Commissioners approve Hummingbird Ranch assembly permit with conditions after resident concerns about fire, trespass and roads

The Huerfano County Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 16 to approve a temporary assembly permit for a multi-day van-life gathering at Hummingbird Ranch, subject to a set of written conditions the board and staff will finalize before full authorization.

The applicant (operating as PeaceLove & Beyond in the application) sought a temporary assembly permit for a three-day event on a 350-acre parcel at County Road 653. The application requested authorization for up to 2,000 patrons and about 250 staff, with food trucks, vendors, live music and a single communal fire pit. Planning staff recommended approval with multiple conditions and said referral agencies returned no formal disapproval.

Why it matters: Neighbors, the fire district and county staff focused on wildfire risk, ingress/egress on long single-lane roads, trespassing along Apache Creek and how to manage traffic and dust on rural county roads. Because the permit would allow thousands of attendees to use a remote road network, commissioners attached operational safeguards and asked staff to finalize details before the permit is fully cleared.

Key conditions discussed and directed by the board

- Fire safety: The communal fire pit is permissible only with prior written approval from both the county and the fire protection district; all other open flames must be propane-fueled appliances meeting equipment ratings and safety-switch requirements. The fire district required on-site fire suppression resources (fire extinguisher(s) and a staffed fire vehicle presence)…