Mapleton Park is a unique and diverse community of mostly blue-collar working families and individuals, retirees on fixed incomes and the disabled. Most of the residents in Mapleton have lived here for over twenty years and raised their families and contributed to the local economy.

Boulder is well known for its expensive cost of living and ninety percent of our residents in Mapleton Park qualify as low and very low income. While most of us are limited in income, none of us are limited in the richness of nature all around us. Our community is located beneath a lush canopy of trees. Goose Creek, a designated wetlands, cuts through the northern portion of our community and is the migratory home of mallard ducks and deer. We are routinely delighted by a literal park like atmosphere.

One of the key elements for transferring ownership of Mapleton Park to Thistle and having the residents manage their own Park through the MHA was to maintain the Park’s unique character and wonderful setting. This has not been, and will not be, an easy task as we go into the future. However, the residents of Mapleton Park have the will to make this low- and moderate-income development work, and their enthusiasm is not diminished by the enormous task in front of them.

From 1996 to 2004, under the leadership of Ben Jensen, Mark Reeder, Debbie Kranzler, Mike Figgs, Nan Lederer, Don Lucas, Gene Langlois, Ron Marcus, Sylvia Gentile, Holly Hutchinson, Alex Wilson, Pete Caterina, Deb Feustel, Paul Keaton and Tammy Lynn, the MHA came together as a non-profit corporation for the purpose of providing security for the low- and moderate-income families that lived at Mapleton Park. During those years, the MHA was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the State of Colorado and obtained a 501(c)3 tax exempt status with the Federal Government for the purpose of promoting low- and moderate-income housing in Boulder, Colorado.

In 2001, the MHA partnered with Thistle Communities, a local area non-profit also dedicated to preserving affordable housing. The partnership had two goals: First, to become part of Thistle’s Community Land Trust for a period of 99 years. This move was made to protect residents from land developers who would seek to buy Mapleton Park and build high end condos and townhomes on the land. Second, the MHA and Thistle Communities worked together to secure financing to purchase, improve and operate the land on which Mapleton Park residents live and thereby provide permanent affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Boulder residents.

From its founding in December 1995, the MHA leadership and the residents of Mapleton Park have believed our association is qualified to undertake the risks, obligations and responsibilities of a land purchase. In addition, we have from the very beginning intended to set up Mapleton Park as a far-seeing model, for all towns and cities, which utilizes existing mobile homes to create a low- and moderate-income housing development.

Throughout the years, the members within the MHA have exhibited a strong commitment to the process of resident management of Mapleton Park. Within its first year of existence, seventy-five percent of the residents joined the MHA and have actively contributed to the development and refinement of this ambitious organization ever since.The challenge of working together as a community has been met with tremendous energy and enthusiasm by Mapleton's talented residents.

In December 2004, the MHA, Thistle Communities and the City of Boulder signed historic documents that transferred ownership of Mapleton Park to Thistle Communities to be placed in Thistle’s Community Land Trust for 99 years. At the same time, the MHA, representing the residents, was given oversight of the management of the Park.

In the last 20 years thanks to efforts of the residents, city council members and staff and the generous support of Thistle Communities, the MHA and the Park have grown to become the pearl in the City of Boulder’s long-term plans to create affordable housing in Boulder.

Lu Nuttall Jr. took over management of the Park from his father in the 1980s. He used to live in the Park when it was founded and was a well-known figure among the residents, who were mostly retirees and seniors on fixed incomes. Lu was a tough landlord with a simple one page set of rules for the Park. The most controversial rule was ‘No Pets’, and on more than one occasion, Lu evicted residents from their homes for not following this rule. The rights of residents was not an established legal framework under Lu’s stewardship. His austere way of dealing with individuals who transgressed his rules would play a large part in the MHA’s mission of serving and protecting residents after its formation in 1997 and the City purchasing the land in 1997.

At the same time Lu was a generous landlord, often carrying residents on the cuff when they were unable to pay rent. Indeed, Lu kept the lot fees low because many of the residents were low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes. In order to keep the rents low, Lu withheld improvements in infrastructure. In addition, Lu once kicked out a pair of drug dealers so residents would feel safe.

One wonderful aspect of Lu Nuttall’s benevolent rule was that residents were allowed a great deal of leeway in the maintenance of their homes. Some residents erected wonderful sculptures in their front yards, or built patios next to the Boulder Whiterock irrigation ditch. The idea of self-expression has carried over into the present, with residents keeping the tradition alive by building unique additions, patios and decks throughout the Park, as well as maintaining beautiful gardens.

In 1997 the City of Boulder, through the Department of Public Works, purchased the Park from Lu Nuttall Jr., with the intent of removing homes in order to push through the Goose Creek Flood Improvement Project. Lu received an incredible deal for the property that included tax breaks and a pile of money.

Initially, Public Works wanted to remove 15 homes to make way for a wide swale through the Park to contain flood waters in the case of 200- or 500-year flood events. The MHA formed a committee under the leadership of Debbie Kranzler, Jorge Arias and Silvia Gentile that put together a proposal that reduced that plan to the removal of only six homes by creating a narrower flood channel with perpendicular walls. The MHA plan also called for relocating residents whose homes were removed within the Park. The Committee presented its plan to the Boulder County Water Commission and to the City Council, both of which endorsed the plan.

Nine homes were saved and nine more families were able to live in our unique development. Interestingly, those nine homes represent an income for the Park of approximately $55,000 per year. That income goes to Park maintenance, utility bills and paying our mortgage. Saving those homes is one of the reasons the MHA has been able to keep rents as low as they are, enabling low- and moderate-income families a beautiful place to live in the center of Boulder at a fair cost.

