Local residents who enjoy the relative wildness and
beauty of Roxborough State Park near Denver, Colo., are fighting a
developer’s plans to build 850 houses along the park’s entire
eastern boundary. The development, known as Southdowns at
Roxborough, could begin as soon as this March and would destroy
wildlife habitat for deer, elk and golden eagles, according to the
Friends of Roxborough State Park. The 1,620-acre park is listed as
a Colorado natural area, a national natural landmark and as a
cultural district on the National Register of Historic Places for
its archaeological evidence of ancient nomadic encampments. The
citizens’ group believes a buffer zone is needed around the park to
protect wildlife and archaeological sites, as well as the geology
of the area, which is similar to the Garden of the Gods near
Colorado Springs. The group has created a fund to buy out the
Southdowns area and has raised over $150,000 toward its $1 million
goal. For more information, call Sally Gardner, the group’s public
contact, at 303/972-1362, or write Friends of Roxborough State
Park, 2000 E. County Line Rd. C-111, Highlands Ranch, CO
80126.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Roxborough friends fight for park.
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