Two separate prospective buyers looked into building a single-family home on the same residential property in the Town of Larkspur. The town's building and development summary, updated Sept. 1, 2026, records the same answer for both: "Advised of temporary pause on land use applications." On that list they sit next to a proposed coffee shop and a proposed wedding venue.
If you're buying land or a small commercial building inside town limits this fall, or planning to add on to a home you already own, start with one question. Will my plan send more wastewater to the Town of Larkspur's system? Zoning, price, and views come after that. If the answer is yes, the project may have to wait.
What the town passed, in its own words
On Sept. 3, 2026, the Larkspur Town Council passed Ordinance 2026-04 by a 5–0 vote, with two members absent, according to the council's minutes. In the Planning Commission's Sept. 8 minutes it carries the title "An Emergency Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on the Submission, Acceptance, Processing and Approval of Applications Impacting Wastewater System of the Town."
The town's public statement on the moratorium explains what is covered:
"...a temporary, 6-month moratorium on the submission, acceptance, processing, and approval of any application that would result in an increase in the amount or rate of wastewater delivered to the Town system."
The statement also gives the reason. The town is planning maintenance to make its aging wastewater system run more efficiently, and it wants reliable data on how the system performs at current usage while that work happens. The town says the system "is currently functioning well" and calls the maintenance proactive. Read it as a calm, scheduled pause. Nothing has broken.
The pause covers submission and acceptance as well as approval. Under its own wording, applications that add flow don't enter the town's process at all for now, so there's no spot in line to save.
The queue is already forming
The town's development summary shows what that looks like.
| Proposed project | Area | Status on the town's summary |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee shop, bakery and residential use | Spruce Mountain Road | Advised of temporary pause on land use applications |
| Frink House outdoor wedding venue | Spruce Mountain Road | Advised of temporary pause |
| Office and wildfire restoration equipment storage | Plum Creek Avenue | Advised of temporary pause |
| Single-family home, two separate prospective buyers | Residential property in town | Advised of temporary pause |
| Sage Stone Assisted Living Facility | Lot B3A | PD Guide approved; exploring wastewater options |
| JS Landscaping water and sewer taps, new driveway | Spruce Mountain Road | Awaiting application |
| Sage & Silo Micro Resort | Perry Park Avenue | Planning to connect to Town water |
Sage Stone shows how far a project can get and still stop. Its Planned Development plan went through a Planning Commission public hearing on June 30, 2026, and the commission voted 4–0 to recommend it to Town Council. By Sept. 8, staff said the next step, the site plan process, "is on hold due to the Town's Wastewater System." Having an approved land use plan didn't keep the next step moving.
At that Sept. 8 meeting, town staff said there were "no active applications or developments in the system" at the time, according to the Planning Commission minutes. The Oct. 1 Town Council minutes put it in one line: "Development activity remains limited by the moratorium."
The permit log shows a different kind of work
The same summary lists recent building permits in town. Most are repair and replacement work: window replacements, a new electrical panel, furnace and AC replacements, several reroofs including a metal roof on Perry Park Avenue, a carport, a deck roof cover, the interior finish of a commercial garage, and an electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit for an art studio. None of them is a new building or a new business.
The contrast points to the question a buyer can actually use. The town's public statement frames the pause around whether an application would increase wastewater. Two parcels next to each other can be very different purchases right now, depending on what the next owner wants to do. Keeping an existing building as it is would be a different conversation with the town than building on vacant land, opening a business with restrooms or a kitchen, or converting a building to a use with more fixtures. The projects in the table above are of that second kind.
Whether a particular plan falls under the pause is the town's call under the ordinance text, and your attorney can help you read it. The town's public statement gives its number as (303) 681-2324 and links to the Town Council ordinances page, where Ordinance 2026-04 is posted.
A Larkspur address doesn't tell you who treats the wastewater
The moratorium covers the Town of Larkspur's system. Plenty of properties with a Larkspur mailing address aren't on it.
