Grassroots citizens created JeffCo Open Space

““It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well-balanced as well as carefully patrolled.”

—U.S. Supreme Court, 1954

Ask any metro Denver resident what they like best about Jefferson County and they are likely to say the “Open Space Program.” The extraordinary award winning parks and trails are available for every metro resident or visitor. Jefferson County’s leadership for preservation of the five-county Mountain Backdrop maintains a pristine Gateway to the Rockies and a daily sense of place for the majority of Colorado citizens. How did this extraordinary program develop in Colorado’s most populated county?

When construction of Interstate 70 began in the 1960s, sprawl moved from the plains into the foothills. Boulder City and County adopted a joint open space preservation plan financed by .4% sales tax in 1967. And Jefferson County was “up for grabs,” says Carol Karlin of Lakewood. “I saw so many ‘no trespassing’ signs everywhere, but no public buffer zones, no greenbelts, and I knew something had to be done to set land aside. I wanted future generations to inherit some open space.”

Karlin convinced Jeffco League of Women Voters members to study local land use in 1970. They examined mountain geology, climate, hydrology, soils, native plants and animals, and land use regulations. With foresight, courage and commitment, they published “The Mountain Puzzle: Land Use” in January, 1972. It included long-term land use planning and zoning regulations recommended by the Rocky Mountain Center on the Environment and the Colorado Land Use Commission.

Mike Moore chaired the campaign to establish JeffCo Open Space. “Some of the early activists were experienced political organizers determined to transform their study into action,” Moore said. “They created non-profit PLAN Jeffco, and set about enrolling professionals: naturalists to define open space; attorneys to transform their ideas into the language of a resolution statute; press and PR pros to develop a media savvy publicity campaign; photographers, writers, and designers to create a brochure that was eventually hand delivered to 80% of the homes in Jefferson County.” Citizens from Evergreen, Lakewood, Arvada, Lookout Mountain, and Golden initiated a populous “band wagon” of 600 countywide community leaders that campaigned for the November, 1972 election.

Most city and recreation district officials opposed the idea.

Wheat Ridge and Lakewood had incorporated in 1969 and were barely up and running. Many politicians believed removing land from the tax rolls would cause a loss of revenue. PLAN Jeffco (PJ) volunteers worked to convince them that preserved land can raise property values. (A study in 1993 proved that preserved land increases real estate values). Some Evergreen residents were opposed because they believed they already had plenty of “open space.” (By the late 1970s, they realized much of land was privately owned and could be developed.)

Countywide, citizens became enlightened to the need to preserve land. “They’re bulldozing that meadow we walk on… We need a green place to ride bikes… Where will the birds go when the marsh is filled with homes?… I have to drive my kids two miles to a park… City people need to get away from buildings and pavement…Why can’t they leave some land as it is?…” were some of the concerns.

“In a few months PLAN Jeffco had to convince voters that these lands must be saved now, or not at all. Sounds simple; it wasn’t,” says Carol Karlin. “It was hard work and good times and great people.” PJ volunteers provided special presentations and took community leaders on field trips to land that might be spared at a fair market price—Dakota Hogback, Green Mountain, South Platte River, and major water drainages: Bear, Deer, Turkey, Mt. Vernon, Clear, Ralston and Van Bibber Creeks, Marston and Standley Lakes and the Chatfield Dam.

By July, 1972, city officials campaigned against the referendum

PJ leaders explained that Open Space is a REGIONAL issue that crosses political boundaries. They shared how an Advisory Committee of citizens, appointed by the county commissioners, would plan and monitor the program. PJ volunteers wrote letters to the editor, and distributed flyers at shopping centers. PJ Doorbellers (including hundreds of high school students) knocked on more than 80% of Jefferson County doors declaring “Our options are expiring! Join us NOW!” They marched in parades, gained endorsements of political candidates, held conferences and gave slide shows for community groups.

PJ carefully negotiated referendum language with County Commissioners William Huntsbarger, Joe Lewis, and Jack Trezise, Jr. who believed the referendum would not pass! But, every local newspaper endorsed the idea. Joanne Ditmer of the Denver Post wrote “The visionary efforts of PLAN Jeffco are both hopeful and admirable. This citizens’ group is trying to plan ahead to protect and preserve valuable open space within the county, the fifth-fastest growing county in the United States.”

