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Dinosaur Ridge Community Concerned Proposal Would Tarnish Area

By Rick Sallinger

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The Jefferson County Planning Commission is considering a controversial proposal to rezone a portion of land near C-470 and West Alameda Parkway, near Dinosaur Ridge.

A long time ago, 92 to 150 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed this land. Now fossils of their bones and evidence of their tracks have made this ridge a very unique place.

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Eric Brown, one of the leaders of the group Dinosaur Ridge neighbors told CBS4 he and his wife moved out to the area for a reason.

"We said, "Hey, we are starting a family. Let's move back to Green Mountain because of Dinosaur Ridge, the Hogback, Green Mountain and the specialness of the place,'" said Brown.

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But for the past 10 years this area has been zoned for commercial use. Due to the economy little happened during that time. Now developers want to change what's allowed and bring in car dealerships, a gas station and a hotel.

Sean Maley, a representative for Three Dinos, the developer, said there is good reason to change the zoning.

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"We believe the applications bring a better mix of uses, provide less traffic than the currently allowed uses and bring better jobs and services to the area," said Maley.

That may require moving the Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center which runs the trips up the ridge for 167,000 people who come to the area each year to see the fossils and dinosaur tracks.

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Maley noted that, "Plans throughout the years have recognized the location of dinosaur ridge and the visitors center and have urged the redevelopment of this property work closely with Dinosaur Ridge."

But opponents argue the plans would change this character of this area.
Linnea Hauser, vice president of Dinosaur Ridge Neighbors told CBS4, "The new zoning for car dealerships, and a hotel and a gas stations gives the developer a lot of free reign to take it in a direction that would overpower the ridge, overpower the dinosaurs."

Dinosaur Ridge
Dinosaur Ridge (credit: dinoridge.org)

The planning commission will make a recommendation to the Jefferson County Commissioners who will then vote on whether the area can be rezoned. That should come in early 2017.

CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.

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