Neighbors of a 168-acre parcel in Jefferson County have taken their case to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper in fighting Denver Water’s pending sale of the Fehringer Ranch property.
Plans by LNR Properties for the property, west of South Kipling Parkway and south of U.S. 285, call for 2 million square feet of offices, retail and high-density housing.
While no formal plans have been submitted to Jefferson County, LNR has told county staff that it wants to rezone 31.9 acres from private open space for offices and residences.
On Wednesday, a letter signed by 59 neighbors of the Fehringer Ranch property was delivered to Hickenlooper’s office, asking the mayor to rescind the conditional contract to sell the land.
The residents, most of whom live in the adjacent Mount Carbon Estates, say the land sale reneges on promises made to homeowners that the land would always be open space.
The letter says plans “would be at odds with the goal of encouraging sustainable development,” which is the aim of Hickenlooper’s Greenprint Denver.
Nearly 3,000 people would live in homes on the property, which neighbors say is a meadow sanctuary populated with wildlife, including at least two threatened sage and grassland species.
“This is not something we can comment on,” said Revekka Balancier, a mayor’s spokeswoman. She referred questions to Denver Water.
Last month, several neighbors objected to the land sale at a Denver Water Board meeting. Denver Water spokeswoman Stacy Chesney said the neighbors were told at the meeting that the utility will not rescind the contract and won’t seek a rezoning of the property for open space.
The site was originally rezoned in 2002, and developers say the discussion is about the mix of uses. The county’s community plan does not recommend residential uses.
Ann Schrader: 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com
