The Denver Post
www.dpo.com

By Trent Seibert
January 5, 2001

A growth management plan that is gaining statewide support could end bitter feuds among cities over growth.

When cities fight over growth, an association of the region's governments will step in to make a final decision, according to a plan that soon will be presented to state lawmakers.

It is now being crafted by 50 people representing local businesses, homebuilders, local governments and environmentalists. They're working with the Colorado Forum, a nonprofit group focused on "smart" growth.

"We're spending hours wrestling with this, with a lot of good minds around the table," said Gail Klapper, the Colorado Forum's director.

The plan will join as many as 12 other legislative attempts to grapple with the state's booming growth.

Experts say dispute resolution is key to any growth plan because the region is noted for feuds between cities, especially when it comes to annexing land for future growth or even luring stores across city lines for their sales tax revenues.

For example, city and county infighting got so bad in Adams County that leaders there spent the past three years smoothing over disagreement.

"Now things are running very smoothly," said Adams County Commissioner Marty Flaum.

Indeed, cities in Adams County have become a model for revenue-sharing agreements between cities and on the division of transportation dollars.

But the experts debating at the Colorado Forum want disputes to be solved much more quickly.

Their plan will be presented in about two weeks to legislators.

"I'm convinced that if we didn't try to do that, the General Assembly would throw up its collective arms and say, "Come back when you have a solution,' " Klapper said.

Other components of the plan:

·  Mandatory county growth plans that would be difficult for officials to change.

·  Making sure counties set aside areas for development.

·  In the metropolitan area, making sure growth-management plans are regional and fit well with neighboring county plans.

·  Using groups such as the Denver Regional Council of Governments for dispute resolution. They would make the final call when cities tangle over growth issues.

Dispute resolution is also a key pillar of another growth plan being drafted by Denver attorney Tom Ragonetti for state home developers, ranchers and other opponents of Amendment 24, a growth management plan on November's ballot turned down by voters.

There's a difference between the two dispute resolution plans, though. The Ragonetti plan wants state leaders to appoint a threeperson panel to decide disputes. That decision could be appealed.