The Citizen’s PLAN Jeffco wins!

The November 7, 1972 vote was 51,140 yes and 42,309 against. The entire campaign was financed with $5,161 in donations. Six hundred volunteers persuaded their fellow-citizens to tax themselves expressly for purchasing and preserving land. The resolution called for about a third of the revenue for cities and recreation districts to buy land in their jurisdictions. Carol Karlin and Mike Moore were appointed to be “at large” members of the first Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) in 1973. PJ volunteers formed a non-profit land trust in 1973 to purchase land until sales tax revenues could repay. Matthews/Winters Park at the Hogback, Hiwan Homestead, Apex Park and Mount Falcon Park between Morrison and Indian Hills were the first acquisitions.

John Litz, who has volunteered for PJ and OSAC for 35 years, said, “We were a bunch of people who all took responsibility… Amazing group of people… good timing. JeffCo was seeing a housing boom, people realized they were losing the “empty” spaces and we campaigned to retain those into Open Spaces…”

Ken Foelske, Open Space Planner from 1974 until he retired in 2005, shares early experiences. “There were some Old West confrontations when we attempted to access Mt. Falcon Park through Indian Hills. A landowner met us with a shotgun to stop what he believed was public access across his private property. A JeffCo Sheriff Deputy established a temporary truce until an assistant county attorney helped the shotgun-toting landowner understand the legal public access. Later, that same landowner rented horses for the public to ride the Mt. Falcon Park trails! But we had to patrol Mt. Falcon for several years to prevent overnight unauthorized grazing of livestock.” Foelske, a Vietnam Vet and Landscape Architect with a graduate degree in Public Administration, was a primary JCOS consensus builder among staff, citizens, and politicians for 31 years.

Original OS intent threatened in 1978 and 1980

To please city officials that control the majority of county votes, Republican County Commissioners Robert Clement and Harold Anderson placed three Amendments on the ballot that threatened the program. Lone Democrat Commissioner Joanne Paterson did not support their amendments (and was not reelected). PLAN Jeffco reassembled and sprung into action in 1978! They urged rejection of all three amendments that would have returned 50% of the revenues to cities and recreation districts and allow funding of “capitol improvements.” JeffCo voters rejected all three in 1978. But it was a wake-up call for citizens that realized they must be continuously vigilant to protect their vision for future generations.

And sure enough, in 1980, Commissioners Clement, Anderson and James Martin placed three more amendments on the ballot, including one to fund a new jail with JCOS sales tax revenues. The county had lost litigation brought by inmates demanding a new jail to replace inhumane conditions of the old facility. Federal Judge Richard Matsch mandated a new jail. Rather than simply “raise taxes” to comply with the court order, the commissioners used $40,976 of public funds to advertise approval of their amendments.

PJ volunteers were outraged! “It is unconstitutional for elected officials to use public funds to promote ballot issues without including both sides of the issue,” said 35-year PLAN Jeffco leader Margot Zallen. “I was served at 7 p.m. to appear in court at 7:30 a.m. the next morning to answer charges of interfering with government,” she said.

The County Commissioners sued John Litz (PJ chair), Margot Zallen (PJ Vice Chair), and Sandy Bryant (PJ Secretary) but Judge Matsch ruled against using public funds for “propaganda” and the news media again supported PJ’s campaign to VOTE NO on all three. Voters rejected all except the amendment allowing OS revenue to half of the costs for city and recreation district “capital improvements.”

The mandate clearly notified county politicians that voters will not allow them to “raid” open space funds. Citizens disagreed over saving pristine wild areas versus building urban ball fields, but they would not allow politicians to abuse the program. The commissioners simply added a 3-mill property tax levy to build the jail.

More early “adjustments”

The Old West, Open Range attitude of many folks conflicted with acquiring lands and establishing rules and regulations for use,” says Foelske. “Green Mountain had been privately owned for generations. Prior to the explosive growth and development of Jefferson County in the 1960s, Green Mountain was relatively remote from view and generally accepted as a 4-wheel drive test area and motorcycle off-road site.” After fences, gates, barriers and signage of rules and regulations were installed, “midnight raids by 4-wheelers pulled down the gates and fences and destroyed the signs. The violations finally ended after many years of patrol and ticketing by Sheriff Deputy patrols.” Lakewood’s motorcycle park south of C470 addresses the demand for off road motorcycling.” Green Mountain is now under Lakewood Park’s management with respected controlled access.

