Upcoming Events/Dates (find details in the Current Issues page)
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January 22 (Thursday): Town Hall, Lyons Fire Protection District, 251 Broadway Street, Lyons, 5:30-7:00 pm. Commissioners will report on the Partners for a Clean Environment program, and then take public input on that or any other Boulder County issue. Meeting Information Link
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January 27 (Tuesday): BOCC Public Hearing – Docket BVCP-25-0001: Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Major Update, 1 pm, Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder. Meeting Information Link
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February 5 (and usually on the first Thursday of every month): Open public comment session, Boulder County Commissioners, 9:00 am at the County Courthouse in Boulder. Any issue not on the Commissioners' regular agenda may be addressed in 3-minute oral comments. Check the County's meeting portal for information about this and all other planned meetings. Public comments and applicable attachments can always be emailed to the commissioners (commissioners@bouldercounty.gov).
Top Issues on Our Rural Radar
"Annexation Mania" in
the County: 4 in Lafayette, 1 in Longmont
Status:
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New one in Lafayette: 8600 Baseline, 35-acre horse property proposed for annexation and development of 187 housing units
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In Longmont: 17 acres at Clover Basin Drive and Airport Road are proposed for annexation and development into 310 housing units, most as apartments and a small fraction as for-sale units
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Lafayette is considering a proposal to annex and develop 36 acres of privately owned County land at the southwest corner of Arapahoe Road and Hwy 287
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The associated “The Range at Lafayette” development would bring 343 apartments, 110 townhomes, and a mixture of retail including a big-box store to the land
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Lafayette is also considering an annexation and development proposal for 78 acres at the "eastern gateway" into Lafayette, at Baseline Road and N. 119th Street
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And a third one has arisen in Lafayette for 9776/9850 Arapahoe Road
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Residents have organized against these annexations, with concerns about density, overburdening water resources and schools, traffic, and the loss of open space and rural character in Lafayette
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Annexations are discretionary legislative actions and the City Councils can decide not to annex
Conditional Termination of Kanemoto Conservation Easement in Longmont / Possible 400+ Unit Development Proposal
Status:
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A December 30 press release announced that KARES and the plaintiffs will continue their fight to overturn Boulder County's decision to conditionally terminate the Kanemoto Conservation Easement
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The case now moves to the Colorado Court of Appeals
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For the legal fees, donations are sought through the non-profit Conservation Easement Preservation Society (CEPS)
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If annexed into Longmont, the proposal is to build over 400 units on the 40-acre property at Airport Road and the Diagonal Highway
New Group Advocates Expanding the Board of County Commissioners from 3 to 5 Members
Status:
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Big Tent Boulder County is a new group formed in January 2026 by a 10-member coalition of business and civic leaders
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The group believes that expansion to 5 members would provide better representation, greater accountability, and a stronger voice for every community member
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The group invites community participation in their effort to get this issue on the ballot (see bigtentboco.org)
Background:
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Boulder County’s population has more than doubled since the 1970s, yet our system of representation has stayed the same
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Boulder County has used a three-commissioner, at-large election model since the county was formed in 1861
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Most counties our size have expanded to 5 members, the maximum allowed by the State of Colorado
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Our goals:
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