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Public Hearing Updates
On September 23rd, the Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend the Jefferson County Commissioners DENY the Special Use Permit.
Next, the Jefferson County Commissioners will hear the case on November 12th at 9:00 am.
Public Hearing Documents
Below you will find many of the documents related to the Planning Commission Public Hearing. Not all of the documents have been posted yet, we will update the list when they are.
Recording of the Planning Commission Meetings
– September 11th
– September 12th
– September 23rd
Staff Report & Final Application
Staff Presentation
Applicant Presentation
Coordinated Opposition Presentation
Applicants Response to Public Testimony Presentation (waiting for it to be posted)
Now We Need Your Help!
We have been working for over a year on our public comment in opposition to the special use permit and have just under 100 people ready to testify on why this project shouldn’t be granted a special use permit as it does not meet the five criteria for the permit (these are the only reasons they can vote to not grant a special use permit):
- Compatibility with existing and allowable land uses in the surrounding area
- Degree of conformance with applicable land use plans
- Ability to mitigate negative impacts upon the surrounding area
- Availability of infrastructure and services
- Effect upon the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and landowners in the surrounding area
(Jeffco Zoning Resolution, Section 6, Page 5, Letter D)
Here Is How You Can Help
- Make sure you have signed our petition.
- Write a letter to the county stating why you oppose the project. These letters go into the public file and the Planning Commissioners and County Commissioners are required to read these letters before making their decision. We make it easy for you to write a letter by providing you talking points to help get you started here.
- Attend the public hearing in person to help show the County how strong our opposition is, we want to pack the hearing room and will have ways for you to show your opposition. Let us know you plan on attending by clicking here. You can attend virtually but there will likely be no way for your opposition to be noted by the Commissioners as they won’t be able to see who is online and if they oppose or support the project – so please try and attend in person!
- Provide public comment. If you would like to speak at the Planning Commission hearing in September please click here to let us know and someone will reach out to you to talk about what testifying looks like. In general, anyone in the community can sign up to talk for three minutes about why they oppose or support the project.
We will be sending out more frequent emails now that we have dates for the hearings so be sure you are signed up on our email list for the latest news.
Frequently Asked Questions
We realize this is a very complex and now very lengthy process so if you have a question doesn’t hesitate to ask. Click below to submit an FAQ and one of us will respond to you with the answer and if it is appropriate we will add it here to our FAQs.
Q: How do we keep the bike park from happening?
The bike park cannot be built unless they are granted a special use permit. Ultimately, we need two County Commissioners to vote against giving the bike park a special use permit.
In order for this to happen we are rallying as many constituents as we can to sign the petition, send a letter and show up for the Planning Commission hearing. We hope to get a majority of the Planning Commission (9 people) to recommend the County Commissioners oppose the special use permit – this goes a long way towards the County Commissioners voting no.
Q: What happens after the Planning Commission hearing?
Next, the Jefferson County Commissioners will have a hearing which will include time for public comment. This is tentatively scheduled for September 24th. It is ultimately the Jefferson County Commissioners (Commissioner Tracy Kraft-Tharp, Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper and Commissioner Andy Kerr) who will decide if the special use permit is granted. The Jefferson County Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the County Commissioners. If the Planning Commission does not recommend approval then the applicants can also decide to not move forward in the process.
Q: What if the public hearing takes more than two nights?
We are talking with the Planning & Zoning staff about that possibility but don’t know what their plan is yet if the hearing needs more than two evenings. We will update folks as we learn more.
Q: I want to speak at the hearing, what are the rules?
Please reach out to us here to let us know you would like to testify so we can talk through all of the logistics with you. We are working hard to make sure our community tells a compelling and complete story about why this project should not be granted a special use permit so we are trying to keep ourselves as organized as possible.
Q: How can I learn exactly what they are proposing for the bike park?
You can learn more on our Bike Park Details page. You will see us describe their proposal and then below that you will be able to see exactly what the developers have submitted for yourself, though be prepared there are a lot of documents and it can get confusing, so ask us specific questions if you have them.
Submit a question
Letters Submitted to the planning commission in opposition of the bike park
Watch a Message About Why We Are Doing This
People have signed our petition
What is the Proposed Bike Park?
In early 2023, developers filed an application for a special use permit to construct a dedicated lift-access downhill mountain bike park just West of Conifer on Shadow Mountain Drive.
The park would operate March/April – November/December (the developers list different dates in different places) with special events occurring when they aren’t open. The project consists of a four-passenger chairlift taking bikes and people to the top of Conifer Mountain, 16 miles of trails, a base area with a day lodge, a maintenance facility and a 300-car parking lot.
Learn More About the Proposed Bike Park
Learn More About the county’s process
Image from Trestle in Winter Park
Send A Letter To Jeffco Opposing The Bike Park
Our Top Concerns
We oppose the Bike Park because they plan on developing a pristine meadow into a commercial enterprise putting our mountain, our community, wildlife, and environment at risk.
Safety
Adding 940 vehicle trips per day like the developers propose on a road that is a winding, narrow two-lane road with no shoulders and blind driveways puts everyone at risk
Emergency Responder Resources
The Bike Park will provide only first aid, leaving Elk Creek Fire volunteers to respond to all serious accidents on the property reducing avalability for the rest of the community.
Wildfire
The proposed development area is in an extreme wildfire risk area with no evacuation plan.
Wildlife
The proposed development area provides habitat and migratory corridor for a diverse wildlife population.
Air & Water
The car pollution, human waste, and water needs of hundreds of mountain bikers a day will have detrimental impacts.
After second submittal, Jeffco and key agencies say bike park developer application still comes up short
It’s been more than three years since the proposition of a lift access downhill commercial bike park first startled many of us in Conifer and surrounding areas. The sizable project would verifiably cause excessive wildfire risk, life-threatening traffic increases, emergency response overload, water supply depletion and contamination, and critical wildlife habitat loss for our community. On December 8, 2023, the developers submitted their revised second application intended to address all the concerns generated by their first application. But the subsequent responses from the County’s Planning and Zoning team and key county and state agencies once again confirm why the bike park is absolutely not a fit for the proposed Shadow Mountain Drive location.
Mountain bike park controversy rides on in Conifer
Plans for a 200 plus acre bike park along Shadow Mountain Drive in Conifer remain up in the air as opponents build up their efforts, while proponents of the facility work to answer concerns.
“If you look around this neighborhood, there is no commercial development here,” said John Lewis, a local resident who is part of an organized opposition group, Stop the Bike Park. Increasing numbers of signs opposing the park have gone up around the area as the group has made efforts to get it dropped. “We have a clear idea of what we need to show them that this proposal can never happen,” said Lewis.
Community Voices: What Colorado Parks & Wildlife has to say about protecting the CSLB Parcel on Shadow Mountain Drive from development
Colorado Parks and Wildlife sent the following response to Jefferson County on March 21 as a first referral comment about the proposed Shadow Mountain Bike Park in Conifer. CPW’s mission in part is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state and they are nationally recognized as a leader in conservation, outdoor recreation, and wildlife management. It’s been a bellringer for so many people that we want to share it with the Conifer community-at-large. CPW’s considered opinion of development at the proposed location is exactly as they sent it to the County.