The city of Boulder shut down an off-campus student apartment building Monday due to “safety concerns” and illegal construction, giving 60 student renters only hours to pack up their belongings and leave.
At 1:41 p.m. Monday, city officials told the owners of the Ash House — previously known as the Marpa House — at 891 12th St. in Boulder that tenants would have until 6 p.m. to vacate the premises, the building’s owners said in a statement.
“Four minutes later, the city began informing tenants that they needed to leave, without any explanation as to where they should go or when they could come back,” the owners stated.
The Ash House was approved last year to house 48 students in 16 three-bedroom units for the 2023-2024 school year, according to Boulder officials.
During an inspection last week, city officials with the Code Compliance Division discovered a “serious violation” and “illegal division of living space,” according to a news release the city.
Specifically, 15 new bedrooms were constructed without building permits, land-use approval or life-safety inspections, city officials said. The owners also did not have permits for the electrical work that was conducted when the new bedrooms were added, the city said.
According to Boulder officials, 13 of the 15 illegally constructed rooms were occupied.
Officials said all 60 students living in the Ash House will be displaced until the violations are remedied, but the 13 students living in illegally constructed bedrooms will need to find new permanent housing.
“This is an incredibly unfortunate situation, and we truly regret the inconvenience and disruption for renters,” Boulder spokesperson Brad Mueller said. “However, safety is always first, and the conditions discovered represent an immediate risk.”
During last week’s inspection, city officials only counted bedrooms and “provided no additional feedback, comment or question,” the property owners said in a statement, adding that they were “surprised and dismayed (to) have been deprived the courtesy of a hearing and/or the due process afforded under City Code.”
Related Articles
Mother of Boulder King Soopers gunman says he is “sick” and denies knowing about plan
9-year-old boy struck by semitrailer, killed while crossing U.S. 50 near Pueblo
Adams County sheriff’s deputy drove distracted in fatal pedestrian crash, victim’s family alleges
Ambushed Colorado State Patrol trooper likely a “target of opportunity,” officials say
Remains, belongings linked to Lakewood woman missing since 2005 found on Mount of the Holy Cross
The owners have petitioned Boulder County District Court for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop the city from enforcing the move-out order until a hearing can be held over the alleged violations, according to court documents released by the owners’ attorney, Andrew Peters.
“The lack of communication and due process from the city has wholly deprived management of the opportunity to help residents find alternate accommodations,” the property owners said in the statement. “While the city’s actions are perhaps well-intentioned, this has been profoundly poorly handled and is causing unnecessary hardship and disruption to so many students.”
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.