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06_13_24 am headline news Greta Kerkhoff
Boulder Creek closed to tubers
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office closed Boulder Creek to tubing yesterday. The closure will remain in place until water flow reduces to a level that is deemed to be safer, according to the Daily Camera.
Until further notice from the Sheriff’s Office, the closure remains in effect for, “tubing and single chamber flotation devices” from below Boulder Falls at Colo. 119 to 55th Street in Boulder. Kayaks and white-water canoes are still permitted for use in the Creek.
Boulder Creek’s water flow is expected to increase as temperatures rise. The cold, high water can cause dangerous rapids and snags.
Boulder office building to be turned into affordable housing
In order to create more affordable housing in Boulder, some developers are converting commercial spaces into housing.
Boulder Housing Partners plans to turn a portion of an office building, located at 3300 Penrose Place, into permanently affordable housing. According to the Daily Camera, they also plan to add several more residential buildings on-site.
The site was previously home to the Geological Society of America, a collaboration of scientists from all industries.
The Camera said the building has been relatively unused since employees began working from home more at the onset of the pandemic. Boulder Housing Partners bought the building back in 2022 for $10.3 million.
The project will add 113 new permanently affordable housing units. Those units are required to be deed-restricted, meaning they stay affordable for people making no more than a certain percentage of the area’s median income.
Boulder’s Planning Board held a public hearing for the project on May 7 and unanimously recommended approving the site.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Boulder considers limits on legal THC content
The City of Boulder’s Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board will consider a measure to limit maximum THC content.
On August 5th, the Board will review a policy recommendation to ban cannabis concentrates, though its authority to implement a ban is uncertain.
As reported by the Boulder Reporting Lab, parents, teachers and health care workers are concerned about the effects of high THC products on youth.
The last meeting of the board included an update from the Cannabis Research & Policy Project, including the latest information on high potency marijuana and THC concentrates.
At the state level, there have been attempts to regulate THC potency. Legislation was introduced back in 2021 to cap potencies at 15%. None of the potency regulations became law. However, restrictions did eventually pass regarding how Coloradans under 21 could get access to medical cannabis.
Wildfire near twin lakes
A wildfire burning in the Interlaken Historic District near Twin Lakes grew to 443 acres and prompted evacuation orders yesterday.
According to the Denver Post, the fire grew from 164 acres Tuesday evening to 443 acres by 8:45 p.m. last night.
The fire was started by an abandoned campfire about 60 yards from the Interlaken trail, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Fire officials believe the campfire was not properly extinguished, and left burning for several days before sparking the wildfire.
Four helicopters, at least one air tanker and 135 fire personnel are currently fighting the fire, agency officials said Wednesday afternoon.
The U.S. forest service is currently trying to calm the flames, but as of last night the fire had not been contained. No historic structures were burned as of 11 a.m.
Camping is prohibited on the east side of Twin Lakes, as well as around the Interlaken trailhead, until further notice.
First all-female climbing route established in Boulder
Rock climbing legend Lynn Hill and partner Sasha DiGiulian have completed a new route on the Maiden formation in the Flatirons.
Hill and DiGiulian’s successful effort marks the first all-female team to pioneer a new route in the area.
The Maiden is a distinct pillar of sandstone visible just west of South Boulder, and Hill and DiGiulian named the three-pitch route The Queen Line. It’s rated 5.13 – which is considered an advanced climb that requires experience and strength. The duo initially faced some opposition for needing to drill bolts into the rock. Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks eventually issued the permit on the second application.
A film crew documented the effort over the last four years, which included DiGiulian overcoming major physical struggles. The documentary, titled Here To Climb, premiered in Denver last Friday and will begin streaming on HBO Max on June 18.
Boulder Municipal Airport’s fate on fall ballot
Two citizen-initiated ballot measures about the future of the Boulder Municipal Airport will likely make their way onto the ballot this fall.
Both the “Repurpose Our Runways” and “Runways to Neighborhoods” ballot measures have exceeded the number of signatures required to qualify for the November 2024 ballot.
Both measures seek to close down the Boulder airport, and turn the area into a neighborhood.
