The City of Boulder issued a closure notice for the property formerly known as Marpa House, 891 12th St., over illegal bedrooms that did not meet basic life-safety requirements. Student renters were initially forced to leave, but a judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order allowing them to move back in.
Marpa House previously belonged to Boulder-based Buddhist organization Shambhala. It was designated as a historic landmark in 2020. The following year, the property was approved for redevelopment into 16 three-bedroom apartments, for a total of 48 occupants.
City officials said 15 additional bedrooms were added after a building inspection. The rooms were discovered after a tenant complained; 13 of 15 were occupied, according to the city.
“There is no scenario, based on the size of the units, under which the city could have approved a fourth bedroom for the units under current code or zoning,” the city wrote in a Monday press release. Electrical work in the bedrooms was also not inspected or approved.
Sixty students were displaced. Initially, the city said the building would have to be restored to its approved design before it could be occupied again. But the owner of Ash House, the property’s current name, sued the city for violating its due process rights without demonstrating a clear danger to occupants. A Boulder County district judge then issued a temporary restraining order.
This is not the first time bedrooms have been illegally added to student apartments in Boulder. In 2016, hundreds of students were displaced from Sterling University Peaks, 2985 E. Aurora Ave., after 92 units were illegally subdivided to create additional bedrooms. Following a lawsuit, property owners eventually agreed to pay tenants more than $400,000 in restitution.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the issuance of a restraining order.