Jefferson County denies Observatory Metropolitan District service plan after heavy public testimony on El Rancho and finances

Jefferson County’s Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 on Sept. 30 to deny the service plan to form the Observatory Metropolitan District, a proposed special district intended to fund public infrastructure for a commercial project north of U.S. 40 in Evergreen.

The vote came at the end of a three-hour public hearing that included detailed staff analysis, a presentation by the applicant’s development and financial team and more than 30 public speakers for and against the district. Commissioner Kerr moved to deny the plan; Commissioner Dahlkemper joined the motion and Commissioner Zenzinger voted no, resulting in a 2-to-1 decision to deny the applicant’s request.

County planning staff presented the service plan and financial materials and concluded that several mandatory criteria under state statute had been met — that there is a public need, that services were not adequate in the immediate area and that a district could provide the proposed services. Planner Nick Nelson told the board staff found the proposal met “the first 4 set of criteria from the state statute” but also flagged uncertainty about whether creation of the district would be “in the best interest of the area to be served” because alternative funding mechanisms exist and because the packet lacked some of the detail staff would prefer…