Lochbuie Town Board approves agreement with Hudson

HUDSON & LOCHBUIE — The agreement that will settle litigation between the towns of Hudson and Lochbuie over annexations is one step closer to becoming reality.

The Lochbuie Town Board on Tuesday signed off on the agreement — which calls for joint and cooperative planning as well as delineating which town is entitled to which annexations to collect tax revenue off the planned BNSF Railway Co. intermodal facility and logistics park.

The matter goes before the Hudson Town Board tonight.

“Today marks a significant step forward for our community as we finalize the joint planning agreement with our neighbors in Hudson,”  Lochbuie mayor Jamie Jeffrey said in a prepared statement. “This agreement is a testament to our shared commitment to responsible growth, regional collaboration, and preserving the unique character of both our communities.

“The joint planning agreement sets a clear framework for future development, ensuring that we can effectively manage land use, infrastructure, and community services. It represents a balanced approach that benefits both our towns by preventing overlap and encouraging cohesive development strategies.

“I want to thank the leadership teams in both communities for their partnership and dedication throughout this process. This agreement will provide long-term stability and foster stronger inter-municipal relationships, making both our communities more vibrant, sustainable, and resilient for generations to come.

 “We look forward to continued collaboration as we implement this agreement and work together on shared opportunities that benefit our residents,” she wrote.

The agreement calls for each town to drop litigation over overlapping lawsuits as soon as they both adopt the agreement.

BNSF has planned an intermodal facility that would allow for transfer of freight between trucks and railroad cars, as well as an adjacent logistics park that could accommodate 20 million square feet of development on a total of 2,400 acres off Interstate 76 between Hudson and Lochbuie, east of Denver. The railroad has an existing relationship with Hudson over the separate Logistics Center Hudson, a 430-acre development on Hudson’s north side.

But BNSF applied to Lochbuie for annexation of the intermodal facility, and Hudson and Lochbuie both initiated annexation proceedings for other parcels around the planned development.  Some of the annexations overlapped in terms of rights of way, leading to annexation litigation for the past several months.

A major part of the agreement calls for Lochbuie to pay Hudson a one-time fee of up to $250,000 once BNSF pays $1 million in taxes to Lochbuie “for the adverse impacts caused by the BNSF project.”  The agreement also calls for an annual 50-50 cost-sharing on the maintenance of a traffic signal at Weld County Roads 8 and 45, and annual road maintenance.

Hudson town administrator Bryce Lange declined to comment on the settlement earlier this week before his town boards could discuss the matter. AJ Euckert deferred his comments to Jeffrey.