Capital Development Committee backs two CPW land acquisitions in El Paso and Adams counties

The Capital Development Committee voted to recommend support for two fee-title land purchases requested by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, approving a 21-acre acquisition in El Paso County and a 39-acre acquisition in Adams County.

The vice chair moved to recommend that the committee back the El Paso County purchase; the motion was called and the roll produced recorded responses leading the chair to state the motion passed. After the second motion to back the Adams County purchase, Representative Winter said she would vote no: “I’m gonna vote no based on the 10% above appraised value and also where I believe that the cash fund is coming from,” she said on the record.

Why it matters: both acquisitions were presented as CPW property-transaction proposals the agency asked the committee to consider in executive session under "section 24 6 4 0 2 3 a 1 CRS," and the committee’s recommendations move the matters forward in the capital-review process. Land purchases recommended by CDC are advisory and inform subsequent agency and appropriations actions.

Details: the committee approved recommending support for the 21-acre El Paso County acquisition after an executive-session review and recorded the vote as passing; later it approved recommending support for the 39-acre Adams County acquisition by a recorded vote of 4–2. Representative Winter explained her opposition to the Adams County transaction, citing the roughly 10% premium to appraised value and uncertainty about which cash fund would pay for the purchase.

Process and next steps: the committee’s actions were advisory — staff will prepare the committee’s recommendations and any requested letters for transmission to the appropriate bodies. The committee proceeded to other agenda items and adjourned later in the meeting.