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Planning commission recommends approval of Magellan Denver expansion with conditions
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Summary
Arapahoe County planning staff and the applicant reached agreement on amended conditions for the Magellan pipeline expansion; the Planning Commission voted 4–0 to recommend approval, while Arapahoe County Open Space requested execution and recording of a use/restoration agreement before work proceeds.
Arapahoe County’s Planning Commission voted 4–0 on Dec. 2, 2025, to recommend approval of a continued Use by Special Review for the Magellan Denver pipeline expansion, subject to 10 amended conditions of approval. Ernie Rose, senior planner for Public Works and Development, summarized edits to the staff report and said staff supported the application with the revised conditions.
Rose told commissioners staff removed references that did not apply, clarified easement widths and eliminated a storage-tank reference. He said Colorado Parks and Wildlife had reviewed the changes and was generally comfortable with the project’s construction timeline and the revised wildlife-related conditions. Outside counsel Jason Brinkley confirmed the applicant had worked with CPW "for over a year" and said CPW was comfortable removing the big-game restrictions staff had earlier proposed.
A representative for Arapahoe County Open Space told the commission the agency continued negotiating a use and restoration agreement for its Bijou Basin Open Space property and asked that the condition requiring that agreement remain: "our agreement be, required to be finalized and executed and recorded before the project moves forward," the representative said. Staff acknowledged Open Space had not yet fully executed an agreement but had agreed to the language in at least one condition of approval.
Commissioner Savy moved to recommend approval "based on the findings and the staff report subject to the following conditions 1 through 10," and the motion passed on a roll-call vote (Howe, Saul, Sauve and Chair Morehouse voting aye; Commissioners Miller and Lapsis absent/excused). The motion record and staff presentation show the decision was a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; the BOCC is scheduled to consider the project on Jan. 13, 2026.
Next steps: the Planning Commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners for final action, and Open Space’s request to have an agreement recorded before on‑site work begins remains part of the record for the BOCC hearing.
