Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Maybe relate this to a percentage of Floor Area, like 80%? Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Less than 800 SF The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? $15 per square foot seems high. Permits in the City are already very expensive compared to many nearby jurisdictions. Office space has the potential to produce significant income over the years, which is very different than residential square footage. Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? No, it seems counterintuitive to charge fees for below grade areas if they are encouraged in ways like the floor area exemption. Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? For replacement homes, would the fee only be applied to the square footage that is above and beyond the home that was demolished? Would above grade and below grade space be tracked separately in that calculation? Your perspective is invaluable in shaping how we approach this work. Thank you in advance for your response. Please let me know if you would prefer to share this information on a call or a meeting. Sloane Walbert, AICP Inclusionary Housing Program Manager (pronouns: she/her/hers)

O: 303-441-4231 inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov PO Box 791 | Boulder, CO 80302 www.bouldercolorado.gov

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Kyle Callahan Inclusionary Housing RE: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 23, 2025 12:21:38 PM image001.png

You don't often get email from kyle@clearwaterdesignstudio.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi, Sloane – Comments in red below: From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2025 10:51 AM Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee

to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? Absolutely not. The ADU IS inclusionaryt. Too many misplaced fees. Providing an ADU is providing the housing the town wants. Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? I don’t agree with this fee – all additions and renovations should be exempt, regardless of size. If the City wants LI housing, then buy and build it – otherwise stay out of people’s pocketbooks. Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? all additions and renovations should be exempt The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? all additions and renovations should be exempt Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? No Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? I get the interest in providing a diversified community. I really do. But homeowners creating an addition to their home to simply expand the livable floor area should not be taxed to supplement City Services like providing housing. Your perspective is invaluable in shaping how we approach this work. Thank you in advance for your response. Please let me know if you would prefer to share this information on a call or a meeting. Sloane Walbert, AICP Inclusionary Housing Program Manager (pronouns: she/her/hers)

O: 303-441-4231 inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov PO Box 791 | Boulder, CO 80302 www.bouldercolorado.gov

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Rob Luckett Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Wednesday, June 25, 2025 9:59:49 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender.

Rob Luckett

Rob Luckett Builders

Mobile: 720-352-7540 Rob@RLB.Build www.robluckettbuilders.com From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Date: Friday, May 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM To: Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a home addition within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by

the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? ADUs if attached to the home and involve some demolition should be treated as any other Sq. Footage Should homes under a certain size be exempt? Before or after? If yes, what size should that be? Maybe this should be based on cost of the new build rather than Sq. Ft? What if I was demoing a 1000Sq. FT. house to put up a relatively affordable home vs. a Trophy Home? Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? 600 Sq. Ft. The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? Habitable Sq. Ft. would be most equitable and consistent Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? Once again, the City (and County) is doing their best to shut down our industry. Everything the City (and County) does makes the cost of housing go up in the long run! Your perspective is invaluable in shaping how we approach this work. Thank you in advance for your response. Please let me know if you would prefer to share this information on a call or a meeting. Sloane Walbert, AICP Inclusionary Housing Program Manager (pronouns: she/her/hers)

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Robert Ross Inclusionary Housing RE: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Thursday, June 5, 2025 4:41:40 PM image001.png

You don't often get email from rob@traddb.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi Sloan, I do not support any new impact fees on residential remodels, additions, or ADUs. Below are some thoughts to each of your questions in blue. Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? No The Replacement Home Scenario: Consider a scenario where a single-family home is demolished and replaced with a new single-family home that includes an attached or detached ADU. The original property already constituted one housing unit. The new property, with the primary dwelling and the ADU, often functions as a single, multi-generational household or provides a small, naturally affordable rental unit on a lot that was already residential. The net increase in housing units is, at most, one small unit. This marginal increase does not create the significant new demand for services and infrastructure that impact fees are designed to offset. The "impact" is negligible compared to a new multi-unit development. The Addition Scenario: When an ADU is added to an existing home, the "impact" is even less pronounced. The primary residence already exists and has been accounted for in the city's housing and infrastructure planning. The addition of an ADU, often by converting a garage or building a small extension, utilizes existing infrastructure and services. The homeowners are already taxpayers contributing to the community's resources. To levy a significant affordable housing impact fee on a homeowner seeking to create a small, secondary unit on their property is to penalize them for efficiently using their existing residential lot. Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Yes. While any size feels arbitrary we can look a the new energy code for guidance. These regulations are governed by under or over 1000 sq ft. This number is also at or above the max sizes for market rate ADUs. Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? All home additions should be exempt though we can apply the same energy code logic noted above with additions under 1000 sq ft being exempt regardless of the total house size. The financial burden of an impact fee is disproportionately felt by individual homeowners compared to large-scale developers. While a developer can distribute the cost of impact fees across multiple units and treat it as a cost of doing business, a homeowner undertaking an

