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September 12, 2006 06:01 PM UTC

Plains Folk Mounting Forces vs. Super Slab

  • 4 Comments
  • by: Druid

Opponents of the planned 210-mile Super Slab toll road are planning a mass mailing and meetings starting this week to organize property owners against the project.
The toll road, recently renamed Prairie Falcon Parkway Express, would run about 15 miles east of the Front Range urban strip, from north of Fort Collins to south of Pueblo. The project also would include relocated freight railroad tracks and a utility transmission corridor alongside it.

For the past year and a half, Plains residents have been galvanized in opposition to the project, which is the brainchild of developer Ray Wells, of Castle Rock.

Last month, Wells’ company sent legal notices to about 4,000 property owners in the seven counties whose land would be touched by his three-mile-wide claim. Wells says he will need about 1,200 feet in width, meandering anywhere within that three-mile footprint.

Opponents succeeded in getting legislation passed that puts significant new restrictions on development of private toll roads, including stripping Wells’ company of the power to condemn land.

The notices Wells sent were part of the new requirements, which also include more stringent approval processes.

But the toll road still could end up using property taken through condemnation if developers reach a partnership agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The citizens have raised money to fund a mass mailing to the same addresses that received Wells’ notices. It informs the owners about the upcoming meetings in which the new laws will be explained.

“A lot of people are afraid,” said Sharon Croghan, an opposition leader from Weld County. “We plan to work hard to educate the public about the problems with this proposal and the new procedures available to stop it.”

Jason Hopfer, spokesman for Wells, said the developer will work with residents to address concerns.

Opponents will hold their first public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the New Weld Central High School gym in Keenesburg. The schedule is posted on several Web sites, including
www.StupidSlab.com
and www.NoSuperSlab.org.

Comments

4 thoughts on “Plains Folk Mounting Forces vs. Super Slab

    1. Wasn’t state Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora) the original sponsor of the “Super Slab” bill, and the only vote for it when it was heard by the Transportation Committtee?

  1. Rep. Jim Sullivan, Ray Wells Douglas County cohort, sponsored HB1030, the original Super Slab bill, which would have given Wells the power to sell to any entity or person the land he would have condemned under the quirky 19th century mining law that originally gave him land condemnation rights. Fortuately, 2006 legislation prevents a private tollroad developer from condemning land outright. Now they can promise CDOT a free road and have CDOT do the “taking”.
    Indications are that Gov. Owens appears to be in favor of the Super Slab. Also, all the developers, etc.
    A number of politicians are behind the high plains citizens fighting this landgrab. These politicians are our heroes.

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