Boulder County Commissioners to dissolve Gunbarrel PID

The Boulder County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the county courthouse at 1325 Pearl Street in Boulder to consider whether the Gunbarrel Public Improvement District (GPID) should be dissolved and then transfer the real property owned by the GPID to Boulder County for open space use. (See hachured lines on accompanying map of GPID in solid blue).

The Homestead neighborhood PID which was voter-approved for street paving purposes in November 2024 is located within the greater GPID. The Homestead PID is the northwest corner of the intersection of Lookout Road and N. 71st Street, bordered by Idylwild Trail, Lookout Road, and N. 71st Street (see accompanying map).

Public opposition to the plan to dissolve the GPID and transfer ownership of its open space has come from the Twin Lakes Action Group (TLAG) (http://www.tlag.org/) which previously had successfully blocked higher density development in Gunbarrel's Twin Lakes area and annexation of lands by the City of Boulder. (A Left Hand Valley Courier editorial in 2017 that explains why that development plan was flawed and unfair can be found here at lhvc.com).

Gloria Handyside of the Boulder County Attorney's Office suggested in an email that the current proposal by the City and County to dissolve GPID is simply an administrative procedure to prevent overlap by two separate public improvement districts after voters approved the creation of the Homestead PID for the purposes of street paving. She explained that since the street paving that was associated with the original institution of the GPID was completed in 1996 and the mill levy has expired, there is no need for a new advisory committee to be appointed to allow the GPID to become active.

However, there is a large difference between the GPID institution and that of Homestead PID. Homestead, a small neighborhood, needs the PID simply for street paving. The Gunbarrel PID was instituted with an additional mandate to acquire open space.

The chair of TLAG, Dave Rechberger, countered that the dissolution of GPID will set a dangerous precedent that potentially will pave the way for the City of Boulder to annex Boulder County open space lands for the purposes of further development. Additionally he asked, "What is the land designation to be when it is transferred?"

The County Attorney responded to Rechberger's comments by email, saying, "The proposal is to dissolve the inactive GPID to make sure there is no overlap in districts with the same purpose. The GPID's six properties need to be transferred somewhere if it is dissolved. Boulder County is the logical choice as Boulder County Parks & Open Space has managed those properties since they were purchased, and Boulder County owns a partial interest in three of the six parcels owned by the GPID. ...The six aforementioned properties managed by Boulder County Open Space will continue to be managed as Open Space. There is no proposed change in their land use designation."

TLAG noted that the GPID advisory board has not met to discuss this because the County Commissioners have failed to fulfill their mandate to nominate the five to seven board members that the GPID Committee requires throughout this time period.

Because of these questions and more surrounding the dissolution of GPID, Rechberger said TLAG members "are asking for a 180-day stay in this agenda item so we may properly understand and inform the Gunbarrel Community [and public]."

Handyside said, "The public hearing on January 16 is an opportunity for the County Attorney to make a presentation to the commissioners and for residents to share public comment. People can attend in person at 1325 Pearl Street or by Zoom. Details can be found at www.boco.org/advance-agenda.

Comments are invited to be submitted by email to Olivia Lucas in the County Attorney's Office

at [email protected].

To register for in-person attendance and to speak click here.

To register as a virtual attendee and speak click here.

To call in, phone 1-833-568-8864, Webinar ID: 161 979 4725.