The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners gave the thumbs-down Tuesday to a Conifer downhill motorcycle park that proposed 16 miles of winding trails descending an 830-foot vertical drop — it all served via a chairlift.
The two-1 vote in opposition to granting the Shadow Mountain Motorcycle Park a unique use allow adopted a just about six-hour listening to. The verdict got here just about 4 years after the venture was once first pitched underneath a unique identify. The 250-acre venture would were the primary devoted lift-access mountain motorcycle park in Colorado.
Commissioners Andy Kerr and Lesley Dahlkemper voted in opposition to the venture, whilst outgoing Commissioner Tracy Kraft-Tharp voted for it.
Barbara Moss Murphy, founding father of opposition staff Forestall the Motorcycle Park, stated the rejection of Shadow Mountain Motorcycle Park was once “an attractive feeling.”
“We’re thankful the county commissioners agreed with us in a powerful vote in opposition to a industrial motorcycle park that doesn’t belong in a residential group with winding two-lane roads and just one means in or out in case of a wildfire,” she stated in a commentary launched mins after the vote was once taken.
The overall “no” vote got here six weeks after the Jefferson County Making plans Fee really useful in opposition to approval of the motorcycle park in a 7-0 vote.
Neighbors have complained since 2021 that the proposed park would funnel an excessive amount of site visitors onto slim and winding Shadow Mountain Pressure in Conifer and would negatively affect flora and fauna within the house.
Undertaking proponents claimed Shadow Mountain Motorcycle Park would offer a much-needed amenity in cycling-crazy Colorado.
“If growth of sport in Jefferson County goes to be evaluated in opposition to land use suggestions from 2011, folks higher get used to overcrowded trails and now not be expecting the rest new,” Shadow Mountain Motorcycle Park co-founder Phil Bouchard stated after the vote Tuesday. “However in the long run I’m hoping folks looking at this procedure don’t get discouraged from pursuing their passions.”
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