Aurora – There’s no transportation plan, no plans for water or how to get rid of it. And as of now, no infrastructure of any kind for the new urban development at the former Lowry bombing range.
That has Aurora city officials worried that the 13,000 residential units and all the people who come with them will tax the city’s resources.
“We don’t see anything good about it at all,” said Aurora City Councilman Bob Broom. “What happens in 20 years? They’ll come knocking to Aurora.”
The State Land Board recently announced a development agreement for the former bombing range in unincorporated Arapahoe County east of E-470. The pact allows Lend Lease Communities to start working on the project, which will include 13,000 residential units north of East Quincy Avenue on a small portion of the 26,000- acre property.
The $1.5 billion project also will include 260 acres of commercial development and 705 acres of open space and trails.
In the coming months, Lend Lease will work out a concept plan for the 3,800 acres it will develop and try to get all the approvals in place. It will break ground on the project in 2009 and finish in about 25 years.
Lend Lease’s Simon Walker, project director for the Lowry redevelopment, said the group is still in the investigative stages of how the needed infrastructure will be provided.
But he said the project is in the E-470 growth corridor and that the needs of everyone involved and associated with the development will be taken into consideration.
“We recognize this is a high- profile project, and the importance the project has, and the interests from the city of Aurora,” Walker said. “That’s part of the attraction.”
Some issues Aurora officials are concerned about:
There is only one east-west road – Quincy – which is currently a rural two-lane road. Same for the only north-south road, Watkins Road, which is on the eastern border of the project.
They say the project would dump more traffic onto Aurora roads such as Smoky Hill, Arapahoe and Gun Club that are already heavily traveled. The Denver-Arapahoe Landfill is just west of the proposed project, hampering plans to build new roads in the area.
There is no adequate water supply, as the the project will likely rely on wells to tap into dwindling aquifers.
Also, the Rangeview Metropolitan District is not adequate to treat the water and must be expanded significantly, according to the county. And any drainage from the development would go right through Aurora.
Lowry is not adjacent to any current development, meaning it will be more difficult and expensive to hook into existing infrastructure.
Jan Yeckes, planning division manager for Arapahoe County, said developers will pay a crucial role in finding innovative ways to help pay for infrastructure. She said the development is still being reviewed by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, which will monitor plans to make sure it is consistent with long-range goals for the metro area.
“It’s not black and white,” Yeckes said. “It’s a complex issue, a very long-term investment for the state, the developer and whatever jurisdiction winds up dealing with the development of the land.”
Jennifer Schaufele, executive director of DRCOG, agreed that there are many questions about the project. At a meeting this summer, DRCOG had some concerns about the project, mainly transportation and air- and water-quality issues.
“The board determined it was important for Arapahoe County to expand and/or clarify certain areas of their application,” she said, “to help the board better evaluate how well this request meets the long-term vision.”
Lowry could remain unincorporated in Arapahoe County, be annexed into Aurora (which the city says it has no plans to do), create a special district or incorporate on its own.
Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer wonders why the project is going forward now, with no infrastructure and with other areas in the metro area ready for development already.
“If you are going to add more land, there should be a compelling reason and have these answers already worked out,” Tauer said. “The effect on roads and water and wastewater … those are basic questions you’re supposed to answer before you move forward with development.”
Staff writer Carlos Illescas can be reached at 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
