Breaking: Commissioners fast track lucrative Zebulon land swap with Sterling Ranch Developers

Board meeting Tuesday, 14th may saddle the public with contaminated land

Proposed site for the Zebulon Sports Complex in Sterling Ranch

While Douglas County Schools are on Fall Break, the Agenda for the County Commissioner’s meeting Tuesday, October 14th at 1:30p includes Item 4a, which would have the Commissioners approve a 79-page contract to swap contaminated or remediated land with Sterling Ranch on the site of the Zebulon Sports Complex. In exchange, the Sterling Ranch developers will receive clean land across the street currently owned by the County.

At a high-level, this proposed contract with Sterling Ranch:

• Commits $5 million in taxpayer funds within 60 days

• Transfers 23.8 acres of clean, valuable County land to a private developer without requiring an independent appraisal

• Shifts any future environmental clean up costs to taxpayers by assuming ownership of remediated land adjacent to land with previously undisclosed contamination

• Grants Sterling Ranch residents free use of a 10,000 sq. ft. gym facility and discounted use of courts and ice rinks at the expense of all county taxpayers

  • A win for Sterling Ranch residents to get a free gym, but I assume they don’t want to pay for my Castle Pines Lifetime Fitness membership

• Creates new debt instruments (“Certificates of Participation”) without voter approval

In a post on NextDoor, former County Commissioner Lora Thomas alleges that Certificates of Participation are a tool used to circumvent the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and take on debt without voter approval.

NextDoor post from former Commissioner Lora Thomas

The proposed contract with Sterling Ranch was released Friday, October 10th and would be approved two business days later on Tuesday, October 14th without public input. Residents may give public comment on the contract at the Commissioners’ business meeting at 1:30p on Oct 14th by attending in-person or joining remotely. Instructions for attending and making comments can be found on the Commissioners’ meeting page.