The Board votesTuesday, September 1 at 9:00 AM
How to weigh inJefferson County · Mountain Village rezoning
Jefferson County’s Long Range Plan calls for one home per acre in The Valley. We’re not against development; we’re for development that follows the plan our valley has always been held to.
The plan allows
85homes
One home per acre across 84.7 acres
The proposal asks for
143homes
1.69 homes per acre
58 more homes than the Long Range Plan allows on this site.
Question one
The Long Range Plan sets one dwelling unit per acre for The Valley. Willow Springs built under it, and every major development here has been held to the same line.
1,170 homes across 1,418 acres
The county’s published density for The Valley
143 units across 84.7 acres · 69% over the standard
At the plan’s density, 84.7 acres supports about 85 homes. The proposal asks for 143. Nothing in the record explains why this parcel should be measured differently from the rest of the valley.
We all live in homes that were once newly built, and thoughtful growth is part of this valley. Mountain Village should be held to the same standard.
Question two
The developer said this would be the most fire-resistant community around. That commitment exists nowhere in the record.
There is no standard defining what fire resistant means here, no inspection or verification, and no consequence for falling short.
It matters more than it might sound, because development approval runs with the land, not the developer. Whoever owns this ground next inherits the entitlement and none of the assurances. If the commitments are not written into the conditions, they disappear if the property changes hands.
This one is straightforward to fix, and the Board can fix it: put the fire commitments in writing, with criteria and verification, binding on any future owner.
What we are asking for
On August 12 the Planning Commission recommended approval by a 5–1 vote. The final decision rests with the elected Board of County Commissioners, who can approve the plan, send it back, or scale it down.
Bring the density into conformance with the Long Range Plan, and write the fire-resistance commitments into the conditions of approval so they bind whoever builds here.
Officials answer to voters, and a real groundswell on density gives a right-sized plan its best chance.
All three are elected countywide, so they all represent you. The draft below makes both points and asks for the remand. Add a line in your own words about why you live here: identical form letters get counted, personal ones get read.
Open a ready-to-send draftYou can also call the Board at 303-271-8525 or write to 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 5550, Golden, CO 80419.
Public comment is open to anyone, and there is no sign-up in advance. Show up, fill a seat, and speak if you want to. The commissioners hear the community, then take the final vote, so being in the room makes the strongest impression.
We will post a Zoom link here when it is available.