Dear Fort Collins, a 100% protected City Natural Area is the most unifying, inclusive, and protective use for the Old Hughes Stadium land
Dear Fort Collins Community,
Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS) is a group of citizens who organized fellow residents and community members to conserve the former Hughes Stadium site as protected open space.
In 2020, PATHS members and volunteers persevered through a COVID-19 pandemic, unpredictable weather, and exposure to the ever-present hazardous smoke and ash pouring from the Cameron Peak fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado’s history. While devoted volunteers were collecting signatures to save the Hughes site, signers told us that they wanted fully-protected open space at Hughes and no permanent buildings, but they also hoped that the sledding hill and the disc golf course would remain. Those two low-impact recreational uses led to the wording on the ballot as PATHS aimed to address the community’s wishes. PATHS never imagined a large-scale, 60-80-acre “recreation destination” bike park, touted as a tourist attraction by proponents, that would draw many to the area near the sensitive foothills. Another ambitious group led by the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center wants to swap 26-acres for Hughes’ 164-acres so they can outright own the Hughes parcel to build a large, permanent visitor center, administrative offices, paved parking lot, and wildlife enclosures for what appears to be a small zoological park with restricted access. Their “Nature Campus” is a stark difference from a publicly-owned City Natural Area, and much different than a small 5-acre wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release facility with temporary structures that was proposed to City voters in the circulated petition and ballot measure outreach. Do we really want a large Visitor Center with offices, lights, paved parking lots, and animal enclosures that would permanently fence off access to the public, essentially a small zoo, at Hughes? Do we really want to transfer ownership of Hughes to private interests who could sell Hughes at any time they desire? We voted for publicly-owned, protected and conserved open space, not these highly-developed and consumptive-use facilities.
We believe that designation as a Natural Area, as defined by the City’s mission statement for Natural Areas, “to conserve and enhance lands with natural resource, agricultural, and scenic values,” and only “appropriate uses” best suits Hughes Open Space and its viewshed. Fort Collins’ population is expected to grow by 70,000 in the next fifteen years. People here love and use their Natural Areas, and Fort Collins taxpayers pay a quarter-cent sales tax for them, a sales tax dedicated to acquiring and maintaining our Natural Areas which the City will ask you to renew in perpetuity without sunset, likely as soon as this November 2025. With Fort Collins’ projected growth, we need to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to extend and protect our Natural Areas right here within Fort Collins city limits, not only near Wyoming or Estes Park, where 60% of our City Natural Areas acreage exists now. If either of these two proposed high-impact facilities are built at Hughes, then there goes the protected open space, wildlife habitat, and wide open views that we already voted for by a large margin.
Western Fort Collins already has two bike parks, a small one in Spring Canyon Park and the larger Corral Center Mountain Bike Park in Lory State Park. And, there are others throughout town, at Twin Silo, Traverse, and Soft Gold Parks. These bike parks serve a small subset of the community, and they were rated as a Low Priority for respondents in the most recent Parks and Recreation Master Plan survey. But, you know what was rated a High Priority by residents and the City? Natural Areas, wildlife habitat, and trails. Do we REALLY need another high-impact bike park at the unique and beloved Hughes Open Space? No, we do not. But, we’d love to see it where it makes sense, perhaps near the eastern Mulberry Corridor or near the impending Montava development.
Fort Collins, thank you for voting in 2021 to give the Hughes property the “Public Open Lands” designation it deserves (68.61% Yes) . We do not agree that huge facilities for the “dream creep” of private interest groups fits the spirit and intent of the ballot initiative that all of us voted for.
A protected City Natural Area is the most unifying, inclusive, and protective use for the Old Hughes Stadium land, a place that people of ALL abilities, ages, and backgrounds can enjoy. And, it is the only proposed use that fully aligns with the Whereas clauses and legislative intent of the original 2021 citizen ballot measure.
Let’s finish what we started for the benefit of ALL members of the Fort Collins community and the local wildlife that are returning to the land. Let’s make Hughes a protected City Natural Area. Because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
Design Mockups, Plans and Examples of the Proposed High-Impact Uses at Hughes Open Space, Components of the “Multi-Use” Planning Strategy Promoted by the City at the Civic Assembly for Hughes Open Space. (Screenshots)
