Boulder County commissioners authorize staff to pursue mobile farm-stand land-use text amendments

Boulder County commissioners on Feb. 4 authorized Community Planning and Permitting (CP&P) staff to pursue land-use code text amendments to allow mobile farm stands.

CP&P planner Jack Sheehan told the board the department has worked with local producers for years and that staff pivoted from a pilot project for a permanent farm-stand design to explore mobile farm-stand options. "This would allow staff to look into it, explore text amendments, and then come back to us with the detail in a hearing," Sheehan said.

The move followed discussion about how broadly the pilot results should be read. Commissioner Stoltzmann asked what the packet statistic — that 92% of participating agricultural producers supported the pilot option — represents in absolute terms. Sheehan said he did not have the exact participation count at the dais and committed to follow up with CP&P staff liaison Sabrina Torres to provide that number to the board.

The county will follow its normal public process: staff will draft proposed text, hold outreach and a public hearing, and return to the board for a final decision. A commissioner moved approval of item 5(a); the motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Staff said the mobile-stand approach contemplates small, transportable sales units, analogous to food trucks, that would not require new permanent structures. The amendments would identify standards and any siting, health and safety, and access requirements tied to county land-use rules.

The board did not set the text details at the meeting and directed staff to proceed with drafting and public engagement before any formal land-use hearing.