"The
choice of the Arapahoe Grasslands team as a conservation partner
affirms the fact that the state can meet their fiduciary responsibility
to the school trust through conservation uses. As Commissioner Peter
Walsh explained at the public meeting, 'this is a great example of how
we can maintain revenue for the land board, for the trust, while
maintaining conservation principles.'
"Unfortunately,
today Governor Owens' land board also gave away 3,000 acres of state
land, a portion of which is specially designated Stewardship Trust
Land, to the Lend Lease development team. The development of the top
portion of the property was clearly a pre-determined outcome. The
decision today to move forward was not only premature and made without
the due diligence required of such a massive regional effort, but
beyond that it has laid the groundwork for what will become
state-sponsored dumb growth.
"We
are disappointed that the despite the fact that a formal process was
never instituted to actively encourage and incorporate public input,
and a variety of regional implications have been left inadequately
addressed, the board has steamrolled through choosing a development
partner in under 6 short weeks.
"The
timing of this decision is suspect. The fact that numerous special
meetings have been called, including today's meeting with 2 business
days left until the holiday break, signals boldly that there was a
dramatic desire to make this decision immediately. Given that there are
many more questions than answers that are currently on the table, and
that this land is not going anywhere, it is only logical to wonder
where the urgency is coming from.
"While
it may be by chance that this decision coincides with the departure of
Governor Owens, appearances most certainly are otherwise. The board has
voted to push this forward in the 11th hour of an outgoing
administration, and integrity calls the events of the past few months
into question.
"Clearly
there is too much at stake for the citizens of the Denver-metro region
and the state of Colorado for a decision such as this to be made
hastily, behind closed doors, with politics overshadowing rationality. "
