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Years after the 2013 Boulder floods, thousands of residents and homes in the floodplain remain vulnerable to future flooding. By annexing the land known as ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï South, a 308-acre parcel that ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï has owned for 25 years, the City of Boulder can proceed with long-overdue flood protections that will safeguard 2,300 downstream Boulder residents and 1,100 homes. Annexation triggers the dedication of land to the city so it can begin securing the required federal, state and local permits and approvals that will enable construction of flood mitigation.Ìý

Annexation also supports the long-term success of the university. The ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï purchased the ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï South property in 1996 to ensure that the university’s capability to provide Colorado citizens with access to quality education will endure for generations to come. As set forth in the annexation agreement, the university has committed to making housing for faculty, staff and non-freshman students the predominant use of the site — and only after fortified flood protections have been built. The additional housing -- including five acres dedicated to development of permanently affordable housing for anyone in the community who qualifiesÌý-- will contribute greatly to easing housing pressures in Boulder, and can measurably reduce transportation-related CO2 emissions by helping our workforce and students live closer to where they work and study. Within the next few years the university will embark on a master planning effort to envision and define its future site plans.

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First and foremost, annexation by the city of Boulder enables the city to proceed with building long-overdue flood protections for more than 2,300 vulnerable residents and 1,100 homes. These flood protections were identified nearly two decades ago as an urgent priority. The purpose of flood mitigation is to provide protection for community members while being the least impactful to open space.

Upon annexation, ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï has committed to the transfer of 155 acres for