Ken-Caryl residents question idea to swap hundreds of acres of Colorado open space for Jeffco community center property

The beauty and open space surrounding Ken-Caryl Ranch northwest of Chatfield Reservoir have kept John and Lisa LoSasso in the same Colorado home for more than 30 years.

"It was about connecting with the community, and just the topography of this area. Where in the metro area can you find something like this -- and, more importantly, that's protected?" John said.

They are among the thousands who signed a petition opposing the idea of transferring a large portion of that land -- known as the South Hogback -- to Jefferson County. In exchange, the county would give the Ken-Caryl Ranch Metro District ownership of the community center, which the district currently leases for $1 a year.

"You get a building, you get 12 acres of land, and we are going to give you over 900 acres of pristine property in the metro area," LoSasso said.

Randy Stafford is also a longtime resident.

"The history of that South Hogback open space parcel -- it was purchased by a group of Ken-Caryl residents and other funding sources in 1993," he said.

The property is already open to the public and maintained by the Ken-Caryl Metro District and has been since they took over in 2003.

Stafford boils his concerns down to one question:

"Why?" Stafford said.

He says getting that answer from the Ken-Caryl Ranch Metro District board members behind the discussions has been difficult.

Joe Levy is the board president.

"There's a lot of confusion online right now about the South Hogback open space, and I wanted to take a few seconds to clear the air," Levy said in a video posted online.

He posted the video after the petition began circulating, emphasizing that the discussions are only preliminary. 

"There is no proposal. There are just concepts right now that the board has directed staff to investigate so we could begin discussing possibilities as a community," Levy said.

Residents we spoke with aren't convinced. They point first to a December meeting where they say the agenda announcing the idea was vague and unclear. Then, to a Jefferson County Open Space meeting in January, where an advisory committee voted to move the land transfer forward -- while acknowledging the deal sounded too good to be true.

"It's really like getting something for nothing," one committee member said during the meeting.

At that meeting, Jeffco Open Space staff offered an explanation for what was referred to as a lopsided swap.

"Of the input they have gotten, I believe it has been quite well received, and from their standpoint, being able to own and control the community center gives them a whole lot of other options on reinvestment," one presenter said.

 With the first community meeting set for Tuesday, Stafford and others believe it will be well attended.

"A whole lot of pissed-off residents who are going to voice their opinion of the betrayal of trust they feel by the board for progressing this discussion this far without seeking community input," Stafford said.

CBS Colorado spoke with the district manager, who says Tuesday's community meeting was -- and has always been -- the next step in the process. A spokesperson for Jeffco Open Space says that while they are only exploring the idea at this point, any transfer would include restrictions that the properties remain public park and open space.

The meeting will be held Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. at the Ranch House.