Short-Term Vacation Rentals Informal Public Hearing

Monday, Jan. 30 | 7 to 9 PM | Lyons Town Hall Board Room

The Planning & Community Development Commission (PCDC) invites the community to participate in an informal public hearing focused on Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) in Lyons.

STVRs refers to the lodging service established by sites like AirBnB, VRBO, etc. Creating regulations for STVRs is a new venture - an emerging topic for many municipalities across the county. According to current code, STVRs in residential zoning districts in Lyons should not be allowed unless approved as a Bed & Breakfast through a conditional use review. This regulation has not been enforced since code updates are needed. However, the PCDC is interested in making recommendations to the BOT that would make STVRs legal while also providing stipulations to maintain the character of Lyons neighborhoods.

Before those decisions are made, the Commissioners would like to hear from residents who have an opinion on the topic or experience with STVRs. Please join us!

McConnell Bridge Update

FEMA has approved the 30% design of McConnell Bridge. The Town is now working with the design consultant to finalize the design and prepare the bid package for construction. Construction is anticipated to begin in late spring/early summer, for an estimated duration of six months.

During this time, McConnell bridge will be closed to all traffic. Please plan to use 2nd Avenue as an alternate route; the Town will provide additional detour information closer to construction beginning.

Radon Action Month

At the January 17, 2016 Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Sullivan signed a proclamation setting January 2017 as Lyons' Radon Action Month, to raise awareness and prevention of radon.

Radon is an invisible, odorless, radioactive gas that threatens the health of our citizens and their families, likely to be the leading environmental cause of cancer mortality in the U.S. and the 8th leading cause of cancer mortality overall. The Colorado Rocky Mountain Region has been ranked Zone 1, an area with the highest radon potential possible by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Local residential radon data has shown 54% of the Boulder County homes tested as being at or above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Radon Action Level of 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air).

Testing for radon is simple and inexpensive, and identified radon problems can be fixed. Boulder County Public Health, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Lung Association are supporting efforts to encourage Americans to test their homes for radon, have elevated levels of radon reduced, and have new homes built with radon-resistant features.

Find out more about radon, including resources for testing and eradication, at bouldercountyradon.org.

More Information on Radon in Boulder County >>

FEMA Sending Letters to Policyholders to Clearly
Communicate Flood Risk

via the Association of State Floodplain Managers

FEMA has now begun the next phase of implementation of Section 28, Clear Communication of Risk, of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, which requires the agency to clearly communicate full flood risk determinations to individual property owners.

To meet this requirement, the National Flood Insurance Program reviewed the flood risk and underwriting information for every flood insurance policy, and is writing to all NFIP policyholders to explain the current risk level for their property and the relation of the risk to their premium rates.

Starting January 2017, policyholders will begin receiving letters about two months after their policy renews. Policyholders who renewed policies in October 2016 through December 2016 will also receive their first mailing. FEMA will continue to mail the letter at each subsequent renewal.

Because policy information varies from one policy to the next, the letters encourage policyholders to contact their insurance agent to discuss their unique situation, or visit FEMA.gov/cost-of-flood to learn about their options.

All policyholders will eventually receive a letter upon the renewal of their policy. The NFIP has identified seven categories of policyholders to receive unique information based on their risk and current premium rates. The letters for each policyholder category are as follows:

·Letter A: Newly mapped into the Special Flood Hazard Area, or high risk flood zone
·Letter B: Standard X Zone (moderate risk), not grandfathered
·Letter C: Standard X Zone (moderate risk), grandfathered
·Letter D: Pre-FIRM subsidized, primary residences
·Letter E: Pre-FIRM subsidized, non-primary residences and businesses
·Letter F: Preferred Risk Policy (PRP)
·Letter G: Post-FIRM, full risk

Information for insurance agents, copies of each category of letter, details about what each letter means, and tips for how individual policyholders can lower their flood risk (and potentially their flood insurance premiums) can be found at FEMA.gov/cost-of-flood. Here is a PDF of a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

HFIAA requires gradual insurance rate increases for properties currently receiving artificially low (or subsidized) rates, rather than immediate full-risk rate increases. HFIAA requires increases to premiums for most subsidized properties of no less than 5 to 15 percent annually, but no more than 18 percent for an individual policyholder--with limited exceptions--until the premium reaches its full-risk insurance rate.

The information that NFIP policyholders will receive, will help them make the best decisions about their flood risk, including how to better prepare for flooding disasters in their community.

More Information on FEMA Letters: Flood Risk and Policy Options >>

"Be My Valentine" Dance

Saturday, Feb. 4 | 6 to 8 PM | Lyons Elementary School Gym

Parents, grab your dancing partners (ages 1 to 12), for an evening of Valentine's fun!
The evening begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Lyons Elementary School Gymnasium. Parent and child couples are $30; additional children are $15 each.

The Slippery Slope of Screen Time Registration >>

Click here to register for the "Be My Valentine" Dance

Flood-Impacted Home Owners are Eligible for Free Home Preparedness Assessments

via County of Boulder
The City of Boulder and Boulder County are participating in a new Home Preparedness Assessment Program. This pilot program provides flood-impacted single family and mobile home owners with a free in-home consultation aimed at enhancing personal resilience.
Participation in this program will include a consultation with a professional advisor who will identify actions and improvements to help homeowners prepare for and better respond to flood, fire, and drought. Cash rebates will be available to participants to help cover the costs of the suggested improvements. Some improvements may include things such as sump pump inspection and repair, roof and gutter evaluation, and more.

This program is first come, first served, with limited space of up to 100 participants throughout Boulder County. To qualify, homeowners must have been impacted by a flood event and have proper identification (i.e. state issued ID such as a driver’s license).

Interested individuals can sign up now for an assessment by filling out the form at www.ResilientTogether.org/home-preparedness-program/documents/212/download.

For more information, visit the program website at www.ResilientTogether.org/home-preparedness-program or contact program manager Ann Grodnik-Nagle at ann.grodnik@cbi.com or 303-741-7041.

www.ResilientTogether.org >>

Floodplain Mapping Project Stream Reach Specific Public Meetings

Jan. 31 and Feb. 14

Boulder County Transportation and the State of Colorado are hosting a series of public meetings to present draft floodplain maps for major stream corridors in unincorporated county from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Colorado Hazard Mapping Program (CHAMP).
These sessions are an opportunity for the public to review draft updated map information for locations in unincorporated Boulder County as listed for each meeting below. Locations outside of the defined map review areas for each meeting will not be discussed. Additional public meetings will be scheduled as map updates are received.

Public Meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 | 4 to 7 p.m.
Boulder County Clerk & Recorder’s Office

Houston Room, 1750 33rd St., Boulder CO 80301
**This meeting is cumulative and will include maps from each area already discussed:

Jan. 31 map areas
Jan. 19 map areas: Cabin Creek, North, Middle, and South St. Vrain Creek(s) from Hwy 72 to upper Longmont Dam Rd (North St. Vrain) & just upstream of Red Gulch Rd. (South St. Vrain)
Jan. 10 map areas: Fourmile Canyon Creek upstream of Wagonwheel Gap Rd., Dry Creek #2, New Dry Creek, and the Resilient St. Vrain study area (near 75th St. to East County Line Rd.)
Dec. 13 (2016) map areas: North and South St. Vrain creeks from downstream of Longmont Dam Road and just upstream of Red Gulch Road to Lyons and St. Vrain Creek from Lyons east to 75th St.

More Information on the C ounty’s Floodplain Remapping and Public Meetings >>