Perry Park Water & Sanitation District is its own water and wastewater provider, serving roughly 1,600 customers within its service boundary. The district treats wastewater at two plants it owns and operates, Waucondah and Sageport. The town's moratorium covers flow to the town's system, so for a lot inside the district's boundary, ask the district about its own rules.
Other properties have no sewer connection at all. In September, the Town Council discussed three properties on Perry Park Avenue seeking town water service, one under an annexation agreement and two outside town limits. The Sept. 17 council minutes say they "would remain on septic because they are more than 400 feet from the sewer main." That's a finding about those three parcels. Don't read it as a town-wide distance rule. It does show that one road can have town water, town sewer, and septic within a short drive.
Septic isn't automatically a way around the pause either. At the Sept. 8 Planning Commission meeting, one commissioner raised not accepting any projects that would include septic tanks, and the rest of the commission agreed. That was discussion at a meeting. It isn't an adopted rule, but it shows how the commission is leaning. For septic properties outside town review, the Douglas County Health Department's septic Use Permit page says a Use Permit is required for "any addition of bedrooms." A bedroom addition on a septic lot has its own review, whether or not the town is involved.
What's happening at the ponds
The moratorium is tied to work at the town's wastewater ponds, so that work is the best sign of when it might end. At the Sept. 17 Town Council meeting, staff reported that a firm called Denali had taken a sludge sample from the ponds for lab analysis. The results will decide whether the material can be handled as soil or has to be managed as biosolids at a certified facility. Staff said they were pushing the evaluation forward before winter. The town had also been invited, along with nearby small communities and Representative Brandi Bradley, to talks about possible state grants for water and wastewater projects. By Oct. 1, the council's update on the wastewater treatment facility said, "Bids will be brought to Council when available."
On timing, town staff told the Planning Commission the hold is six months for now but "could change and be lifted if there's a solution, or the Council could extend if needed." Six months from a Sept. 3 adoption lands around early March 2027. Treat that as an estimate, not a deadline. Two public meetings are on the town calendar: a Water & Sewer Board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5:30 p.m., and a public hearing to amend the 2026 budget on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m.
What to ask before going under contract
The pause turns a few routine due-diligence items into the ones that decide the deal:
- Who handles this parcel's wastewater? Town of Larkspur, Perry Park Water & Sanitation District, or a septic system. Get the answer from the provider, not the listing.
- Would the town treat my plan as adding flow? New homes, food service, event venues, and new commercial uses are the kinds of projects on the town's paused list. Ask Town Hall about your specific plan.
- How far is the nearest sewer main? The September minutes show that distance can decide whether a property stays on septic.
- What will connection cost when the pause lifts? The fee schedule in Larkspur's Ordinance 7.86, passed in August 2019, lists a wastewater tap fee of $7,000 per EQR or fraction thereof and a $24 monthly service fee per EQR. Water taps run from $8,000 for a ¾-inch connection to $227,200 for a 4-inch. Those figures are from 2019, so confirm current amounts with the town.
- Does my contract timeline match the town's? If your plan depends on an application the town isn't accepting right now, your inspection and due-diligence deadlines need to reflect that.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Have your attorney, lender, and the Town of Larkspur confirm how Ordinance 2026-04 applies to your property.
Quick answers
Does the moratorium stop me from selling a house that's already connected? The town's statement covers applications that would increase wastewater delivered to the town system. It doesn't mention ownership changes. If the buyer plans to add on or change the use, ask Town Hall before you list.
Can I still remodel? The town's recent permits include reroofs, window replacements, and furnace and AC swaps. If your remodel adds bedrooms, bathrooms, or a new use, call the town before you plan around it.
Is Perry Park covered? Perry Park Water & Sanitation District runs its own treatment plants. Ask the district directly about service to a specific lot.
When does it end? It was adopted as a six-month pause. The council can lift it early or extend it, and the town has said bids for the treatment facility work will come back to council when available.
When I look at land, I start with water, sewer, access, and title, and right now in Larkspur the sewer question comes first. If you have a lot, a building, or an addition in mind inside town limits, let's find out who treats that parcel's wastewater and what the town says about your plans before you commit. Jena Vail is happy to walk the property and make those calls with you. Let's Connect.
