The Boulder County Board of Commissioners is considering a temporary halt on site plan review applications for homes exceeding a certain size, citing concerns over affordability and the environmental impact of constructing big homes.
This potential pause comes as Boulder County grapples with the rising cost of housing, which is making it more difficult for people to enter the local housing market. For existing homeowners, the construction of larger homes increases their property values but also drives up taxes, burdening those already struggling with costs. Halting the review process for homes above a specific square footage, which would vary by neighborhood, in unincorporated Boulder County would prevent these homes from being built.
Boulder County is not alone in its efforts to rein in oversized homes, often referred to as “McMansions” for their sometimes generic designs. The City of Boulder is considering a policy that would require property owners to pay into the city’s affordable housing fund if they demolish a single-family home to build a larger one in its place.
In recent decades, the average floor area of a home in unincorporated Boulder County has increased. The average home built in the 1970s was about 1,800 square feet, according to an analysis of internal county data by Boulder Reporting Lab. That compares to about 2,800 square feet for homes built in the past decade. So far this year, several property owners have submitted applications to build homes larger than 6,000 square feet across Boulder County, according to county records.
“Right now, house sizes are getting bigger and bigger,” Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann told Boulder Reporting Lab. At the same time, she added, “there is a real demand for smaller houses, more affordable houses.”
Boulder County code allows property owners to construct homes up to 125% of the median residential floor area in a neighborhood. However, property owners can seek special approval to build even larger homes. Over time, this gradually raises the allowable limits.
The commissioners are considering a moratorium on site plan review applications in unincorporated Boulder County for homes exceeding the median neighborhood size, as they explore additional regulations for larger homes. The proposed moratorium would not impact projects already under review or homes destroyed in a natural disaster, according to the county. County officials are planning to exclude properties burned in the Marshall Fire, which destroyed 1,100 homes in the City of Louisville, Town of Superior and unincorporated Boulder County.
Many of the burned lots, such as those in Olde Town Superior, have been sold. The homes being built on those lots are sometimes larger than the original single-family homes.
“The fabric of the neighborhoods is changing,” Jeri Curry, executive director of Marshall ROC — a coalition of local agencies, nonprofits and municipalities aiding in long-term recovery — told Boulder Reporting Lab on the second anniversary of the fire. “Boulder County has very little affordable housing. We know there’s a crisis here to begin with, and [the Marshall Fire] has just exacerbated it.”
The proposed moratorium will likely face pushback. It would have a major impact on the ability of property owners to build their preferred homes. It would also ripple through the residential construction industry, which includes builders, architects, realtors and other businesses.
John Tayer, the president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, said the proposed moratorium came as a surprise to businesses in the home design and building industries. He said the chamber has not yet taken a position on the proposed moratorium. But, he added, “we are always concerned about anything that is disruptive to the business climate and plans for individuals and businesses.”
Stolzmann acknowledged the proposed changes could affect property owners planning to build their dream homes. However, she said larger homes contribute to rising property taxes for neighbors due to the way the county assesses property values. She added that these larger homes require more resources to build and consume more energy for heating and cooling.
“It’s not my intention ever to take away someone’s creativity or their vision,” Stolzmann said. But, she added, “we have community norms and values to protect the environment and to protect those who don’t have as much as others.”
A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2024.
Meanwhile, the county has more than 2,000 applicants currently on the waiting list for a subsidized apartment managed by the Boulder County Housing Authority, as it works to add 400 affordable housing units in Lafayette while it also sells off other affordable properties.
John Herrick is a reporter with the Boulder Reporting Lab. His work frequently appears on-air at KUNC 91.5 FM and online at KUNC.org. Contact John at john@boulderreportinglab.org.