Good Monday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by Uttecht Physical Therapy, providing concierge, in-home physical therapy to help you stay active and independent. Schedule your free consultation.
Leading today’s edition: Boulder City Council approved the first housing project under East Boulder’s new development rules, clearing a 300-unit, mixed-use proposal while exposing tensions over design standards and the city’s form-based code. John Herrick reports.
Also today: After the Boulder County District Attorney advised residents to call 911 if ICE attempts to enter a home without a judicial warrant, Boulder police and the sheriff reaffirmed that they will respond like any other emergency and do not enforce immigration law. Brooke Stephenson reports.
In the community: Three downtown Longmont pizzerias launched Pizza With Purpose, a new effort to fight food insecurity. Starting today, Feb. 9 (National Pizza Day), the restaurants will donate $1 from every cheese or pepperoni pizza sold through Feb. 15, with plans for a Colorado Pizza Festival this September. Gabe Toth reports.
From our newsletters: Nibbles went deep last week on Saigon District One, a Lafayette Vietnamese restaurant with roots in Colorado’s first Vietnamese eatery. Don’t miss tomorrow’s edition. Nibbles is a separate, free newsletter delivered Tuesdays at lunchtime. Sign up here.
And finally, in BRL Opinion: A commentary by Nicole Speer and Celeste Landry questions whether proposed changes to the county commission would actually broaden representation.
Plus much more, Below the Fold:
- Plate readers: Boulder police chief responds to concerns.
- Voting sites: County seeks input on 2026 locations.
- Bike safety: Help design North Foothills Bikeway.
- DMV outage: Colorado services offline Feb. 13-16.
- Music festival: Colorado Music Festival marks 50th season.
- Things to Do: Cycling film, Alice in Wonderland, Elvis singalong, boundaries workshop, Valentine’s and Galentine’s events, art at Avanti + more.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
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First East Boulder housing project approved under new rules draws mixed reactions
The 300-unit, mixed-use project would replace surface parking and “auto-oriented” buildings and is the first major test of East Boulder’s new form-based code, prompting Planning Board criticism and calls for reform. Continue reading…
Boulder police and sheriff say they will respond to 911 calls involving ICE
“I want people to be confident that when they call the Sheriff’s Office that we’re going to come and we’re going to do what’s right.” Continue reading…
Longmont pizzerias launch ‘Pizza With Purpose’ to fight food insecurity
Three Main Street pizza shops are donating proceeds to hunger relief and planning a statewide pizza festival to support local communities. Continue reading…
Nicole Speer and Celeste Landry: We can do better than just adding more Boulder County commissioners
Expanding the Board of County Commissioners without changing how county elections work risks reinforcing the same representation gaps voters want to solve. That’s why we’re proposing a companion measure on proportional representation. Continue reading…
Spring warmth again today, rain midweek
Monday feels more like spring yet again, with partly sunny skies, breezy conditions and a high near 68. Clouds increase overnight, with lows around 33.
Tuesday stays cooler but relatively mild, with partly sunny skies and a high near 51. Skies remain mostly clear Tuesday night, with lows around 31.
By Wednesday, clouds return with a slight chance of rain after late morning. Temperatures remain unseasonably warm, with a high near 60.
Boulder police chief defends Flock cameras amid privacy concerns
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn used his February newsletter to respond to resident concerns about Boulder’s use of Flock license plate cameras, a technology under increasing scrutiny nationwide over privacy and civil liberties.
More than 40 Flock cameras across the city capture images of every passing vehicle, store the data for up to 30 days, and automatically share it with more than 90 other Colorado law enforcement agencies. Officers can search state and national databases without a warrant using AI-assisted tools that allow descriptive searches. Boulder already removed itself from the national Flock network.
Redfearn acknowledged the concerns. “I have had extensive discussions on this issue, and we continue to hear from many folks with questions and concerns,” he wrote.
Boulder police have said the cameras have dramatically reduced auto theft.
“I have seen this technology used time and time again to make our community safer,” he wrote, adding that if Flock no longer aligns with Boulder’s values, the department is “committed to pivoting.”
Redfearn pointed to two national developments: a letter from the NAACP of Oakland supporting Flock as a way to reduce biased policing, and a Jan. 27, 2025, federal court ruling in Norfolk, Virginia, finding that the city’s use of Flock cameras did not violate the Fourth Amendment.
That ruling concluded that hundreds of license plate images collected over four months did not amount to tracking a person’s “whole physical movements,” but the judge cautioned that expanding the technology could eventually raise constitutional concerns. See our latest Flock coverage.
Where should Boulder County vote? Officials want your input on 2026 locations
Boulder County residents are being asked to weigh in on where vote centers and ballot drop boxes should be located for the 2026 general election.
