A new, 26-well pad is proposed near Erie, according to town officials. The oil and gas development will employ hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking.
The Draco Pad, a project of Denver-based Extraction Oil and Gas and Civitas Resources, will be located on 19.45 acres in unincorporated Weld County, two miles from Erie High School. Wells would be drilled to 7,000 feet and extend horizontally for five miles toward U.S. 287, crossing into Boulder County and northwest of Lafayette city limits.
“We have no legal jurisdiction to participate in the permitting processes” because the pad itself is located in Weld County, Kim Sanchez, Boulder County’s deputy planning director wrote in response to emailed questions. Colorado’s Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) “has all regulatory authority over operations below the surface.”
“We are monitoring the process at the ECMC and will likely provide public comment,” Sanchez wrote, “but that is the extent of our legal powers.”
Weld County approved the development Feb. 29. Lafayette’s city council met in executive session July 16 to receive legal counsel about oil and gas development; it’s not clear if that meeting was related to the proposed wells.
A public hearing date has tentatively been set for Aug. 28. Those wishing to speak at the meeting can sign up the week prior. Learn more: bit.ly/HearingAug28.
Boulder names as finalist to host Sundance
Boulder is one of six cities recently selected as finalists to host the migrating Sundance Film Festival.
“With the beautiful backdrop of the Flatirons, Boulder’s historical ties to the [festival-founding] Redford Family, and the capacity to support a growing, inclusive festival, we are confident that Boulder, Colorado, is the right home for the Sundance Film Festival,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a joint announcement with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Visit Boulder announced last month that it submitted a bid, with support from the state’s tourism office. Sundance officials have been mulling a possible move since earlier this year, although a combination of Park City, Utah — its current home — and Salt Lake City is still in the running.
Atlanta; Cincinnati; Sante Fe, New Mexico; and Louisville, Kentucky, were also announced as finalists. A final selection is anticipated early next year.
Slower speed limits coming to Boulder
The City of Boulder is planning to lower speed limits by 5-10 miles per hour on sections of 13 city streets, including Arapahoe, Violet and University avenues and 55th Street. The move is part of Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate serious injuries and deaths from car crashes.
New speed limits will be in place by the end of September, city officials said.
Boulder in 2020 lowered the speed limit on neighborhood streets from 25 to 20 mph, an initiative known as Twenty is Plenty. Drivers did not slow down in the first year of lower limits, city staff found.
Further analysis of Twenty is Plenty has not been conducted, but traffic monitoring related to Vision Zero did show “some speed reduction,” according to a city spokesperson.
“While our current priority is the Core Arterial Network — the city’s busiest streets, on which a majority (67%) of severe crashes occur — we understand the importance of reducing speeding on residential streets and anticipate future efforts around this work,” Aisha Ozaslan wrote in response to emailed questions.
Learn more about the city’s plans: bit.ly/SpeedLimitsBW.
In other news…
• Boulder Shelter for the Homeless has changed its name to All Roads to better reflect the nonprofit’s mission of providing housing as the ultimate solution for homelessness rather than temporary emergency shelter. All Roads manages 180 clients in housing and 180 overnight beds at its North Boulder location.
• CU Boulder inked a 20-year deal with Pivot Energy that will provide an estimated 9.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar power to Colorado’s energy grid annually beginning in 2026. The panels will be located in Weld County; the university will receive renewable energy credits for the site’s production via a process called virtual net metering allowed under state law.
• Environmental sustainability and improved graduation rates are among the stated priorities of CU Boulder’s new chancellor, Justin Schwartz, who took up the post earlier this month. Read more from CU Independent: bit.ly/Schwartz
CUI
• Thirty-six wild horses and 12 burros are available for adoption in Colorado “to individuals who are eligible and can provide good homes,” Bureau of Land Management officials announced this week. Animals can be viewed at the El Paso County Fair and Events Complex in Calhan near Colorado Springs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2 and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Competitive bidding will begin at 10:30 a.m. Learn more: blm.gov/whb
Karen Norback contributed report