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County adopts code change to allow mobile farm stands, aims to reduce permitting barriers for farmers
Summary
Boulder County amended its land use code to add a mobile farm‑stand option and related updates to accessory agricultural sales, responding to farmer input and a pilot design process that found permanent preapproved structures were cost‑prohibitive for many small farms.
The Board of County Commissioners approved land use code text amendments on April 15 to add a mobile farm‑stand option and related changes to accessory agricultural sales definitions and provisions.
Sabrina Torres, sustainable agricultural planner for the county, described a pilot process in which farmers and county staff evaluated predesigned farm‑stand alternatives and cost estimates. Torres said the pilot showed building‑code accessibility requirements pushed the cost of a permanent, preapproved farm‑stand design well above farmers’ reported budget range; “the single most driving factor for cost actually related to the national accessibility components that live within the building code,” she said, noting that those requirements added roughly $10,000–$15,000 to estimated prices.
To reduce barriers, staff proposed widening the existing accessory agricultural sales definition (renaming “agricultural sales structure” to “agricultural sales unit”) to explicitly allow mobile farm stands and to permit limited electrical service under a building‑division permit if operators choose it. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended the change; the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval March 19, 2025.
The ordinance language also replaces a floor‑area‑based calculation for the 70% local‑product requirement with an area‑based measurement so mobile units that have no enclosed floor area can meet the rule by dedicating sales area to Boulder County products. County building staff and the agricultural planner said mobile stands were intended to be flexible — for many farmers a lower‑cost, mobile option is more feasible than a stick‑built structure.
Commissioners approved the amendments with minor wording edits and asked staff to continue work on a preapproved permanent design option for farmers who can afford a larger upfront cost.
