Former Parker mayor urges Elbert County to slow growth, update comprehensive plan and consider moratorium

Greg Lopez, former mayor of Parker, told the Elbert County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 27, 2025, that the county should slow development, update its comprehensive plan and consider a moratorium on new applications until zoning and regulations reflect a clear 20-year vision. "Now you must manage Pandora's box," Lopez said, summarizing his view that recent approvals have set growth in motion and that leaders must control its effects.

Lopez, who said he oversaw rapid growth in Parker during the 1990s, told commissioners that master plans must be matched to enforceable regulations and that elected officials should use legislative action to change zoning and approval standards when necessary. He recommended aggressive community outreach, tighter park-dedication requirements and short-term building moratoria as tools to recalibrate development.

Why it matters: Commissioners are reviewing the county's comprehensive plan as applications accumulate. Lopez warned that approving large-scale development without updated regulations can shift long-term maintenance costs and community character onto residents and the county. He urged commissioners to weigh infrastructure, emergency response and water availability when considering new approvals.

Lopez detailed policy and implementation levers he used as Parker mayor. He said Parker imposed an eight-month moratorium on building to give staff time to rewrite rules; increased required park dedication (from roughly 10 acres to 20 per the example he gave); required higher-performance surety or cash bonds for infrastructure; and insisted that utility and road warranties not be the county's long-term burden. "We put a 100% cash, cash, in the bank, not a letter of credit, for 110% of what you're claiming you're going to spend," Lopez said of performance guarantees for developers.

He repeatedly urged the county to test consultant timelines for updating the comprehensive plan and regulations, saying those tasks can be completed faster if staff lead the work. "You can go out there and aggressively talk to the community probably within 90 days," Lopez said. He recommended revising the plan and code together so that regulations implement the community vision rather than leaving gaps for interpretation.

Lopez also identified water and infrastructure as central constraints. He said Colorado surface-water (snowmelt) supplies are critical and that groundwater is uncertain. He recommended verifying hydrologist reports and said elected officials should be cautious before approving large new subdivisions that add long-term road, water and emergency-service obligations. "You gotta make good informed decisions to the best of your ability," he said.

On funding and liabilities he warned about metro districts and bond-backed infrastructure, recounting three metro districts that went bankrupt in Parker when building slowed. He said metro-district debt ultimately can fall on individual property owners and on local governments responsible for unfinished infrastructure. Lopez urged commissioners to scrutinize metro-district structures and to put conditions on approvals that reflect long-term maintenance costs.

Commissioners and staff asked about timing and scope. One commissioner said the county's consultant estimated 10–14 months to update the comprehensive plan and up to 24 months to revise regulations, while the county already had thousands of housing units in the pipeline. Lopez said the consultant's estimate could be shortened and recommended using planning staff to accelerate the process.

Lopez suggested concrete regulatory tools: down-zoning through formal legislative enactment, tightening setbacks and density allowances, strengthening conditions of approval, and using use-by-special-review provisions to require performance and reassess zoning if conditions are not met. He cited case law and statutes as legal bases for counties to change zoning and to require conditions on development.

Lopez closed by urging commissioners to choose a community identity — country living or urban services — and to align policy accordingly. "You need to decide. You want the country style or the urban style? Because once you go down that path, it's very hard to come back," he said.

The discussion ended with commissioners thanking Lopez and reiterating plans to work on the comprehensive plan and code updates while considering tools such as moratoria or targeted regulatory changes.

Lopez's remarks were delivered as advice and experience-based examples; the commission did not take a formal vote at the meeting on a moratorium or code changes.