Attempt to block Northern Colorado entertainment district may be blocked itself

The future of Greeley's proposed entertainment district in the western part of the city could soon be headed to district court. On Tuesday morning, dozens gathered to listen in on a debate over whether or not the future of the Cascadia project should be left up to the voters to decide.

Cascadia is a proposed business and entertainment district on the western tip of Greeley, bordering with Johnstown and Windsor in Northern Colorado. The proposal, which was approved by the Greeley City Council earlier this year, would bring a regional hub to the western edge of the city.

The Water Valley Company is seeking to build an indoor arena to house the Colorado Eagles, Northern Colorado's only minor league ice hockey team. The Cascadia project would also develop the currently vacant land into a water park, hotel, conference center and more.

Earlier this year, Greeley's city council elected to help fund the development of the project while leaning into the future tenants of the surrounding business district to help offset the debt they incurred to build the initial project.

While many celebrated the council's approval of the project, other Greeley residents called foul, claiming that the decision should've been left for the voters to decide. That is why a petition was created to take the matter to a vote this November, with those collecting signatures obtaining more than 5,000 verified signatures. However, before the petition could be certified and printed onto the ballots this November, a group supporting the city council's initial decision filed a protest of the petition. By protesting the petition, the group hoped to block the matter from going to a vote.

Those who helped collect the petition signatures argued their opponents were trying to block voters from having a say in where their taxpayer dollars go.

"It's not like we are trying to change democracy. We are actually trying to make democracy work so the people who have been elected can do the job they were elected to do," said Christopher Beall, an attorney representing the group that protested the creation of the petition.

Because the petition received a protest, Beall had to argue before a hearing officer as to why he believed the decision made by city council to approve the development of the district is not a matter for the voters to directly participate in.

"They elected their representatives in city council. And the city council is charged to do its job to make these decisions. And if you don't like their decisions you can vote against the council members," Beall said.

Beall argued the Cascadia decision made by city council was an administrative action, and not a legislative action that requires input from voters. He compared the decision to maintaining the employment of the city's police chief, claiming voters don't have the authority to create a petition and put the chief's employment to a vote. The employment of a chief is ultimately the decision of elected and appointed city leaders, not that of the voters.

However, Beall's vantage point was disputed by Suzanne Taheri, the attorney representing those behind the petition.

"West Greeley and its development is a huge issue for the voters. We would like to get to the substance of that issue and have a debate about the merits," Taheri said.

Taheri said she, and those who do not agree with city council's decision, felt the petition legally asked for the future of the Cascadia project to be decided by the voters. Taheri argued this was a concern due to the amount of funding the city was putting into the project, even noting the city was putting up Greeley City Hall and other city buildings as collateral to help fund the project.

"(The voters) all had a say when they signed (the petition). Now, they are trying to take away that voice and say," Taheri said.

Hearing officer Karen Goldman now has five days to make a decision on whether or not the action taken by council was administrative or legislative.

"It feels like a risky deal and it feels like a deal that the voters should be able to have a debate about and decide about," Taheri said.

"(Goldman) has a lot of work to do. She has to issue a decision over Labor Day weekend, and we will see what happens," Beall said.

Goldman told those on both sides that she would make sure to have her decision completed by the end of Sunday night and will notify the public of her results. She informed those involved that, if they disagree with her findings, the matter could be headed to district court.