IV. Implementation
The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan policies provide overarching direction for planning, development and programs in the Boulder Valley. Implementation tools that translate the plan into action include:
Subcommunity and Area Planning
Subcommunity and area planning bridges the gap between the broad policies of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan and site specific project review (development applications or city capital projects).
Subcommunity and area plans:
- Establish the official future vision of an area
- Create a common understanding among residents, business and land owners, and city departments of expected changes in the area
- Determine the appropriate density, character, scale and mix of uses in an area, and identify the regulatory changes needed to ensure or encourage appropriate development compatible with its surrounding area
- Define desired characteristics of an area or neighborhood that should be preserved or enhanced
- Define the acceptable amount of infill and redevelopment and determine standards and performance measures for design quality to avoid or adequately mitigate the negative impacts of infill and redevelopment and enhance the benefits
- Identify the need and locations for new or enhanced pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular connections
- Identify the need and locations for new public or private facilities such as shopping, child care, schools so that daily needs are close to where people live and work and to contribute to the livability, enjoyment, and sense of physical and social identity of a subcommunity or area
- Develop implementation methods for achieving the goals of the plan, which may include: neighborhood improvement, trail, park or street projects; changes to the land use regulations or zoning districts; or changes to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map.
Area plans typically address planning issues at a more detailed level than subcommunity plans. The planning horizon for subcommunity and area plans is the same as that for the Comprehensive Plan—15 years.
The subcommunity and area planning process includes:
- Identifying opportunities to address Comprehensive Plan goals;
- Developing criteria for decision-making that balance local area interests with those of the broader community;
- Involving interested groups and individuals to identify issues and opportunities to be addressed by the plan and establish a common vision for the future;
- Identifying a range of appropriate techniques for determining the priority of, and means of financing, plan elements; and
- Establishing a planning framework in which to review public projects, land use changes, and development proposals to implement or ensure compliance with the plan.
Boulder County is involved in the development of plans that affect land in Area II or III.
Subcommunity and area plans are adopted by Planning Board and City Council and amended as needed with the same legislative process as originally adopted.
Subcommunity Planning
There are nine subcommunity planning areas within the Service Area: Central Boulder, Crossroads, the University of Colorado, East Boulder, Southeast Boulder, South Boulder, North Boulder, Palo Park, and Gunbarrel.
Subcommunity and Area Plan Map
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When the subcommunity and area planning program was instituted in 1990, the idea was to develop plans for all of the subcommunities. The North Boulder Subcommunity Plan was the first because the area had the largest amount of vacant land in the city at the time and a significant amount of change was anticipated.
As the city becomes more fully developed, the need for extensive planning at the subcommunity planning level has lessened, and it is now thought that not all subcommunities will necessarily have subcommunity plans. If they do, they will address fewer issues than were tackled in the North Boulder Subcommunity Plan. It is anticipated that each subcommunity plan will be evaluated as needed and monitored annually through the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Action Plan.
Area Planning
Area plans are developed for areas with special problems or opportunities that are not adequately addressed by comprehensive planning, subcommunity planning or existing land use regulations. Area planning is initiated as issues or opportunities arise.
Criteria for Selection
The criteria for selecting the priority for the development of subcommunity and area plans are:
- Extent to which the plan implements Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan goals
- Imminence of change anticipated in the area
- Magnitude of an identified problem
- Likelihood of addressing a recurring problem
- Cost and time effectiveness of doing the plan
- Extent to which plan improves land use regulations, the development review process and the quality of public and private improvements
Adopted Subcommunity and Area Plans
The city has adopted the following subcommunity or area plans:
North Boulder Subcommunity Plan
The North Boulder Subcommunity Plan was adopted in 1995 to develop a vision for an area that had considerable development potential. The plan aims to preserve the present character and livability of the existing residential neighborhoods and ensure that future changes are beneficial to both the subcommunity and the city as a whole. A new mixed use village center along Broadway is envisioned to become the heart of subcommunity activity. New neighborhoods in the northern portion of the subcommunity are meant to create a strong edge to the city and an attractive entrance into Boulder.
