GLO Park Update: We Need Your Help!

Plans have been changed to an eight-story apartment building with a road cutting the park in half

Federal funding has been withdrawn for the GLO Park. But now the state of Colorado wants to fast-track an eight-story apartment building in its place. The new project proposal would not only destroy Camp George West as it is today, but has no benefit to the people of Pleasant View and is only being fast-tracked because the Governor wants it done before he leaves office.

The metro district board just learned about the project this week, and it’s being presented to county commissioners on Tuesday. I need your help to make Pleasant View’s voice heard!

What’s being planned?

A large apartment building with retail in the bottom would take the place of the GLO Park. The building would be as high as eight stories. For reference, the GW building on South Golden Road is five stories.

The blue parking areas outlined in the above graphic would not be shared parking with Camp George West ball fields, which was one of the purported benefits of the GLO Park for Pleasant View. The parking would only be for residents of the apartment building.

The building would be for market-value apartments and/or people who making 100% of the average median income (AMI) for Colorado. That’s about $50,000 a year for individuals and $90,000 a year for households.

The yellow line represents the second road access needed for emergency services. This road would cut the park in half and connect to Kilmer Street right next to Building 48 (the stone building in Camp George you can rent for events). That means traffic for hundreds of apartment buildings would be diverted across the park and onto the one-lane bridge in and out of the park.

Was Pleasant View consulted about this change?

The Pleasant View Metro District wasn’t consulted before the state changed its plans, and now we only have until the commissioner’s meeting on Tuesday to make Pleasant View’s voice heard. The state is presenting Camp George West as an under-utilized piece of land and is not anticipating any community push back.

What are the issues with this new proposal?

I absolutely think that we need more housing in Pleasant View to keep it affordable for everyone. And fast-tracking this project in this location doesn’t make sense for several reasons:

1. Camp George West is not an under-utilized piece of land like the state believes. It's a beloved community park and one of the only walkable, local parks in Pleasant View. It's natural, open environment is where hundreds of neighbors walk their dogs, ride bikes, and enjoy time in nature out their front door every day.

2. The site needs two points of access for emergency responses. The proposed road would cut the park in half and route hundreds of cars onto the single-lane bridge that turns into Kilmer Street to get to South Golden Road. This area already sees dangerous speeding and overcrowding, which would only be made worse by hundreds of new people trying to get home each day. The road would also irreversibly alter the park's character and flow of trails.

3. The site is not cost-effective or practical to build on. There are no utilities, and the Pleasant View sewer system it could connect to cannot handle that level of use. The entire area is a floodplain. The rest of the park would have to be dug up to put in utilities, only further impacting Pleasant View residents negatively. Underutilized areas that are not beloved natural spaces, such as the former state prison, are much more practical and useful sites for high-density housing.

4. There is no benefit for Pleasant View residents. The proposed housing is not income-limited or designated as affordable housing. There is no additional tax revenue for Pleasant View. And the shared parking that was part of the GLO Park design is not part of this new proposal.

5. The state is fast-tracking the project solely so that it can be done before Governor Polis leaves office. A project of this magnitude should not be rushed, and the state is wrong in believing it's an under utilized parcel that the community will not care about. The project would also derail the county’s efforts to cohesively plan how to handle increased traffic on all of South Golden Road, which the county is starting this year. If anything should be fast-tracked, it’s that comprehensive process to make a difference for Pleasant View’s housing, sidewalks, and traffic.

What can I do to make my voice heard?

Pleasant View is small, but together our voices make a difference. Please let our county commissioner, the other commissioners, and the planning commission know how you feel about this project. You can do that in a few ways:

1. Call and leave a voicemail. Remember to mention you’re a Pleasant View resident when you share your opinion on the project. 303-271-8525 is the main line for the county. You can pick to leave a message for the commissioners from the main menu.

2. Write our commissioner, and the other commissioners, an email. Andy Kerr is our commissioner. You can email him at akerr@jeffco.us. The other two commissioners can be reached at ldahlkem@jeffco.us and rzenzing@jeffco.us

3. Attend the commissioner meeting with myself and Metro Board President Adrian Waller on Tuesday, August 5th at 9 am and sign up for public comment. You can attend in-person (Hearing Room 1 at the county building at 100 Jefferson County Parkway) or virtually. Zoom information is here.

4. Provide your feedback for Adrian and I to share at the commissioner meeting by taking this survey here: https://forms.gle/7naJ1bYs5f6WQSW16

What if I disagree with you?

I want to know that too! The metro district board, the fire chief, and the district manager are all in agreement in our position. Based on what I heard door knocking, this new proposal does not seem like something neighbors want.

But, if you live in Pleasant View and totally disagree, I want to know that too! Please fill out the survey or reach out to me directly to let me know your thoughts.

I have more questions. Who should I reach out to?

If you have questions or concerns reach out to:

Adrian Waller, Pleasant View Metro District Board President: AdrianCWaller@outlook.com, (303) 895-1837‬

Me at lauraforpleasantview@gmail.com. Call or text (720) 675-8093.