Future of 448 acres in remote part of Coal Creek Canyon up in the air
About 2,600 people living in the Coal Creek Canyon area are wondering about the future of nearly 450 acres of land donated to Denver Mountain Parks.
"We're constantly having to reach out to them. There's been no proactive outreach from their standpoint," said Paula Furnace, who lives up Camp Eden Road from the property.
The City of Denver is currently suing to get access to the property, which is at the end of a dirt road south off Highway 72 and did not come with the land donated by the Axton family in 2021.
That road runs through property belonging to the Beth Eden Baptist Church of Wheat Ridge.
The church has declined Denver's offers to purchase right of way through the property where the church operates Camp Eden and the city is now suing to ask a judge to set a fair price.
Recently the church and the city, however, are negotiating again and the church declined comment.
"Our biggest concern is fire. Bring people up here. Next is crime. Accidents and stuff like that," explained Eric Telesmanich who lives near the church camp and access point. The road, he believes, has limited ability to carry cars.
"It's suitable for a handful. It's not suitable for hundreds."
Locals say they city has not been forthright, saying it initially told them it would not accept the land donation without access, but went ahead and did so. Now they wait for word on how it will be used.
"We've been asking what does that look like? And we really haven't gotten an answer."
Residents have also expressed worries about trash left behind and people wandering onto their property looking for the park.
Denver Mountain Parks spokeswoman Cynthia Karvaski said, "We don't want people to think it's going to be the next Red Rocks and it's not."
The city is saying it is looking at the land as a conservation area or one for learning. But some of Denver Mountain Parks land considered conservation area is open to trail use.
"I don't have any faith in that because of the past and what they've done as far as what they've said and what they've actually showed to us," said Furnace.
What further irks residents like Furnace is that there is no local control of what can happen with the land.
"It's not right that the City of Denver and County of Denver can own land and in another county without them being represented."
