Quality of life in Grand Lake and area neighborhoods depends upon managing growth responsibly.  The Town of Grand Lake is considering growth on the 21-acre Stanley parcel shown below.  The growth proposed for this parcel could degrade quality of life for adjoining Town homeowners as well as those in the neighborhoods of Columbine Lake, Ridge at Elk Creek, and the homes along Golf Course Road.  To learn the many reasons why the Town should not proceed with this see the 107-page letter by attorney Steve Harris: https://ceds.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Attorney-Letter-to-Grand-Lake.pdf

Please sign our petition calling upon Mayor Kudron and the Board of Trustees to postpone acquisition of the 21-acre parcel until all Greater Grand Lake homeowners are assured proposed uses will not harm their neighborhoods or the local economy. 

Here’s a bit more background on this issue.

Unfortunately, the Mayor and Trustees have been rather secretive about why they are considering using $1.2 million of our taxes to purchase the 21-acre Stanley parcel.  They’ve mentioned the following as possible uses for the property:

• pay-as-you-go trash facility,
• maintenance for heavy equipment and other town shops,
• dorm-style house, and
• snowmobile trails.

The Mayor and Trustees have not provided details such as why the 21-acre site is the best place for these uses much less why this is the best place in the area for each.  Nor have they explained how noise, traffic, property value and other potential impacts to nearby neighborhoods will be resolved.  Allowing this proposal to proceed in such a secretive process without a thorough planning analysis would set a dangerous precedent.

Below is the Town’s Land Use Plan.  The yellow arrows point to the three areas for slated for growth in the Land Use Plan.  The Stanley parcel is in the upper left above.  It is NOT within any of the three growth areas shown above.  This also mean that no analysis has been done in an open process to address the impact of the following possible uses of the Stanley parcel:

• Town Shops & Heavy Equipment Maintenance: The heavy equipment would travel Golf Course Road and pass through the Foxy Lane neighborhood causing a severe impact to these homeowners.  Town taxpayers would be burdened with the cost to upgrade road access. 
• Dorm-Style Housing: We assume this use is intended to provide additional affordable housing, which is a good thing.  However, the Town recently acquired land across from Conoco on Highway 34 for the purpose of expanding affordable housing.  The need for an additional affordable housing location has not been demonstrated.
• Pay-As-You-Go Trash Facility: We assume this facility would consist of the same drop-off containers as are presently at the Sailboat Drive location.  It is unclear why an additional drop-off location is needed.  It is even more unclear why it should be located on Foxy Lane where traffic passes close to homes on a narrow, dirt road.

It is for these many reasons that we urge you to sign our petition calling upon Mayor Kudron and the Board of Trustees to postpone further action on the 21-acre parcel until a very public and thorough planning process has been completed. 

If you have any questions contact acting Greater Grand Lake Neighborhoods Alliance chair Kathy Weydert at 303-905-8401 or kathyweydert@gmail.com.