The Bluffs need you again: City Council decides Nov 17, 5:30pm Lone Tree Arts Center

Dear friends of the Lone Tree Bluffs,

Thank you. Because of you, more than 13,342 people have signed our petition to protect the Bluffs. That's 13,342 voices for a place we all love.

Now we need you one more time.

WHAT HAPPENED
On October 13, Lone Tree's Planning Commission recommended approval of the Hillcamp Trail road (SB25-0014). The road would serve a proposed 343-home development on the mesa, and the final decision now belongs to City Council.

THE DECISION
City Council Public Hearing changed from Nov 3rd to:
Tuesday, November 17, 5:30 p.m. Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree, CO

WHY WE OPPOSE THIS ROAD
We're not against responsible growth. We're against approving a road before the hard questions are answered:

- The hillside: A slope right next to the planned road failed in 2024. The City asked for a final geotechnical report before approval, but the report it is relying on is still labeled "preliminary."
- Fire and evacuation: There is no evacuation study in the record for 343 new homes on a windy mesa, and emergency access routes haven't been legally secured.
- Our trail and open space: The road would cut through a scrub oak ravine where the developer's own study documented nesting birds, and it would put one of our favorite trails on a bridge over cars.
- Wildlife: State data show golden and bald eagle nest areas within a mile, and the mesa is a gathering place for deer, elk and other wildlife.
- Out of order: The road is being approved before the homes it would serve, so the City commits to the whole project before anyone has shown it can be built safely next to a hillside that has already failed.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Write a short letter for the City Council. In your own words, tell them why the Bluffs matter to you: your morning walk, the wildlife you've seen, your worries about fire or the hillside. A few personal sentences mean more than a long copy. If you’ve written before, it’s OK to send your concerns again if they still haven’t been answered

   Send it only to the City Clerk, Ahnjoulie DeBoyes (ahnjoulie.deboyes@cityoflonetree.com), and the case planner, Chuck Darnell (chuck.darnell@cityoflonetree.com).

Subject line: "SB25-0014 – Comment for City Council"
Please send it by Nov 16th. Letters sent this way go into the official record that every Council member receives. But the sooner the better they have time to read them all. Don't wait till the last minute, send your concerns today.

Important: please do not email or message Council members directly. 

2. Show up on November 17. Arrive by 5:00 p.m. if you'd like to sign in to speak; you'll have two minutes. If you don't want to speak, please come anyway. A full room helps demonstrate the strength of community opposition.   

3. Share this email with one person who loves the Bluffs.

This is how things change: not with anger, but with many voices, steady and clear.

Thank you for standing with the Bluffs and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me an email to savethelonetreebluffs@gmail.com
 
Luz Padilla
Save the Lone Tree Bluffs
savethelonetreebluffs.com

P.S. Our neighbors at Save Surrey Ridge (savesurreyridge.com) share these concerns and have more information on wells, wildlife, evacuation, and other ways to help. Check their website to learn more. :)