“There was another tendency for some property owners adjacent to public JCOS to participate in property line creep. Some backyards facing open space were used for a hot tub or BBQ just outside their property line. There were other declarations of public land as ‘mine’ with an occasional habit of throwing grass clippings and a dead cat over the fence,” Foelske laughs. “The Open Space defining resolution for the purchase of the property became the key to resolving these issues.” Foelske experienced intense political wrangling during the 1980s.

OS funds were frozen from 1982 to 1988.

Ray Printz, the first Open Space Director until he retired in 1996 had to wear many hats during the mid-1980s. He had to please his bosses, the County Commissioners, and the citizens, especially the always-vigilant PJ volunteers. Some OSAC appointees wanted to get rid of the tax entirely. Others tried to micromanage the entire program. “I went to work every Monday morning not knowing if I still had a job,” Printz said.

In 1982, a controversy erupted when Commissioners “Bunny” Clement, James Martin, and Walt Tomsic approved $11 million OS sales tax revenues to develop 100% of Clement Park for Foothills Recreation District when only 50% of district funding was required by law. PJ also objected to using OS revenues to improve Bowles Avenue to access Clement Park. This led to freezing OS funds in 1987 while a 17-member ad hoc committee (recommended by PJ) studied the role of open space, the cities and special districts.

Another squabble was over exchanging OS land with John Bandimere for his Speedway parking lot in the hogback. The OSAC members that wanted to drop the tax and have the program function on the interest from $50 million that had accumulated resigned and the sales tax prevailed. Citizen watchdog John Litz created the first acquisition model based on real estate values.

After one OSAC member from Evergreen suddenly quit in 1988, the committee agreed by consensus that JCOS should return to the basics—preserving and maintaining native land for hiking, biking, and equestrians and provide funding support for cities and special districts to manage their parks, sports fields and recreation programs. Jefferson County Open Space is not in the “recreation business.”

Citizens work cooperatively with JCOS in the 1990s

PJ increased pressure for protecting biodiversity and acquiring land to prevent development near the NorthWest Parkway. They encouraged a Colorado Natural Heritage Program inventory to guide acquisition of natural areas and a raptor migration monitor program. They lobbied to save Noble Meadow and the South Valley and construction of the Lookout Mountain Nature Center. It took 20 years of careful planning, lobbying, and public meetings for PJ volunteers to save Clear Creek Canyon.

The last natural, largely undeveloped canyon in the Front Range is Clear Creek with the deepest, most narrow, and youngest gorge. It is a scenic resource with sweeping foothills and city views, monumental rock cliffs, dramatically rising walls, promontories, and waterfalls as the canyon drops 1000 feet in 12 miles to enter the city of Golden. Mount Vernon Country Club, Denver Mountain Parks, and the federal Bureau of Land Management had set aside 4,000 acres of protected open space. Why not save the entire canyon?!

In 1984, concerned citizens formed the Canyon Defense Coalition to prevent gravel quarry operations. In 1990, volunteers created the Clear Creek Land Conservancy to explore a preservation plan with Colorado School of Mines, Bear Creek Development Corporation, the EPA and BLM, Colorado Departments of Natural Resources, Wildlife, Parks & Recreation and Forest Service to explore a preservation plan. JeffCo Commissioners Clement, Ferdinandson, and Stone tabled the CCC issue.

A volunteer CCC advisory committee of naturalists, developers, preservationists, recreation professionals, engineers and lawyers examined the possibilities and published a report in 1994: “In a natural amphitheater at streamside, a chamber music quartet plays al fresco for a group of admirers… a shuttle van drops picnickers at Elk Creek. Cyclists breeze by on the park-like canyon road. Rock climbers follow their instructor up the north wall of Tunnel 2… a fly fisherman makes a long cast over a rock riffle, while downstream an inner-city family is panning for gold… and a group of birdwatchers pass with binoculars in hand—eyes searching the sky ahead. A lone man skips a stone on the creek’s surface, then smiles sheepishly at this youthful pleasure…” The application to quarry the canyon by a Chicago owner was denied in 1995 and the first JCOS acquisition began in 1996. By 2006, with state support of a $14 million Great Outdoors Colorado (GoCo) grant, JCOS has preserved 4,000 acres Clear Creek Canyon!

