Planning commission to discuss Twin Lakes

The Boulder County Planning Commission will be reconsidering a land use decision made last October for the Twin Lakes area on Jan. 18.

The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. and proceed as usual.The commission estimates that discussion on Twin Lakes will begin around 4:30pm at the Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder.

A land use designation change for parcels on the 6500 and 6600 blocks of Twin Lakes Road along with the zero block of Kalua Road are in question.

The commission will be hearing written and oral comments on the issue, but only pertaining to new information. Deadlines to make these comments were last week.

Some of the issues the commission is concerned with include:

• Appropriate width and location of a wildlife corridor

• Infrastructure and services available in the area, and how the city and county would address potential impacts of development

• Considerations related to land use designation categories, and options that would result in housing density in between the existing low and medium density residential categories

The planning commission also wanted to remind the public in attendance “that topics related to Planning Commission meeting format, procedures, and Bylaws will not be the focus of the January 18 meeting. A broad discussion of Planning Commission procedures and Bylaws is expected to take place during spring or summer of 2017.”

Twin Lakes Action Group, which has been the main opponent to the land use change for affordable housing in the area, continues to make its case that the area does not have the infrastructure or public services to support the proposed housing developments.

In a statement concerning the upcoming hearing, TLAG member David Rechberger had the following to say:

“I wanted to let you know that TLAG has filed a formal Motion to Intervene with the Public Utilities Commission as of 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec.30, the last day of submission.

“As a 501c3, TLAG is not advocating for or against the condemnation of Public Service’s (Xcel) assets by the City of Boulder, but there is a substation located at Lookout and 75th that is critical to servicing both City and County residences and businesses in the Gunbarrel sub-community.

“Our goal, as an Intervener, is to educate and inform our members as to the closed door discussions and negotiations that may potentially impact annexation of properties in Gunbarrel. Additionally, any annexation or potential condemnation of Public Service assets in the Gunbarrel area would significantly impact any future efforts to incorporate the Gunbarrel/Niwot area as our own home-rule municipality.”

Along with arguing that the proposed area can not handle the extra population density, TLAG is also saying that if the City of Boulder were to annex areas of Niwot and Gunbarrel, those individual communities would have lesser say in future developments.

The Jan. 18 hearing also has another caveat. Not all nine members of the planning commission will be present, so they have announced that no decisions will be made that evening.

“Reconsideration of Twin Lakes Decision will no longer be a decision item,” the commission said in an email. “Planning Commissioners have expressed a strong preference for ensuring the Twin Lakes decision take place when all nine Planning Commissioners can be present. Therefore, the Jan. 18 public hearing will take place as scheduled, but with no decision taking place at that meeting. A separate meeting date will be scheduled for the decision to take place at a time when all nine Planning Commissioners can be present.”

The date of the separate meeting has not been issued as of press time, but this will likely add a few weeks before any decision is made.