Published by the Boulder County Commissioners

July/August 2001

The Commissioners unanimously approved an amended version of the Nederland Area Boulder County Comprehensive plan in a public hearing June 5^th. The Nederland Board of Trustees approved the initial draft of the intergovernmental agreement and will consider the amended agreement sometime in July at a Board of Trustees public hearing. The purpose of the intergovernmental agreement stated in the document is to "ensure that the unique and individual character of Nederland is preserved." The intent of the IGA is to "preclude unplanned development and urban sprawl."

Key to the agreement is an area "to remain as rural preservation for the purpose of preserving a community buffer…." The rural preservation area is defined as all lands starting at the edge of the Nederland Town Limits and extending west to the Continental Divide, south to the Gilpin County Line, north of Sugarloaf Road, and east to Boulder Falls as shown on the IGA map. As outlined in the agreement, the County will retain regulatory jurisdiction for land in the designated rural preservation area and will not approve rezoning or other development applications more intense or dense than currently allowed under the Boulder County Land Use Code. As per the agreement, Nederland will not initiate or approve any annexations within the Rural Preservation Area unless such an annexation is reviewed and approved by four parties: the Nederland Planning Commission, the Nederland Board of Trustees, the Boulder County Planning Commission, and the Boulder County Commissioners. In addition, any annexation proposal must also be approved by Nederland voters in an annexation election, with the applicant bearing the election costs.

The IGA does not affect land within the Nederland Town limits. The Nederland Planning Commission and Nederland Board of Trustees will continue to have sole authority to review and either approve or deny development applications within the town limits. If the Board of Trustees approves the amended IGA in July, it will take effect at that time and will remain in effect for 20 years, unless terminated before then by either Nederland or the County. For more information, call Boulder County Attorney Larry Hoyt at 303-441-3435.

The Commissioners approved the following open space acquisitions since the last edition of Boulder County News:

Imel Property – This 630-agricultural property acquired jointly with the City of Boulder is located east of North 63^rd Street and north of Nimbus Road. This property is one of the last parcels of undeveloped land of this size in the County and could have been divided into 18 lots

and Lefthand Creek flows through the southeast corner. The creek corridor includes a wetland with critical wildlife habitat and an area with archaeological significance. A proposed

County trail alignment crosses the northern property boundary. Lefthand Reservoir is also located on the property along with several ponds. Boulder County and the City of Boulder will equally share the proposed purchase price of $9.5 million, making the County’s obligation approximately $4.7 million. As part of the deal, the County and Boulder will each own 290 shares of Left Hand Ditch Company.

Ruth Reynolds Property – This 160-acre property is north of Left Hand Canyon just west of its intersection with Lick Skillet Road. The property is surrounded on three sides by U.S. Forest Service land. Two tributaries of Left Hand Creek, Bell Gulch Creek and Spring Gulch Creek, join on the property. The property includes significant wildlife habitat and a wide diversity of trees. It is part of the Walker Mountain Environmental Conservation Area identified in the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed purchase price for the 160 acres will be $925,000.

Rugg Property – The 88-acre Rugg Property contains approximately 32 patented mining claims and is located on the north side of Spencer Mountain, south of Middle Boulder Creek above the old townsite of Eldora. Spencer Mountain is the most visible feature on the road from Nederland to the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. The property serves a habitat to wildlife, and nearby Peterson Lake is a critical wildlife and wetlands area under the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed purchases price for the 88 acres is $400,000.

For more information about these approved open space acquisitions, call Parks and Open Space Director/County Commissioner Ron Stewart at 303-441-3500.

In May, the County opened its new Agricultural Heritage Center to the public in at the Lohr-McIntosh Farm, 8348 Ute Highway (Colorado 66 about 1.5 miles west of Hover Road in Longmont.) The purpose of the 3.5-acre Agricultural Heritage Center is to inform visitors about the rich agricultural history of Boulder County, with special focus given to the years 1900 to 1930. The center is part of approximately 260 acres of Boulder County open space which is currently under lease to the Cushman-Sherman family. This family, like the Lohr-McIntosh family, have agricultural roots dating back more than 130 years.

Currently there are six structures on display at the center, including the 1909 Lohr farmhouse furnished to reflect the period; the unpainted 1881 McIntosh bar; and the restored Stroh-Dickens red barn from 1900, which the County saved from demolition and moved to the center. Both barns are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Agricultural Heritage Center will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from mid-May to mid-October. Beginning in November and lasting until May, the center will be open the first Saturday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Groups can make arrangements for year-round guided tours during daylight hours and day of the week. There is no charge to visit the center. For more information and to schedule guided tours, call Cole Early in the Parks and Open Space Department at 303-441-3950.

