In a lengthy meeting of the Estes Park Town Board on Tuesday, Trustees approved a nearly 1,200-page 2026 Water Master Plan that will unfold over the next two decades to address a growing crisis of aging infrastructure and limited backup capacity while mapping out tens of millions of dollars in water system improvements through 2045.
The plan, with a price tag exceeding $100 million, aims to secure the utility’s future and ensure resilience against major threats like droughts, floods, and wildfires. Presenting to the board, water officials stressed a “sense of urgency,” noting that the town’s current facilities were built in the 1970s and 1990s under different standards and are rapidly approaching the end of their operational lifespans.
The plan indicates that staff members are currently conducting rate studies to determine how much outside funding and water rate increases will be needed to implement it. Now that the plan has officially been approved, staff is finalizing projected costs and will return later this year to hold two public hearings and provide specific rate recommendations before the plan is approved.
With no public comment at the meeting, trustees acknowledged that they expect more public debate when they face the possibility of increased water rates. Staff and trustees agreed that updating the treatment plants is a priority because the facilities cannot operate independently year-round.
“Somehow I think we need to make sure that we have an awful lot of citizens and residents who understand that sense of urgency,” Mayor Gary Hall said.
Wildfire resiliency code
Trustees also approved the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code with local amendments in compliance with a state mandate requiring municipalities in Colorado to adopt it by July 1. A map presented during the meeting showed that all of the Estes Valley is classified as having moderate to extreme wildfire risk, requiring stricter wildfire prevention measures.
The new wildfire resiliency code applies strictly to new construction and significant renovations. It is not retroactive and will not affect legally existing homes or minor aesthetic upgrades, such as painting or interior remodeling.
Local amendments, modeled after Larimer County standards, emphasize Class A roofing, non-combustible materials, and vent screening, with an emphasis on defensible space reviews conducted by the Fire District.
Although the state required adoption by July, the board questioned aspects of the code update before approving it. Trustee Mark Igel raised concerns about the costs of the regulations, expressing concerns for taxpayers and the potential loss of some of the area’s historic trees.
However, Division Chief of the EVFPD Jon Landkamer said, “Every dollar spent on mitigation is worth six in recovery,” emphasizing the need to prevent fire risks before they become dangerous.
440 Valley Road rezoning approved
After a lengthy process of disputing errors, attempting to correct past bureaucratic mistakes in townwide rezonings, holding public hearings, and gathering signatures, the owners of the property at 440 Valley Road finally had their rezoning request from RM (multi-family residential) to A-1 (accommodations, low intensity) approved on Tuesday night.
The request was originally brought to the board in January with little to no controversy, but was denied on the basis of Ballot Initiative 300, now Ordinance 11-25, due to what the owners said was a lack of notification that their property’s rezone was subject to the new ordinance’s guidelines.
After their January denial, the owners began gathering signatures from two-thirds of the neighbors within 500 feet of the property to approve the rezone. The signatures were submitted to the town in February, and the owners said gathering them would not have been possible without neighborhood help in finding property owners in town and across the country.
After 73 percent of the neighbors’ signatures were gathered, the owners had to resubmit their rezoning request and start the process over. Now, six months later, the request has finally been approved, and the zoning aligns with the property’s use.
In separate actions, the board also appointed Trustees Frank Lancaster and Igel to an interview committee for three open seats on the Estes Park Housing Authority board, approved a contract renewal with Cervi Championship Rodeo for the 2026 Rooftop Rodeo Stock Contracting, and liquor licenses for the Historic Crags Lodge and Mountain Berry Bakery.
Applications for volunteer seats on the EPHA board are due on July 13.