“Save the Mesas… Beaver Brook Trail… Noble Meadow… ”

It took 30 years for citizens to save North and South Table Mountain. Citizens began speaking up during the 1970s and 80s to list the Mesas for preservation in the JCOS Master Plan in 1985. Applewood residents Carl Eiberger, Jim Goodwin, Betty McFerrin and Lowell Hutson joined with Frank Schowengerdt and Bob Woodfill of Golden, and Paul and Vicki Wolf of Pleasant View formed a Citizens Alliance to prevent development. They were joined by hundreds of Golden volunteers, including Doug Odhams, Judy Denison, Don and Mary Parker, Marcie Miller, Marji Harbrecht, Wanda Blackburn, and Elliot Brown. Citizens and TJ supported a swap of 400 acres of North Table Mountain owned by LaFarge Corporation for portions of Matthew-Winters Park near quarry operations west of Heritage Square. JCOS was the ideal government agency to negotiate with LaFarge and then acquire more South Table Mountain land from Coors.

When a section of the historic Beaver Brook Trail was threatened by possible development, Mount Vernon Country Club won a court battle with the developer and was quickly placed on OSAC’s agenda. JeffCo responded by offering to acquire the land (which was part of the Master Plan) if the Clear Creek Land Conservancy would raise 15% of the funding, which was completed within four months. In 2005, OSAC acquired 350 acres with the BB Trail from Norman Ralston. With cooperation of Denver Mountain Park easements, the entire 8-mile trail above Clear Creek Canyon is protected!

Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT) raised $2.4 million to protect Noble Meadow in 1994. MALT again went into action in 2001 to help OSAC purchase of the 320-acre Blair Ranch that connects Alderfer-3 Sisters and Denver’s Dedisse Park (Evergreen Lake). MALT has also negotiated conservation easements for more than 10,000 acres in Evergreen, Conifer, Kittredge, and Indian Hills.

The Save Open Space (S.O.S.) Bond could complete the Master Plan

As PJ had predicted in 1972, Jefferson County land values skyrocketed. From 1973 to 1989, about 17,200 acres were purchased for $74.2 million. From 1990 to 1996, about 11,600 acres were acquired for $50.7 million. Growth pressure in the 1990s threatened completion of the Master Plan adopted in 1989 and updated in 1995. PLAN Jeffco again went into action in 1997 to convince voters to support a $160 million bond to secure land that was expected to triple in value by 2020. There would be no tax increase as the bond would be paid with future sales tax revenues. The voters (71%) approved in November, 1998.

PJ helped update the 1993 Natural Heritage Inventory in 1999 to remind OSAC and the county commissioners that “ecosystems” must be protected as the Program strives to link about 250 miles of trail for hikers, bikers and equestrians. PJ leaders support preservation of natural biodiversity to balance the popularity of land for intense recreation. Wildlife habitats, wetlands, tall grass prairies, calving and nesting areas must be protected now for future generations.

Open Space staff, OSAC and county commissioners know they are fortunate to have a competent and diligent citizen “watchdog.” Since 1984, PLAN Jeffco has hosted an annual awards dinner at Mount Vernon Country. OS Staff, citizens, and elected officials gather cordially together with mutual respect and admiration. The 2007 awards went to a committee of volunteers who met 33 times to complete a plan by consensus for North Table Mountain.

New residents and metro visitors are amazed at how the abundance of parks, recreation, and open space supports Jefferson County’s quality of life. Every JeffCo resident or worker is within five minutes of a park that offers relief from our fast-paced society. The spirit of Frederick Law Olmsted, America’s first world-class city planner (with regional emphasis) and creator of NYC’s Central Park in the 1850s, would highly approve of JCOS. Olmsted designed plenty of open space for picnics, ball fields, reservoirs (ponds, lakes, creeks, greenbelts) with native plants and trees to “enhance the quality of life.” JCOS has maintained the grassroots-based vision by enduring constant shifts in political favor! Like Olmsted, the final Authority is always THE PLAN.

The history of each JCOS Park is included with each park brochure. A timeline history of JCOS is available at www.CityMtnViews.com