Implementation of the Plan
The North Boulder Subcommunity Plan was the basis for re-zoning of a portion of the area in 1997. Five new zoning districts were created to implement the design guidelines in the plan, including: a business main street zone, patterned after historic ‘Main Street’ business districts; three mixed use zones that provide a transition between the higher intensity business ‘Main Street’ and surrounding residential or industrial areas; and a mixed density residential zone district. The plan also established a street and pedestrian/bicycle network plan, to which developing or re-developing properties must adhere.
North Boulder Subcommunity Plan
Gunbarrel Community Center Plan
The Gunbarrel Community Center Plan, adopted in 2004 and amended in 2006, provides a blueprint for transitioning the Gunbarrel commercial area from mostly light industrial uses to a viable and vibrant, pedestrian-oriented commercial center serving Gunbarrel subcommunity residents and workers. This will involve: expanding the amount of retail and allowing more density in the retail area; adding new residential and some offices uses in proximity to the retail core; and providing more vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle connections to and from and within the center. The new connections will improve access, break down the existing “superblocks,” provide better visibility to shops, and promote more pedestrian-scale architecture and outdoor spaces. Spine Road between Lookout and Gunpark roads will become the ‘Main Street’ for the retail area.
Implementation of the Plan
Implementation of the Gunbarrel Community Center Plan will occur over a long period of time through a combination of actions from both the public and private sectors. Business associations, such as the Gunbarrel Business Alliance, and neighborhood groups will play an important role in promoting collaboration to successfully implement the plan. Land use changes were made in the 2005 Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update to reflect the plan vision.
Gunbarrel Community Center Plan
Transit Village Area Plan/ Boulder Junction
The Transit Village Area Plan guides development of an area that is within walking distance of a future transit hub near 30th and Pearl streets, which will provide regional and local bus and rail service. The plan recommends land use changes to transform this mostly industrial, low density, automobile-oriented area into a more urban, higher density, pedestrian-oriented environment, with a mixture of uses, including new retail and office, and new residential neighborhoods for a diversity of incomes and lifestyles. Many of the existing service commercial and industrial uses on the north and east side of the area, respectively, will continue. The plan also focuses on: developing new, high-quality public spaces and streets; creating a new home for the historic Union-Pacific train depot; and protecting and enhancing Goose Creek.
Implementation of the Plan
After adoption of the plan, the area was renamed Boulder Junction. Implementation will entail significant public investment in the transit facilities, the adjacent pocket park and civic plaza, the new north-south collector road, rehabilitation of the Depot, Goose Creek enhancements and the city-owned site at the northeast corner of the 30th and Pearl intersection. Property owners will contribute to construction of new streets, sidewalks and bicycle facilities when they develop their properties. In 2010 and 2011, land use and zoning changes were made on the west side of the area, and a general improvement district was formed to manage parking and provide Transportation Demand Management services. Land use changes and public improvements on the east side of the area will occur later, after substantial redevelopment of the west side.
Transit Village Area Plan
Central Area
The Downtown, the University and the Boulder Valley Regional Center areas constitute the three primary activity centers within the Boulder Valley’s central area.
Downtown
The Downtown is the heart of Boulder—a hub of civic, social, cultural, entertainment, spiritual, professional and commercial activity. The Pearl Street Mall provides a unique pedestrian experience, with surrounding historic residential neighborhoods, newer commercial and mixed use buildings, the city’s civic center and Boulder Creek in close proximity. Several documents and districts work to maintain and enhance the Downtown environment:
- The Downtown Urban Design Guidelines, adopted in 1986 and revised in 2002 and 2011, guide the design quality of new construction and preservation and renovation projects located downtown.
- The Central Area General Improvement District (CAGID), formed in 1970, provides parking and related improvements and maintenance in a 35-block area encompassing the Downtown.
- The Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District (BID), formed in 1999, provides enhancements and services (economic vitality, marketing and enhanced maintenance) in the roughly the same area as CAGID to supplement services provided by the city.
- The 2005 Downtown Strategic Plan recommends near-term strategies to keep Downtown Boulder vibrant and successful, for example, supporting small businesses and simplifying parking.
