Pros/Cons to living right next to open space/trails? (Boulder: appointed, house)

[Look'inCO]

My family and I will be moving to the area soon and are looking for a house right now. There are several homes in Boulder and Louisville we will be looking at that abut green space/trails. Just wanted to know any cons living there? I can figure out some pros such as not having a house right behind you or being able to get on trails easily. Just wanted to get others thoughts who live there. Thanks!

[Idlewile]

Two negative things come to mind, one from my parents, the other from close friends, but that doesn't mean there aren't good things too. My parents has a real problem with mosquitoes and they even had professional sprayers come out. They were very disappointed they couldn't enjoy their pretty backyard as much as they would have liked. Our friends' issue was that their house backed to a trail and their dog was constantly nervous and barking with all the pedestrian/bike traffic on the other side of the fence.

[DressageRider]

Also, if you have pets, coyotes or mountain lions could be an issue.

[Look'inCO]

Thanks for the thoughts. We do have 2 golden retrievers and currently have coyotes in the field next to us (so far the retrievers have kept the coyotes away). Didn't think about mountain lions - good to know - are they around Louisville? Hadn't thought about mosquitos either - is there a reason they are worse near the open space?

Thanks again!

[Idlewile]

My parents were in Northern Broomfield and we have friends currently in Lafayette, both had/have mosquito issues and backed to open space. Could be that there is some type of water, somewhat close, in both areas. Although, the retaining pond in my parents' new development was not all that close, at least 100 yards away AND it was maintained and sprayed by the city on a regular basis. Other than that, the jury is still out.

[DressageRider]

Hmmm, I don't think there would be mountain lions in Louisville. But mountain lions and deer (which can be fierce to dogs when they feel threatened) could be an issue near Boulder.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by DressageRider

Hmmm, I don't think there would be mountain lions in Louisville. But mountain lions and deer (which can be fierce to dogs when they feel threatened) could be an issue near Boulder.

It may be hard to believe, but mountain lions have been reported in Louisville and other parts of eastern Boulder County.

From the official City of Lafayette (http://www.cityoflafayette.com/News.asp?NewsID=2182 - broken link) website:

Mountain Lions in the Lafayette Area

In previous years mountain lions have been seen several times in open space and park areas in Lafayette and Louisville.

What to do if you meet a mountain lion – While more commonly seen in the mountains and foothills, mountain lions are adaptable and can live on lands adjacent to cities as long as they have ample prey and places to rest and hunt. Mountain lions are primarily nocturnal so sightings are rare. Mountain lions are a part of our ecosystem, and as development increasingly abuts open space, encounters become more common. It is important to know what to do. . .

[DressageRider]

Originally Posted by suzco

It may be hard to believe, but mountain lions have been reported in Louisville and other parts of eastern Boulder County.

Yikes! Mountain lions freak me out. I think I would wet myself if I ran into one on a trail.

[jkcoop]

Apparently there's been one in Longmont was well:

Longmont Ledger

[Bradburn1]

Oh yes, look for prairie dogs. Look for them within 200 feet of the house you are interested in. If you don't mind pdogs in your yard and/or you have a dog in a fenced yard, not an issue. But, if you want to have a large, irrigated blue grass lawn within 200 feet of pdog holes in the open space, get ready for some headaches.

Prairie dogs are cute and fun (and smart) and open space is supposed to be for wildlife as well as people. Problems occur however, because pdogs do not have many natural predators (except plauge!) and their populations on open space quickly get out of hand and they will expand into any adjacent area. Grass is their primary diet and lawns to them are like an all you can eat buffet. They are very, very difficult to control if they move from open space to adjacent areas because if a homeowner tries to control them, they will just run to the open space and make faces at you. Barrier fences can mitigate some but will not work over time. Best to avoid the headache entirely.