Parks staff ask commissioners to approve $1.8M purchase of 20‑acre Range View parcel to link prairie habitat

Boulder County Parks and Open Space staff on May 22 asked the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve purchase of roughly 20 acres known as the Range View property for $1,800,000, to be paid from open‑space sales tax dollars.

The property is described in staff materials as vacant land north of Lookout Road on the west side of North 70 Ninth Street, currently owned by Tennis Center of the Rockies LLC. The purchase bundle includes one development right and one left‑hand water tap; staff said a Phase I environmental site assessment will be completed before closing.

Staff framed the purchase as a landscape connectivity and wildlife protection action: Tina Burkhardt, land officer supervisor for Parks and Open Space, said the parcel “nicely connects” Boulder city open space and county parcels and lies within the White Rocks/Gunbarrel Hill environmental conservation area. Burkhardt told the committee the parcel is adjacent to city Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) grassland preserves and to OSMP prairie‑dog conservation areas; she said the county wildlife group recommended the property be closed to the public to protect sensitive grassland features.

The request drew questions from POSAC about prairie dogs, management coordination with the City of Boulder, and the county acquisition budget. Vicky Lawrence (POSAC) asked whether prairie dogs on the parcel would be allowed to continue and whether the adjacent city‑owned parcels allow prairie dogs; Burkhardt said the neighboring lands are city‑owned and managed by OSMP and that the county would coordinate management with OSMP staff. Derek Turner (POSAC) asked for the county’s acquisition budget context; Burkhardt said she would ask the division manager (Janice) to supply current budget figures.

A member of the public, Joyce Fraley of Gun Barrel Estates, spoke in favor of the purchase on behalf of Preserve Rural Gun Barrel (a 501(c)(3)). Fraley said the grassroots group gathered 3,356 signatures supporting preservation and argued the acquisition would protect adjacent habitat used by burrowing owls, prairie‑dependent raptors and grassland songbirds.

Trace Baker moved that POSAC recommend the BOCC acquire the parcel "as described in the handout and as discussed by staff this evening," a motion seconded during the meeting; POSAC voted to recommend the purchase, with one member voting no. Committee members and staff said they expect the BOCC hearing and any final action in the coming weeks; staff noted the county is under a letter of intent with the seller and is preparing a purchase agreement.

Why this matters: staff said the property is within mapped conservation layers and supports grassland habitat that county and city inventories list as important for species of concern. If the BOCC approves, the parcel would be added to Boulder County Open Space holdings and managed under county open‑space policies; staff said management decisions (including whether the parcel is open to the public) will follow acquisition and internal habitat assessments.

Details and next steps: staff stated the purchase price will be paid from open‑space sales tax funds, a Phase I environmental assessment will occur prior to closing, and staff are targeting a BOCC review in July. POSAC asked staff to provide acquisition budget context for future briefings.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions in this article come from speakers listed in the POSAC meeting transcript.)