Boulder Valley Regional Center
The Boulder Valley Regional Center (BVRC) is a primarily commercial area, providing retail at a range of scales, restaurants, offices, and hotels in the geographic center of Boulder. There is also some high-density housing, two parks and the Dairy Center for the Arts. The BVRC was established as an urban renewal district in 1979 to revitalize the area, with public improvements financed by bonds that were paid off in 2002. The following plans and guidelines continue to guide redevelopment and evolution of the area into a more attractive, pedestrian-, bicycle- and transit-friendly place:
- The Boulder Plaza Subarea Plan, 1992, and the Crossroads/Sunrise Center Area Plan, 1997, provide guidance on specific improvements to circulation, the public realm and building design in each area when redevelopment occurs.
- The BVRC Transportation Connections Plan, adopted in 1997 and updated in 1998 and 2002, shows where pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular transportation facilities should be constructed or improved through redevelopment or the Capital Improvements Program.
- The BVRC Design Guidelines, adopted in 1998, establishes design goals and guidelines for development proposals in the BVRC, including site layout, circulation, buildings, landscaping and open space, streetscape, and signs.
University of Colorado and University Hill
The University of Colorado-Boulder (CU-Boulder) is an important part of the Boulder Valley’s intellectual, cultural, social and economic life. The University’s plans for expansion are set forth primarily in these documents:
- The Flagship 2030 strategic plan seeks to position CU-Boulder for global leadership in education, research, and creative works by the year 2030. It envisions an increase in the number of undergraduate, graduate and professional school students and a corresponding increase in faculty.
- The draft 2011 Campus Master Plan will provide guiding principles for developing facilities over the next ten years in support of the Flagship 2030 vision. The plan proposes development of the East Campus (generally bounded by 30th Street, Colorado Avenue, Arapahoe Avenue, and Foothills Parkway) as a full campus, with higher density building and a broad mix of programs. The Williams Village property will also continue to be developed. Growth on Main Campus will be limited, and the South Campus will continue to be reserved as a land bank for future generations. The final plan is expected to be completed in 2011.
The University Hill business district, to the west of Main Campus across Broadway, serves both the university population and the surrounding neighborhood, with restaurants, shopping and entertainment. Efforts to revitalize and diversify uses on The Hill to include more housing, some office, a broader range of retail offerings and increased cultural activities are guided by the following:
- The University Hill General Improvement District (UHGID), created in 1970 and expanded in 1985, provides parking, maintenance and aesthetic improvements to the business district and also has played a leadership role in facilitating revitalization and redevelopment on The Hill.
- The 1996 University Hill Area Plan initiated streetscape improvements and land use regulation amendments to enhance the appeal and safety of public spaces, encourage mixed use development, and support and strengthen The Hill’s pedestrian-oriented, urban village character
- Direction from City Council in 2010 to explore strategies for Hill revitalization, including creation of a general improvement district for the surrounding high-density residential neighborhood and an “innovation district” in the commercial area.
Surrounding Neighborhoods
Goals for specific Central Area neighborhoods near the Downtown and the University are as follows:
- The Pearl Street Corridor between 18th Street and Folsom links the Downtown with the BVRC. The corridor is half a block wide along both sides of Pearl Street and is separated from established residential neighborhoods by alleys. The vision for the corridor is an interesting and varied mix of uses, combining urban-density housing with small-scale retail uses and office space. The scale of new buildings will be sensitive in use and design to adjacent residential uses. The challenge is to strengthen the pedestrian environment along the street from Downtown to the BVRC and beyond to Boulder Junction.
- The Community Hospital/Community Plaza neighborhood, just north of the downtown along Broadway, includes the hospital, medical offices and two shopping centers. The design of commercial expansions and physical improvements in the area must incorporate special considerations to minimize impacts to adjacent residential neighborhoods.
Master Plans
City departments prepare master plans to provide a common framework for planning the delivery and funding of city services, facilities and programs. These, in turn, provide the basis for capital improvement programming and operational budgeting. Master plans are developed to be consistent with the policies, plans, and population and employment projections provided in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.
