Here’s some need-to-know information for the week:

Planning and Development Services streamlines its development review process

The Planning and Development Services Department has reached a major milestone by significantly reducing the time, resources and expertise needed to respond to property modification requests.

This improvement was achieved by digitizing and mapping Paper Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) records. PUDs are a planning tool that allows flexibility in development and a diversity of design and housing types.

PUDs were utilized widely by the city from 1962 to 2000 and issued with great variability in how they were documented. Each PUD has customized development regulations that must be maintained, researched, and interpreted each time someone wants to modify their property. Without consistent records, this has become an individualized, lengthy and resource intensive process for the city’s more than 2,000 PUDs, which impact about 8,300 properties.

As part of the process improvement, PUD locations are now included on the public facing development review case map, so staff who are answering inquiries can easily see whether or not a property is in a PUD. This ensures consistent and accurate records for research and interpretation, as well as predictability in the timeliness of review.

The next phase of work will make PUD information available to the public. For now, it is available through records requests.

For more information, please contact Chris Trice, Information Resources manager, at tricec@bouldercolorado.gov.

“Let’s Talk Boulder,” a City of Boulder podcast, launches May 3

Next week, the city will release three episodes of its first-ever English podcast, “Let’s Talk Boulder.” The podcast has been created as a vehicle to generate conversations and tell stories about key topics in our community. The main goal of the podcast is to build connections between the city and community by reaching new audiences, meeting people where they are, and engaging with folks who might not follow more traditional city channels.

The first episodes focus on wildfire and the climate crisis, with discussion around fire mitigation, prevention, and resilience. The episodes feature city staff who are experts in fire mitigation and preparedness, land management and nature-based climate solutions, as well community partners who are innovating in the sustainability and resilience space.

Future episodes will dive into areas such as climate anxiety, equity, affordable housing, and flood mitigation. The podcast will be available on major listening platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The city also hosts a podcast in Spanish, “Somos Boulder.”

For more information, please contact Sarah Huntley, Communication and Engagement director, at huntleys@bouldercolorado.gov

Regards,
Nuria

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