Boulder County buys Loukonen-Dairy Farm for $16.7M

BOULDER — Boulder County finalized a deal this week to purchase the Loukonen-Dairy Farm, a 606-acre farm and wildlife habitat on Foothills Parkway north of Boulder, for $16.7 million.

In addition to the property, which will be protected from future development, the county received 560 shares of Left Hand Ditch Company water rights and 3.5 shares of Lake Ditch rights.

“Boulder County has worked determinedly for nearly 10 years to complete the purchase of the Loukonen property,” Boulder County Commissioner Elise Jones said in a prepared statement. “With this final parcel in place, we can now connect previously acquired open space and ensure this area of high biodiversity significance is fully protected from future development.”

The seller was Loukonen Family LLC, an entity formed by Michael Loukonen, according to Boulder County public records.

Six Loukonen siblings each retained a house lot on the Loukonen-Dairy Farm property, and the family is also keeping two agricultural lots. In total, the Loukonens will retain about 200 acres.

County leaders say the property would have been sold to a residential developer had taxpayers not stepped in to purchase and preserve the land.

“Not only has acquiring the Loukonen-Dairy Farm property meant protecting the land in perpetuity as natural habitat, but by safeguarding it from future development, the county has preserved the scenic views of this highly visible parcel of land and allowed for the continued public enjoyment of a wide variety of native plants and foothills shrubs which enhance the beauty of this area,” Boulder County Commissioner Deb Gardner said in a statement.

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