The Dougherty Museum, home of one of the finest automobile collections in the region, is now open for the summer. The museum is one mile south of Longmont on U.S. 287 and is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through August 26^th. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children 6-12. There is no charge for children under 6 years of age.

Most of the museum’s beautifully restored automobiles are in working order. Included in the collection are models powered by steam, electricity and early internal combustion types. Other artifacts include farm equipment and machinery used on Boulder County farms dating back more than 100 years. Boulder County Senior Tax Work-Off participants are paid to staff the museum. For more information and to arrange group tours, call Dorothy Dougherty at 303-776-2520.

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded a distinguished budget award to Boulder County for its annual budget manual. To receive this GFOA award, the budget document must be effective as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device. GFOA evaluators noted that the County’s budget manual is "well organized, informative and attractive…." For more information, call Budget Analyst Bruce Knight at 303-441-3498.

Consortium of Cities The next meeting will be Wednesday, August 1^st, in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room on the third floor of the Boulder County Courthouse, 13^th and Pearl Streets, Boulder. For more information, call Intergovernmental Relations Director Dickey Lee Hullinghorst at 303-441-3500.

Boulder County Days Are scheduled for Tuesday, July 10^th, in Boulder; Wednesday, July 25^th, in Jamestown; and Monday, August 13^th, in Allenspark. Call the Commissioners’ Office at 303-441-3500 for more information.

Planning Commission Meets Wednesday, Wednesday, July 18^th, and Wednesday, August 15th, at 1:30 p.m., takes a dinner break and then reconvenes at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is in the

Commissioners’ Hearing Room. For more information, contact the Land Use Department at 303-441-3930.

Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee Meets Thursday, July 12th, at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, August 9^th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room. For more information, contact the Parks and Open Space Department at 303-441-3950.

Boulder County Recycling & Composting Authority Meets Wednesday, August 1^st, at 6:00 p.m. at its new facility at 1901 63^rd Street east of Boulder. For more information, call Authority Director Jeff Callahan at 720-564-2220.

Independence Day – Wednesday, July 4^th. County offices will be closed in observance of the holiday.

• For exterior concrete, paving, curb and gutter at the Longmont Courts Building with Nixcavating, Inc. ($257,000)
• For Justice Center modular courtroom with Williams Scottsman ($183,060)
• For landscaping, irrigation and site furnishings at Longmont Courts Building with Colorado Designscapes ($149,941)

• Economic Development Contract with the Tourism and Recreation Partnership ($15,300)

• Special Transit ($174,626)
• Rocky Mountain Rescue Group ($13,478)
• Center for People with Disabilities ($90,952)
• Counseling Center ($24,348)
• BoulderReads! ($5,879)
• RSVP ($42,543)
• Emergency Family Assistance Association ($62,501)
• OUR Center ($83,939)
• The Service Exchange ($6,382)
• The Inn Between ($30,631)
• Voices for Children ($17,308)
• Boulder Emergency Squad ($32,503)
• I Have A Dream Foundation ($3,039); Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado ($6,825)

• With DecisionOne Corporation for IBM RS6000 hardware maintenance ($5,659 per month)

• With T2JK, Inc. dba High Endeavor Outdoor Construction for the Futhey House rehabilitation project ($34,590)

• For hearing room sound equipment with LVW Electronics ($24,856)

• For East County Line Road/Kenosha Road Intersection Improvement Project with Asphalt Specialties Company ($114,549)

• For Summer 2001 with the City of Lafayette ($15,000 revenue)
• For Summer 2001 with the City of Louisville ($15,000 revenue)

• For acoustical ceiling to All Area Acoustics ($54,000
• For toilet partitions to D&J Specialties ($7,796)

• For general contracting for Courthouse HVAC renovation with Taylor Ball ($142,000)

• For mechanical for Courthouse HVAC renovation with Kimmel Mechanical ($547,802)

• For acoustical ceiling for Courthouse HVAC renovation with All Area Acoustics ($10,350)

• For irrigation system with DBC Irrigation ($16,508.44)

• For fairgrounds exterior painting with Niwot Custom Brush for $61,624

Board of County Commissioners