Affordable Housing Update, January 2023
Lafayette Is in the Final Approval Stages for 400-Unit, Cutting-Edge, Net Zero, Mixed Affordable Housing Project
Since 2018 folks in Lafayette have been attending community meetings, charettes, East Lafayette Advisory Council meetings, and Planning Commission and City Council meetings to give input into an affordable housing project called Willoughby Corner.
Based on significant community input, Willoughby Corner is planned to be a 400-unit affordable housing project with senior housing, for-sale housing, and rental housing. This will be a net zero project (any emissions will be offset, but will have lots of green features). The project is planned to include a community center and an RTD stop with a service center for drivers. As driven by community input, Willoughby Corner will feature a community garden, trails, and play spaces, as well as connections to other trails.
As funding and approvals for this project start to become a reality, there may be a tendency to save money by cutting some of the amenities in the project that make it so special. Please connect with the Lafayette City Council. Ask them to stay true to the plan for Willoughby Corner, with all its community-supported amenities, and make this a project of which we can truly be proud. We have the opportunity to be a leader with a one-of-a-kind project.
The City Council has put in its own time and staff time, dollars, land negotiations, fee waivers, and other waivers to make this project work. Now is not the time to falter. Please thank the Council for all they have done thus far and ask them to get this project over the finish line with all its features intact.
Connect with the Lafayette City Council here: https://www.lafayetteco.gov/FormCenter/CityClerk-19/Public-Input-463
Tidbits of info you likely won't find elsewhere . . .
Why is it named Willoughby Corner? (From Doug Connaroe, Lafayette historian, researcher, and writer)
The housing project sits on land formerly known as Willoughby, which included the Willoughby coal mine. It was platted and owned by the American Fuel Co., a company that was labor-friendly and one of the first companies to agree to union terms during the 1910-1914 coal miner’s strike, known as the Long Strike. Lafayette miners went on strike in April 1910, and American agreed to a UMWA contract about 20 months later. None of the other Lafayette mining companies settled with the union, even after the strike ended in 1914 following the Ludlow Massacre. It was common at the turn of the century for coal companies to establish a town or subdivision around the coal mine, and then sell the lots to coal miners. This occurred north of Baseline Road in Excelsior Place (Josephine Commons), which was platted pre-1900 by coal magnate James Cannon Jr.
Study: Housing Costs Are Related to Transportation Costs
People who can’t afford to live near their work or school must live elsewhere and commute. Housing costs are the single largest expense for most U.S. households. When combined with transportation costs, they account for approximately half of the average U.S. household budget.
Affordable housing is typically defined as housing that requires no more than 30% of a household’s income (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2013), but this measure does not take into account the transportation costs associated with home locations. True affordability is related to the cost of housing and the cost of transportation from that location (Sustainable Cities Institute, 2012). The Center for Housing and Policy has found that the tradeoff in housing savings gained at the cost of transportation is eroding, with $.77 being spent on transportation for every $1 spent on housing.
Communities that are walkable and public transportation-friendly allow residents to access employment and amenities easily and effectively with less dependence on an automobile. This could result in not only saved time and money, but also in increased physical activity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (Center for Neighborhood Technology). However, these communities also tend to have higher housing costs, thus potentially pushing lower-income residents to live where they are not able to reap the many benefits of accessible housing and transportation.
Single-family residential development, also called suburban development, is often the least walkable housing option and it also contributes the most to greenhouse gas emissions. According to an article in Georgetown Public Policy Review (2019), suburban neighborhoods are the housing sector’s worst emission perpetrators. Depending on how “suburbs” are defined, the average suburban household produces up to twice the national average of greenhouse gas emissions. In large, populated urban areas, where denser forms of housing are more likely to be legal and vehicle ownership rates are lower, the typical home produces roughly 50% below that average. We also know that in a place like Boulder County, where land costs are high, density can create more efficient use of land and reduce housing costs.
Northwest Rail Peak Service Study – FasTracks Update
RTD is examining rail service through Boulder County, from Longmont to downtown Denver, using what is called Peak Rail Service (rail at peak commute times). To learn how this could help address emissions and create better commuting options, and to provide your input, please attend one of RTD's information sessions or use their online comment system.
Voters approved FasTracks in 2004. RTD is continuing to work with local agency partners to provide a rail solution to northwest area communities. The Northwest Rail Peak Service Study advances the efforts toward this commitment.
Read the latest at https://www.rtd-denver.com/projects/northwest-rail-peak-service-study
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Join one of RTD’s public open house sessions to learn more about the Northwest Rail Peak Service Study and provide your input!
January 31, 2023, anytime between 5:00 - 7:00pm, Hampton Inn & Suites Boulder-North, 6333 Lookout Rd., Boulder, CO 80301
February 2, 2023, anytime between 5:00 - 7:00pm, Westminster City Park Recreation Center, Longs Peak Community Room, 10455 Sheridan Blvd., Westminster, CO 80020
Or, try the self-guided online meeting, available online from January 31 to February 21, 2023, at https://northwestrailpeakservicestudyonlinemeeting.com/
The self-guided online meeting will shave the same information as the in-person open house in both English and Spanish. For further information, contact the study team by filling out a comment on our website, calling 720.881.0778, or e-mailing NorthwestRail@hdrinc.com.
Louisville Seeks Consultant for Housing Study
Louisville has issued a request for proposals for a consultant to help the City do a study on affordable and attainable housing and how to reach the City’s goals. The consultant selected should be approved by City Council in February and will have a 6-month timeline to complete the project. Multiple opportunities for seeking public input are part of the consultation process. ECHO will do our best to keep residents apprised of those opportunities for public input.
Crime and Density: Are They Related?
At a recent Longmont City Council meeting, a resident spoke in opposition to denser development, saying it increases crime. Having reviewed the research and statistics on crime and density, we at ECHO have found that the research does not support the statement that density causes crime. Density can be correlated with higher crime, and it can be correlated with lower crime. Other factors are at play, such as the stability of the community and the presence of things like bars, liquor stores, and strip clubs. Additional variables include the design of the buildings, the nature of the economy, and local opportunities for work.
Density in and of itself is NOT a factor in higher rates of crime. If you do the research, you will find these statistics. However, the studies are technical and academic, so we have summarized them here. Let us know if you want further information, and we can point you to the actual studies.
Erie Seeks Housing Manager
The Town of Erie is seeking to fill the position of Housing Manager as they seek to implement an affordable housing ordinance and build their first-ever affordable housing. If this job sounds right for you or someone you know, here is a link to the job.
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/erie/jobs/3867676/affordable-housing-manager
Housing Questions at HD 12 Candidate Forum
The Boulder County Democratic Party will be hosting a vacancy committee, composed of party leaders, to choose the next Representative from Colorado House District 12, which includes Louisville and Lafayette. At a recent candidate forum, several questions were raised about affordable housing. Watch the video to see what the candidates had to say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqj8HTRPaDY&t=45s