Boulder officials are scheduled to decide later this month whether to continue exploring urban development on a mostly empty 493-acre tract of land that sits northeast of U.S. 36 between Broadway and Jay Road.

City staffers have estimated that developing the Planning Reserve with a blend of housing, park land, commercial space, community services and other amenities could create 4,300 to 6,700 new housing units and 1,900 to 3,100 new jobs.

The City Council and the Planning Board took public testimony at a joint meeting Thursday night about the development area, which the city has dubbed the Area III Planning Reserve. They plan to vote next week on whether they want to take the next step toward potentially developing the area: a study that would analyze what the community’s most urgent needs are and whether expanding into the Planning Reserve would meet those.

City staffers already have conducted an urban services study that looked at the feasibility and cost of developing the area, which is outside of Boulder city limits. There are no city utilities or services in the area, so planners would need to route water lines and wastewater infrastructure to the area. Doing so could cost $135 to $160 million to build on-site infrastructure, plus another $210 to $980 million to build off-site capital improvements, according to the urban services study.

Staffers said on Thursday they expect future developers or utility companies would pay for a majority of the costs. They believe some of the city’s expenses might also be offset by impact fees the city can charge for development.

And in the long term, staffers estimate, expanding into the Planning Reserve will become cost-neutral through the revenue that will eventually be brought in there. However, city officials might need to shift some of their government spending priorities around in the coming years to make developing the Planning Reserve feasible, they said.

Some council members and community members have been enthused about the prospect that developing the area could create more affordable housing for residents. One speaker at Thursday’s public hearing, Janet Heimer, said she has lived in Boulder for more than 50 years and said she supports developing the Planning Reserve. She said that over the years, many of her friends, especially friends of color, have had to leave the city because it was unaffordable.

“In my opinion, we have become a very elitist community. If I had not bought my house in 1986, I would definitely not be able to afford to live here. My daughter, who was born and raised here, can’t afford to live here,” said Heimer, adding that she recently saw a condo in Boulder listed for $1.05 million.

“I’m sorry — that is outrageous. We must make decisions to increase the chances for affordable and middle-income housing,” she said.

Heimer and other speakers noted that Boulder’s process for developing more housing takes a long time and urged the city to take steps to speed things up.

However, others have expressed concerns about the analysis that was done in the urban services study and how much the project might cost.

Councilmember Taishya Adams last week voted against accepting the urban services study, saying she felt the analysis had not adequately looked at impacts on areas such as wildlife and wildfire mitigation.

Councilmember Lauren Folkerts has previously said she hoped city staffers would look at more efficient types of construction that could cut down on infrastructure costs instead of basing their study on current construction standards.

And earlier this week, Councilmember Mark Wallach sent out a Hotline email — a type of public email thread that is sent out to community members — questioning where the city would find the money to pay for developing the area, even if it might eventually recoup some of those costs.

“I fear that we are moving forward with an idea that appears to be superficially attractive without any real comprehension of the costs involved,” he wrote.

At Thursday’s public hearing, Lisa Spalding, speaking on behalf of the slow-growth advocacy group PLAN-Boulder County, said the group agreed with Wallach’s assessment. She urged the city to “carefully analyze all financial and social impacts, then let the citizens vote on whether or not we want this for our future.”

The Planning Board is expected to vote on whether to authorize a community needs study on Tuesday, while the council is expected to hold its vote on Nov. 21.

If both the board and the council vote to authorize the community needs study next week, that study could start in 2025 and would be done alongside a major update to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, a planning document that guides development in the Boulder area.

The Planning Board and City Council would likely vote in late 2025 or early 2026 on whether they want to develop the Planning Reserve.

If the board and council do not choose to move forward with the study, some said they would not be able to revisit expanding into the Planning Reserve area again until at least 2030, when the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan is scheduled for its next major update.