Boulder County Commissioners on Tuesday approved the county’s purchase of the 127-acre Creekside property southwest of the town of Lyons for $3,600,000 to protect a remaining unprotected stretch of the South St. Vrain Creek.

The county’s Parks and Open Space division presented the property, which staff said includes about a 420-foot stretch of the creek, four parcels, two residences, two detached garages and nine outbuildings. Melissa Arnold, land officer with Parks and Open Space, told commissioners the property borders Hall Ranch and other county open spaces and that the parcel contains “riparian habitat connector along the South Saint Vrain Creek” and habitat identified in county planning maps.

Staff said the sellers, Ron Redmond and Annie Blackwell, have owned the land for nearly 60 years; Ron Redmond grew up on the site. Parks and Open Space staff described multiple structures on the site, including a 1954 residence of about 1,880 square feet at 1390 Old Saint Vrain Road, a second residence of about 1,300 square feet at 1015 Old Saint Vrain Road (with an 1890 portion that a historic-survey found too altered to be eligible for designation), an 8,844-square-foot indoor arena now used for storage, and other outbuildings. A log barn on the property was identified in the survey as eligible for local landmarking and National Register listing, but had not been designated.

The county said three development rights are attached to the property; one development right would be extinguished through the purchase while two development rights would remain with the existing houses. Staff clarified the extinguishment would occur through the county’s open-space purchase (funded with county sales-and-use tax) and means the extinguished right would not be built upon while the property is held as open space. Janice Wissman, real estate division manager, told commissioners the county would still hold that extinguished right and could consider future uses consistent with open-space ownership after additional evaluation.

As part of the negotiated terms, Parks and Open Space will lease back the two houses, the outbuildings and the immediate surrounding area to the sellers at no cost through June 30, 2026. The department said it wants the option after acquisition to decide whether to retain the houses to support open-space operations or to create two lots of about 1 to 2 acres around each house and sell them subject to conservation easements; staff emphasized any decision to sell would occur only after post‑closing evaluation and that the lots would not be divided from the property at closing.

The town of Lyons had previously agreed to allow the county to pursue acquisition within Lyons’ planning area. Staff said the town’s board of trustees voted on May 19 to permit Boulder County to acquire the Creekside property, and the town requested to be included in discussions about future uses.

Melissa Arnold told the board, “Staff supports this acquisition, and we request that the Board of County Commissioners also approve this acquisition.” Following public comment (no speakers) the commissioners moved to approve the acquisition; the motion passed on an affirmative voice vote.

Staff said the property will be closed to the public upon acquisition for management review; any future decision about opening trails or other passive recreational uses will follow an involved post‑acquisition planning process. Parks and Open Space staff said protecting Creekside will assist in managing Hall Ranch open space, connect natural habitats across steep slopes and cliffs, and protect the riparian stretch of the creek.

The board did not identify follow-up deadlines for a decision on the two houses but staff framed further evaluation and any potential sale as future actions requiring separate review and approvals.