DENVER - Proponents of a growth
initiative said Wednesday they plan to begin gathering signatures
soon to get on the November ballot after the Title Board ruled the
measure passed legal muster.
Opponents have five days to file challenges to the initiative
with the state Supreme Court.
"Today's action was a victory for all Coloradans who care about
the impacts of uncontrolled growth on the quality of life in this
state," said John Fielder, a nature photographer and proponent of
the initiative.
Elise Jones, executive director of the Colorado Environmental
Coalition, another supporter, said backing for the initiative has
been increasing.
Supporters need more than 62,000 valid signatures to get on the
ballot, and have until August to meet a deadline.
Coloradans for Responsible Growth said they started the
initiative because the Legislature failed to enact any meaningful
laws to regulate growth and urban sprawl, cited by many Coloradans
as a top concern.
Fielder said the plan takes a "bottom-up, local control approach
to addressing the problem of sprawl by giving citizens the deciding
vote on new development occurring in their communities."
Opponents, including cities and counties, say it takes away
control from local planning and zoning boards best qualified to make
those decisions.
Proponents on Wednesday challenged a financial analysis by the
state that said if the measure passed, it would cost counties and
municipalities more than $60 million to inventory land areas and
develop growth area maps.
In a rebuttal, government planning consultant Don Elliott said
the state Department of Local Affairs improperly assumed all
governments covered by the initiative would have to prepare the maps
at substantial cost.
In most cases, Elliott said, the information required will
generally be submitted by the landowners or potential developers,
and the local government's cost would be limited to reviewing the
information. Some counties with populations under 25,000 qualify for
exclusions, he said, giving some relief to 17 of the 35 counties
covered by the measure.
Elliott estimated it would cost governments less than $12 million
statewide to draw up the plans, which they would have to pay out of
their own budgets. But he said those governments would more than
make up the difference in savings by making growth more efficient,
reducing costs for roads, water and sewer systems.
