Here's how you can weigh in on the latest Thornton pipeline application in Larimer County

Ignacio Calderon, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·2 min read
The black line in this image shows a preferred route for the Thornton water pipeline through Larimer County, as of November 2023, while the orange line is the route from the 2018 application. The new route is shorter than the last proposal and moves the pump station to a different location on land owned by Water Supply and Storage Company.
The black line in this image shows a preferred route for the Thornton water pipeline through Larimer County, as of November 2023, while the orange line is the route from the 2018 application. The new route is shorter than the last proposal and moves the pump station to a different location on land owned by Water Supply and Storage Company.

Larimer County has set public hearing dates in April and May for the city of Thornton’s water pipeline permit application.

Last year, Thornton applied for this construction to carry water through Larimer, Weld and Adams counties to a treatment plant in Thornton to support its growing population.

The commissioners are in charge of making the decision to approve or deny the application. To be approved, the applicant has to demonstrate the project would be in compliance of criteria from the Land Use Code. The commissioners can also impose "reasonable conditions" to bring it into compliance.

Thornton first applied for the 1041 permit for its pipeline in 2018. That application was denied in 2019 by the commissioners, who said the project failed to meet more than half of the criteria. The city sued Larimer County, but a state appeals court upheld the decision in 2022. Thornton applied again in November and said it already built at least seven miles of the 70-mile project outside of Larimer County. Since the first application, the county's 1041 rules have been revised.

As part of the public comment process, the county scheduled the below meetings for the new application. They are all at 6 p.m. via Zoom and in person in the First-Floor Hearing Room of the Larimer County Administrative Services Building at 200 W. Oak St. in Fort Collins. They will also be livestreamed and recorded for on-demand viewing on FCTV and YouTube.

  • Wednesday, April 10: Planning Commission Hearing #1

  • Thursday, April 11: Planning Commission Hearing #2 (as needed)

  • Wednesday, April 17: Planning Commission Hearing #3 (as needed)

  • Monday, April 22: Board of County Commissioners Hearing #1

  • Monday, May 6: Board of County Commissioners Hearing #2

  • Wednesday, May 8: Board of County Commissioners Hearing #3 (as needed)

  • Monday, May 20: Board of County Commissioners Hearing #4 (as needed)

For more details on how to sign up for public comment and the 1041 regulations, you can visit the county website: www.larimer.gov/planning/1041-regulations.

You can also track the progress on the permit and access related documents on this county portal.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How to weigh in on Thornton pipeline application in Larimer County