LARKSPUR, Colo. (KDVR) — The greater than 2,000-acre open area in Larkspur has been in the midst of a heated debate for months, ever since Douglas County proposed a pilot tenting program which will embody 5 to 10 minimalist tenting websites at Sandstone Ranch Open House following the 7 Rules of Go away No Hint.
A minimalist tenting website is when individuals camp with no plumbing or utilities and should pack all the pieces out and in. The county stated they made this proposal after among the group got here to them, asking for extra entry to the open area.
Former county commissioner, Lora Thomas, stated that information caught her off guard.
“Abe Laden, one of many three county commissioners, stated, ‘I heard from some individuals over the weekend that we have to have tenting on our open area.’ So, after I picked my jaw up off of the convention desk and stated, ‘Who’re these individuals? That is ridiculous’,” she stated. “I simply assume it’s a ridiculous concept from the very starting.”
She stated they’ve issues together with hearth. Douglas County stated no fires can be allowed within the dispersed tenting websites, however the hearth chief on the Larkspur Fireplace Safety District stated this would not utterly remove the difficulty.
“Security issues embody that there’s no water provide out right here for us to make use of within the occasion of a hearth, there’s very restricted entry to the realm. There’s extra strolling trailed than the rest so if one thing was to occur out right here it could be very laborious for us to get to sufferers and to the incident itself,” stated Fireplace Chief Timothy McCawley.
Then, these is a value concerned. Open House has requested an extra ranger and camp host place to be funded if the proposal goes by. Douglas County supplied an preliminary estimate for the pilot websites at Sandstone as $379,400 for the primary yr. Thomas stated she didn’t assume this was the most effective use of taxpayer {dollars}.
“If you consider how widespread Chatfield or Cherry Creek are, these function within the pink. So, why would we be spending cash for individuals to camp on our open area when it’s going to value taxpayers cash?” Thomas stated.
FOX31 has reached out to Douglas County for remark they usually stated it’s nonetheless too early within the proposal, however they admire group feedback.
