Boulder County authorizes City of Boulder to restrict Flagstaff Road access on and around July 4 for safety

The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners on June 12 authorized the City of Boulder to restrict public access to Flagstaff Road on and around the July 4 holiday, delegating discretion to city managers to implement a staffed checkpoint and manage the closure.

Melanie Lewis of the County Attorney’s Office told the board the authority rests with the commissioners under state law. "Under Title 30 of the Colorado Revised Statute, section Article 11 and Sections 101 and 107, the county commissioners have the authority to adopt orders regarding control of public property and to adopt resolutions for the benefit of the public health and safety regarding county property," she said. The proposed resolution would let the City of Boulder decide in future years whether to close or restrict Flagstaff Road and to implement any closure using city personnel.

Burton Stoner, ranger senior manager for City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, described Flagstaff as a long-standing gathering place for July 4 viewing, with the first five miles surrounded by city open space. He said the city has used a staffed traffic-control point at the base of Flagstaff to allow residents and Flagstaff House patrons to proceed while limiting other access.

"It's not actually a full closure. It's a restriction," Stoner said, describing checkpoint operations that include a physical barricade and a staffed entry point that allows residents and restaurant patrons through after identification.

Commander Randy Wilbur of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said the office found calls for service in the Flagstaff area were roughly "in the 20-ish calls for service" in years when a traffic control point was used, and rose to about "the 50 calls for service range" in the year without a checkpoint. "We were in the 50 calls for service range for that 1 day for that particular area," he said, and added that such spikes are a drain on county resources.

Two residents spoke in favor of authorization during the public hearing. Lauren Lambert Feldman, representing neighborhood group Boulder FireLine, said the area has seen multiple human-caused wildfires and urged the board to adopt the restriction. "We are truly just 1 careless act away from a potential wildfire disaster akin to the Marshall Fire," she said. Charles Trouton, a city resident, thanked law enforcement and rangers for coordination and urged consideration of a broader timeframe or planned rapid response because illegal activity sometimes extends beyond a single day.

Commissioners discussed clarifications on hours and implementation. Stoner said the city's plan for this year would restrict access from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4 and that the city would upstaff rangers that day. The board accepted an amendment to the draft resolution to change the recital language to "on and around the fourth of July holiday." A motion to approve the resolution with that amendment passed on recorded ayes.

The resolution gives the City of Boulder authority to exercise its discretion on years when it determines a restriction is appropriate and to manage implementation using city resources; county staff will not be required to staff the closures.

What happens next: staff said they will prepare a final resolution reflecting the amendment for the board to sign at a future business meeting so the City of Boulder can publish operational details and public notices ahead of the holiday.