BOULDER - The Boulder County Commissioners are scheduled to meet tonight to discuss a revised proposal to discourage large homes built in unincorporated Boulder County.

Commissioners Will Toor, Ben Pearlman and Cindy Demenico will meet at 5 p.m. on the third floor of the Boulder County Courthouse at 1325 Pearl St. in Boulder. The meeting is open to public comments.

The commissioners will discuss recommendations to the proposed ordinance issued by the Boulder County Planning Commission on June 20.

The planning commission suggested that property owners who want to build a large home should have the option of building green rather than buying extra development right credits. It also loosened some of the original size thresholds.
Their proposed changes include:

- Eliminating the size threshold differences between the plains and mountains.

- Eliminating basement space from the calculation of a home's total square feet.

- Allowing a 500-square-foot garage credit.

- Allowing development rights (one for every single building lot) to be divided into 10 development credits, rather than four.

The planning commission also recommended changing the size thresholds and options for those who want to build larger homes. These include:

- For homes 2,600 to 3,599 square feet, owners would have three options: meeting green-building standards, a deed restricting the property to not exceed the current development or buying development right credits.

- For homes 3,600 to 4,599 square feet, owners would have the option of meeting green-building standards or buying development right credits.

- For homes 4,600 to 7,999 square feet, owners would have to buy development right credits.

- For homes more than 8,000 square feet, owners would have to buy development right credits and go through a special review process.

If the commissioners agree tonight to the planning commission's recommendations, the land-use department would start formulating an official draft for a later vote. If the commissioners' proposals are remarkably different than the planning commission's, the draft will be returned to the planning commission for a second hearing.

Downtown Boulder hosts its annual pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 12, on the 1300 block of the Pearl Street Mall. The event is a special memorial to honor Tom Eldridge, former owner of Tom's Tavern. There will be pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee and juice. Also, proceeds from Kidlinks Golf Tournament will be presented to the Boulder Community Hospital Kidlinks Program. The deadline to register is Tuesday, July 10. Contact info@dbi.org or 303-449-3774.

Colorado Multisport and Sports Garage hosts a book launch from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 12, at 2705 Spruce St. in Boulder. Master framebuilder, bike technician and author Lennard Zinn presents his new book, "Zinn & the Art of Triathlon Bikes: Aerodynamics, Bike Fit, Speed Tuning and Maintenance." The event is free. For more information, visit www.coloradomultisport.com or call 303-473-0033.

BOULDER -Carrier Access Corp. (Nasdaq: CACS) will restructure the company "to better align expenses with current revenues," according to its preliminary earnings statement for the second quarter.

The restructuring plan includes consolidation of management positions and accelerated research and development transition to Carrier Access' Shanghai development center.

Carrier Access co-founders Chief Executive Officer Roger Koenig and Corporate Development Officer Nancy Pierce both have voluntarily declined to take salaries except for medical benefits.

Based upon preliminary unaudited results, revenue for the quarter for the Boulder-based provider of network access equipment is expected to range from $7.5 million to $7.7 million compared with sales of $24.9 million in the year-ago quarter. Basic and diluted loss per share for the quarter is expected to range from 32 cents to 36 cents.

LAFAYETTE - Chase Bank plans to open a new branch in Lafayette by mid-November.

The new freestanding branch on the northeast corner of Arapahoe Road and 95th Street will be the New York-based bank's 11th full-service location in the Boulder Valley.

Rock Stottler has been named the branch manager for the new Lafayette location.

Lobby hours will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Drive-up hours will be Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

BOULDER - Bolder Staffing Inc. has added a Direct Hire Division that will focus on providing candidates for permanent, full-time jobs in management, professional and technical positions.

Tami Palmer will head the division for the staffing agency that has offices in Boulder and Broomfield. She most recently managed staffing operations for a 450-person global high-tech manufacturer where she recruited and hired employees ranging from software engineers to accounting professionals to outside sales representatives.

The division will specialize in mid-high level positions to fill openings ranging from analysts and program managers to directors and vice presidents in a variety of industries.

Bolder Staffing will continue to provide temporary and temporary-to-hire staff.

BOULDER - Efficas Inc. is introducing a berry-flavored food supplement that is intended to reduce allergy and asthma symptoms.

The Boulder-based health science and technology development company launched Efficas Care, a nonprescription thick liquid that can be taken separately, or mixed with beverages or food. It has been clinically proven to inhibit the production of leukotrienes - inflammatory substances produced by the body that cause allergy and asthma symptoms such as sinus congestion, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

The product is the first nutritional therapeutic approach to reduce leukotriene production, according to a company press release. Efficas Care comes in a box of 28 packets for $39.95. It is available online at www.efficas.com or by calling the company at 866-446-0388. A spokeswoman said the company is in the process of bottling the product for sales in stores.

"We are thrilled to offer asthma and allergy sufferers a safe and effective medical food, with no clinically significant side effects, as an option for the dietary management of their symptoms," said Mark A. Braman, Efficas' president and chief executive, in a statement.

Efficas has added more than 40 pages dedicated to asthma and allergy sufferers on its Web site.