Call-Up Agenda Memo

City of Boulder City Council Call-Up Agenda Item Meeting Date: April 2, 2026 Agenda Title Consideration of Left Hand Water District’s request for comment regarding a water tap for a property in Area III-Rural Preservation of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (4360 N 55th Street).

Staff Contact • •

Kristofer Johnson, Comprehensive Planning Senior Manager, Planning & Development Services Brad Mueller, Director, Planning & Development Services

Executive Summary The city has received a referral from the Left Hand Water District to grant water service for a new single family home at 4360 N 55th Street (formerly addressed as 5503 Jay Road) under an individual service contract. The Left Hand Water District (District) is a special water district that provides treated water to about 6,500 homes in Boulder and Weld counties. The City of Boulder and the District entered into the 1995 Amended and Restated Agreement (Agreement) that provides a process for the city to comment on requests that are made for new service or changes in service to existing District water customers in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) Planning Area. The city’s review of the requests revolves around whether the District has the capacity to serve the new customers and whether the request is consistent with the BVCP.

Staff has determined that the request is consistent with both the BVCP and the city’s Agreement with the District. No action is required by the City Council.

Council Action Options Option

Outcome

Call up the application

To call up this item, City Council has to pass a motion. Suggested motion language: Motion to call up consideration of the Left Hand Water District’s proposed water service to 4360 N 55th Street. If called up, the item will be scheduled for a public hearing at a future council meeting.

Do not call up the application No council action is needed.

Planning Board History NA

Public Input Process NA

Analysis The city and the District have a long history of coordination of utility services within the Planning Area. Special districts are quasi-municipal corporations and political subdivisions under state law. While there are a number of special districts that provide various services within the Boulder Valley, the city and Boulder County have discouraged the expansion of such districts. Since the early 1970’s, the city and the District have worked to prevent conflicts between city and District water service and to ensure that any utility service within the Boulder Valley is done in a manner that is consistent with the BVCP. The present arrangement between the city and District is in the 1995 Amended and Restated Agreement. Per the terms of the Agreement, the District will seek comments from the city and give due consideration to these comments prior to expanding its water supply utility or granting requests for new water taps in the Boulder Valley. The city may request a full hearing before the District’s Board of Directors as part of this process if there are concerns about the proposed service. The city prefers that service be

provided by District water contracts rather than expansion of the District as articulated in the BVCP. The Agreement provides for an administrative process that the city uses to review expansion requests such as new tap requests. Two issues are at the center of the review of the water tap application: 1. Does the granting of the tap constitute new urban development under the BVCP? The property requesting a water tap is located within Area III – Rural Preservation. The intent of the Area III is to preserve existing rural land uses and character, and to discourage “over-intensive rural development.” BVCP policies 1.15 and 1.16 define and describe “new urban development” and acknowledge that through joint planning of the city and county, new urban development will only occur where adequate urban services are available. Staff have determined that no new urban development or over-intensive rural development will result from the grant of a new tap by the District. The property will be used or developed in compliance with the existing County Land Use Regulations and current BVCP policies. 2. Does the District have the capacity to serve the properties requesting water taps? Per the letter from the District to the city dated, February 27, 2026, “The District has the ability to serve this property with a 5/8” water tap. The property is currently vacant.” Per the Agreement: (1) the requested water tap for the property at 4360 N 55th Street may be provided solely by means of a service contract with the District, not by an expansion of the District; (2) any replacement, enlargement, or extension of the District’s water supply utility within the Boulder Valley must be designed and constructed to meet or exceed currently applicable requirements of the City of Boulder; and (3) the District must require the owners of the property requesting the new tap to covenant that additional requests for services for new taps or units will not be made during the terms of the service contract.

Next Steps for City Council The City Council may call up the referral. If the referral is called up, the City Council will review it at a future public meeting to provide comment. If the referral is not called up, the city manager will be asked to sign a letter to the District indicating that the city will not oppose the extension of the water tap pursuant to service contracts with the District to the identified property.

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Attachments Attachment A: Left Hand Water District letter dated February 27, 2026