January 1, 2009
Boulderado Turns 100
Boulder's population was 11,000 people when its citizens decided that a luxury tourist hotel was key to the survival of the city. Completed at a cost of $132,000 and opened December 31, 1908, the Boulderado was a stunning success. Today, the Boulderado offers a unique window into the living history of Boulder one-hundred years later.
December 30, 2008
New Year's Eve Free Transit
The City of Boulder, RTD and Special Transit are offering free transit to New Year's Eve revelers. Free RTD services, including bus and light rail, will be available from 7:00pm Wednesday December 31st until 6:00am Thursday January 1st. Have fun, but be smart and ride safely for free. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 23, 2008
Report Recommends Limiting House-Size
The City of Boulder commissioned a report to study the need for regulating "pop and scrape" residential construction. The completed report recommended review protocol to consider limiting long unbroken outer walls, too large of houses in relationship to neighboring houses, too large of houses in relationship to lot-size and the amount of vegetation and landscaping that is required to be destroyed to accomodate the proposed construction.
December 20, 2008
Colorado Unemployment
With the national unemployment rate at 6.7%, Colorado's unemployment rate is 5.8%. While not good, it is better than most states. The Boulder and Longmont area's combined unemployment rate is 4.8% up slightly from October's 4.5%. One year ago, the rate was 3.3% so there has been a negative impact compared with last year. Still, Boulder is doing quite well compared to most areas of the country.
December 18, 2008
Interest Rate Drop
Interest rates are finally dropping to lows not seen since the 1960’s. The first substantial wave of refinancing in the past 5-years is underway. Economists expect only a mild boost in home sales until unemployment stabilizes and begins to improve.
December 17, 2008
35-Foot Building Height Limit
It will no longer be easy for developers to secure a height variance up to 55-feet as has been the case over the past decade. The City of Boulder will want clear concessions in exchange, most notably in the development of affordable housing. The City Council by a vote of 7-1, instructed the city's planning staff to take note.
December 15, 2008
Boulder Snow Biking
Each summer, the City of Boulder sponsors the annual Bike To Work Day. Living in Boulder, you will soon discover that bikes are riden year-around in all weather conditions. Recognizing this, the City of Boulder is sponsoring the first Winter Bike to Work Day on January 21st, 2009. What if it snows that day? No to worry, the city has a snow-plow crew dedicated to clearing the many miles of city multi-use bike and pedestrian pathways through-out Boulder
December 11, 2008
Boulder Home Sales Drop
The Boulder Association of Realtors announced that November 2008 home sales dropped almost 50% in Boulder compared with November 2007. The drop followed the precipitous drop in the stock market the month before.
December 10, 2008
Boulder Schools Rated Excellent
The Boulder Valley School District has 26-schools that received "excellent" ratings for the 2007-08 school year. The number of excellent ratings was second only to Jefferson County which is the state's largest school district and includes the City of Denver. Seventy-eight percent of Boulder Valley's schools were rated either "excellent" or "high". Nice to know for families considering Boulder.
December 5, 2008
Boulder County Foreclosures
Through the third quarter of 2008, foreclosures in Boulder County have decreased compared with the same period in 2007. Boulder County includes several communities and unincorporated residential areas in addition to the City of Boulder. How "bad" are foreclosures in Boulder County? In Denver County, 1 foreclosure was filed for every 73 households. In Boulder County, 1 foreclosure was filed for every 351 households.
December 3, 2008
Downtown Affordable Condos
Seems like an oxymon. It began over a decade ago when developers were allowed to build higher than was traditionally allowed in the downtown area. The City intented to encourage the development of "low-cost" condo housing in Boulder's downtown. Many condos have been built, but "low-cost" was not the result. The City Council is reconsidering its approach to bringing affordable housing to downtown.
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