Master plan summaries:
Open Space and Mountain Parks Parks and Recreation
Transportation Greenways
Fire/Emergency Police
Source Water Treated Water
Wastewater Flood and Stormwater
Library The Arts
Historic Preservation Housing and Human Services
Facilities and Asset Management Airport
Waste Reduction Climate Action
Each summary has a link to the full plans.
Open Space and Mountain Parks
The 2005 Open Space and Mountain Parks Visitor Master Plan (VMP) serves as a framework for how Open Space and Mountain Parks will provide high quality visitor experiences while protecting and preserving significant natural areas and valuable habitats for native plants and animals. The VMP contains goals, objectives, policy guidance and an overview of strategies and investment programs that the city and community intend to accomplish by the year 2015. Future planning for Open Space and Mountain Parks will combine landscape level planning with protecting or restoring native ecosystems, maintaining viable and functional plant and animal communities and habitats, and maintaining sustainable historical land uses in the Boulder Valley. Priorities will be consistent with the purposes of Open Space as specified in the City Charter.
Open Space and Mountain Parks Visitor Master Plan
Parks and Recreation
The 2006 Parks and Recreation Master Plan is a strategic guide for decision-making for the department through 2016. The plan goals include: maintain and protect parks and recreation facilities and programs; fill in the gaps in the parks and recreation system; engage a broader range of the community, especially underrepresented populations; and be a community leader in environmental sustainability. A major focus of the master plan is financial sustainability and is based on three funding levels: fiscally constrained or present budget level, action plan, and vision plan levels. The plan presents a vision for the future, what the department intends to do within each funding level, including specific recommendations for parks and recreation facilities, and the amount of funding each level will require. Additionally, the plan identifies potential new funding sources to be explored.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Transportation
Since 1989, the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) has placed transportation plans and programs within the context of the broader community goals to protect the natural environment and enhance Boulder s quality of life. The TMP recognizes that Boulder is unlikely to build significant additional road capacity due to environmental, financial and community constraints. The plan establishes the following goals:
- A transportation system supportive of community goals;
- An integrated, multimodal transportation system emphasing the role of the pedestrian mode as the primary mode of travel;
- Sufficient, timely and equitable financing mechanisms for transportation;
- Public participation and regional coordination in transportation planning; and
- A transportation system supportive of desired land use patterns and functional, attractive urban design.
These goals are measured according to the following objectives:
- Continued progress toward no growth in long term vehicle traffic;
- Reduction of single-occupant-vehicle travel to 25 percent of trips;
- Continued reduction in mobile source emissions of air pollutants;
- No more than 20 percent of roadways congested (at Level of Service F);
- Expansion of fiscally viable transportation alternatives for all Boulder residents and employees, including the elderly and those with disabilities; and
- Increase in transportation alternatives commensurate with the rate of employee growth.
The 2003 update to the TMP identified four focus areas for strategic action: multimodal corridors, regional travel, transportation demand management (TDM) and funding. The 2008 update reflects the work of the FasTracks Local Optimization process, which reaffirmed the policy direction of the plan, reflected changing financial conditions and added the scaled down, strategic Complete Streets investment program.
Transportation Master Plan
Greenways 
The 2001 Greenways Master Plan integrates multiple city objectives for Boulder’s riparian corridors:
- habitat protection
- water quality enhancement
- storm drainage and floodplain management
- trails and recreation, and
- cultural resources protection.
The basis of the plan is the understanding that stream corridors are a vital link in the larger ecosystem and that each stream is an important natural and cultural resource in the community. The plan includes baseline studies and recommended improvements for each corridor, processes for project planning and public involvement, a maintenance strategy and funding opportunities. Greenways projects are funded from a variety of sources, and several boards are involved, under the auspices of the Greenways Advisory Committee, in planning, reviewing and approving projects: the Water Resources Advisory Board, Transportation Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Open Space Board of Trustees, Environmental Advisory Board and Planning Board. An update to the master plan is expected to be completed in 2011.
