Our Dawson Aquifer we’re again being attacked by the proposed Pine Canyon large development appeal at County Board Commission Hearing on September 10th
Hi Everyone,
SHOW UP IN MASS AT THIS HEARING TO PROTECT OUR WATER!!
I am sorry for such late notice, but I have just found out within the last week (so have been looking for information to send out to you) that on September 10, 2024, (hearing begins at 2:30) a developer will be presenting their appeal at a hearing in front of the Board of County Commissioners to be allowed to INCREASE water usage in the DAWSON AQUIFER (and other aquifers) for a very large development OVER the County water PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 18A! This is scary. See the attached letter from Tricia Bernhardt, a member of the Douglas County Water Commission (DCWC), explaining and opposing what this developer is trying to do! This developer is asking that they NOT have to comply with Douglas County Section 18A water usage requirements for their development! Also, attached is the agenda for that meeting with all of the information for you to review that will be presented! What is interesting, and therefore missing, is that the DCWC has not had the time, nor have they been asked, to present a full report on this developer’s appeal request. They only had one late noticed, short, contentious meeting on August 26th!
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Because this large unincorporated area is in the middle of Castle Rock, there was a request a while ago to have the area annexed into Castle Rock. But the Castle Rock Town Council smartly voted against this development with the water issue being the main reason. Thus, the annexation request was canceled and now the developer is going in front of the County Board to try to get them to approve their appeal to allow them to use an amount of water that will NOT be in compliance with County water usage requirements. Because the current County Commissioner George Teal was on the Castle Rock Town Council at the time of the developer’s request and voted against this development, he had to recuse himself and cannot vote on this appeal on September 10th.
Because I just got this out to all of you today, there isn’t a lot of time to get the word out to all of the affected areas to notify citizens to show up at this hearing and protest. It is so important for the citizens to show up from Elbert County, Franktown and Castle Rock because the aquifers are our ONLY SOURCE OF WATER for our wells. When they’re gone, so are we and our homes!
So PLEASE send this out to everyone you know on all media in our two counties to get the word out and get them to show up at this hearing and pack the house. Sign up to speak your opposition! Again, it’s September 10th, 2:30 at the Douglas County hearing room, 100 Third St, Castle Rock. If this date changes before then, I will let you know.
ONWARD TOGETHER,
Diana Love
President
Franktown Citizen’s Coalition II