Town linking Boulder, Weld makes oil, environment meld
ERIE — A town standing with its feet in two worlds, part in Boulder County and part in Weld County, Erie is positioned at the forefront of battles between energy producers, homebuilders, environmentalists and agribusiness. It’s a challenging tightrope to walk, but Erie often makes it work.
An example is the Erie Planning Commission’s June approval of a third section to the 1,200-home Westerly project being developed by Tennessee-based Southern Land Co. Construction is ongoing on the first and second phases. The third filing includes 114 duplexes, 25 townhomes and 122 single-family lots, but several of the lots lie within a 2,000-foot setback from a proposed large multi-well oil and gas pad to the southeast of the property that is undergoing state review.
According to David Frank, Erie’s director of environmental services, “the applicant voluntarily has agreed not to seek occupancy permits until the facility is completely in production, and when there is no more drilling on site, or until three years after the issuance of the state permit. This is a great compromise. … I wish others were as thoughtful with public health and safety in this part of DJ Basin, when you have both residential and oil and gas development occurring.”
Considerations like that make Erie an extremely attractive area for growth, with new retail, industrial and residential projects abounding — but with an ever-sharper focus on sustainability and diversity in all those sectors.
Erie, first settled in 1867 and incorporated in 1874 as a coal-mining town, is situated in the heart of Colorado’s major economic and population hubs.
Only 1,254 people lived in Erie in 1980. Today, its population tops 30,000 — a 66% increase in the past 10 years alone — and the new residents just keep coming.
Erie has committed to creating more affordable housing units. The Gateway development, along Interstate 25 just north of the Erie Parkway interchange, intends to bring in housing that supporters say almost anyone could afford, along with jobs, multimodal transit, open space and more. In March, the town received a $1 million grant from the state Department of Local Affairs for the Cheesman Affordable Homeownership Development, a public-private partnership between Erie and Vertikal Development Co. for 35 new income-restricted homes at the northeast corner of Cheesman Street and County Line Road.
New developments also are sprouting along Colorado Highway 7 at Sheridan Parkway, at “Nine Mile Corner” near U.S. Highway 287 and Arapahoe Road, and the Four Corners mixed-use development at County Line Road and Erie Parkway, where the town purchased land for the Town Center development.
Zelios Colorado LLC combines Weld’s ag heritage with Boulder’s green culture by separating CBD and other cannabinoids from hemp plants. The town also plans to provide 25 publicly available electric-vehicle charging stations by 2025 and partners with the nonprofit Being Better Neighbors for Juneteenth and Pride celebrations.
Erie’s commitment to sustainability includes a town-wide interconnecting trail system, a water-saving irrigation system in its public parks and a thermal solar system installation at the Erie Community Center.
Located just west of Interstate 25 and with quick access to Denver International Airport via the E-470 tollway, Erie boasts a 20,000-square-foot library, new schools and scenic trails.