Jeffco reluctantly OKs church expansion
A brutal rezoning fight ends as commissioners approve the plan 2-1.
GOLDEN — One of Jefferson County's most bitter rezoning battles was resolved Tuesday with county commissioners reluctantly voting 2-1 to approve a large church's expansion.
The Rock Southwest Baptist Church, 10393 W. Alamo Place, will build a 16,000-square-foot youth center and parking lot west of the current church.
Residents of the Westridge and Reflections subdivisions fought the rezoning, saying the church already is too large and causes traffic and parking problems.
Though he voted "yes," Commissioner Kevin McCasky noted a difference of opinion between the church and the county about whether the church's vested property right allowed the center.
McCasky also admonished church officials and members during Tuesday's hearing, saying: "There has been a level of acrimony in these hearings we've never seen."
Jason Bane, McCasky's Democratic opponent in November, took him to task over the approval.
"This is not about the church. You can't have a big commercial building in the middle of a neighborhood," Bane said. "It's a mess for those people, and it's really sad that the people who live there are completely ignored in all this. When are their rights considered?"
Commissioner Kathy Hartman cast the lone "no" vote, saying The Rock will become "ten times as large as any similar church in the area more than 500 feet from a major right of way."
The result, Hartman said, "is a travesty for the neighborhood. I think this is wholly inappropriate."
Church administrator Tim Price said the church would be willing to direct traffic during peak worship and activity times, not institute a day care or school, and allow adjacent Westridge Elementary School to use the parking lot for drop offs and pick ups.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Jason Quoted in Denver Post Article on The Rock Church Rezoning
I wrote yesterday about my opposition to the Jefferson County Commissioners voting to approve re-zoning for The Rock church in a residential neighborhood. Today The Denver Post quoted me in a story about the re-zoning:
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5 comments:
As a long-time resident of Westridge, I applaude your opposition. We are extremely disappointed in the commissioners that think the expansion is a viable option.
I urge you, if you have not done so, to personally observe the traffic congestion at the intersection of Kipling and Bowles after a Rock service ends. I witnessed a 2 block back-up at 12:30pm on 4/27 - I believe that is after the church promised to provide traffic direction. Another broken promise from the church.
I can't believe anyone with common sense who observes the situation can find this acceptable. This is a terrible failure of Jefferson county to protect its tax-paying citizens.
A major overhaul to the entrance/exits of our neighborhood is needed and the financial burden to widening the lighted intersections and even placing another light at Bowles to allow east/west exit should be carried by the church.
Please continue to do everything you can to help preserve our neighborhood.
Are Property Rights only for individuals or for do all Property Owners have Rights? County Commissioners voted to uphold Property Rights in this Re-Zoning Request. The Church already had Vested Property Rights to build up and build more on the newly acquired land from the School. The Church chose to Re-Zone for a better overall product. This Re-Zoning was more restrictive and reduced the overall building rights the Church already had. The only thing that could have been better for the community would be to take away the Property Rights of the Church. Should the County be able to take away Property Rights?
I believe in the property rights of EVERYONE in a community, and in this case it was not fair to the rights of the homeowners to allow this rezoning.
If look at the facts of the situation, The Rock church had existing property rights to build bigger than what is allowed in this rezoning. The Rezoning actually restricted the overall size that the church could build in a worse location on the property it owned. If McCaskey and Congrove had not padded the Rezoning, the Church would have had to build closer to the school and would have been a worse situation for the community and the Church.
I apologize about the miss spellings above. I meant to say that The Commissioners Passed the rezoning.
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