What's Changing in Firestone in 2026: Four Updates Barefoot Lakes Residents Should Know
From a new economic development hire to a reset at Central Park, four separate moves are reshaping how Firestone operates this year — here is a plain-facts roundup, and what each one means close to home.
By Laura Owen
Four separate stories have moved through Firestone's Town Hall this spring — a personnel hire, a parks project, a water resolution, and a paving contract. Individually small, together they sketch a town reworking how it operates in 2026. None of them requires a Barefoot Lakes resident to act today, but all four are worth a few minutes. Here is the plain version of each, and what it means close to home.
A dedicated Economic Development Director
Firestone has brought on Julie Jacoby as its Director of Economic Development. Jacoby comes from the City of Thornton, where she worked in that city's economic development office, and she holds the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) credential. The role is squarely about commercial growth — recruiting retailers, restaurants, and employers, and guiding site selection for new business.
What this means for Barefoot residents: a town that staffs economic development seriously is signaling it wants more shopping, dining, and jobs inside its own borders, rather than sending residents to Longmont or Loveland for them. That is a slow process measured in years, not weeks, but it is the town function most directly tied to what eventually opens near Barefoot Lakes.
Central Park: the stadium plan is out, a new scope is in
Central Park is the Town's 252-acre property near Town Hall and the Carbon Valley Regional Library — a site Firestone has owned since 2005 and tried to develop for roughly two decades. In 2025 the Town signed a pre-development agreement with the United Soccer League and Card & Associates to study a stadium-anchored sports and entertainment district. That changed this winter. Following the February 18, 2026 Board of Trustees meeting, the Interim Town Manager was directed to terminate the agreement with the USL. The Town is still working with Card & Associates to define a new agreement and refine the project's scope and phasing.
What this means for Barefoot residents: the largest planned town amenity is being re-scoped, not abandoned. The professional-soccer concept is off the table, and a more measured mixed-use plan — gathering space, recreation, dining, and retail — is being shaped. Expect a longer timeline and quieter headlines.
Stage 1 drought restrictions are now in effect
On April 15, 2026, the Board of Trustees approved Resolution 26-34, declaring Stage 1 drought conditions and placing mandatory watering restrictions on Town of Firestone water customers through the end of the year. The schedule runs on even and odd addresses, with watering limited to the hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
What this means for Barefoot residents: here is the catch — Barefoot Lakes is served by the Little Thompson Water District, not the Town, so the Firestone even/odd schedule does not apply to the neighborhood. Little Thompson has its own Water Shortage Watch and its own watering days. We covered that difference in detail in a separate article; the short version is to check your water bill to confirm which provider's rules are actually yours.
Summer road work, mostly overnight
The Town approved its 2026 street maintenance program with contractor A1, covering resurfacing, mill-and-overlay, and patching. Work began in February and continues through the summer, weather permitting, with most of it scheduled overnight between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to limit daytime disruption. According to the Town's published maintenance information, the work reaches across Firestone Boulevard, Jake Jabs Boulevard, Birch Street (CR 11), and a set of county roads including CR 26, CR 9.5 along the I-25 frontage, and CR 19.
What this means for Barefoot residents: because crews work overnight, the daytime commute effect should be modest, but expect occasional lane shifts and detours on main routes through the season — including stretches near the I-25 frontage that Barefoot drivers use often. The Town's Streets & Street Maintenance page lists current segments and is worth a quick check before a long drive.
The takeaway
None of these four moves demands action from a Barefoot Lakes household this week, but together they show a town adjusting several dials at once. The practical habit worth building is simple: when you want the real status of any of them, go to the source. The Town keeps current pages for Central Park and water conditions, and the Firestone Voice Newsletter is the easiest way to get updates without hunting for them.
I have lived in Carbon Valley for years and keep close track of what the Town is doing, because it shapes daily life at Barefoot Lakes — the drive, the water bill, the amenities, and what opens nearby. If you are considering a move to the area and want a grounded read on where Firestone is headed, I am always glad to talk it through.
Laura Owen, The Owen Group at RE/MAX Momentum. Licensed in Colorado.