Commission offers students a voice in Hill development
Students living and working on the Hill may start to notice some new changes.
Consisting of five members appointed by City Council, the University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission is working alongside the New Hill Company in hopes of bringing flourishing business to the area and addressing issues such as health, safety, maintenance, aesthetics, economic vitality and sustainability.
“I work on the hill, and the walking traffic has a big effect on our business,” Whitney Bombard, a senior international affairs major and employee at Suburban Hill said. “When it was nice outside, we only had a few customers which is a concern for us. I think businesses on the Hill need to be addressed.”
Previously known as the University Hill General Improvement District Advisory, the UHCAMC aims to address a greater range of issues.
The new commission plans to ensure that money is rightfully spent while addressing issues of maintenance and allocation of parking money.
“Lately the Hill has declined in economic vitality,” Bill Shrum, a member of UHCAMC and resident of the Hill said. “Losing money from parking alerts us.”
In terms of parking on the Hill, students can look for a more structured system and more accommodation for their cars.
In addition to an advisory board, UHCAMC exists as a go-to resource for City Council by conducting research on the issues at hand.
Shrum said he hopes the New Hill Company will be able to diversify the business environment while maintaining the character of the Hill.
UHCAMC works to gather ideas for development on the Hill from members of the community and local businesses.
“I look at it as an idea vacuum cleaner,” Ronald Mitchell, also a member of the UHCAMC said. “We suck up all the good ideas we can from everywhere we can in the neighborhood and the commercial area. We sort through them and hand the good ideas to City Council and throw the bad ones away.”
Last March, the New Hill Company submitted their ideas for a re-design of the Hill to the city of Boulder.
With the establishment of the UHCAMC, members of the commission said they hope to re-establish lines of communication between residents, business owners and students regarding development of the Hill.
“There isn’t a good forum for students to be heard,” Shrum said. “UHCAMC is the perfect go-to for students to represent the university.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brittany Sovine at Brittany. Sovine@colorado.edu.
