A bill that could sharply limit the use of agricultural land in urban renewable zones — as is being done in the Gaylord Rockies hotel project in Aurora — was introduced Tuesday just days before the end of the legislative session.
Senate Bill 284, sponored by Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs and State Sen. Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, would block tax-increment payments, a key subsidy, to any city urban renewal plan designating agricultural land as blighted without voter approval.
The bill, even before filed, raised opposition. A full-page ad in The Denver Post Wednesday listed 67 municipalities, counties, businesses and business groups in support of the Gaylord project and opposed legislation that could block it.
Supporters said using the designation of “blighted” on good farmland is a mistake.
“We don’t think that the conversion of farmland for urban renewal should be incentivized,” said Nick Colglazier, state affairs director for the Colorado Farm Bureau.
There are only six working days and eight days overall left in the session.
“Bills have passed in three days, though usually not controversial ones,” Colglazier said. “We’ll just have to see what happens.”
