Copy and modify the letter below -- make it your own.  Speak from the heart, tell your story.  Email to the JeffCo Planning & Zoning Case Manager, Josh Drexler, at JDrexler@jeffco.us, or write Josh a letter, and mail it to Josh Drexler, Jefferson County Planning & Zoning Division, 100 Jefferson County Parkway Suite 3550, Golden CO 80419-3550, and copy John Wolforth, Director, Planning & Zoning, JWolfort@co.jefferson.co.us, same mailing address.  Thank you for your support.

July 12, 2011
Jefferson County, Colorado
County Planning and Zoning Division
100 Jefferson County Parkway
Golden, CO 80401 – 3550

RE:  Case #11-110479SU
        166 S. Lookout Mountain Road
        Golden, CO 80401

Dear Mr. Drexler:

The purpose of this letter is to voice our objection to the Special Use Proposal for Case #11-110479SU. 

My husband and children and I live on South Lookout Mountain Road, directly across the street from the Activation Ministry Church.  Up to now, we have had few problems with their current use of that property, other than occasional noise disturbances and the overflow of vehicle parking onto Lookout Mountain Road.

Despite that, we must voice our strong objection to their proposed application.   These are our points:

1.    Expansion of those facilities is not consistent with current zoning or neighborhood characteristics.  It would be an enormous eyesore in a quiet residential neighborhood.

2.    Traffic would be greatly increased on Lookout Mountain Road and through Paradise Hills, causing congestion issues and endangering pedestrians and cyclists.   The cycling traffic, as you must know, is quite significant on Lookout Mountain Road, and we hate to think of the inevitable accidents that would occur as a result of the increase in traffic that this use will engender.   In all likelihood, a traffic light will be necessary, something we would hate to see in this neighborhood.

3.    Noise and lighting issues will be unavoidable.   Lighting from the parking lot will pollute the neighborhood and shine into my kitchen windows, occluding any city views my property has.   Already we have had incidents with noise from this facility.   We cannot imagine this improving with a five-fold expansion of the church.  

4.  Neighborhood safety and security will be endangered.   An influx of up to nine hundred individuals from outside the area will present safety issues.   We already have issues with trespassers on our property, and we can only see this increasing with this church expansion.   Furthermore, in the case of a forest fire, it will be a very real challenge to evacuate so many people on these narrow mountain roads.

5.  Property values will be diminished in all directions.   Who would want to buy a house, in this scenic and special area, that looks out upon a mini-mega church?   This is a special and beautiful area with high property values.   This expansion would, in our opinion, constitute a “taking” from all surrounding properties. 

6.  The Lariat Loop is one of the jewels of Jefferson County.   As a Scenic and Historic Byway, it must be protected, and insensitive and inconsistent building projects such as this one must be prevented.  For this, we count on you.

This project will not positively benefit this area, and will provide no tax revenue to Jefferson County.   It will, in fact, add to infrastructure costs and damage a valuable scenic and historic area.   The proposal is incompatible with the surrounding community, the National Scenic and Historic Byway, and the goals of the Jefferson County Central Mountains Community Plan.   Please do not approve this application.

For the record, we would like to say that we have no objection to approving the request by the church to be able to rebuild the existing facilities, as they are now and without expansion, in case of disaster.  We do not support any changes in zoning or variances that would allow for future expansion, subdivision, or other changes to the existing facilities and property.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Jennifer Corbet
South Lookout Mountain Road
Golden CO 80401