Posts tagged campus
Boulder citizens, youth give high marks to city in survey
Jan 5th
2011 Community Survey results available
Results of the 2011 Community Survey that was conducted this fall are now available online and will be presented to City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012. Copies of the report are also available in the Main Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave.
In September and October, surveys were mailed to more than 3,000 households and more than 400 University of Colorado students living in on-campus dormitories. Surveys could also be completed online and were available in Spanish. A total of 971 surveys were returned, which resulted in a 33 percent response rate. That is considered a good rate of return.
The survey asked people about their priorities for the city, quality of life, and their overall satisfaction with government services. Survey responses indicated:
- Perceptions of the quality of life, quality of neighborhoods and the sense of community in Boulder remain high;
- Employment and business related ratings were also high, with 77 percent of respondents rating Boulder as “very good’ or “good” as a place to work, and 69 percent rating Boulder as “very good” or “good” as a place to do business; and,
- Respondents’ priorities for City Council included energy, housing and business development.
The survey results also provided information about public participation and how people would like to obtain information about meetings, issues and programs:
- Approximately 25 percent of respondents said that they had attended a public meeting about city matters in the last year, and about 25 percent had watched a City Council meeting on the city’s municipal Channel 8.
- The Camera (72%), direct mailings (65%), and the city’s website (55%) – www.bouldercolorado.gov – were the most common sources of public information from the city.
The 2011 survey included additional outreach to Spanish speakers through community organizations, and 43 completed surveys were received. Priorities and concerns for these respondents included safety, affordable shopping, housing, adult education opportunities and activities for youth.
A slightly revised survey was also distributed to Boulder youth to help the city determine their concerns and needs. A total of 234 returned surveys indicated that youth priorities include homelessness, improving activities for young people, jobs, discrimination, bike safety and facilities, and the environment.
Survey results will be used to inform the budget process, plan for future projects, develop community outreach and various other ways to help make Boulder a better place to live and work. A complete list of results, responses and methodologies is available at www.BoulderColorado.gov > Hot Topics > 2011 Community Survey Results.
The survey was conducted by Boulder-based National Research Center Inc. Results were weighted and the margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points from the information that would have been obtained if all Boulder adults were surveyed.
CU’s Will Vill North is better than gold
Dec 2nd
CU’S WILLIAMS VILLAGE NORTH EARNS
PLATINUM RATING IN LEED CERTIFICATION
PLATINUM RATING IN LEED CERTIFICATION
Williams Village North, the University of Colorado Boulder’s newest residence hall, has received a LEED platinum rating from the United States Green Building Council. The 500-bed residence hall is the first of its size in the nation to rank platinum — the highest possible designation.
LEED certification is a U.S. benchmark for sustainable building design, construction, operation and maintenance. The $46.5 million Williams Village North, with 131,246 gross square feet, is projected to be nearly 40 percent more energy and water efficient than modern code-compliant buildings of the same size.
“Our platinum rating — a first for the campus — represents a lot and we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished through the efforts of many dedicated people,” said Moe Tabrizi, campus sustainability director. “It reflects our commitments to immediate energy, water and resource conservation and our long-term goal of carbon neutrality, as well as the belief that we can provide students interactive learning in every corner of campus.”.
CU-Boulder has eight other structures that are LEED gold rated and another with a silver designation. All future new or renovated buildings on campus will be at least LEED gold rated, with the goal of seeking LEED platinum whenever possible, Tabrizi said.
In a building that gets 12.5 percent of its energy from on-site solar panels, Williams Village North residents have a hand in controlling the flow of electricity. They are able to shut off power to nonessential and not-in-use outlets with single switches installed in each room. Residents will be able to monitor electricity using meters and information kiosks in the building, which also are slated for upcoming energy savings competitions.
A free water bottle filling station shows how many plastic containers may have been diverted from landfills as users stock reusable vessels. Since the building opened in mid-August, the estimated savings stands at more than 24,000 bottles.
