County OKs sale that saves Iris Fields
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Iris Fields in north Boulder. Photo: Mitchell Byars/Axios Boulder
Boulder County has approved the sale of its North Broadway complex to a community-backed developer that pledged to preserve the baseball fields on the property.
Why it matters: The adopted proposal will save Iris Fields — home to North Boulder Little League for 70 years — which has sent teams to the Little League World Series regionals for two consecutive years.
The latest: County commissioners voted 2-1 on Tuesday to sell the land at 1333 Iris Avenue to Academy Boulder, which develops assisted and independent living communities.
- Commissioners Claire Levy and Ashley Stolzmann backed the deal, while Commissioner Marta Loachamin was the lone holdout.
State of play: The Academy Boulder's $26 million offer will retain the property's four baseball fields while adding senior housing.
- The plan was developed with community input and drew broad area support, according to commissioners.
Between the lines: County staff recommended commissioners take the Academy's offer — one of five submitted — even though another proposal offered $43 million, but would have eliminated the fields, according to meeting documents.
- Levy said the decision couldn't be made solely on price and needed to reflect community values.
- "We need to do right by county taxpayers and the public trust, but we also have to make a decision that is good for the community," she said. "I would have a hard time living with a decision that just let the whole property be developed."
What they're saying: Stolzmann emphasized the Academy was the only bidder willing to close the deal before completing land-use changes with the city of Boulder, a move that could save the county money on utilities during what may be a lengthy city process.
- She called the agreement a "win-win" for preserving the fields and advancing senior housing.
Yes, but: Loachamin argued the property represented "a missed opportunity" for the county to add more affordable housing.
- "We have a housing crisis, an inventory crisis," Loachamin said.
- Levy also noted some concern about the developer's financial model.
What's next: Once finalized, the sale will move through the city of Boulder's land-use process, at which point oversight will shift to the city and the developer.
- "That will be up to Boulder and the Academy to hold them up to their end of the bargain," Levy said.