Project Overview

The Service Area concept which establishes Areas I, II, and III, and describes where urban development can occur is a foundational element of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. Together with the plan’s joint city–county decision-making structure, it sets Boulder apart from many other communities in Colorado and across the country.

Area I includes land already within the city of Boulder where urban development is focused.

Area II includes land under Boulder County’s jurisdiction today, but is eligible for future annexation to the city.

Together, Areas I and II make up Boulder’s Service Area.

Area III was established in 1977 to protect Boulder’s rural character by prohibiting urban development.

Within Area III, the Area III-Planning Reserve (Planning Reserve) is an approximately 500-acre area located on the north side of Boulder. Identified in the 1993 Area III Planning Project, the Planning Reserve is the only portion of Area III where the city maintains the option of future Service Area expansion. This expansion will only be considered if there are priority community needs that cannot be met within the existing Service Area (Areas I and II).

The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan outlines a multi-step process for any potential Service Area expansion, specifically for changing land in the Planning Reserve from Area III to Area II, which is a prerequisite for annexation. This process ensures that any expansion is careful, deliberate, and aligned with community priorities.

Updates

Upcoming

  • Jan. 15, 2026 | City Council Public Hearing | Staff will share the community needs assessment with policy makers. Council will vote on whether the needs warrant moving forward with Step 3. | The memo will be posted on the City Council website one week prior to the meeting.
  • Jan 20, 2026 | Planning Board Public Hearing | Staff will share the community needs assessment with policy makers. Planning Board will vote on whether the needs warrant moving forward with Step 3. | The memo Planning Board Public Hearing will be posted on the Planning Board website one week prior to the meeting.

BVCP Map area

Area III-Planning Reserve Service Area Expansion Process

The Service Area expansion process that would allow the ability to change lands in the Area III-Planning Reserve to Area II and enable annexation, includes three steps.

  • Step 1: Urban Services Study
    • The study was completed, reviewed by Planning Board and accepted by City Council in 2024. Both bodies determined there was interest in considering Service Area expansion as part of the current Comprehensive Plan update.
    • PB Memo: Nov 19, 2024
    • CC Memo: Nov 21, 2024
  • Step 2: Identify & Evaluate Priority Community Needs
    • Staff are currently identifying community needs as part of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update process and evaluating them against three criteria outlined in the Service Area Expansion Plan process.
    • Planning Board and City Council will hold public hearings in January 2026 to review the identified community needs and determine if they are of sufficient priority to warrant preparation of a Service Area Expansion Plan.
      • If both bodies determine an Expansion Plan is warranted, staff will incorporate appropriate policies in the draft Comprehensive Plan update, as necessary.
      • If one or both bodies determine an Expansion Plan is not warranted at this time, the process will pause and can be restarted at the next mid-term or major Comprehensive Plan update.
  • Step 3: Service Area Expansion Plan
    • If City Council and Planning Board determine an Expansion Plan is warranted, they will have the opportunity to vote to move forward with Step 3. If directed to proceed, staff would develop a Service Area Expansion Plan after adoption of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update. Work would not begin until late 2026 at the earliest.

Project Goals

  • Understand how existing infrastructure and city services could be extended into the Area III-Planning Reserve.
  • Describe the type and extent of city services needed in the Area III-Planning Reserve under low, medium and high service demand scenarios.
  • Develop an initial understanding of the potential impacts, costs, phasing and funding of providing city services under each scenario.
  • Give decision-makers information to help them determine if the city should continue to explore expanding into the Area III-Planning Reserve.

Service Areas

The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan guides land use decisions in the planning area of the Boulder Valley, which includes the City of Boulder and portions of Boulder County. This planning area is generally divided into three categories:

  • Area I is within the City of Boulder and today has adequate urban facilities and services. This area is expected to continue to support urban development.
  • Area II is in Boulder County but may be considered for annexation to the city. New urban development may only occur coincident with the availability of adequate facilities and services.
  • Area III is generally in Boulder County. Some of that land is classified as a “Rural Preservation Area” where the city and county intend to preserve existing rural land uses and character. Another portion of that land, located roughly northeast of US 36 between Broadway and Jay Road, is classified as the “Planning Reserve.” Here the city and county reserve the option of expanding the city’s service area to accommodate new urban development that will meet citywide goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Service Area concept and the creation of Areas I, II and III is one of the keystones of the BVCP, and in combination with joint city/county decision-making, distinguishes the plan from many others in the state and country. Area I (the city) and Area II (the area now under county jurisdiction where annexation to the city can be considered) form the city’s Service Area. Area III was defined in 1977 to preserve and protect the rural character by not allowing urban development.

The Area III-Planning Reserve, approximately 500 acres on the north side of Boulder, is a specific part of Area III, identified through a 1993 Area III Planning Project and is located on the north side of Boulder. The city maintains the option to expand future urban development into the Planning Reserve in response to priority community needs that cannot be met within the existing Service Area (Areas I and II). The city owns about half of the Planning Reserve area, with the remainder held by private property owners. Most of the city-owned land was purchased with Parks and Recreation acquisition funds for a future regional park. Housing and Human Services also owns a 30-acre parcel earmarked for potential future affordable housing.

