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Residents urge Arapahoe County to deny or re-review open-space road projects in Littleton and Copperleaf
Summary
Speakers at the June 10 Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners meeting urged the board to block or re-evaluate Littleton’s Jackass Gulch paving project and the Bellevue Extension through Copperleaf open space, citing lack of community support and potential harm to natural areas.
At the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners business meeting on June 10, 2025, multiple residents urged commissioners to deny or re-review planned roadway and paving projects that would use county open-space funds or cross county-held open space.
Mark Flink, a 35‑year resident of the Southbridge section of Littleton, told the board that Littleton is seeking $562,500 in Arapahoe County open‑space funds to build a 16‑foot‑wide concrete road through Jackass Gulch. He said Littleton’s application and subsequent materials misrepresented public support for the project and asked the board to refer any request for a time-extension or funding disbursement back to the county open‑space advisory board for reconsideration.
Why it matters: Arapahoe County open‑space funding is drawn from a sales tax and governed by county rules and the open‑space grant application process; speakers argued the process requires evidence of transparent local public input before county funds are awarded to city projects.
Professional engineer Steve Lowry, who identified himself as a resident, supported Flink’s appeal. He said Littleton’s initial cost estimates were low and that the project is “ill‑conceived,” and urged the county not to reimburse paving costs unless Littleton revisits the design. He said design changes could be accommodated under the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) contract and that the cedar (CDOT?) contract allows contract changes.
Residents from the Copperleaf neighborhood also spoke against a separate project they called the Bellevue Extension. Annette Hahn said the county’s plan would extend a four‑lane road through a narrow strip of open space that serves walkers, bikers and families; she said a petition had been submitted and cited a signature count (the record contains inconsistent references to the petition size). Joel Hahn, who lives adjacent to the open space, said construction had already begun on a roundabout as the first phase and asked the board to stop further work.
Board response and outcome: Commissioners thanked speakers and said staff would follow up; no formal board action or vote on either open‑space project occurred during the meeting.
Clarifying details and unresolved points: The Littleton request amount cited by speakers was $562,500 and the proposed paved surface was described as 16 feet wide replacing an existing 10‑foot crusher‑fines recreational trail. Speakers said the county’s open‑space resolution 21‑263 and the county open‑space application require community support documentation; they asked that an extension or funding request be referred back to the advisory board for reconsideration. Petition signature counts mentioned by Copperleaf speakers are inconsistent in the public remarks (the transcript contains both “209” and later “709”).
Next steps: County staff indicated they would follow up with the residents and advisory bodies and take the concerns into advisement; no further timeline was announced.
