🏘️ Boulder land-use plan could make room for 40% more housing

Good Friday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by SoBo Homes, a residential remodeling firm recently honored with two awards from the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Leading today: Boulder has approved a new long-term land-use plan expected to create capacity for 35% to 40% more housing than the previous plan. It designates nearly all residential land in the city for “gentle infill,” including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, cottage courts and backyard ADUs.

That does not mean those homes will be built immediately. Actual development will depend on future zoning decisions and market conditions. Still, the plan marks a significant shift from as recently as 2023, when most residential land was designated for detached single-family homes.

John Herrick reports on what changed, why industrial areas and land near Gunbarrel became flashpoints, and what comes next.

Plus, our election coverage is about to kick into high gear. Nineteen candidates are certified to run for Boulder City Council or mayor this year, and beginning Monday, we’ll introduce you to most of them and break down where they stand on the issues shaping Boulder.

Plus more, Below the Fold:

BoulderCAST: Heat, clouds and a few storms this weekend.
Xcel emissions: On track for 2027; 2030 is murkier.
E-bike rebates: Last call for $1,000 state rebates.
Indigenous Peoples Day: Boulder opens event-funding applications.
Scam prevention: Free workshops aim to outsmart scammers.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

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SoBo Homes, a residential remodeling firm, recently received two design awards at the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Rocky Mountain Chapter awards ceremony. A custom ADU won the “People’s Choice Award: Bathroom” and a second-place honor in the “Small Kitchen” category. SoBo Homes won “Best Large Kitchen” at NKBA in 2025.

Boulder’s new land-use plan could make room for up to 40% more housing

The update to the Boulder Valley’s land-use map follows two years of public engagement and debate and establishes a new long-term development framework for the region. Continue reading…

Boulder’s Roots Music Festival returns as Tulagi, with ambitions far beyond music

The renamed festival aims to complement Sundance, put Boulder back on the national music map and eventually rival SXSW. Continue reading…

A hot, cloudier-than-usual weekend with a few storms

Friday kicks off a hotter, somewhat quieter stretch for Boulder as the ridge of high pressure settles directly overhead. Monsoon moisture and large‑scale forcing continue to fade, so storm chances will stay relatively low heading into the weekend. We’ll still watch for a couple gusty late‑day storms drifting off the higher terrain, but chances look minimal, around 20%. Highs today will top out in the mid‑90s, marking one of the hotter afternoons of the week.

Overnight we’ll drop into the lower 60s.

Highs will remain in the mid-90s tomorrow, with continued low-end chances for late-day storms. Better rain odds will remain confined to the mountains.

A pair of cold fronts — one late Saturday, another late Sunday — will lower temperatures into the 80s for the back half of the weekend into early next week.

One notable shift: Expect cloudier-than-usual skies through much of the weekend.

— BoulderCAST

Xcel expected to meet Boulder’s 2027 emissions target, but 2030 outlook remains uncertain

After missing its 2022 and 2024 emissions-reduction benchmarks under its franchise agreement with Boulder, Xcel Energy is expected to meet the 2027 target, according to city staff. That benchmark calls for a 67% reduction from 2005 emissions levels.

Boulder’s 2027 goal limits Xcel’s emissions to 11.5 million tons. The utility expects to emit 8.1 million tons in 2027, Xcel representatives told city councilmembers at a study session. Emissions are expected to fall to 3.8 million tons by 2030, compared with the city’s goal of 6.9 million tons.

The targets were included in the agreement Boulder signed when it renewed Xcel’s franchise in 2020, after voters chose to end the city’s decade-long effort to form a municipal electric utility. The utility missed benchmarks calling for emissions reductions of 52% in 2022 and 61% in 2024. Although the agreement imposes no penalties for missing the targets, Boulder may choose to leave the franchise in 2028 if Xcel fails to meet its emissions requirements. Read more on BRL.

Registration for $1,000 state e-bike rebates closes Aug. 31

Colorado residents have until noon Monday, Aug. 31, to register for state e-bike rebates worth $1,000, with an additional $300 available for qualifying e-cargo or adaptive e-bikes.

Applicants must live in Colorado and have a household income at or below 80% of their county’s area median income. Registration is not first-come, first-served. After the window closes, the Colorado Energy Office will randomly select applicants and verify their income and eligibility. Approved rebates must be redeemed within 60 days.

The state plans to open registration quarterly over the next year, with each window lasting one week. Learn more about the program.

Boulder offers funding for Indigenous Peoples Day events

The City of Boulder is accepting funding applications for 2026 Indigenous Peoples Day events.

Boulder designated the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in 2016. Events may include dances, poetry readings, film screenings, educational programs and performances honoring Indigenous peoples and cultures.

Applications are available in English and Spanish and are due by 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21. Funding will come from the city’s Human Relations Fund and Office of Arts and Culture.

Boulder County offers free fraud-awareness workshops

Boulder County’s Victim Assistance Team will host free fraud-awareness workshops in September and October.

County officials say impersonation scams are increasing, including schemes in which callers pose as law enforcement officers and demand immediate payment. Title fraud, odometer tampering, fake dealerships, emissions fraud and license plate theft are also growing concerns.

Workshops are scheduled for Sept. 26 in Superior, Oct. 6 in Louisville and Oct. 13 in Boulder. Sessions will explain common scams, who scammers target, how they gain trust and how residents can protect themselves. Registration is open, with more dates expected.

☀️ Explore events in Boulder and use the self-submission form on our events page to reach thousands in our community — for free! To have your event featured in our Thursday Culture Club newsletter, make sure to submit it to our events calendar.