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Hayden Planning Commission approves Xcel Energy conditional use permit for gas regulator upgrades
Summary
The commission unanimously approved Xcel Energy’s conditional use permit to replace a natural gas regulator and install a bypass and security fencing; approval includes culvert upsizing and a required floodplain permit, and the applicant said service will not be interrupted during a roughly three-month project.
The Hayden Planning Commission on Jan. 15, 2026 unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Xcel Energy to replace a natural gas regulator and make associated site improvements, including a bypass system and security fencing.
Town contract planner Ty Johnson summarized the staff report and said the application met the Conditional Use Permit criteria in the Town’s Development Code. Justin Mazur, representing Xcel Energy, told the commission the upgrades respond to changing federal regulations for gas regulators and that the company expects the work to take approximately three months with "no planned lapse in natural gas service." Mazur also said a bypass system will be installed and that the replacement is effectively a substantial in-kind site improvement to a regulator originally installed in the 1970s.
Commissioner Charlie Cook moved to adopt nine findings of fact that the proposed use is consistent with the master plan, zoning and development code and to approve the permit subject to two conditions. Commissioner Steph Welch seconded; the motion passed unanimously. The conditions require the applicant to upsize the driveway stormwater culvert to match the capacity of the existing stormwater crossing—specified as a minimum 49-inch x 33-inch arch pipe or an approved hydraulic equivalent such as a 42-inch round culvert installed to Town standards—and to apply for a floodplain development permit and comply with the Town’s floodplain standards.
Commissioner Ben Robbins told the public there were no code-based findings to deny the application, saying the staff report and the applicant’s presentation addressed the applicable review criteria. Ty Johnson reiterated that the packet marked each required item as compliant with the Development Code.
Implementation details noted at the hearing include the installation of security fencing around the bypass system, a stated three-month construction timeline, and the applicant’s assurance of no service lapse. The commission recorded the approval without recorded dissent.
The permit’s conditions require follow-up permits and construction to meet Town standards; the applicant must obtain the floodplain development permit before completing the culvert upsizing. Staff will monitor permit compliance during implementation.
