The Park Hill Golf Course in Denver in 2018. Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images
The legal agreement preventing the Park Hill Golf Course’s redevelopment could end up in voters’ hands next spring.
Driving the news: A ballot measure asking whether to lift the conservation easement on the property was forwarded Tuesday to the full Denver City Council by its land use committee.
Between the lines: The City Council will decide next month whether to add the measure to next spring’s municipal election ballot.
- The conservation easement prevents development, requiring the land to be used solely as a golf course.
Why it matters: The conservation easement is the final roadblock for the city and property owner, Westside Investment Partners, for their plan to redevelop the site.
What they’re saying: “Council’s approval of the ballot language [Tuesday] makes clear that there is no third option for the future use of this site,” Kenneth Ho, principal at Westside Investment Partners, said in a statement to Axios Denver.
- Ho said Westside intends to transform the land into Denver’s fourth largest public park, adding he’s confident voters will choose new parks and homes over keeping a golf course.
Catch up quick: The city earlier this month approved a vision plan including housing and open space for the site.
Yes, but: Opponents say the conservation easement is supposed to keep the land not just as a golf course, but open space.
What’s next: The Denver City Council will hold a final vote to decide whether to include the easement on the spring ballot on Jan. 23.
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