The Beverage Licensing Authority on Wednesday approved a hotel-restaurant liquor license for Rocky Mountain Paddleboard LLC, which operates Lakeside at Boulder at 5275 Reservoir Road, clearing the way for the concession to sell beer, wine and spirits on site.

The authority granted the license after hearing detailed testimony from the applicant’s manager, Henry Grant; the applicant’s attorney, Adam Stapen; an independent petitioning firm, Liquor Pros; and Stacy Cole, Boulder Parks and Recreation manager for the Boulder Reservoir. The board said the planned operation and agreed limits address neighborhood concerns about hours and public safety.

The vote followed more than an hour of discussion about the reservoir’s unique, regional draw and access constraints. Liquor Pros owner Eva Garretson reported an outreach survey the company conducted for the applicant: of the residents and businesses contacted, 117 signed in favor and 4 opposed, a combined 98% in favor, and Garretson said the raw residential/business split showed broad support. “The raw numbers are 82% in support versus 18% in opposition,” she told the board while explaining petition methodology.

City parks manager Stacy Cole told the commission the reservoir is a regional facility and that the city approved the building on the site in 2017 with an intention to allow food and beverage services. Cole described steps organizers and the city took to limit impacts: permitting hours that end at 9 p.m., a requirement that the concession operate as a bona fide restaurant rather than a bar, and coordination on event operations. “I believe that there is a need for this license to be granted,” Cole said.

Manager Henry Grant described the Lakeside operation and the concessionaire’s experience running hospitality venues in Boulder and Denver. Grant said he and partners have been operating the site since early June under a one-year pilot concession agreement and that the license is important for the business’s viability. “I would not be wanting a liquor license unless there was a need for it,” Grant said.

Board members pressed on staffing, ID checks and monitoring of the patio and boardwalk. Grant said staff are trained in responsible service, that the operation is 1-ID/1-drink, that staff will watch visual cues for intoxication, and that a city ranger presence and other controls will help manage off-premises consumption. Garretson and board members discussed the petition map, neighborhood boundaries and how the survey was carried out across city and county areas.

After deliberation the board approved the license. Chair Leah Roberts moved to grant the application; Member Lansing Crane seconded. The vote was unanimous.

The applicant and staff noted that the state liquor authority was conducting concurrent review, and licensing staff said the state license typically issues after local approval and inspection. The board and applicant said they expect the license to be issued this season provided state processing and inspection are completed.

What’s next: With local approval in hand the applicant will complete the state process and the city’s inspection before the license is issued. The Parks and Recreation concession arrangement remains subject to its one-year pilot terms and any city reporting the board requires.

Votes at a glance: motion to approve Lake side at Boulder hotel-restaurant liquor license; mover: Chair Leah Roberts; second: Member Lansing Crane; vote: Roberts — yes; Member Kerr — yes; Member Crane — yes; outcome: approved.