April 16, 2015 VOLU M E 31 | I S SUE 42 | 5 0 ¢
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PICKING UP THE TAB
Public offered option to buy Applewood Golf Course
Rezoning process continues alongside $16 million proposal By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com Supporters of the Applewood Golf Course were given a way to keep the course from being turned into a housing development — if they can cover the bill. Scott Carlson, of the development company Carlson Associates, announced at a community meeting that, due to overwhelming public sentiment, his company would be willing to sell the property to a public entity, such as Prospect Recreation and Park District or Jeffco Open Space, with a price tag of $16 million. All the area studies and information Carlson has collected would be included in the price. “Prospect Parks requested
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WHEAT RIDGE TRANSCRIPT
time to investigate the process, and we’ve made a commitment to give the public purchasing right preeminence,” he told the crowd at the April 7 meeting at the Denver Marriott West. “We’re going to continue the rezoning process, but if Prospect or some other public entity decides to purchase the property, that takes precedence.” These parallel processes protect everyone’s rights, Carlson went on to say, while allowing any rezoning to be moot if the public purchases Applewood. This second meeting was held at Carlson’s request, though it was not required. The developers fulfilled their public meeting requirement with a March 3 meeting, even though it was closed early due to overcrowding. Supporters of the course — of whom nearly a thousand attended the meeting and several hundred were turned away because there was no room — have been eager to purchase the land since the proposed sale was first announced in February, but as several community members attested, this will be no easy task. “We accept Molson-Coors to make public ownership of the property a reality, but Coors did not meet with the community before entering into a development contract. They have also refused to act directly with us” said Brian Hansen, a resident and president of the Applewood Homeowners Association. “If this offer is made in good faith, we need them to ease the deadlines, delay the rezoning application and sit down with us and Carlson to discuss this.” Jim Zimmerman, chairman of Prospect’s board of directors, said his group is doing a due diligence investigation to determine what a fair market value of the golf course would be, and what the cost of maintaining it would look like. “We have a verbal offer to buy
Residents near Applewood Golf Course are eager to take ownership of the course, but it comes at a steep cost - $16 million. Photo by Clarke Reader the property at a non-negotiable amount of $16 million in cash, to be raised by November,” Zimmerman said, to audible gasps from the audience. “This is the amount Carlson will pay Coors on their option to purchase.” Zimmerman went on to say if the rezoning is approved, the only option for a public entity is to pay that amount, but he said if the rezoning fails, a cheaper price might be negotiable. This idea was something Carlson wanted to make very clear is no guarantee. “I want to caution everyone that us terminating the option would not lead to a lower price. Terminating the rezoning would not leader to a lower price,” he said. “What we have here is a known — we don’t know what will happen if this goes back to negotiations.” How Carlson Associates arrived at the price of $16 million is unclear, Zimmerman said, and the first thing Prospect (or any interested agency) needs to do is
SPEAKING OUT “The county commissioners are not here, and I don’t think it’d be a good idea for them to be here” — Alan Tiefanbach, planner with Jefferson County Planning and Zoning “The outcry over this is something I’ve never seen since elected, if not before.” — State Rep. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge “This is not just about the golf course. This is a regional and state significant property because of the wildlife diversity.” — Claudia Brown, resident
determine what the fair market value of the property is, and find out how partnerships with groups like Jeffco Open Space and Great Outdoors Colorado could help. Many audience members spoke against the high cost requested in the relatively short time, and even though Carlson said the developers are willing to
“You have awakened a sleeping giant here. You guys are making a mistake here, because people have the right to rely on the zoning in their area.” — U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter “If you don’t work with us, we’re going to continue to work against you. We will take this fight to the doors of the county commissioners, and if this rezoning goes through, I and every person here will work to unseat every one of the county commissioners.” — Kathy Lower, resident
work with public agencies, residents are hesitant to trust anyone concerning the project. Perhaps the most telling moment for residents came near the meeting’s end, when Carlson was asked if the developers would buy the property for $16 million if the rezoning fails, to which he responded, “I don’t know.”
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P LE A S E R ECYC L E T H I S C O PY
Rec asked to communicate better City’s average age up to 44.6 years old By Hugh Johnson Special to Colorado Community Media
Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation department meet with the city council to discuss the a master plan for updating the city’s parks and recreational amenities at the April 6 study session. Wheat Ridge parks and recreation partnered with GreenPlay, LLC last year to get a comprehensive assessment of the city’s parks and recreation department. GreenPlay went to city parks and the greenbelt to garner information on what the sites currently look like. The company also conducted a survey of 343 people regarding their thoughts on how the city was managing its parks. Robert Easton, a project consultant, relayed the organization’s findings to council. First and foremost, Easton gave shined some light on the city’s demographics. Baby Boomers — those 45 and older — make up 51 percent of the population. The average age is 44.6 which is some eight years above the national average. Easton said that while the parks and recreation department meets most the needs of the
city, the survey indicated that people would like to see the parks and recreation department do more to communicate and announce upcoming events. Among recommendations for parks, Easton said some parks could be updated at regular intervals. The city could also look into providing access for people with disabilities in order to be more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Easton also called for both Anderson and Prospect Parks to be updated. From a programming standpoint, Easton recommended rec facilities be open for more hours after work. Again, the parks and recreations lack of marketing and communication was considered a hindrance. Easton also noted the department is outgrowing facility capacity for future programming opportunities. Looking at the Greenbelt, Easton recommended the department introduce more access points and trailheads. Joyce Manwarning the head of the city’s parks and recreation department said that the department will look to finalize the master plan, which takes into account the recommendations of Easton and GreenPlay, LLC, at a future council meeting.
Gunsmoke owner arrested for alleged theft Staff Report
Legal woes for the owner of a highprofile gun shop in Wheat Ridge continued last week. On April 10 Rich Wyatt, owner of Gunsmoke Guns, 9690 W. 44th Ave., turned himself in to police following the issuance of an arrest warrant for theft from an at-risk adult. Wheat Ridge Police say the victim had consigned a gun collection with Wyatt in 2013, and that repeated efforts at recovering several of the weapons had failed. As part of an unrelated federal investigation, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
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