Page 2 - Sentinel January 2018
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NO TOLL INCREASE FOR E- Only a couple of weeks into this transaction, the County will be
470 EXPRESSTOLL USERS: studying the best ways to preserve while offering public avail-
The E-470 Board of Directors ability to the large ranch land. As their plans develop, public
announced a toll adjustment that hearings are anticipated. Hats off to a quick response by the
will freeze toll rates for Express- County to preserve and protect Larkspur’s natural environment.
Toll drivers on the 47-mile user- the sales tax-funded preservation acquisition fund. The meeting
financed roadway through 2020, was well attended with all parties in favor of the acquisition.
pending annual board approval. This means ExpressToll users ~Walt Korinke
driving E-470 will be able to lock in the rates they are paying
today in 2017 through 2020.
CHANGES IN REMUDA RANCH PLANS
THE BOOK EXCHANGE, Larkspur’s free library, is open on Walt Korinke...
Saturdays (except holidays) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thurs-
days from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is located in the heart of Lark- “Suburbia” coming to Lark-
spur at 9524 Spruce Mountain Road, in the Town Hall Annex. spur’s #105 Corridor.
With over 7000 books as well as CDs and video tapes, there’s
something for everyone. You don’t have to live in Larkspur to Back in 2009, when Doug-
take advantage of this fabulous resource or to bring a book to las County still had its “ur-
donate. If you do have a donation, we don’t take textbooks, ban plan” in effect, the Wiens
encyclopedias, or magazines, (though we’d like to look at the family was successful in obtaining a rural site plan known as
encyclopedias for other purposes). For more information, con- REMUDA RANCH.
tact Krystine at 413-348-3579 or Cindy at 303-681-3046. The plan provided for
the development of 86
THE BLANKET BRIGADE has been very busy making our residential lots ranging
quilts and we are on target to make 300 quilts this year! We in size from two to nine
meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at the Perry acres in size and stretch-
Park Country Club at 10 a.m. We tie the quilts there, so you ing across the western
don’t need any special sewing skills! We are a 501(c)3, and boundaries of the Wiens
we always welcome any fabric, yarn, batting or thread dona- Ranch from the Perry
tions. If you have donations, please contact Gwen Underwood, Park northern boundary to Dakon Road. In contrast to the cur-
gwenspur@icloud.com (phone 303-681-2125) or Cindy Ho- rent proposal, the existing plan would be mostly hidden from
taling, cjaspsjr@yahoo.com (303-681-0374) and we will view from the #105 corridor and would provide for 529 acres
make arrangements to pick them up. of development with 1,090 acres of “open space” conserved.
In order to make the development feasible, they would have to
COUNTY PURCHASES SANDSTONE secure enough lot sales to support the required upgrade of the
RANCH FOR OPEN SPACE road system along with the development of the utilities with the
start of the first property. This has apparently hampered their
On December 27, the Douglas County Commissioners formally sales effort, prompting their need for a change.
approved the acquisition of the 2,038- acre Sandstone Ranch,
with the formal closing to take place mid-January. This was a Though the rural site plan
remarkable several-week transaction which followed the sales program is no longer in ef-
price drop from $27.6 million to $18,750,000. Approximately fect, amendment of existing
on-half of the funds will be provided by grants with the county plans is permitted. In process
responsible for just over $9 million which comes from he sales with the county is a proposal
tax funded preservation acquisition fund. The meeting was well for subdivision exemption
attended with all parties in favor of the acquisition. that increases the number of
Some of the questions and responses include: lots from 86 to 94, decreases
• Use – The property will remain an active working ranch with the lot sizes from the for-
public access. merly ranchet two to nine
• Management – the current ranch manager will remain, now acre lots to a subdivision sized 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 acres. It takes out
employed by the County the stretched out ranch-like development and compresses it into
• Access – the rear access will be gated and will not be used as a compact subdivision bunched at the Dakan Road end of the
a major entrance. A study will follow to address the best public Wiens Ranch.
access location.
• Trails – trails will be added and will include the County’s 2nd,
non-motorized access to Pike National Park. A major argument for their support of the new plan is the in-
• Water – the surface and subsurface water rights will remain crease from 1,090 acres of open space to 1,428 acres while re-
with the property and will be used as they are currently for the ducing the actual total development lot area from 305 to 110
agricultural use of the property. Contined on page 4
Page 2 - January 2018 Perry Park Sentinel