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Residents call for stronger enforcement as alleged industrial activity persists in A‑1 residential areas
Summary
Three Adams County residents told commissioners on May 27 that alleged industrial operations — including a horizontal‑drilling business — are being run from parcels zoned A‑1, and that county enforcement and penalties have not deterred the activity.
Multiple unincorporated Adams County residents used the public comment period at the May 27 board meeting to urge quicker and stiffer enforcement against alleged commercial and industrial activity in A‑1 residential areas.
Evan Dowdy, who gave his address as 16523 Tower Road (Brighton), described a complaint first filed in February 2024 alleging that neighbors had begun operating a horizontal‑drilling business from a property in the A‑1 district. Dowdy said code enforcement staff, and a named code officer (Carlos), responded promptly to initial complaints, but that enforcement progressed slowly once matters reached the county attorney’s office. He said site visits documented diesel trucks and trailers staged early in the morning, and showed what he described as draining drilling fluids onto the ground near private wells and septic systems.
Kristen Daugherty (address 16523 Tower Road) and Christina Perez (16486 Yampa Way) provided similar accounts. Daugherty said multiple properties in the neighborhood are being used for storage of construction materials, RVs and semi‑trailers; Perez said the noise and operations begin as early as 7 a.m. and disrupt livestock and pets. The residents said the business owner does not live on the property and that the business is registered in Westminster.
What county staff and commissioners said Chair Baca and Commissioner Pinter acknowledged the complaints and said staff would follow up. Commissioner Pinter suggested residents reach out to multiple county divisions — code enforcement, the oil and gas division and the public health department — and asked that community economic development staff contact the residents as inspectors visit the site. Commissioner Henson suggested the county’s public‑health staff may be able to assist with concerns about dumped fluids and possible groundwater risks. Staff offered to collect contact information and arrange a follow‑up before the meeting ended.
Why this matters Residents described potential public‑health and environmental risks (drilling‑fluid discharges near wells and septics), persistent noncompliant uses in an agricultural/residential zone, and an enforcement workload that residents say is overwhelmed. The board did not take formal action during the public comment period, but commissioners directed staff to follow up and to coordinate with relevant county divisions and external agencies where appropriate.
