Boulder County delays decision on Riverside Cabins permit revocation
Commissioners continued the case to Jan. 7 after staff cited alleged premature operations and incomplete permits; a Lyons fire marshal said fire-code concerns had been addressed.
Boulder County commissioners continued a hearing Aug. 20 on whether to revoke Riverside Cabins’ resort-lodge permit, delaying a decision until Jan. 7, 2027, at 1 p.m.
The case involves Special Use Permit SU-23-0013 for four properties on North St. Vrain Drive. The county approved the resort-lodge use in January under Resolution 2026-010, subject to 15 conditions. The meeting packet identifies Rockmont Investments LLC and Flatirons IRA LLC as the owners.
County planning staff recommended revocation, saying the owners allowed lodging and events before completing the conditions. Staff said guests stayed at the property during the last weekend of July, coinciding with the RockyGrass Festival, despite warnings that continued operation could lead to revocation.
Staff said six heating-equipment permits remained open and that the required Wildfire Partners certification for rentals was incomplete. A development agreement was not recorded until June 18, staff said, and a landscape and revegetation plan did not establish that all required work was complete. The county also had not conducted its own safety inspection, staff said.
Staff cited unresolved fire-safety and heating concerns from a Lions Fire report, including potentially improper propane-range installation and appliance venting, a basement bedroom in the lodge and portable electric heaters in rooms.
But Steve Pishky, identified in the Aug. 20 hearing record as the fire marshal for “Lions Fire,” said the department had found “a number of fire code violations” but that the owners had done an “excellent job” addressing them. He said fire-safety items identified by the department had been completed, while two issues remained inadequately addressed under mechanical or building codes and were better handled by the county. He also said county officials did not attend the final inspection.
The owner’s representative, Micah Cole, said a zoning hold prevented work on the building permits until the development agreement was recorded and the hold was lifted June 24. He said the website was taken offline, short-term lodging stopped and previously disclosed June and July events were allowed to proceed after he received no response to a request for relief. Cole said there were no active reservations after those events. He also said the fire department conducted and passed a final inspection Aug. 5.
The fire marshal’s testimony supported the owners’ account of the fire-code work but did not establish that the county’s building permits or other land-use conditions were complete. Commissioners and staff said the resort-lodge use could not resume until all conditions were completed, satisfactory evidence was submitted and Community Planning and Permitting provided written confirmation.
The approval limits occupancy to 28 guests unless septic upgrades allow up to 34 and prohibits fire pits, gas grills and other open flames. The hearing record says existing fire pits had been decommissioned.
The two participating commissioners approved the continuance by voice vote; Commissioner Stolzman was excused. The Jan. 7 hearing is scheduled to determine whether the permit should ultimately be revoked.