Greenways Master Plan
Fire/Emergency Medical Service
The Fire Department is responsible for the protection of life and property through fire prevention, education, fire suppression and emergency medical and rescue services. The 1996 Fire and Rescue Master Plan outlines the Fire Department’s goals as:
- Minimize death, injuries, and losses due to fire and natural and technological disasters;
- Minimize death and suffering for people experiencing sudden illness, accidents or injury;
- Minimize the number and adverse impact of hazardous materials releases;
- Provide cost effective fire protection and emergency services;
- Maximize public satisfaction; and
- Protect local ecosystems
The master plan includes the departmental philosophy, service standards, and fire protection goals and objectives. An update to the plan is anticipated to be completed in 2011.
Fire and Rescue Master Plan
Police
The Boulder Police Department provides both service and safety and has adopted a philosophical shift from a traditional 911-driven, purely reactive approach to an emphasis on community-based, prevention-oriented police services. The department defines its fundamental responsibilities as the following:
- Enforcing laws and preserving public safety and order;
- Reducing crime and disorder through prevention and intervention;
- Responding to community needs through partnerships and joint problem-solving;
- Investigating and reporting serious and non-serious crimes for prosecution;
- Providing information and service referrals; and
- Managing and administering departmental operations.
The 2001 Police Master Plan focuses on internal changes that continue earlier improvements and do not require additional staffing or funding. An update to the plan is anticipated to be completed in 2011.
Police Master Plan
Source Water
The 2009 Source Water Master Plan (SWMP) takes a broad watershed perspective to guide source water management. The SWMP presents facility improvements to Boulder’s water supply system, including storage, conveyance, hydroelectric and treatment, for the next 20 years. The plan also includes reliability standards for the water provided by the city, based on the type of uses, ranging from those uses that require an assured supply, such as drinking water and firefighting, to those that can tolerate occasional restrictions, such as lawn irrigation and car washing. The plan anticipates that the city will maintain a diversity of water supply sources (both East and West Slope sources) to increase supply reliability and hedge against droughts. Extensive modeling shows that the city has sufficient supply holdings to meet the ultimate municipal water needs of expected development levels within the city’s water service boundaries. In addition to residential and commercial consumptive uses, the city's raw water supply has been used for maintaining streamflow and enhancing stream habitat in Boulder Creek and its tributaries and for leasing to downstream agricultural and recreational users.
Source Water Master Plan
Treated Water Facilities
The Treated Water Master Plan was updated in 2000 to reassess the city’s treated water system and present a plan for future system development needs. The city’s treated water facilities include water treatment plants, reservoirs, pump stations, hydroelectric facilities, pressure reducing station and the transmission/distribution lines (water mains). Major items considered in the plan update included revisions to water quality regulations and standards, changes to Boulder’s land use and zoning, and completion of many facility improvements. The plan also set reliability criteria for delivery of treated water. As a result of the plan update, the city continued a moderate water conservation program aimed at reducing the peak water demand and began aggressively replacing aging water distribution pipes. The Utilities Division also developed a computerized hydraulic model of the water delivery system. An update to the plan is expected to be completed in 2011.
Treated Water Master Plan
Wastewater Utility
The 2009 Wastewater Utility Master Plan (WWUMP) presents key issues, programs, policies and associated budgets for the wastewater collection system, wastewater treatment plant, and water quality programs. The WWUMP is supported by three primary planning documents: the Wastewater Collection System Master Plan (updated in 2009), the Wastewater Treatment Plant Master Plan (updated in 2007) and the Water Quality Strategic Plan (updated in 2009).
The three guiding principles for the WWUMP are:
- Protect public health and safety
- Protect Boulder’s natural resources and the environment, and
- Maximize the use of the Wastewater Utility’s funds.
The wastewater treatment plant has recently undergone significant modifications to increase the hydraulic capacity to 25 million gallons per day and meet future ammonia-nitrogen limit requirements. The Wastewater Collection System Master Plan included the development of a new GIS-based hydraulic sewer model.