ADU project feels the full weight of the fee. The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? At $15 per sq ft, a 1,000 sq ft house would have a $15,000 impact fee. Outside sales tax, this would be by far the single largest tax or fee on a single family residential addition or ADU project. Any fee is an additional burden but $15 is an exceptional burden to put on individual homeowners. If they haven’t already, staff should compare a fee like this against the other taxes and fees on residential building permits to see how much this will add to a permit. Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? No, basement are already excluded from floor area ratio so why should they be considered for this additional tax. Also for a new home, a finished basement is the most cost-effective way to add functional space. A 3,000 sq ft home with a 1,000 sq ft finished basement is significantly cheaper to build—and therefore cheaper to buy—than a 3,000 sq ft home built entirely above grade. By penalizing the basement, the policy makes these more attainable, mid-market homes more expensive, pushing them further out of reach for many buyers. It inadvertently attacks the "missing middle" housing stock that communities desperately need. Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? While the intent behind applying impact fees to single-family additions or ADUs may be rooted in fairness and a desire for holistic housing policy, the application risks being overbroad, legally vulnerable, and politically alienating. Most homeowners are not speculative developers —they’re families improving their homes. Conflating personal investment with public impact, without a clear causal link, could do more harm than good. A more equitable and effective approach might involve: Targeting policies that add housing as currently done in multi-family projects and new construction on vacant lots, not recently demolished homes. Using broader tax-base or development tools to fund affordable housing. In short, the scale of the affordable housing crisis deserves systemic solutions, not obligations placed disproportionately on private individuals modifying their homes.

Sincerely, — ROB ROSS | Principal, AIA C: 720.250.7903 | TRÄD DESIGN + BUILD From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2025 11:30 AM

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Kristen Heitfeld Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 30, 2025 9:36:12 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hello, Thank you for reaching out and including me in this survey. I have talked to the principal architect here at Rodwin Architecture, and these are his responses below in purple: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? Absolutely not. It will dramatically disincentivize people from building them, and ADU’s are the exact opposite of luxury housing. If you place a fee on them, you will get less of them.

Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Homes under 3500 sf. (conditioned) should be exempt.

Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Yes. Additions under 1000 sf. should be exempt.

Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? Yes

Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? Every fee just raises the average cost of construction. The average housing in Boulder is poorly constructed and energy inefficient. If you disincentivize people from scraping, you will keep more junky houses.

Thank you, Kristen Heitfeld, Associate Architect, Project Manager AIA, NCARB

RODWIN ARCHITECTURE + SKYCASTLE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN [BUILD] GREEN

929 Pearl Street, Suite 250 Boulder, CO 80302 p 303 413 8556 X 117 www.rodwinarch.com www.skycastleconstruction.com

Celebrating 25 years of creating extraordinary homes

On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 11:29 AM Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote: Hello,

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Ryan Born Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 23, 2025 12:33:45 PM image001.png

You don't often get email from rborn92@gmail.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. My question would be why not use a portion of the permit fee that all homeowners pay when remodeling to make it fair and equal, instead of disproportionately taxing people who are increasing the neighborhood value more by doing large remodels or rebuilds? On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote: Hello,

From: To: Subject: Date:

Steve Dodd Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 30, 2025 6:16:02 AM

You don't often get email from steve@dodd-studio.com. Learn why this is important

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Thanks for the interest. See comments in red below. Steve

303.440.7957 dodd-studio.com

On May 23, 2025, at 6:29 PM, Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> wrote: Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a replacement home within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional

employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? No. Need to encourage as many ADU’s as possible. Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Yes. 2500 sf?

Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Yes. 1000 sf?

The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? Maybe a sliding scale for homes between 2500 and 4000 sf, with $10/ sf or so at the low end scaling to $15/ sf. This would be similar to the sliding scale Boulder County used to use for the level of energy improvements. Even encouraging smaller homes in that range seems to have a public benefit.

Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? Yes, otherwise you’re going to encourage all sorts of crazy basement configurations to skirt the fees.

Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? I fully support larger homes in Boulder supporting affordable housing options.

Your perspective is invaluable in shaping how we approach this work. Thank you in advance for your response. Please let me know if you would prefer to share this information on a call or a meeting. Sloane Walbert, AICP Inclusionary Housing Program Manager (pronouns: she/her/hers) <image001.png>

O: 303-441-4231 inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov PO Box 791 | Boulder, CO 80302 www.bouldercolorado.gov

From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Toby Zhou Inclusionary Housing Re: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Friday, May 30, 2025 8:47:00 AM image001.png

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi Sloane, Thank you for including me in this survey. I appreciate the city's efforts to improve housing affordability. However, I believe the aftermath is often more complicated, and only time will tell. Developers could easily pass the cost of the impact fee onto homebuyers, potentially contributing to further inflation in Boulder's current housing market. Anyways, please see my response in red below. Thanks, Toby

From: Inclusionary Housing <inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2025 11:29 AM Subject: Share Your Feedback: Affordable Housing Impact Fee Hello, My name is Sloane, and I am part of a City of Boulder team exploring a new impact fee on demolitions and replacements of single-family homes and/or significant additions to homes. As we consider how a fee could be implemented, we would love feedback from community members like you! You are receiving this email because you were listed as a contact on a permit for a replacement home within the last three years. Background The City of Boulder is working to support our community’s housing needs, including preserving and enhancing housing choices. As part of this initiative the city has initiated a project to explore how replacement homes and substantial additions to homes contribute to the need for affordable housing. The consultant Gruen Gruen + Associates recently completed a Nexus Study that indicates that these types of projects generate additional employment (jobs) and, thus, create the demand for additional affordable housing. The city is considering adopting a new affordable housing impact fee on a square foot basis to replacement homes (the area exceeding the size of the prior home) and

substantial additions to homes. These types of projects are not currently addressed by the city’s existing Inclusionary Housing program and do not contribute toward affordable housing in the community. More information can be found on the Affordable Housing Nexus Study project website. The funds from a possible fee would be used for the construction, purchase, and maintenance of affordable housing and for the costs of administering programs related to affordable housing. Questions for Your Feedback: Should an impact fee apply to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if it is part of a replacement home or addition? Personally, I'm not a big fan of ADU. I think it's unfair to have someone live in a small unit and pay off the owner's mortgage. But it does address the housing shortage in some ways. Adding impact fee would potentially drive up the rental cost of the ADU. But I would support adding an impact fee to the addition. Should homes under a certain size be exempt? If yes, what size should that be? Yes. Maybe the homes under 2,500sf - 3,000 sf should be exempt. Should small home additions be exempt? If yes, what should count as a “small” addition? Yes, I would assume that any portion that is not for ADU purposes can be considered "small" addition, and not exceed 10%(maybe?) of the existing house. The consultant also recommends a maximum fee of $15 per square foot. For comparison, the affordable housing linkage fee on new office space is $32.46 per square foot. Does this seem reasonable? If not, why? It looks reasonable to me. Should an impact fee apply to below grade areas (basements)? No. Do you have any other feedback or recommendations? If there were a study that researched data on how the Inclusionary Housing Program impacts the affordability and accessibility of the housing market in the City of Boulder, it would be more convincing. The affordable units usually are not the most attractive units among the development, and people(a lot of my friends) chose to leave the city to find a place that has lower housing costs

to live. City of Boulder has the most vacant house in the country, while a lot of people are having a hard time find a place to live. It's just sad. Your perspective is invaluable in shaping how we approach this work. Thank you in advance for your response. Please let me know if you would prefer to share this information on a call or a meeting. Sloane Walbert, AICP Inclusionary Housing Program Manager (pronouns: she/her/hers)