In 2001, Public Works began work on the project, which was completed by June of 2003. Boulder’s ‘Big Trench’ cut off the two sides of the Park for nearly 18 months. They were finally rejoined by the bridge spanning Goose Creek near the west end of the property. The Goose Creek Greenway is now a beautiful addition to our little slice of paradise. Curiously, the sign on the side of the bridge reads the 27th Street Bridge. But the bridge actually lines up with 26th Street.

While Public Works was building the Goose Creek Flood Project, the MHA partnered with Thistle Communities to help residents fulfill a dream of a resident managed Park with the option of purchasing the Park at some time in the future. After an 11-month, door-to-door educational campaign led by residents and endorsed by then City Council member Lisa Morzel, residents, in a landslide decision, chose to become part of Thistle’s Community Land Trust (CLT). At the same time, Boulder’s City Council rezoned Mapleton Park as a permanent mobile home park. The new zoning coupled with the CLT now protects residents homes from being torn down in a real estate grab to build high priced condominiums and townhomes. In a remarkable collaboration of private, public and governmental entities, the partnership enacted the first in the nation project of creating a permanent, low- and moderate-income housing development utilizing mobile homes as the base for housing.

From 2001 – 2004 the MHA’s Board of Directors and committee members along with Thistle, led by Aaron Miripol, Roger Lewis and Etta Haberger, worked the Division of Housing and Human Services under the leadership of John Pollack and Jeff Yegian to create a plan that would give Thistle ownership of the Park while providing residents a management role. Thistle and HHS went to great lengths to secure financing on incredibly good terms that would ensure the success of the venture. At the same time, the MHA and Thistle worked together on plans to upgrade the Park’s failing infrastructure. One paramount portion of these negotiations was the 5-tiered rental structure based on income. Four MHA individuals were important in arriving at our current set of tiers: Paul Keaton, Deb Feustel, Silvia Gentile and Community Coordinator Kathryn Alexander.

Paul Keaton was responsible for the valuations of our homes to be based on what the market can bring. HHS had initially insisted that homes could only be sold based on the tax valuation. Since our homes are considered vehicles under Colorado law, the tax valuation is extremely low; in some cases a fraction of what the home is actually worth. Paul determinedly fought against this type of valuation and prevailed. Our homes for resale purposes are valued at what the market can bring. The only caveat is that homes can only be sold to others who share the same income tier as the seller.

That’s where the second part of the team came into play. Deb Feustel, Silvia Gentile and Kathryn Alexander worked with Jeffrey Yegian and John Pollak to create the five tiers we now have for rents:

• 30% AMI – 79 homes

• 40% AMI – 14 homes

• 50% AMI – 14 homes

• 60% AMI – 14 homes

• Market Rate – 15 homes

The result is that 90% of Mapleton Homes Park is low income based. When we say the Mapleton Park is a unique project that underscores affordable housing in Boulder, that 90% figure tells the story. Here in Mapleton Park, people own their own homes and pay a reasonable lot fee that goes to paying off the mortgage, maintenance, utilities, management company fees, and putting aside money for future improvements to the Park. There is no other place like it in Boulder.

The next step was to upgrade the Park’s infrastructure. From 2004-2006, Thistle worked with Wyatt Construction and the engineering firm Drexell Barrell to upgrade the Southside’s ailing utilities and roads. The cost, which had been woven into the purchase price of the Park from the City, was $3.5 million. Initially hopes were that the entire Park could be upgraded, but the Southside part of the project proved to be much harder to do that at first thought. The project ran out of funding and only the Southside was completed.

Growing pains in leadership underscored the difficulty with managing 136 homes and 200 residents for the next decade and a half. The MHA went through five management companies. In 2010, Hast & Company was replaced by Schockor and Company. In 2014 CPM replaced Schockor. Sentry eventually took over from CPM and in 2022 BOOM properties came on board replacing Sentry. During these 15 years the MHA Board of Directors and residents were at times at odds, but the fundamental desire for security, safety and a beautiful place to live helped guide us through these difficulties. A consultant, Race Cowgill, was employed from 2015-2018 to bring more professionalism to the Board. He enacted systems that allowed the MHA to work with residents in a way that furthered the security and safety of the people living in the Park.

In 2018, the MHA’s Bylaws were rewritten, underscoring the democratic nature of our organization. Residents had veto rights over changes to the Rules and regulations and to the Bylaws of the corporation.

With the advent of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the MHA stepped up to help residents who were in need of a support with rent and repairs. So did the City of Bolder with programs that helped pay rents. The Park’s management company worked with residents with help such as no fees for late rents and putting residents in touch with programs to help pay rent for residents who lost their jobs or whose hours were cut back severely. The community pulled together and no resident was forced out of their homes as a result.

Finally, in 2021, a huge step was taken to secure the Park’s entry into the 21st century. As residents now know, the Northside’s infrastructure upgrade was completed in June of 2021 thanks to the efforts of Thistle’s staff led by Mary Duvall and Michael Reis, JVA Engineering, the ANB Bank, Burke Builders and the tireless efforts of then Management Committee Chair, Sunny Shaughnessy and the Park’s Maintenance Person at the time, Enzo Gentile. The cost of construction as well as refinancing the original loan to buy the Park was $3.6 million. (ANB Bank offered Thistle incredible loan terms which significantly reduced our overhead for running the Park.) In addition, the MHA provided $1.4 million to Thistle to help pay for construction. Part of this amount was a generous $675,000 grant from the City of Boulder’s sugar tax.

So the above brings us to the present, 2024. While there has been a lot of change in the Park since the Nuttalls put in the first pad in 1962, there is one constant through all our history. Residents have always stepped forward to help keep the Park running smoothly.

Thank you everybody.

Sincerely,

The MHA Board of Directors