BREAKING NEWS: CSU Board of Governors approves sale of Hughes land to Fort Collins for $12.5 million
Great news again, Fort Collins! According to the Coloradoan, CSU's Board of Governors formally approved the sale of the Hughes parcel to the City of Fort Collins for $12.5 million. That puts us one step closer to conserving Hughes Open Space in perpetuity!
Please read our letter to City Council, which PATHS submitted for the November 23, 2021 Council work session, regarding the acquisition funding for Hughes. We also discuss future land uses that will benefit all members of the community, within the parameters and provisions of the successful citizens’ ballot measure.
Coloradoan: Colorado State University, Fort Collins to accelerate city purchase of Hughes Stadium land
Thank you again, Everyone! You can be sure that PATHS will be there working with our City and community to ensure that Hughes is protected for future generations and for our increasingly displaced and impacted wildlife. Our work is not complete just yet!
Much gratitude to the City of Fort Collins, CSU, and especially PATHS volunteers, organizers, supporters, and Fort Collins voters for making the protection of Hughes a reality. 🥰
May 6, 2021: CSU Board of Governors gives the City of Fort Collins a deadline of July 31, 2021 for a satisfactory offer for Hughes’ acquisition.
In their May 6, 2021 meeting, the CSU BOG and Chancellor Tony Frank address the recent rezoning (as Public Open Lands) of the former Hughes Stadium green space, per the Fort Collins citizens' initiative that was overwhelmingly approved by voters on April 6, 2021. Additionally, the BOG passes a resolution that lays out the Board’s intentions and next steps for the Hughes open space parcel.
IMPORTANT: Don’t Forget to Vote, Fort Collins!!
Hello Hughes Open Space Supporters! It is now too late to mail in your ballot! To ensure that ballots are received by the City Clerk, ballots must be hand-delivered to a drop box location by 7:00 pm on Tuesday, April 6th.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR HUGHES OPEN SPACE!
Greetings Hughes Open Space Supporters!
We have several updates for you about our efforts to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) for the Hughes Open Space citizens ballot measure. So without further ado, let’s get to it!
Featured: What is SPAR?
We have been getting this question A LOT from concerned citizens since CSU’s Tony Frank and the Board of Governors (BOG) announced they would move forward with Lennar Homes to construct PRIVATE housing and commercial development at the Hughes stadium parcel by invoking the SPAR review process. Here is what SPAR is, and how CSU and Lennar Homes are attempting to abuse and misuse SPAR to try to build their development at Hughes.
For more info about SPAR, see our FAQs and questions about legality of SPAR at the links below. https://hughesopenspacepetition.com/spar-faqs
PATHS WINS IN COURT!!!
We have excellent news regarding the City's lawsuit against half of the citizens ballot measure to conserve Hughes as open space!
We received the court ruling yesterday, and the Judge voted in favor of PATHS, ruling that we ARE legally allowed to direct the City to both ZONE AND ACQUIRE the Hughes stadium property if the ballot measure passes!! Recall that the City was attempting to strike from the ballot measure the entire section about the City having to acquire Hughes if the ballot measure passes. The City's claim that acquiring Hughes should NOT be on the ballot because the citizens do NOT have the legislative right to tell the City what to acquire FELL FLAT, and the Judge ruled with the citizens of Fort Collins.
THANK YOU & HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM PATHS
Dear Members, Volunteers, Supporters, and Donors:
Planning Action To Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS) would like to take this time to wish you a Happy New Year, and sincerely thank you for your contribution to the Hughes open space fundraiser, and for all of your efforts to help us save our Hughes open space.
City Council Files a Legal Challenge to half of the citizens’ Hughes open space ballot measure
Hello Friends of Hughes Open Space,
Sadly, as promised in the November 17th City Council meeting, the City Attorney, by vote of City Council, has filed a lawsuit against half of the Hughes open space citizens' ballot measure. Named as defendants in the legal challenge are the PATHS nonprofit organization and the three citizens who volunteered their name as representatives of the citizens' petition.
Update on PATHS’ “Request for Interpretation” of SPAR Land Use Code
Hello Friends of Hughes,
We have an update on our attorneys' Request for Interpretation to the City regarding the legality and applicability (or lack thereof) of the SPAR process for CSU's proposed redevelopment of Hughes. Spurred by a letter from PATHS, City Staff sent a letter to CSU on 12/10/2020 seeking clarification and specific details about how CSU's proposal meets the explicit criteria for a SPAR Review.
PATHS’ “Request for Interpretation” of SPAR Land Use Code
Hello Friends of Hughes,
PATHS attorneys have submitted a "Request for Interpretation" about the Site Plan Advisory Review (SPAR) land use code section which is intended for PUBLIC entities and new PUBLIC structures.
This means that we have requested that the City provide us with a formal interpretation about how SPAR has been implemented in the past, and how it will be implemented now in the case of CSU's attempt to build PRIVATE housing and commercial development with PRIVATE developer Lennar Homes, to be sold to PRIVATE owners.
You can read the Request for Interpretation of SPAR and the associated documents here.
What is SPAR?
We have been getting this question A LOT from concerned citizens since CSU’s Tony Frank and the Board of Governors (BOG) announced they would move forward with Lennar Homes to construct PRIVATE housing and commercial development at the Hughes stadium parcel by invoking the SPAR review process. Here is what SPAR is, and how CSU and Lennar Homes are attempting to abuse and misuse SPAR to try to build their development at Hughes.
For more info about SPAR, see our FAQs and questions about legality of SPAR at the links below. https://hughesopenspacepetition.com/spar-faqs