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Letters Go to letter to Senator Wayne Allard 3/16/99 Go to letter to Jeffco County Commissioners
praising Open Space purchase 4/3/99 Go to letter to Jeffco County Commissioners
Regarding Mt. Morrison Go to letter to Denver City Council on Cheif
Hosa "winter park" 5/6/99 Letter in Support of Lariat Loop Heritage Project
March 16, 1999 Senator Wayne Allard Thank you and your hard working staff for helping obtain the answers from the FCC that made it clear to Jefferson County that the zoning decision on the proposed Lake Cedar Group supertower is a local zoning matter. Without your help, thousands of concerned citizens faced the prospect of no hope that their concerns would be taken into consideration because of the specter of a Federal mandate. The return of hope is a powerful tonic to our community. On March 8, Ninety-eight (we had promised Jefferson County we would not have more than 100 people) mothers, children and fathers peacefully marched to the Courtyard outside the Jefferson County Commissioner’s offices to deliver over 2500 signatures on a petition to deny this rezoning and to not allow any further increases in electromagnetic radiation into the residential areas. The children and their parents sang, “God Bless America”, our national anthem and many other songs with all their hearts and faith in our government because of your help. We are enclosing some of the newspaper accounts. We also have a videotape made by a local resident available should you ever wish to use any parts of it. Since the Jefferson County staff still seems very concerned about the possibility that the FCC will assert Federal preemption over high power, tall broadcast tower siting, we have attached some proposed national legislation that returns local control over wireless tower siting that you might find to be of interest. Although the electromagnetic radiation emitted by cellular (wireless) towers is far less powerful that the amount of radiation from TV/FM broadcast antennae, it is clear that citizens across the country have grown concerned over being powerless to effectively voice their concerns at a local level. Thank you for restoring our faith in our government. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Cc:
April 3, 1999 Board of County Commissioners: Patricia B. Holloway, County Commissioner, Chairman Subject: Open Space acquisition of Clear Creek Canyon property Dear Jefferson County Commissioners: On behalf of Canyon Area Residents for the Environment, we applaud your action in the recent bold acquisition of the Goltra property along Clear Creek Canyon, for addition to the Jefferson County Open Space program. This is a wonderful example of government at its best, working for all the citizens, including generations yet to come. Your action will be appreciated more and more, far in the future, as inevitable urban growth reduces our nearby natural areas. CARE testified in 1992 in support of buying these lands. It is gratifying to see our government demonstrate its vision and its responsibility to the future in saving these pristine lands. Yours truly, Jeff Holland, President
April 27, 1999 Jefferson County Commissioners Lawrence, Holloway and Sheehan Canyon Area Residents for the Environment (CARE) is an umbrella organization representing homeowners associations and neighborhoods in the western foothills of Jefferson County. We include over 25 registered HOA's and approximately 9,000 residents. CARE opposes the special use permit application of Bear Creek Development Company for the construction of a new 300-foot telecommunications tower on Mt Morrison, and urges the Board of County Commissioners to deny this special use application. CARE's reasons for opposition to this request include the following:
CARE recently turned over to the County a citizensí petition signed by over 1,000 residents, asking that more electromagnetic radiation sources not be added to Mt. Morrison. Our citizens are depending on you to protect them and their children. Please do not authorize this project. Make the broadcast industry seriously consider the other viable alternatives to this dumb choice. No one else can make this happen; if you do not make the tough call for the sake of the people, the corporations will proceed on the basis of a few dollars of short-term savings. And the people lose. Sincerely, Canyon Area Residents for the Environment,
May 6, 1999 Denver City Council Subject: Chief Hosa Lodge and Genesee Park Dear Council member: I am writing to you on behalf of CARE, the umbrella organization of homeowner's associations and residents located in the foothills just west of Denver. Chief Hosa Lodge and Genesee Park are right in our midst. My reason for writing is to express our concern about the reported proposals for a winter "Snowplay Park" in the bid received from Periscope Marketing for the operating lease for these facilities starting January 1, 2000. We, like all residents of the City of Denver and the surrounding metro area, treasure Genesee Park and the Chief Hosa Lodge and Campground. They provide enjoyment and education. With mountain, forest, buffalo, rustic campground, a beautiful lodge, the majestic yet tranquil beauty of these facilities has been appreciated as one of the best experiences of the Rocky Mountain west for visitors and resident alike. We applaud your pioneer predecessors of the long-ago Denver City Council who had the foresight to establish the parks, and we applaud the several generations of Denver Parks Administrations and City Councils who maintained this treasure as a legacy for us and our children. All the more are we concerned when we hear about proposals being discussed for turning this lodge and park into a "Disney" type of area, with parking for 500 cars, clear-cutting of 15 acres for a "tubing hill," multiple ice rinks, etc. I would point out that some of the proposals lack credibility when you examine similar past attempts nearby that did not succeed. For example, the proposal refers to the historic Genesee Ski Mountain competitions of the twenties. Even with snow-making, the near-by Arapahoe East ski hill failed just a few years ago. Water may not be available, despite what the proposal says. Lookout Mountain Water District's water policies do not allow for the quantity of water needed, and we have been advised by the LMWD Administrator that not only have no serious discussions occurred to date, he doubts that the present board would be interested in such a proposal. We think the several retail activities mentioned in the proposal, as well as the paving and parking, and the support structures, and above all the high volume of people, threaten the historic character of this beautiful setting. Please think carefully before you change something that has proven so successful and has such a historic valuation the way it is. We would certainly hope that you would include in any decision-making process a chance for citizens to voice their opinions directly on the matter, such as public hearings. In summary, we urge you to dismiss this proposal. Sincerely, Canyon Area Residents for the Environment,
CANYON AREA RESIDENTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT A coalition of homeowner associations & neighborhoods in the Mount Vernon Canyon area. Since 1987, CARE has served as an umbrella organization representing the central mountain communities of Jefferson County – from Clear Creek to Bear Creek, the Hogback to Rainbow Hills. April 8, 1999 Re:Lariat Loop Heritage Alliance To Whom It May Concern: Canyon Area Residents for the Environment welcomes and encourages the formulation of the Lariat Loop Heritage Alliance as a Heritage Area. Its purpose and goals fit perfectly with our own.CARE is a grass root community organization dedicated to sound planning for the future of our mountain communities in the western Jefferson County foothills. Care represents the interests of individual homeowners and as an umbrella organization the interests of over 24 organized homeowner associations. CARE was chartered in 1987 with a mission, which includes: 1. Ensuring the sensitive and well-planned development potential of residential, commercial and agricultural areas. 2.Preserving the rich geological, historical cultural, scenic and open space resources of our mountain environment. 3.Increasing the lines of communication to and from our county and state representatives regarding the unique characteristics of the mountain area. 4.Creating a forum that gives our diverse citizenry the ability to express their concerns, voice their encouragement and support a cooperative interaction between our communities. We view the Lariat Loop Heritage Alliance as a natural partner to CARE in reinforcing our mission and extending our goals, both in our own geographic area and in surrounding areas not within the CARE borders. We constantly interrelate with the dozens of organizations listed as partners in the LLHA Application.We think the formulation of the LLHA will give this interrelation and communication more definition and structure to work with, helping all partners to achieve their common goals. In summary, we wholeheartedly support the LLHA.We are proud to be a supporting partner and enthusiastically recommend its support to all potential partners. Sincerely, Jeff Holland, President
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