The Boulder County Commission approved a request for modifications at Gold Lake during a regular, virtual meeting on December 16. 2021. Summer Frederick with County Community Planning and Permitting submitted the request to modify a Special Review.

Gold Lake Ventures LLC, applicant, and owner David Brand submitted the application. The proposal is in the Forestry zoning district at 3371 Gold Lake Road, on the north and south sides of Gold Lake Road, about 2.6 miles from its intersection with Colorado Road 100, in Section 33, Township 2N, Range 72W.

This application requests modifications to the previously approved Special Review and Site-Specific Development Plan to allow for alternate distribution of approved square footage, location, and design of structures; alignment of County Road 102; site access, parking, and traffic circulation.

On April 13, 2021, Boulder County issued a Determination Letter stating that the requested changes constitute a substantial modification requiring a resubmission for Special Review for the proposed changes. While the development can proceed with the approved conditions of the existing Plan, the owner has chosen to improve some aspects of the project.

None of the vested rights are being requested to be changed. The proposed changes employ better land planning principles, better protect the historically designated site, and provide a more compatible architecture. “In this respect, the changes do not alter the nature, character, and/or extent of the land use impact of the previous approvals,” the application states.

Instead, the applicant is seeking to revise the previous design using best practice technical considerations to improve the overall site plan and reduce the environmental impacts on the property, improve the grading and drainage of the roads, and improve the turnaround and parking lot designs.

With the exception of the proposed increase in size and relocation of the new cabins and the owner’s cabin in the area above the southeastern shoreline, which Staff does not support, staff recommended that the Planning Commission recommend approval of the modifications to the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners.

The Boulder County Land Use Planning Commission heard the docket on October 20, 2021. The Commissioners discussed the applicants’ proposal versus staff’s analysis and recommended conditions for approval, expressing appreciation of the applicants’ overall improvement of the site plan and the overall proposal.

The Planning Commission moved to recommend that the County Commissioners conditionally approve the Gold Lake Modifications as presented. Staff recommended that, with the exception of the proposed increase in size and relocation of the new cabins and the owner’s cabin, the Gold Lake modifications can meet all the applicable criteria of the Boulder County Land Use Code for Special Review.

Staff recommended the Board of County Commissioners conditionally approve the Gold Lake Modification with conditions as presented.

Representing the applicant, Stephen Sparn with Sopher Sparn Architects said the Gold Lake Retreat Center is an historic place and honors the healing aspect of the land. He added that the Gold Lake Retreat Center will create local jobs and services.

Owners have been working hard to develop this project, and in the spring of 2022 they will begin actual physical work on the project. “We are maintaining the same uses and special event restrictions as in the previous approved project but will reduce the environmental impact by moving structures away from the sensitive lakefront area and locating cabins to minimize the cut.”

Buildings are in keeping with the historic nature, Sparn said, and all the historic buildings will be reviewed and approved to meet fire codes. The Planning Commission agreed that the new owner’s cabin will be 2,700 square feet. The current owner’s cabin will be demolished.

They are presently working with Wildfire Partners and have a wildfire mitigation strategy which allows them to continue to blend the cabins in the forest. New Cabins (NC) 5, 6, and 12 are protected by the plan.

“We prefer flatter sites. We cluster residential units and leave more land untouched,” Sparn said. The size and location now proposed best meet the criteria, minimize impact on the land, and reduce site disturbances, and the uses are adequately buffered. He added that the new plan best balances the need to preserve this legacy for future generations.

With that, he requested that the Commission adopt the October 21, 2012, Planning Commission recommendations.

Commissioner Claire Levy asked that, if structures were moved up the hill, would they be building new roads? Sparn said the road is already there but it will need to be improved with a turnaround for emergency vehicles.

Commissioner Marta Loachamin said she is looking at the historical area. There will still be disturbance and work done on the roads. A jeep trail, walking trails, and NC12 add a significant mass.

Levy said she is inclined to follow Planning Commission recommendations. “We charge them to dig into this,” she said. Overall, she likes having the cabins more clustered, with less disturbance to the site, and further from the lake.

Board Chair Matt Jones said he thinks this proposal is much better. The staff proposal made a lot of sense, but then when he saw the visual, the new owner’s cabin is down below the ridge line and screened by trees. The view is important, Jones said, and he is in favor of the Planning Commission’s view, conditioned on signing where the public has access.

The Board conditionally approved the Gold Lake modifications, subject to noted conditions, with the route for public access to be clearly signed.

The Boulder County Commission meets every Tuesday and Thursday. For more information go to https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/boccadvanceagenda.pdf.