Wastewater Utility Master Plan
Flood and Stormwater Utility
The Comprehensive Flood and Stormwater Utility Master Plan, adopted in 2004, serves as the framework for evaluating, developing and implementing various programs and activities in the flood and stormwater utility within the scope of the available budget. The master plan outlines the following guiding principles for managing the utility:
Floodplain Management
- Preserve floodplains
- Be prepared for floods
- Help people protect themselves from flood hazards
- Prevent adverse impacts and unwise uses in the floodplain
- Seek to accommodate floods, not control them
Stormwater Quality
- Preserve our streams
- Prevent adverse impacts from stormwater
- Protect and enhance stream corridors
Stormwater Drainage
- Maintain and preserve existing and natural drainage systems
- Reduce and manage developed runoff
- Eliminate drainage problems and nuisances
Comprehensive Flood and Stormwater Utility Master Plan
Library
The Boulder Public Library (BPL) contributes to social sustainability goals by providing free library services that allow community members of all incomes, ages, and backgrounds to stand on equal footing with regard to information access. BPL also serves as a community center, providing spaces for a wide variety of public gatherings and cultural events. The 2007 Library Master Plan identifies four strategic issues that must be addressed for the library to continue to meet the needs of the Boulder community:
- Libraries worldwide are in the midst of radical and rapid changes in how they provide services;
- The demographics of Boulder are changing, resulting in a broader range of needs to be served;
- BPL facilities are aging and are not easily adapted to provide flexible, responsive and updated services;
- The quality of the BPL’s services is not sustainable at current funding levels.
Master plan goals include:
- Provide welcoming community space in which all members of the public can interact, exchange ideas, learn and build community, as well as read, think, work and reflect;
- Provide resources that inform, educate, inspire and bring enjoyment to both individuals and the community as a whole;
- Develop and maintain an information technology architecture that accommodates the changing requirements of delivering library services in the 21st century;
- Engage the entire community to meet the unique and varying informational needs; and
- Create a stable and sustainable funding model that honors the mission of providing the community with free and equal access to information.
Boulder Public Library Master Plan
The Arts 
The 2005 Cultural Master Plan was created by the Boulder Arts Commission and provides an updated look at Boulder’s accomplishments in the arts, the current strengths and weaknesses of the arts community, and the economic benefit of the arts to the greater community. The plan re-emphasizes the vision laid out in the original 1992 master plan: to position Boulder as an important year-round center for the arts—with “the arts”
defined broadly to encompass all visual, literary, performing, traditional, experimental and folk disciplines—and to ensure that art is inclusive of all peoples, ages and cultures. The master plan is specifically crafted to respond to the financial challenges currently faced by arts organizations. It contains goals and objectives in five key areas:
- Cultural facilities development
- Positioning, marketing and promotion
- Arts education: Audience development and advocacy
- Organizational development
- Community and arts partnerships.
Cultural Master Plan
Historic Preservation
The city Historic Preservation program designates historic districts and individual landmarks, lists structures or sites of merit, and reviews and approves proposed alterations to historic properties, new construction in historic districts, and demolitions of buildings over 50 years old, in addition to carrying out special projects. As of 2011, there were ten designated historic districts in Boulder:
- Floral Park (established in 1977)
- Chautauqua Park (established in 1978)
- Mapleton Hill (established in 1984)
- West Pearl (established in 1994)
- Chamberlain (established in 1995)
- Downtown Boulder (established 1999)
- Hillside (established 2001)
- Highland Lawn (established 2005)
- University Place (established 2006)
- 16th Street (established 2006)
There are over 160 individual landmarks, most of which are located in the Central Area.
Some parts of the Downtown and University Hill neighborhoods have the potential to be designated as historic districts, and each neighborhood has individual buildings of landmark quality. Potential districts and individual landmarks have been identified through surveys. Official district or landmark designation is typically initiated by the property owners with support from the city. There are over sixty approved structures of merit that are not currently landmarked but have historic, architectural or aesthetic merit.
Exterior changes to landmarks and properties located in historic districts must meet the purposes and standards outlined in the historic preservation code and adopted design guidelines. There are specific guidelines for a number of historic districts, as well as general design guidelines that apply to all designated local districts and individual landmarks.
