The Planning Commission hearing on Redtail Ridge is on Thursday, May, 13, at 6:30 p.m.
▪ To access the agenda and the zoom link for the meeting, click here. (The link will be made available at about 6:15 on Thursday.)
Here are some of the things we’re concerned about:
Sprawl: This property is the last undeveloped large land parcel along the US-36 corridor between Louisville and Denver, and represents 8% of Louisville’s total land area. When Redtail Ridge is complete, Louisville will join the Broomfield-Westminster-Thornton-etc. monoculture to the east. So much for introducing visitors to our small town character!
Cannibalizing Revenue: Louisville has no shortage of empty commercially-zoned real estate. Shouldn’t the city concentrate on filling these properties instead of creating new ones that will compete for tenants? Does anyone in Louisville hope to see continued blight along McCaslin? Is it really likely that the demand for office space will not only return post pandemic but increase?
Not What We Expected: When this property was zoned for commercial and light industrial uses in 1978, the decision was based on StorageTek’s plan for a single-user corporate campus. When the square footage approved for the site in 2010 was increased, the decision was based on ConocoPhillips’ plan for a single-user corporate campus. Now Brue Baukol is proposing a sprawling development where parcels will be sub-divided and sold to different, multiple owners. This is not what we had in mind in 1978 or in 2010.
Biodiversity: Despite the reduction in the size of this development from last year, the amount of undisturbed open space suitable for wildlife remains the same: only 40 acres. This is not enough. Raptors and songbirds, prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, snakes, and other animals abound at this site, most of which has never been developed (StorageTek had a relatively small footprint during its time there). Brue Baukol plans to exterminate up to 5,500 prairie dogs. The recommended 2021 survey for burrowing owls has not been completed.
Sustainability: The application materials for Redtail Ridge include a DRAFT sustainability plan. This is full of lofty but vague ideas about transportation, building efficiency, site development, energy and carbon reduction, and waste management goals – to be pursued so long as they are “commercially reasonable.” In sum: this document prioritizes the bottom line over sustainability, and as a DRAFT nothing in it is binding anyway.
Climate Change: The Redtail Ridge development would cover the property almost edge-to-edge with buildings and asphalt. The heat-island effect of this kind of environment is well-documented. These non-porous surfaces also prevent water from reaching into the ground and contribute to Colorado’s worsening drought. (Fun fact: Prairie dog burrows allow moisture to saturate deep into the soil, and there’s growing consensus that the worldwide destruction of burrowing animals is a contributing factor to a warming climate).
Climate Change, cont.: Nothing in the draft sustainability plan commits to LEEDs certification for the buildings at Redtail. The site is not easily accessible by foot, by bike, or by RTD: single-occupancy vehicles are likely to be the norm for workers and others commuting to the site. Traffic studies project a daily trip generation of 20,104 vehicles.
You probably have your own concerns on top of these – there’s a lot to worry about with Redtail Ridge. Write to PlanningCommission@louisvilleco.gov and let them know what you’re thinking!
In solidarity,
The Team at Louisville Southeast Gateway
