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County approves $1.45 million contract amendment for Prairie Run open space design and permitting
Summary
Boulder County Parks & Open Space approved an amendment to ICON Engineering's contract to add permitting and construction-stage engineering for the Prairie Run open space Southeast cluster and extended project completion timelines through 2027.
The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners voted May 27 to approve Amendment No. 1 to a design contract for the Prairie Run open space project, continuing the existing contract with ICON Engineering and adding permitting and construction-stage engineering services.
Prashant, an engineer with Boulder County Parks & Open Space, told the board the amendment continues work begun under the original contract and adds scope for required federal and state permitting and quality‑control construction engineering. The amendment covers permitting steps that were not in the original design contract and includes construction‑stage engineering for the Southeast Cluster; the amendment amount presented to the board for the contract suite was roughly $242,000 added to earlier design fees within a total project procurement figure presented as $1,448,000.
Staff explained the contract extension also reflected schedule changes tied to permitting. Prashant said federal permitting—corps of engineers Section 404 permits, US Fish and Wildlife consultations, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviews and a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) related to Boulder Creek—can add months to the schedule. The staff recommendation extended contract and permitting timelines into 2026 and 2027 to allow for multiple review cycles by federal agencies and to avoid schedule risk.
Commissioner Stoltzmann reiterated earlier objections that she had on prior occasions about project prioritization and some design elements (proximity of trails to nesting wildlife and a proposed parking lot). She said she did not support prioritizing this project over completing the Boulder Regional Trail. Nonetheless, with two commissioners present the board adopted the staff recommendation to approve the contract amendment.
Why it matters: the amendment funds the permitting and construction‑stage engineering work needed for Prairie Run’s Southeast Cluster and helps ensure federal permit compliance before construction. Staff said permitting and CLOMR review cycles can add 8–10 months or more depending on agency comments, so the added timeline aims to avoid later delays or rework.
