By Nicole Speer in Nicole's Notes — 02 Mar 2026

March 2, 2026

Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan draft and open house, affordable housing update, board and commission appointments, new series expands local history, climate lawsuit moves forward.

Thank you to Commissioner Marta Loachamin for organizing a tour of KGNU's new downtown home.

What's new?

The draft of the updated Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan will be released on Tuesday (March 3). All are welcome to attend the Community Open House at the Dairy Arts Center on March 10. Read more here.
The new History Matters series begins by celebrating the history of Second Baptist Church and Congregation and the Black families who helped shape Boulder's early community life. Read more here.
The city is beginning a major wildfire fuel reduction project on Tram Hill this month to protect critical infrastructure, facilitate first responder access, and reduce the severity and spread of any future wildfires. Read more here.

Upcoming Topics

Council will consider authorizing an airport pavement maintenance grant, adopting a framework for how the city would study possible future development in the Planning Reserve, and this year’s boards and commissions appointments.

The agenda also includes an affordable housing update I requested at the Council retreat. It summarizes current market conditions, progress toward the city’s affordability goals, and future housing needs tied to Boulder's shifting demographics.

Learn more about this week’s topics + upcoming items

Recent Decisions

At its February 19 meeting, Council annexed two city‑owned parcels near East Boulder Community Park and provided feedback on an early proposal to redevelop a storage site on East Pearl Street.

Learn more about recent decisions

Get engaged

Artists, venues, and organizers can RSVP by March 2 for an online marketing session to learn about how to make the most of Boulder Arts Week.
Businesses can join a virtual information and input session on the Transportation Maintenance Fee on March 3.
The community is invited an open house on March 10 to learn about the updated draft of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan.

Community kudos

Thank you to city staff for quickly containing the Bluebell Fire on Saturday, and for giving Council a very timely training on the city's disaster management strategies last week.
Thanks also to the city and county legal teams whose work has moved Boulder’s climate‑accountability case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

What I'm reading/listening to

Boulder’s virtual power plant pilot is on hold after federal funding cuts. (Boulder Reporting Lab)
The annual Black Futures in Art exhibition showcases the work of local Black artists and has become a key part of Boulder’s arts scene. (Daily Camera)
Estes Park converts former resort units into workforce housing and helps renters get financial benefits for on-time rent payments. (Colorado Sun)
Democratic legislators withhold records from a Vail retreat with industry lobbyists, saying they were acting in a private capacity. (Axios Denver)
A discussion of the U.S.–Israel strike on Iran, the regional fallout, and the political response unfolding in Washington. (The Muckrake Podcast)

Quote for the month

Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.

-Václav Havel, playwright, dissident, president

Community resources

Click here to find local financial and social assistance programs, report an issue, contact staff or Councilmembers, learn about grant opportunities, and more.