Questions but no answers or honesty

 



                On October 14, 2025, Douglas County commissioners made some decisions that will most defiantly have a negative affect on a community for many years to come .  The county accepted 46.5 acres of land from Sterling Ranch developers—and in return, gave up 23.8 acres of unrestricted land. On paper, that might sound like a fair trade. It wasn’t.

The land the county traded away had no such restrictions.

The land the county obtained was former home of Dupont /Chemores plant that sat in that very same location manufactured explosives ( over a billion pounds total ) from 1908 to 1989. As a result of its previous use the soil and ground water has environmental concerns and restrictions.

Some remediation has been done previously but CDPHE gave this land a conditional closure with NEUR restrictions . Here is a conditional closure and NEUR restrictions explanation .

To understand conditional closure with NEUR restrictions on a property in Colorado, consider the following points:

  1. Definition: Conditional closure refers to the limitations placed on property use based on specific conditions or regulations.
  2. NEUR Restrictions: NEUR stands for Neighborhood Environmental Use Restrictions, which impose additional guidelines on property development and use.
  3. Purpose: These restrictions aim to protect environmental quality and community interests in specific neighborhoods.
  4. Compliance: Property owners must comply with NEUR restrictions to avoid legal issues or penalties.
  5. Enforcement: Local authorities monitor adherence to these restrictions, ensuring community standards are maintained.
  6. Impact on Development: Conditional closure can limit the types of structures or activities allowed on a property.

The land traded is right in the heart of Plum Creek which is also a Critical wildlife corridor. 



Colorado Parks and Wildlife describe this site a "literal crossroads of regional habitat connectivity" and discouraged building as it would disrupt this crucial land that various species rely on . see the email below .











Then you have this email written by Sean Owens  who is a Special Projects manager For Douglas County.  In this email Sean Owens tries to explain land cost for this site per acre versus finding other  build ready land . He said it doesn't make a lot of sense and that finding other land may be a " option to   explore that no one wants to talk about" ?  I know , why doesn't anyone want to talk about that ?     

We will get there . 


but then at a 3/31/2026 special business meeting he says something completely different. This is from a slide show presentation. Here is that link
 https://www.youtube.com/live/G16xJLHHYGg?si=uT78QknyTPbalrVS


no pad ready 50 acre sites ???? none at all ?????
 No just 202 acre site that was county owned and was given to HRCA  ( Highlands Ranch Community Association) earlier that very same day and $3.5 million dollars to go along with it . 
HRCA already owned 8400 acres of adjacent open space that had been designated for wildlife habitat.

Now it gets even harder to ignore.




Monica Wasden, President of HRCA, also serves on the Executive Committee and secretary of the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), alongside CEO Ellie Reynolds and Treasurer Brock Smethills who is also the developer.  See below for all receipts...

That's the  same EDC that received $937,500 in taxpayer money from County Commissioners for a 

Thank you for your Support of your Chamber ???? 





 All 3 Douglass county commissioners sit on the board of The Douglas County Economic Development Corporation. This is a NONPROFIT , NON- GOVERNMENTAL organization!

Then there is this !

Not just a sports complex—Brock Smethills (developer) himself calls it “the anchor for our sports district.” That he goes on to describe restaurants, retail, hotels and heavy traffic. A full-scale commercial project he describes in a presentation at his Community Authority Board meeting in Sterling Ranch on 2/25/2026 and 3/2026 .

“We build this taxpayer-funded thing down here… and then everything else is private enterprise.”

In other words, public money builds the foundation—and private interests profit from everything around it.

links to both videos where these presentations were given below.

https://youtu.be/P6wMsAHRcUA?si=b9eEvvuAAPtCZiV-
https://youtu.be/c2rb9_KWt8o?si=espVH6uw956HH0m7


Let’s be clear: the same group benefiting from this project is connected to the same people influencing decisions.

Meanwhile:

Public input was tightly controlled

A questionable survey was used to claim “unanimous support”

Environmental concerns were downplayed

Taxpayers were handed $100 million in debt—without a vote



Douglas County Commissioners , Teal , Laydon and Van Winkle gave 202 acres of land away....

 on the very same day and  $3.5 million dollars to go with it .....


So ask yourself:

Is this really about community sports and the need for a sports center so desperately OR are we being forced to bankroll a private entertainment district—at the expense of our kids, land, our wildlife, and our future?

You are welcome to leave a comment , invite a friend to read this blog !

Truth Doesn't Need Defending , It needs Air !


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