Boulder County Elections has launched an online survey to gather public input on vote center locations and 24-hour mail ballot drop boxes, some of which may change from previous elections.
The statutory deadline to submit official comments is April 27, 2026, but elections officials say they would appreciate responses by March 1 so they can potentially act on recommendations as they finalize plans.
Residents can share feedback through an online survey at BoCo.org/ElectionSurvey. The survey is open now, and earlier responses are more likely to influence final decisions.
Boulder County seeks residents to help design North Foothills Bikeway
Boulder County is looking for 13 community members to help shape the design of the North Foothills Bikeway, a planned 11-mile biking and walking path along U.S. 36/North Foothills Highway between Boulder and Lyons.
This stretch of road has the highest number of fatal crashes involving cyclists and vehicles in unincorporated Boulder County. The bikeway is intended to provide a safer, separated route and improve connections to existing trails.
The Community Advisory Committee will meet up to four times in 2026, with possible meetings in 2027. Meetings will last about 90 minutes and may be held in person or online. Members will receive gift cards and may access support for childcare, transportation, food and translation services.
Applicants should bike or walk in the area, be familiar with the corridor, and be interested in improving safety. English- and Spanish-speaking residents are encouraged to apply. Applications close Feb. 20. For more information, contact Alexandra Phillips at aphillips@bouldercounty.gov or 303-441-4520.
Colorado DMV goes offline for four days — plan ahead before Presidents Day weekend
If you need to renew a vehicle registration, title a car or use a DMV kiosk, don’t wait. The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles will take all online motor vehicle services offline from 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, through Monday, Feb. 16, as part of a major statewide system upgrade.
The outage includes the state’s myDMV platform and all MV Express kiosks. Boulder County Motor Vehicle offices will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, opening later than usual as staff transition to the new system.
The upgrade is expected to modernize DMV services, adding a secure online customer portal, paperless options, email renewal reminders, and faster tools that work more smoothly across devices.
The Boulder County Clerk & Recorder’s Office is urging residents to complete transactions and schedule in-person appointments as soon as possible, warning that appointment slots over the next two weeks are filling up quickly.
Colorado Music Festival marks milestone summer season
The Colorado Music Festival has announced its 2026 summer season, featuring 14 performances from July 9 to Aug. 9 at the Chautauqua Auditorium. The season coincides with the festival’s 50th anniversary and Colorado’s 150th, and will include appearances by 14-year-old violin prodigy Himari, former Colorado Symphony music director Jeffrey Kahane, and returning pianist Michelle Cann. A free family day with music and food trucks is set for Sunday, July 12, along with workshops, behind-the-scenes events and post-concert talks. Tickets go on sale March 3, festival leaders said.
☀️ 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 on our Monday to-do list, make sure to submit it to our events calendar.
Mork and Beans – A Nostalgic Journey: Monday, Feb. 9, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway. Read More
Midwife with Amulets: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 8:00 p.m., Chautauqua Community House, 301 Morning Glory Dr. Read More
Pete Stetina: The Privateer: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., Chautauqua Community House, 301 Morning Glory Dr. Read More
Local Theater Company: Bad Books: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. Additional dates Feb. 6-8 and 12-14. Read More
Creative Connections: Elvis Sing-Along and Screening of Viva Las Vegas: Thursday, Feb. 12, 12:00-2:30 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. Read More
Turn the Page with Colorado Matters and Josh Blue: Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. Read More
Jeopardy! Bar League: Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Illegal Pete’s Table Mesa, 657 S Broadway. Additional dates weekly. Read more
Galentine’s Painting Class: Friday, Feb. 13, 5:00-6:30 p.m., Juniper Books, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, #Unit 1. Read More
Not Today, Cupid!: Friday, Feb. 13, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Battle Woman, 2845 5th St. Read More
Alice in Wonderland: Friday, Feb. 12, 7:00-8:30 p.m., The Spark Boulder, 4847 Pearl St. Additional dates Feb. 14, 15, 20, 21, 22. Read More
Lonely Hearts Club Honky Tonk & Heartbreak: Friday, Feb. 13, 7:00-9:30 p.m., Boulder Social, 1600 38th St. Read More
Love: A Salon on a Central Human Experience: Saturday, Feb. 14, 8:30-11:00 a.m., Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave, Unit A. Read More
Moksha Chocolate & Boulder Spirits Valentine’s Day Pairing: Saturday, Feb. 14, 5:00-9:00 p.m., Vapor Distillery, 5311 Western Ave, Ste 180. Read More
Thumpin’ Valentine’s Dance Party: Saturday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Dr. Unit T, Lafayette. Read More
Avanti Food & Beverage Third Sundays Artisan Craft & Art Show: Sunday, Feb. 15, 12:00-4:00 p.m., Avanti Food and Beverage, 1401 Pearl St. Read More