Last November I wrote about a school district in Boulder, Colorado that wanted to build a modular home factory to help with local projects for the Habitat for Humanity chapter and at the same time teach construction skills to students looking to get into the trades after graduation.
Now that project is stirring excitement as well as a healthy dose of controversy among members of the community.
The city announced Monday that construction on the factory is due to start this month. City officials who have championed the project say the factory — which is expected to eventually produce up to 50 permanently affordable homes every year — will be a game changer in terms of creating more affordable housing in Boulder. They also say it will provide an unparalleled hands-on learning experience for students in a local construction program.
However, numerous residents in nearby neighborhoods have vehemently opposed the project for a variety of reasons. Some are concerned about potential extra noise and traffic, while others worry about the environmental impact of the factory, which will sit adjacent to Sombrero Marsh, a protected wetland and habitat conservation area.
The project is a collaboration between the city, BVSD and Flatirons Habitat for Humanity. The city is providing funding for the factory’s construction and purchasing necessary tools for the facility. BVSD has supplied the land for the factory, which will be used as a hands-on learning facility for students in the district’s Technical Education Center construction class. Habitat for Humanity will staff and manage the facility, acquire materials and be the certified manufacturer.
Jay Sugnet, a senior planner for Boulder and the project manager for the modular home factory, said construction is expected to start in mid- to late August and is expected to take at most 10 to 11 months. Construction work should be completed in a relatively short time frame because the factory itself will be a modular building.
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Gary Fleisher, the Modcoach, author
