Colorado’s most active oil and gas drilling is happening near land that is also hosting some of the fastest housing construction in the state. Until now, it was hard to know what discount, if any, oil and gas activity along the Front Range meant for nearby homes. But Heather Stephens, a professor from West Virginia University, and Amanda Weinstein from Akron University in Ohio, have put precise numbers on that discount, along with the premium that a mountain view carries. The pair studied home sales between 2006 to 2014 in Weld, Larimer, Morgan, Adams, Boulder, Jefferson, Broomfield and Arapahoe counties to determine what difference those two considerations made after controlling for a host of other variables.Having a mountain view added $8,000 or 2.5%on average to the value of a home. The closer to the mountains, and the more peaks visible, the higher the premium went. Having an oil and gas well within view, by contrast, deducted nearly $3,000 or 0.8% on average from a … [Read more...] about Colorado homes near oil wells face lower values, new study finds
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Letters: Landmark, historic designation process is important; Moral dilemma a side effect of suffering; Short-term rental controversy burns (9/15/19)
Landmark, historic designation process is important Re: “Landmark decisions — Denver should toughen rules on historic designations …” Sept. 8 commentary Nearly 30 years ago, I was part of the effort to save Zeckendorf Plaza, designed by I.M. Pei and the centerpiece of downtown Denver. Despite our best efforts, the City Council could not come to a majority vote and the developer refused alternative paths. I know of few Denverites who don’t regret that loss. At issue today is whether the community should continue to have some say about our city’s most important places. While the council ultimately did not vote on the Tom’s Diner designation, the discussion about its future, about the character of Colfax and about the kind of design our city wants would never have happened without the process of designation. The point of that conversation was not the designation, it was the process, and because of that process, Tom’s and buildings like it … [Read more...] about Letters: Landmark, historic designation process is important; Moral dilemma a side effect of suffering; Short-term rental controversy burns (9/15/19)
Brown signs housing bills: ‘It was a big challenge, and we’ve risen to it’
Surrounded by a crowd of Democratic mayors and legislators Friday morning, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a wide-ranging package of 15 bills designed to bring some relief to the statewide housing crisis. Enthusiastic housing advocates and business leaders also joined the governor for the outdoor bill-signing ceremony in a pocket park at Hunters View, a new mixed-income housing development on the hills of Bayview-Hunters Point in San Francisco. “This is the biggest bill-signing I’ve ever seen, and it’s because it deals with something as basic as shelter,” the governor said. “It was a big challenge, and we’ve risen to it this year.” Back to Gallery Brown signs housing bills: ‘It was a big challenge, and... Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Comments 31 But the governor also stressed that many of the problems the new bills are designed to ease were caused by the same local and state officials now cheering the … [Read more...] about Brown signs housing bills: ‘It was a big challenge, and we’ve risen to it’