The building is home to two Residential Academic Programs, or RAPS — Sustainable by Design and Social Entrepreneurship for Equitable Development and Sustainability. Architecture Assistant Professor Matthew Jelacic serves as faculty in residence for both of the RAPS.
“Williams Village North offers more than a living space, it offers a lifestyle,” said Kambiz Khalili, executive director of Housing and Dining Services. “Our partnership with the campus and resident student leaders provided the opportunity to commit resources that allow CU students to fully explore the impacts of sustainability in a unique living and learning environment.”
The site has low-flow water fixtures installed in sinks, showers and toilets, and native landscaping that requires little or no watering.
Other green features include energy-efficient lighting with daylight harvesting, advanced heat-recovery systems and low-volatile organic compound, or VOC, materials.
“As we began the design process, it became obvious to us that if we stretched our collaborative efforts we had a chance to create the first LEED platinum building on campus,” said Curt Huetson, director of facilities, planning and operations for Housing and Dining Services. “I challenged our project team, which actually signed a pact and committed to make it happen. As a result, each member now points to this facility with tremendous personal pride.”
Team members included Paul Leef, director of planning, design and construction and campus architect; Steve Hecht, manager of design and project management; Heidi Rogé, project manager; Tom Goodhew, campus planner; Richelle Reilly, landscape architect; and Paula Bland, director of Residence Life. Also included were campus engineers Jonathan Akins, Pieter van der Mersch, Pepper Clayton and Joe Branchaw.
Only 1.5 percent of Williams Village North project costs came from the sustainability integration that makes the building LEED platinum rated and will translate into significant utility savings over time.
For more information on CU-Boulder’s green campus initiatives visit http://www.colorado.edu/cusustainability/greeningcu/GreeningCU.html. For more information on Housing and Dining Services visit http://housing.colorado.edu/
And more nightmares on Boulder streets
Nov 14th
Construction on Broadway to begin Wednesday
Starting on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, the Broadway (Euclid to 18th) Transportation Improvements Project will begin construction. The project, previously on hold for federal historic and environmental clearances, was put out for a competitive bid process and a contractor was chosen in late September. The construction along Broadway is expected to take approximately nine months to complete and will be finished by fall 2012.
In general, traffic impacts for fall/winter 2011 include:
- Daytime off-peak lane closures on Broadway, Euclid, and 16th Streets;
- Detours along the Broadway multi-use path near Euclid Avenue; and
- Closures of the northbound bus stop near Euclid Avenue.
- Opening a temporary southbound Broadway left lane at 18th Street
Beginning in late 2011/early 2012, full-time lane reductions on Broadway (from two thru lanes in each direction to one thru lane in each direction) and closure of the cross-streets (16th and Euclid) will be necessary to construct the underpass beneath Broadway. For weekly traffic updates, visitwww.boulderconezones.net.
For those traveling through the city, alternate routes are advised. For those traveling on Broadway, alternative modes like walking, biking and taking the bus are good options. Otherwise, please travel slowly and use caution in construction zones.
Remaining project improvements include:
- Construction of a pedestrian/bicycle underpass beneath Broadway at 16th/Euclid;
- Expansion of the northbound and southbound transit stops with additional transit amenities;
- Changing the existing Broadway/Euclid/16th four-way intersection into two “T” intersections;
- Broadway multi-use path improvements; and
- Functional art, urban design, landscaping/irrigation lighting improvements.
Improvements to the Broadway and 18th Street intersection were completed in summer 2011. The newly configured intersection is currently open to traffic, and provides the main vehicular access point from this part of campus to southbound Broadway.
The local match for this project was composed of funding from five agencies: City of Boulder, Boulder County, RTD, CU – including land donation and funding from University of Colorado Student Union and Vice Chancellor for Administration.
For more project information, visit www.bouldertransportation.net>Projects>Broadway (Euclid to 18th) Improvements Project or contact Noreen Walsh at 303-441-3266
