Owner's Accessory Unit (OAU) Application

interior view of garage and carriage doors

Applying with the city of Boulder to convert our 1920s garage into an Owner's Accessory Unit (OAU) is fairly involved process and we needed to hire an architect and contractor to help us provide all of the supporting documents.  We have hired our old team of Joel Smiley of Smiley Construction and Lisa Egger, AIA to help with this project. In 2011, Lisa and Joel helped us completely renovate our 1905 Victorian home on Pine Street, working with the Landmarks board to comply with Mapleton Hill Historic District alteration requirements.  Last September, we decided to see if our garage was eligible for an OAU conversion.  In December, we were granted a variance by the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BOZA) to use the existing garage for the OAU.  Next, we had to submit a comprehensive OAU application to the City of Boulder  for administrative review by the planning department.  The application included a checklist of items for review such as a professional survey, site plans, floor drawings, proof of ownership, variance approval documentation, etc. In addition, in order to be granted an an OAU, we needed to show adequate parking (1 off-street parking space) and 60 square feet of designated green space.  After we submitted the application and fee ($420), we posted a public sign for 10+ days during the review.  In our case, we cleared most of the requirements with our existing site conditions and construction plans with the exception of our water service.  The city is requiring that we upgrade our water service from 3/4" to 1".  We will need a separate permit to complete this work.