Historic Preservation Program
Housing and Human Services
The 2006 Housing and Human Services (HHS) Master Plan is a strategic guide for decision-making and allocation of resources for the department through 2015. The plan focuses on creating a healthy community by providing and supporting diverse housing and human services to Boulder residents in need. The plan goals focus on three key city roles:
- Leader and community partner: Works to build community capacity to provide human services and build social capital through technical assistance, program partnerships, regional planning and evaluation of and response to social issues.
- Funder: Provides funding to community nonprofits and organizations to provide basic safety net services, early intervention and prevention programs, housing programs and diversity and cultural funding to Boulder residents.
- Service Provider: Provides services where there is a demonstrated need in the community that cannot be met by another sector or where community institutional capacity, resources or leadership to develop or implement services do not currently exist.
Through these three roles, the HHS Master Plan puts forth guiding principles that shape HHS policies and programs to fulfill its mission in five priority areas: Housing; Children, Youth, and Families; Senior Services; Office of Human Rights and Community Relations; and Human Services Policy and Planning. The guiding principles provide for program delivery that focuses on safety net services, community responsibility and social equity, economic and social diversity, and self-sufficiency.
Housing and Human Services Master Plan
Facilities and Asset Management
The Facilities and Asset Management (FAM) workgroup in the city Public Works Department maintains over 100 city facilities. The 2005 FAM Master Plan establishes methods and performance measures for managing FAM facilities and assets and promotes cost-effective programs that provide safe, clean and efficient environments for the public and city staff. It reinforces the need for high quality design in municipal projects and addresses environmental sustainability goals on all levels, for example, proper waste management, selection of replaceable materials, installation of energy efficient equipment, and maximizing renewable energy sources. The plan lays out goals and objectives for the next 10 years, through 2014, and is based on the assumption that resources from the General Fund will continue to be limited. An update to the master plan is expected to be completed in 2011.
Facilities and Asset Management (FAM) Master Plan
Airport
Boulder Municipal Airport (BMA) is a general aviation airport owned and operated by the city. It has served the Boulder aviation community since 1928 and focuses on recreational flying, local business-related flights, flight training, fire/rescue flights and parachuting. The airport has 190 based aircraft, one runway and one glider strip. The 2006 Airport Master Plan Update assesses the current and anticipated needs of the Airport and plans facility and management improvements for the next 20 years. It outlines the following goals:
- Operate in a safe and efficient manner;
- Continue to serve the needs of the Boulder aviation community;
- Maximize compatibility with the community in regard to aircraft noise impacts; and
- Maintain financial self-sufficiency.
The number of aircraft operations is forecasted to remain at current levels or at levels experienced in the past 15 to 20 years. Major changes to the facility are not proposed; improvements are primarily focused on maintaining the facility and operations, as well as meeting aircraft storage needs if the market demands.
Airport Master Plan
Waste Reduction 
The 2006 Master Plan for Waste Reduction identifies avenues for the Boulder community to achieve zero waste at three different levels of funding, through a combination of facilities, regulations, and services and programs provided by the city, the county and partner nonprofits. Examples include: drop-off centers for recyclable, re-usable and hazardous materials; mandatory construction and demolition material recycling; curbside recyclable and compostable pick-up service; education programs; and rebates. An update to the master plan is expected to be completed in 2011.
Master Plan for Waste Reduction
Climate Action
The 2009 Community Guide to Boulder’s Climate Action Plan is a roadmap for reducing community greenhouse gas emissions. It updates and expands the 2006 Climate Action Plan (CAP). The Community Guide lays out a set of strategies for the city to take to help organizations, individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint in the six key areas:
- Reduce energy use
- Improve energy efficiency in buildings
- Augment renewable energy sources
- Increase walking, biking and transit use and reduce vehicle emissions
- Minimize landfill waste (which emits methane gas)
- Protect and grow the urban forest
The CAP also initiated on-going measurement of Boulder’s progress toward the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012. And it acted as a springboard for the city to re-examine its energy source options through the Energy Future project initiated in 2010, based on an Energy Localization framework.
Climate Action Plan
The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Trails Map is a comprehensive guide for existing and proposed trails and trail connections for the entire Boulder Valley. It shows proposed trails that have been planned through departmental master planning or area planning processes as well as trail connections that are important links in the Boulder Valley and regional trails systems.