O: 303-441-4231 inclusionaryhousing@bouldercolorado.gov PO Box 791 | Boulder, CO 80302 www.bouldercolorado.gov

From: To: Subject: Date:

Steve Hoge Inclusionary Housing Feedback on GG+A AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEXUS ANALYSIS Friday, August 22, 2025 4:01:20 PM

External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hi I have read carefully the Affordable Housing Nexus Analysis from Gruen Gruen + Associates and have these comments on and reactions to it. First of all, I found it difficult to determine whether their conclusions about the justification for the proposed Inclusionary Housing fees are valid because their analysis using the RIMS II economic multiplier methodology as presented in the report is quite opaque. The proprietary input datasets that were purchased from BEA and used to generate the final demand employment multipliers were not supplied by the consultants as part of the report, so there is no way to independently validate their conclusions justifying their recommendations on specific IH fees. That said, if the City of Boulder is convinced that the Supply Nexus and Demand Nexus described in the consultant's report represent authentic economic dynamics in Boulder's housing market, they should also recognize that those dynamics do not apply to projects that are being developed outside of the housing marketplace, that is, to new or improved housing units that are not being developed with an intent to sell. The RIMS II methodology which is used to calculate the additional housing needs that are triggered by the construction of higher-value new and renovated homes assumes that new, higher-income residents will move into Boulder to purchase that housing. Obviously this does not apply to owner-improved and occupied homes because, in that case, no new higherincome residents with their attendant economic impact are being added to Boulder's population. (Note that the report also appears to make the simplistic assumption that no current residents leave the City of Boulder as a result of selling their original or upgraded dwellings, but this is a dynamic obvious to anyone who has seen their older friends downsize to a retirement location outside of Boulder.) Thus any proposed changes to the IH program should acknowledge home construction, improvements and expansions that are being undertaken by homeowners for their own use and exempt them from increased IH fees, since their home improvement activity will not be triggering the claimed economic effects and additional housing needs. Some suggestions for how this might be accomplished: Alternative 1) Exempt from increased IH fees those projects that are and remain owneroccupied as a primary residence for a specified minimum period of time. This could easily be accomplished either by a lien against the property at the time of permit approval and released when the occupancy conditions are met, or by a fee paid at the time of permit approval and refunded when the occupancy conditions are met. This is the pathway chosen by Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento CA and Highland Park IL. Alternative 2) Since the increased IH fees are predicated on the increase in market value of a home due to its replacement or improvement, impose those fees as a transfer tax on the sales

proceeds of those houses at close of escrow when that actual increased value is realized. This could also be accomplished by a lien recorded at permit approval time and released on payment of the IH fees at sales closing. Alternative 3) Waive IH fees for projects which have an affordability resale or rental requirement added as a restrictive covenant to the deed at the time of permit approval. Alternative 4) Exempt from increased IH fees those projects whose developers fall into the range of incomes which already qualify for affordable housing, in other words, low-tomoderate income developers building affordable housing for themselves. This is the pathway chosen by Winter Park, CO. In Boulder that income threshold would amount to 80% AMI or about $96K for a family of two. The authors of the report may have assumed that only high-income households could be purchasing or redeveloping existing homes and ignored those lower or moderate-income households who used years of accumulated savings, thoughtful value-engineering and sweat equity in order to upgrade their owner-occupied homes. In summary, I believe the GG&A’s Nexus study has some glaring shortcomings that may have been overlooked by staff and Council and I look forward to addressing these shortcomings and discussing alternatives to the current proposal in future discussions of the IH fee plan. Regards, Steve Hoge

Be Heard Boulder Comments Comments received as of Sep. 26, 2025