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The City of Boulder owns roughly half of the approximately 500 acres of Area III-Planning Reserve with a large portion of that acreage identified as a future regional park. The remainder of the Area III-Planning Reserve is primarily privately owned."

The study is the first of several steps the city must take when considering potential expansion of its service area. The process may be paused by City Council at each step if the criteria for future steps are unmet at that time.

The goal of the study is to provide information about the feasibility and level of investment required to extend urban services into the Planning Reserve.

Future steps of the municipal expansion process would consider policy questions related to:

  • Unmet community needs
  • Appropriate land uses, site planning, financing strategies
  • Other aspects related to potential development of the Planning Reserve

The BVCP includes a detailed description of the potential service area expansion decision-making process in Exhibit B.

The study was designated a City Council priority project in 2022 and will provide an analysis of the feasibility of extending urban services into the Area III-Planning Reserve. It is a technical exercise intended to help staff and decision-makers understand the relative costs and challenges of extending services. This is not the first step in the annexation process. It will give decision-makers technical information and cost estimates that can inform a discussion on whether an expansion is feasible. If council accepts the findings of the study, they can continue with the process of considering expansion as part of the next BVCP update. If that direction is given, the next step will be to engage the community to determine if there are priority needs that cannot be met within the city’s current service area.

Service Area expansion is the process to extend the municipal boundary of the city and provide urban services such as water, wastewater and emergency response. The BVCP includes a list of these urban services (see Chapter 7) and details the Service Area expansion process (see Exhibit B).

Service Area expansion into the Planning Reserve is only allowed if detailed planning for the area indicates that community benefits exceed potential negative impacts.

A process for service area expansion was set in place to ensure comprehensive planning of the area as opposed to incremental changes:

  • Step 1: Complete Baseline Urban Services Study
  • Step 2: Identify Unmet Community Needs (community value, capacity, benefit)
  • Step 3: Prepare Service Area Expansion Plan

No. The city is not developing in the Area III-Planning Reserve and does not provide any urban services in Area III. The city has been forward-looking in purchasing and holding land in this area, including a large portion identified for a regional park and a smaller portion for affordable housing. The remainder of the Planning Reserve is held by private property owners. Currently, the entire Planning Reserve is under the jurisdiction of Boulder County.

No. The urban services study is the first step in considering a conversion of the Area III-Planning Reserve to allow for future annexation and planned urban development. While it is a first step, the study does not set in motion an actual conversion process. The study will help the Boulder community and decision-makers understand the scope, extent and feasibility of providing city services to the area. Future steps and planning processes will weigh the potential environmental, social and economic considerations of expansion.

After completion and acceptance of the study, Planning Board and City Council must hold public hearings and vote on whether or not to direct staff to move forward with the second step in the process, which is to identify community needs that cannot be met within its current Service Area.

Planned development of a large area is a multi-year effort. It is difficult at this time to develop a timeframe for when future development would occur, even if City Council requests that staff consider Service Area expansion and the city and county both determine that expansion into the Area III-Planning Reserve is the only way to provide unmet community needs.

A Service Area Expansion Plan is equivalent in scope to a Subcommunity or Area Plan, which typically takes 18 to 24 months to complete and adopt. This process would gather community input on the type of development desired and result in a detailed description of policies and priorities for the area, a proposed land use plan, multimodal transportation network, required infrastructure extensions and more. An implementation strategy for major capital infrastructure improvements and financing would be developed as part of the plan.

An adopted Service Area Expansion Plan would allow for all or portions of the Planning Reserve to be converted to Area II, meaning it is then eligible for annexation into the city. Future annexation requests would need to be processed and approved by City Council and would include additional agreements regarding what capital improvements (such as roads, utilities, etc.) would be provided by the city and those that would be provided by private developers of new projects. Any city-led capital improvements identified through the implementation strategy and individual agreements would then be scheduled into the annual six year Capital Improvements Plan for future design and construction. Many factors the city cannot control also influence the timing of development, including fluctuations in market demand, political direction and economic conditions.

The urban service study is an important effort that will inform community conversations during the next BVCP major update starting in October 2024. The Planning Board and City Council can only hold a public hearing prior to or during the early stages of a mid-term or major BVCP update to determine whether there is interest in considering a Service Area expansion as part of that update. If there is interest, Planning Board and City Council can direct staff to conduct an additional planning effort to solicit and identify priority community needs as part of the update process.

Planning Board and City Council can authorize a Service Area Expansion Plan through the BVCP update if the unmet community needs meet three eligibility criteria:

  • Community Value: Expansion will address a long-term community value described in the BVCP
  • Capacity: The existing Service Area (Areas I and II) does not include suitable existing or potential land/service capacity for community needs
  • Benefit: Expansion will benefit existing community members in the Boulder Valley and will provide lasting benefits for future generations

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