Greeley – Furor over plans to put a four-lane road through a state park prompted Weld County commissioners on Wednesday to temporarily shelve the idea.
But don’t be surprised if the arrival of 200,000 people into southwest Weld County over the next 20 years will lead to the eventual extension of Weld County Road 7 into St. Vrain State Park near Longmont, commissioners said.
“In 10 years, they will be clamoring for that road,” Commissioner Rob Masden said.
The county wanted to build a 1-mile stretch of County Road 7 over the St. Vrain River and through a segment of the park to accommodate rapid growth in the area. But several nearby communities argued against the extension, saying it would ruin the park and cut into the nearly $7.5 million in revenue it generates for local businesses.
The county’s plans also prompted the State Parks Board to threaten to pull funding for a planned $14 million expansion of the park from 143 acres to 640 acres.
Fear that the commissioners’ predictions will come true is why nearby Firestone will continue efforts to annex the arterial from the county, Mayor Mike Simone said.
Under this “nuclear option,” the town would then give the road to state parks officials to shield it from efforts by the county to extend it, Simone said.
“Even if they have officially put the road idea on the back burner, that is still not good enough,” he said. “We will still look at the annexation process.”
The parks board will meet in October to discuss the county’s decision to hold off on the road extension, as well as the expansion plan, said Chris Leding, spokeswoman for Great Outdoors Colorado. That group is joining the Colorado Lottery and state parks in funding the expansion.
“We really have to weigh how much you can invest in a park while the road is a possibility,” Leding said.
Weld Commissioner Glenn Vaad said Simone’s use of war terms like “nuclear option” and attempts to bring other towns into Firestone’s annexation attempts are adding to the friction over the issue.
“That’s nothing more than playground rhetoric, and that’s not helpful at all,” Vaad said.
Annexing the road would force Weld County to put a new road elsewhere, and that is likely to attract even more fire from nearby residents, Vaad said. “This does not solve the transportation problems of the area.”
The commissioners also vowed they would not give up control of the right of way that goes through the park. Their stance may lead to lengthy litigation, they said.
Still, emotions are riding so high over County Road 7 that it’s best to shelve any road expansion proposal until more people demand a new road, said Commissioner Mike Geile.
“Later on,” he said, “cooler heads will come in and work something out.”
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
