Boulder planning commission previews general plan rewrite after community survey

Nancy Tosta, chair of the Boulder Town Planning Commission, opened a community forum on the town’s general plan July 30, reviewing results from a 138-response survey and inviting residents to add written comments at multiple stations.

The planning commission presented the survey as part of work to rewrite the general plan, telling residents the current plan was last updated in 2021 and that “we do believe the planning commission believes we need to do a rewrite of the general plan,” Tosta said. Commissioners said the rewrite should make objectives clearer, set priorities, update statistics and be more user-friendly.

Why it matters: The general plan defines the town’s vision, values, goals and actions for land use and investment; it informs zoning and ordinances and frames future town decisions. Commissioners stressed that the plan is a policy document that guides later zoning conversations, not an immediate change in zoning rules.

Survey highlights and community values - The commission said the survey produced 138 responses and that the raw data and multiple summary files are online. Tosta said 99 respondents reported living within Boulder town limits and described a survey coding error that capped a “more than 16 years” response at 16 years (67 respondents answered that question as more than 16 years). - Respondents ranked clean air and water as the top community value, followed by natural beauty and open space. Commissioners reported that 85 respondents were over age 50 and 50 of the respondents were over age 65; only six were ages 18–29. - Commissioners read a sampling of free-text comments showing diverse priorities: preservation of agricultural uses and open ditches; low-density development and limited sidewalks; multi-generational households; protection of natural beauty and dark skies; community volunteerism; support for cottage industries and local agribusiness.

Perceived threats and suggested responses - The highest-ranked threats, according to the commission’s summary of the survey, were water availability, commercial development, loss of younger families, second-home ownership, wildfire risk and subdivision of ranchland. - To address threats, more than half of respondents favored measures such as zoning to protect agriculture and open space, limits on commercial development, higher taxes on second homes, incentives to preserve agricultural activity and incentives for affordable/attainable housing.

Public land and capital investments - The commission asked respondents what they would like to see on town-owned land north of town; options included sports/fitness facilities, moderate-income housing, arts/maker space, a community kitchen, and expansion of town hall. No single option received a majority above 50 percent; written comments favored mixed-use community space combining several functions. - Commissioners asked residents to prioritize capital projects; the highest-priority items were improvements for emergency medical services and fire protection and consulting studies on water infrastructure, reflecting water availability concerns. Other candidate investments included road repairs, ADA upgrades to town hall and park improvements, and support for agricultural infrastructure such as shared cold storage or processing facilities.

Next steps and public engagement - Commissioners said they will continue collecting materials and examples of general plans from other towns and will hold further Planning Commission discussions before any draft goes to the Town Council. Tosta and commissioners invited residents to sign up to volunteer, to add comments to flip charts and sticky notes at stations, and to review the online spreadsheet and comment documents. - Tosta emphasized the commission’s advisory role: the Planning Commission will draft recommendations but the Town Council must approve any formal plan or ordinance changes.

Procedural items and meeting close - Commissioners confirmed the agenda by unanimous voice vote early in the meeting after Tina Carlson moved to confirm the agenda; the chair said the motion passed unanimously. The commission adjourned at about 8:20 p.m. following a motion to adjourn by Elena Hughes that was seconded and carried unanimously.

Ending note: Commissioners said the survey and forum reflect wide-ranging views and that the next phase will attempt to balance the townwide consensus on values (notably clean air, natural setting and open space) with competing views about growth and uses of public land. The commission encouraged residents to review the detailed online materials and to add written input at the forum stations or via the town’s posted files.