FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Larimer County Planning Commission on Aug. 20 approved the City of Loveland’s location-and-extent application to establish a trail loop and small parking area at the Firefly Meadows open-space parcel south of U.S. Highway 34, but the decision followed robust public comment from adjacent residents about wildlife, safety and private-road maintenance.

The City of Loveland owns the 78-acre parcel, which it acquired using Great Outdoors Colorado grant funds and which is subject to a conservation easement. The project area is mostly agricultural with wetlands adjacent to the northern boundary, and city staff told the commission the plan is a concept-level proposal to create a roughly 1.8-mile soft-surface trail loop that mostly follows existing two-track and farm roads to minimize new disturbance. A 5.7-acre area was identified as the only developable footprint for a modest parking area; the rest of the property would remain conserved open land. City staff said the trail concept was developed with input from resource specialists and partner agencies including Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the conservation-easement holder; staff emphasized the intent to avoid or minimize impacts to known habitat and to preserve the natural resource values that motivated acquisition.

Neighbors who spoke at the hearing cited repeated wildlife use of the area — including elk, deer, coyotes and occasional bears — and expressed two recurring concerns: that stationary amenities such as an observation point and picnic area would encourage lingering, trash and disturbance to wildlife, and that a proposed connection to County Road 23E (a privately maintained subdivision road) could increase traffic through Broken Triangle Estates, creating safety issues for children and imposing maintenance costs on private road owners. Multiple commenters asked the city to consider alternate parking strategies, to avoid any features that would encourage long dwell times near sensitive habitat and to hold formal neighborhood meetings and technical reviews before establishing circulation and parking details.

City staff (Parks and Recreation) and consultant team members said the location-and-extent review is a high-level land-use consistency step — not a technical approval — and that detailed engineering, environmental studies, parking design and coordination with County Engineering, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the conservation-easement holder and other agencies would occur in subsequent technical review and permitting stages. The Planning Commission’s vote approves the application as a location-and-extent matter (the statutory process that coordinates local public projects on unincorporated land with county comprehensive plan goals) and requires the project to return for technical reviews before any construction. The motion to approve passed on a roll call with one abstention (Commissioner Sullivan).

What’s next: Following the commission’s approval the City of Loveland must complete technical reviews, environmental documentation and any required permits. City and county staff said they will continue outreach with adjacent neighborhoods and partner agencies on parking siting, trail alignment and wildlife protection measures prior to construction.