Boulder County, the City of Lafayette, and the City of Louisville have closed on the deal to acquire the majority of the Mayhoffer family farm (located at the intersection of South 95th Street and Empire Road between Lafayette and Louisville) for open space. (See map) With the contract finalized, elected officials from the three partnering county and municipal entities expressed their appreciation and enthusiasm over acquiring the long-sought-after Mayhoffer property which will set aside a significant tract of open space in the southeast region of Boulder County.
“Boulder County and its partners have long wanted to see this family farm preserved as open space,” said Chair of the Board of Boulder County Commissioners Deb Gardner. “We’re pleased to finally be able to protect this Centennial Farm, continue the property’s agriculture use, and provide generations to come with an opportunity to visit this special place and understand its importance as an agricultural and natural buffer between two unique cities in the heart of Boulder County. Boulder County is also pleased to have had this opportunity to partner with the Mayhoffer family and the Cities of Lafayette and Louisville to accomplish such a mutually beneficial open space goal.”
“The Mayhoffer property has been on the City of Lafayette’s priority list for over two decades,” stated Lafayette Mayor Christine Berg. “We’re grateful for the good working relationship and collaboration we have with our Boulder County and Louisville neighbors. It’s very rewarding to now have this opportunity to preserve historical farmland, bring new open space and recreational areas to the community, provide ADA access to the regional trail system, and utilize the property as a community buffer.”
“The acquisition of the Mayhoffer property is the result of a successful partnership with the City of Louisville, Boulder County and the City of Lafayette,” said Louisville Mayor Bob Muckle. “This 200-acre parcel will be a great asset to the community, serving as a tribute to our agricultural heritage. It is also the key final piece in the open space buffer we’ve been building on the eastern edge of Louisville for 25 years. We’re thankful to our partners and to the Mayhoffer family for their stewardship of the property and will endeavor to honor that stewardship in our management of the land.”
Details
The Mayhoffer Farm is bordered by the Harney Lastoka open space on the north and the AdlerFingru open space on the east. As part of the deal, the county and cities acquired fee title ownership (with intact mineral rights) of 165 acres, which comprises most of the agricultural land of the property. Additional conservation easements and restrictions on development of the three residential lots that remain in Mayhoffer family ownership made up the remainder of the purchase.
The property has long been valued as a land buffer between the communities of Lafayette and Louisville. Additionally, the parcel's historic, agricultural, recreational, and other open space attributes have always made the parcel a high priority open space acquisition. The final purchase price was $8,255,789. Boulder County paid fifty percent of the total price, and the Cities of Lafayette and Louisville each paid twenty-five percent.
As part of the deal, the county, the cities, and the Mayhoffers have agreed not to develop the mineral rights under the property. As a result, the property is protected from future oil, gas, or mineral extraction and development activities.