It’s really happening.
After months of conversation, the Throwing Dice LLC duplex project has received the green light by Boulder City Council members, making the 25 residential duplexes (a total of 50 total living units) more than a pipe dream by Helena developers Ryan Werner and Andy Sabatini, but a reality coming to Boulder.
On Monday, July 10, the Boulder City Council held a 30-minute special buildings for lease or rent meeting, where council members and landowners discussed the project. The multi-family units (approximately 1,080 square feet per duplex) will be built on 7.5 acres of land at the west end of Hauser Street and adjacent to the south of Interstate Highway 15 (by Town Pump).
The property can be accessed via Hauser Street with a short extension of Hauser Street and a private internal access road looping through the property.
Cul-de-sacs are not generally allowed in Boulder, so Throwing Dice LLC requested a variance, which was approved at the meeting. The proposed layout included a looped turn-around adequate for emergency vehicles, as well as a 40-foot wide private access and utility easement through the parcel to facilitate a future street connection.
The Boulder City Council expressed support for the project, which met all four draft conditions of approval. This includes the private access and utility easement, a stormwater drainage plan, wastewater treatment plan, water supply plan and street construction plans. It also includes obtaining a zoning permit from the City of Boulder and obtaining addresses for each new rental unit from the Jefferson County Geographic Information and Rural Addressing staff.
According to Boulder Mayor Rusty Giulio, these regulations are made to avoid or minimize potential significant impacts from the fiscal environment and human population in the area.
Project engineer Ryan Casne of Helena’s Casne and Associates assured those at the meeting that all criteria is met. It’s all in place, he said, including the existing and proposed stormwater management infrastructure and drainage features and proposed utilities, including an indication of whether utility lines are above or below ground.
Casne also shared that Throwing Dice LLC plans to maintain its own infrastructure. Water and sewer mains that hit the property boundary will be maintained by a maintenance manager who will live on site. This individual will also be in charge of collecting rent, plowing snow, mowing lawns and general upkeep.
“We want it to be a nice-looking facility,” Werner said. “We won’t allow junk vehicles. We are going to put trees in yards and we have a couple green areas in our plan, as well.”
Casne added that Throwing Dice will not be relying on City water for irrigation. “My clients drilled an irrigation well that has not been put to use yet. The well is an extremely good well. It makes 60 gallons a minute with minimal dry out, so we feel we can provide irrigation by that water source so we are not taxing the city water source for irrigation,” he said.
Community members were welcome to attend the meeting, and a handful did, most asking questions related to the condition of Hauser Street.
“Hauser Street is crumbling,” said Boulder resident Kathy Rux, who lives around the corner of Adams and Hauser. “I don’t think it’s designed for handling all this traffic. Are there any negotiations on improving Hauser Street…it’s a mess right now.”
Whether or not Hauser Street will be one of the roads chip-sealed in town this year is dependent upon the finalized City budget.
Werner told The Monitor following the meeting that he plans to have the first 25 units constructed and habitable by spring of 2024 and the other 25 units live-in ready by spring of 2025. At this time cost to rent has not been determined.
Construction on the first 25 units is expected to start as soon as possible, perhaps as early as next week.
