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Council narrows Quincy Farm vision; split over Anderson House removal and limits on private events
Summary
After extensive discussion and presentations from the Cherry Hills Land Preserve, the Council directed staff to refine a vision for Quincy Farm for the June 16 packet, with robust debate over removing the Anderson House, rehabilitating the Hopkins House, and whether to allow small or large private events on East and West sides.
City staff and the Cherry Hills Land Preserve (CHLP) presented competing visions for Quincy Farm and the City Council spent extended time narrowing a preferred direction while reserving final action for a June 16 vote.
Parks Project and Operations Manager Emily Black reviewed a spectrum of four vision options for the West Side (least to most intensive) and provided estimated West Side cost ranges: Vision A (Nature & Mountain View) at approximately $1.47 million; Vision B (Nature & Historic Appearance) at approximately $2.49 million; Vision C (Active East, Quieter West) at approximately $3.66 million; and Vision D (Large Indoor/Outdoor Events) between $6.23 million and $8 million. Black said parking and the Hopkins House status vary substantially by option and that the Conservation Easement requires preservation of the Hopkins House and Big Barn but expressly permits removal of the Anderson House without Colorado Open Lands’ consent.
Ellen Thompson, Executive Director of the Cherry Hills Land Preserve, and Laura Christman, CHLP Board Chair, urged the Council to adopt Vision A, emphasizing CHLP’s program experience, volunteer capacity constraints for large events, and resident feedback favoring passive open space and trail access. "When residents are presented with the full picture ... their perspectives tend to shift toward the more passive Vision A," Thompson said.
Several Councilors (Doug Robinson, Susan Maguire, Earl Hoellen, Robert Eber, Dave Heller and Karen Fisher) expressed support for a largely passive approach on the West Side with rehabilitation of the Hopkins House for educational use and limited private events on the East Side. Many favored removal of the Anderson House citing cost, long-term maintenance burdens, and the availability of the Hopkins House and Big Barn for program uses; Councilor Heller asked for additional public engagement before any demolition decision given the Anderson House’s status as a historic contributing structure.
Mayor Katy Brown strongly objected to a purely passive approach, arguing the farm’s historic, agricultural character and the Conservation Easement’s allowance for gatherings support a more active use (Vision C) with rehabilitated interiors and expanded community access. "The Farm was never simply natural open space," Mayor Brown said, asking the Council not to foreclose grant opportunities or preservation steps before making an irreversible decision.
City Manager Chris Cramer proposed a focused decision framework around four variables — the Anderson House, Hopkins House, East Side private events, and West Side private events — and offered informal size benchmarks (small ~25–35 attendees; large ~100–150) to guide staff in drafting a clear vision paragraph for the June 16 packet. Council members requested the June deliverable be explicit about whether the Anderson House will be removed and to provide concrete limits on event sizes and frequencies for both sides of the Farm.
Staff will return refined vision language to the Council in the June 16 packet for a formal vote.
