Arapahoe County conditionally approves Magellan/1 Oak pipeline expansion after debate over Bijou Creek protections

The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 13 conditionally approved a use-by-special-review for the Magellan/1 Oak Denver Pipeline Expansion Project, motioning to adopt staff’s resolution and the conditions negotiated with the applicant and county divisions.

The board approved the permit following staff presentations, a multi-part applicant briefing and a lengthy round of commissioner questions focused on routing through county open space, monitoring and emergency response. Ernie Rose, senior planner, summarized staff’s recommendation and noted the project traverses roughly 32–33 miles in Arapahoe County and would impact about 360 county acres. Jason Brinkley, legal counsel for Magellan/1 Oak, told the board the 1973 line will remain in service and the new pipeline is being laid adjacent within existing easements to provide additional capacity and redundancy for the Denver metro area.

Why it matters: 1 Oak and Magellan said the…