DC-24-0004: Text Amendments to the Land Use Code related to Residential Uses

Revised Draft Text Amendments: Re-Referral and Public Comment Period

The draft text for this update was first sent out on referral on April 10, 2025. Since then, staff has completed more background research and has further developed the draft text for this update. The revised draft text amendment has been sent out on re-referral for review and response from agencies, stakeholders, and the public.

You may review the proposed Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home text amendments below. You will find the existing Land Use Code language in the draft. Strikethroughs indicate text that has been removed while an underline identifies text that has been added:

• DC-24-0004 Re-Referral Memo and Draft Text Amendments: Proposed Updates to Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home Uses

Comments may be submitted to the Community Planning & Permitting Department at P.O. Box 471, Boulder, Colorado, 80306 or via email to cbyrne@bouldercounty.gov.

Comments will help staff refine the draft text amendments prior to taking the proposal forward to public hearings before the Boulder County Planning Commission and the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. All comments will be made part of the public record and shared with Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners. Please return them no later than August 27, 2025, so your comments can be incorporated.

Public hearings have not been confirmed at this time, although staff anticipates taking the proposal to Planning Commission on September 17, 2025. Confirmation of the public hearing dates and times will be published online and in local newspapers.

Draft Text Amendments: Referral and Public Comment Period

After conducting research, meeting with Boulder County staff and members of organizations related to group care, and reviewing neighboring jurisdictions’ regulations, staff has drafted proposed text amendments to Article 4-511 Residential Uses of the Boulder County Land Use Code, specifically Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home, as well as relevant changes to Article 18 Definitions.

Staff is requesting input from county staff, relevant agencies, adjacent jurisdictions, and the public on this draft.

You may review the proposed Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home text amendments below. You will find the existing Land Use Code language in the draft. Strikethroughs indicate text that has been removed while an underline identifies text that has been added:

• DC-24-0004 Referral Memo and Draft Text Amendments: Proposed Updates to Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home Uses

Comments may be submitted to the Community Planning & Permitting Department at P.O. Box 471, Boulder, Colorado, 80306 or via email to cbyrne@bouldercounty.gov.

Comments will help staff refine the draft text prior to taking the proposal forward to public hearings before the Boulder County Planning Commission and the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. Please return them no later than April 24, 2025, so your comments can be incorporated.

Background

On October 29, 2024, Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting staff received authorization from the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to pursue text amendments to the Boulder County Land Use Code (the Code) in docket DC-24-0004 related to residential uses, specifically Article 4 Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home use classifications, and any other related Articles and provisions necessary to integrate these changes.

Staff are proposing amendments to existing regulations in the Code to update the Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home use classifications. The existing definitions for Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home will benefit from updated and more precise language. For example, the definitions for these uses rely on the familial relationship of the individuals in the residence and the recent Code change related to residential occupancy makes these definitions obsolete. Staff plan to reevaluate the scope and purpose of the Boarding House and Group Care or Foster Home uses to ensure that they are effective and appropriate.

The anticipated timeline for this code update is as follows:

1. Authorization: October 29, 2024
2. Code development and outreach: November 2024 – July 2025
3. Finalize draft text amendments: August 2025
4. Planning Commission Public Hearing: September 2025
5. Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing: October 2025

Past Public Meetings

Virtual Public Meeting Proposed Land Use Code Updates in Docket DC-24-0004 , Jan. 16, 2025

Contact

Cayley Byrne, Long Range Planner I
720-564-2819
cbyrne@bouldercounty.gov