Trails Map
Trails planning in the Boulder Valley involves balancing environmental, community and mobility goals as well as resolving or mitigating trail impacts. The following Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan policies guide trails planning:
Boulder Creek and its Tributaries as Important Urban Design Features
Trail Corridors / Linkages
Trail Functions and Locations
Trails Network
The Trails Map shows existing and proposed trails in the Boulder Valley that are or will be administered by the city of Boulder Planning Department, Parks and Recreation Department, Open Space and Mountain Parks Department, Transportation Division, the Greenways Program and Boulder County Parks and Open Space and Transportation Departments. This map is used by the city, the county, Boulder Valley citizens and other concerned parties to understand, maintain and advance the network of trails that the city, the county, and other public agencies now provide and hope to provide in the future and should be used as a system planning tool.
Each department generates more detailed maps to meet their own needs and those of trails users. Other maps (such as those in departmental master plans or specific area plans) are used to show complete systems.
The Trails Map includes designated unpaved off-street paths, paved off-street paths, multi-use paths that are paved and separated from but parallel to a road, and short, paved off-street paths that connect to a larger trail or bike network and are part of an adopted pedestrian or bike system plan. It does not include sidewalks, on-street bike lanes or bike routes, paved road shoulders or low volume streets serving as bike lanes, routes, or internal walkways.
Trails planning and implementation occur at several steps that get progressively more detailed. The first step is to identify a need or desire for a trail or trail connection, a step that usually occurs as part of departmental master plans. Interdepartmental coordination on trails and trail connections occur as part of the master planning process. Proposed trails may be further refined through other detailed planning processes, such as the Capital Improvements Program (CIP), Trail Study Area (TSA) or Community and Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP). Two kinds of trail designations are included on the Trail Map—conceptual trail alignments and proposed trails. The primary difference relates to the degree that the trail has been studied and whether or not a specific trail alignment has been worked out. Specific definitions include:
Conceptual Trail Alignments
These trails are represented by bubbles or circles on the Trails Map. These bubbles show the need or desire for the trail located in a conceptual trail corridor. The specific alignment has not yet been selected, often because there are still issues that need to be resolved. These issues may involve the need for further study or public process and usually require resolution of environmental, ownership, neighborhood, or other concerns. However, the concept for the trail is supported by the signatories of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.
Proposed Trails
These trails are represented by solid lines on the Trails Map. These lines show the trail need or desire, but they also show a more definite trail alignment accepted by the public entities involved. There may still be issues to be worked out at the project planning step, but the trail alignment is more certain.
Process for Changes to the Trails Map
At each mid-term or major update to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, an interdepartmental staff group will assess the need to update the Trails Map. If changes are warranted, staff will analyze the map and compile a list of recommended changes to be included in the Comprehensive Plan update process. Changes to the map may occur when there has been new information or changed circumstances regarding a proposed trail or when an alternatives analysis and public process have occurred at the master planning or area planning level and new trails plans have been adopted. Minor changes can be incorporated into the Trails Map at any time without board adoption. These minor map changes are limited to changes in factual information, which include map corrections and changes in designation from proposed to existing trails (i.e., built). These minor map changes will be identified for the boards at the Comprehensive Plan update process.
Any member of the public may propose changes to the Trails Map at a mid-term or major update to the Comprehensive Plan. These requests should be made in the application process established for the update. Staff will analyze these proposals and a recommendation will be presented to the four adopting bodies along with other applications. Changes to the Trails Map will be forwarded to the following advisory boards for review and comment: Open Space and Mountain Parks Board of Trustees, Greenways Advisory Committee, Transportation Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee. Changes to the Trails Map may also be forwarded to other advisory boards depending on issues associated with a trail proposal. Recommendations and comments will be forwarded to the adopting bodies. Changes to the Trails Map must be adopted by the city Planning Board, City Council, the County Planning Commission, and the County Commissioners.
All recommendations for changes to the Trails Map will be evaluated by each of the departments involved. Agreement by affected departments on the suitability of the trail and trail alignment will be sought as part of the interdepartmental review.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 12:55
IV. Implementation