Cedar Ridge Ranch
Background
Cedar Ridge Ranch (CRR) is a property off of Crystal Springs Road in Missouri Heights. Neighbors, the owners of CRR, and even the Garfield County Commissioners have been unclear about what land uses are allowed on the property and what are not, and whether or not the property complies with their Land Use Change Permit.
Post Independent articles summarize this situation.
Ambiguous permit language hinders some Cedar Ridge Ranch compliance concerns - July 19, 2022
Garfield County commissioners hear more complaints alleging Cedar Ridge Ranch violations; ranch owner objects to hearing - March 8, 2022
Cedar Ridge Ranch says recent violations noted by Garfield County are resolved; but neighbors beg to differ - January 18, 2022
Garfield County wades into feud between Missouri Heights landowners over agritourism operation, Commissioners, county staff weighing permit violation allegations - December 9, 2021
Our Stake
As Missouri Heights residents, and as neighbors, we all have a stake in knowing the status and remedies of land use code and building permit violations. We need more open government, documentation, and confirmation that remedies meet and will continue to meet requirements.
All land use violations and documented reports of remedies (including photos, written agreements, and letters from officials, etc.) should be posted and readily available on County websites. Neighbors should not have to obtain them through the Colorado Open Records process, or to make phone calls to busy officials. Site visits and random inspections should be mandatory to verify that remedies meet requirements and continue to do so. Without accountability, land use codes and building permits can become meaningless.
We at KMOHR believe that as a community, we have the right to:
Know what transpires relative to land use and permit violations, especially if they have the potential to put us at risk or have impact on us or our property.
Require the County authorities to follow up on reported violations with rigorous surveillance to confirm not only a one snapshot in time, but rather a continuous action of compliance.
Know that the County will enforce and render the appropriate remedies should a land owner not comply with said land use and permitting rules.
“The issues that have been plaguing the neighbors fall squarely into Keep Missouri Heights Rural’s mission as it specifically relates to safety and quality of life, preserving water and wildlife, and our role to advocate for the community … when negative land use impacts adversely affect property owners,” said Lori Brandon, speaking on behalf of the group.
Recognition and Recommendation
We recognize the immense burden of code enforcement on Counties. We believe it is in everyone's best interest for neighbors and property owners to partner with the County and to responsibly and formally identify both land use and permitting issues and opportunities. Counties must take this input seriously, manage all complaints as individual cases through resolution, and share this information publicly. There should be a follow-on process to verify ongoing compliance.
We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you posted should there be any action we might want to take as an interested grass roots organization.