Residents in Fort Collins could soon be voting on the future of the former Hughes Stadium property, the second time such a decision would be made in the last five years. Some residents are actively collecting signatures throughout the Northern Colorado city in hopes of establishing the entire property as a natural area, an action which would prevent any development from happening including a proposed bike park.
The city purchased the land in 2021 by order of the voters, preventing Colorado State University from developing the property into a housing development. In doing so, the wording of the ballot language in 2021 left the land for uses such as recreation, open space, natural areas, education and more. That language opened the door for the recent “civic assembly,” a more than $100,000 community discussion that resulted in the delegates recommending the property be multi-use, including a bike park feature and uses for Indigenous people.
However, a recently-submitted ballot proposal could void the assembly’s recommendation.
A group of Fort Collins residents, including members of the organization known as “PATHS,” are proposing the city change the original wording of the ordinance to rid of any mention of recreation, instead establishing the entire property as natural area. While the level of support behind such an initiative is still being determined via signature collection, CBS News Colorado has learned such a change to the wording of the law could potentially impact the city’s efforts to afford other properties desired for natural area designation…