Louisville board ranks Coal Creek parcel first for open-space protection
The parcel scored 27 out of 30 in the board’s advisory ranking, though it already has a conservation easement; the board plans to revisit the list in 2027.
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Louisville’s Open Space Advisory Board unanimously adopted recommendations ranking a roughly 5-acre Coal Creek Business Park parcel first among potential open-space acquisitions, with a score of 27 out of 30. The ranking sets a priority for future consideration, not approval to buy the property. The board’s October 14 minutes note that the top-ranked parcel already has a conservation easement.
The board recommends preserving the parcel next to Coal Creek and the Coal Creek Trail for riparian habitat and as a buffer against nearby commercial development, despite its commercial-business zoning. The recommendation document lists scores based on a September 2025 field tour.
Two other properties tied at 26 points. For the approximately 34-acre 8600 Baseline Horse Property, the board recommends working with Lafayette and Boulder County to pursue a conservation easement. The proposal says that arrangement could potentially allow two homes on the property’s northwest edge. For a roughly 5-acre parcel southwest of GHX, the board recommends preserving connected open space and exploring a trail link or trailhead serving Davidson Mesa.
The recommendations rank the approximately 19-acre Centennial property at 25 points and a neighboring 6-acre parcel at 24. The board supports the smaller parcel only in conjunction with the larger one, not as a separate acquisition.
The board plans to revisit the list in late spring 2027, including how to treat properties that already have conservation easements and how the priorities could inform easement purchases or development decisions.