Boulder County amends land use code to ease Calwood Fire rebuild process

Deborah Swearingen, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·2 min read

Feb. 27—Editor's note: The story below has been updated to correct the number of acres burned by the Calwood Fire.

Boulder County has approved updates to its land use code that streamline the process for property owners looking to rebuild after the Calwood Fire.

The fire, the largest in Boulder County history, began Oct. 17 near the Cal-Wood Education Center off County Road 87. It burned 10,113 acres and destroyed 20 homes: 17 in the Mountain Ridge subdivision and three in Foothills Ranch. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office earlier this month announced that the fire's cause is unknown.

The land use code amendments, unanimously approved Thursday by the county commissioners, establish interim permitting procedures that provide flexibility for those who may want to make changes to the homes they had previously, and that extend the timeframe for rebuilding from one year to two. Any changes to a home would be subject to a county building permit review, and the timeframe could be extended to three years with director approval, according to the staff memo.

The amendments also address the hazards that exist after a wildfire, the preexisting geological hazards in the area and other safety concerns.

"What staff has tried to do is balance the need to maintain the intent and purpose of the code and comp plan with the intent and need to assist those who lost their homes in the fire," Hannah Hippely, long range planning manager with Boulder County, said in the meeting.

Based on community feedback, Hippely said the county opted to rework the amendment to include land restoration efforts in addition to full rebuilds.

Current regulations allow someone to rebuild without a site plan review if they rebuild what previously existed and obtain building permits within one year of the destruction, according to the county.

Following the Fourmile Canyon Fire in 2010, Boulder County adopted specialized regulations similar to those approved on Thursday.

The commissioners all expressed their sympathy for those who lost homes in the fire.

"I'm just happy people weren't badly hurt, but our heart goes out to you. We know this isn't easy," Commissioner Matt Jones said.

Boulder County offers guidance for those who lost property on its website at bit.ly/2ZURo38.