Application period for these free parcels is now open through June 30. Federal regulations require these properties remain undeveloped.

Obtenga este mensaje en español: vjannatpour@bouldercounty.gov

Key points:

• Boulder County has 16 properties available for ownership due to floods in 2013.
• The money to buy these properties came from two programs: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs.
• People or groups interested in owning these properties can apply, but they can't build anything on them because of federal rules.

Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County is accepting applications from residents and qualified entities interested in owning flood buyout properties.

Boulder County acquired 45 formerly residential properties that were heavily damaged during the September 2013 flood from landowners who wanted to sell their damaged property. The funding paid to the previous owners came from two sources: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs.

As required by the buyout funding grant programs, all existing structures were demolished on the buyout properties to return the land to its natural state. Federal regulations require these properties to remain undeveloped in the future.

HUD properties can be conveyed to private parties subject to deed restrictions that prohibit development of the properties. FEMA properties are similarly restricted and can only be conveyed to quantified entities. Qualified entities include a state agency, Indian Tribal government, municipal local government, or qualified conservation organization.

The county has identified 16 properties that currently are appropriate for transfer of ownership.

To learn more about this program and to apply please visit the Flood Buyout Properties webpage. For additional questions, please contact Tina Burghardt, Senior Land Officer for Boulder County Parks & Open Space at kburghardt@bouldercounty.gov or (720) 864-6533.

The Barnes property (8531 N Foothills Hwy.) is available for this program.