The area of the park known today as the ‘Southdowns’ was not part of the original Roxbrough State Park property. In fact, in the early 1990s it was planned to be a housing development. A handful of dedicated volunteers and community members banded together to form the Friends of Roxborough State Park to help make sure that didn’t happen.
Never Forget Southdowns
Article published in the Roxborough Volunteer Newsletter, the Roxy Reader. May 2021
Passing the entrance station at Roxborough State Park you leave the city behind and enter the rolling western foothills of Douglas County. For as far as the eye can see, the grasslands, blue skies and meanders of Willow Creek create a serenity so different from the world you just left. On your right the Dakota Formation towers above and through the water gaps and you catch glimpses of the stunning beauty of the red rock Fountain Formation beckoning you on to a day of adventure and recreation.
It’s jarring to think that this pastoral scene could just as easily have become a sea of tract homes had it not been for a modern miracle in land use preservation brought about by the efforts of the Friends of Roxborough State Park and the partnerships formed by Colorado State Parks, Douglas County, The Conservation Fund, US Home, Colorado Land Board and the Roxborough Park Foundation.
Twenty-five years ago, on May 31, 1996 conservationists, state and county government leaders and a developer came together to celebrate the protection of the 625-acre platted development known as “Southdowns” and its addition to Roxborough State Park. The dedication ceremony was the culmination of nearly three years of grassroots awareness building, intense real estate negotiations and multifaceted fundraising.
Southdowns, part of the original Woodmoor development at Roxborough, was platted in the 1970s with over 1,100 housing units. At the time of the Woodmoor bankruptcy in 1975, most of the lots had been sold to individual owners. In the early 1990s, US Home consolidated a majority of these lots with plans to construct over 700 homes.
Final approvals for construction were in process when a group of concerned citizens came together in November, 1993 to found the Friends of Roxborough State Park. They saw this intense development on the front door step of the park as a death threat to the park’s existence as a nationally recognized Natural Landmark and its designation as a Colorado Natural Area. The Friends of Roxborough State Park vowed that day to bring public awareness to the park’s plight, raise funds and seek an alternative to the housing development.
The Friends wrote letters to Governor Roy Romer, State Legislators and the Douglas County Commissioners, distributed “Save Roxborough State Park” bumper stickers and collected almost 15,000 petition signatures. Their actions resulted in more calls to the Governor’s Office than any other issue during the spring of 1994. Del Kelley, the exceptionally committed Friends President, was joined by Roxborough Volunteers Vickey and Jim Trammell, Ann Bonnell, Deb Nagle, Carolyn Bredenberg, Doris Cruze, Linda Williams, Sally Gardner, Susan Dunn, Bobbie and Tex Sheffield and many others. The Friends group was energized by the membership of more than 500 caring park supporters.
Despite the flurry of citizen activity, the prospect of preserving Southdowns looked bleak. In March, 1994, Governor Romer visited the park and viewed the situation first hand. His concern over the fate of Southdowns caused the momentum to change and prompted U S Home to look for an alternative. Colorado State Parks went into action. The Management Team headed by Director Laurie Matthews, and Assistant Director Tom Kenyon and Metro Region Manager Gene Schmidt brought on Tom Macy of The Conservation Fund to negotiate with US Home to find a solution. Macy likened the Southdowns dilemma of attempting to “reverse” development to “trying to put the tooth paste back in the tube.”
A proposal to move the development rights from the Southdowns parcel to another location in Douglas County required a change in the county’s comprehensive plan and was met with resistance from citizens in the other location. Eventually, the necessary actions were approved by the Douglas County Planning Commission and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners. Commissioners M. Michael Cooke, James Sullivan and Robert A. “Chris” Christensen deserve special recognition for their role. US Home agreed to sell their interest in Southdowns to The Conservation Fund for $2.35 million dollars and a transaction approved by the Colorado Land Board led by Director Max Vezzani. The Roxborough Park Foundation approved selling their interest in the common areas and internal roadways within Southdowns. The Conservation Fund agreed to purchase and hold the property until Colorado State Parks could come up with the cash.
A flurry of fundraising efforts began. Douglas County pledged $1,000,000 from the newly created county open space sales tax revenue. $650,000 was appropriated from the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund. State Parks media coordinator, Antoinette DeLauro working with the guidance of Sydney Macy of The Conservation Fund, secured contributions from the Boettcher, Bonfils-Stanton, Denver, Gates and Johnson Foundations donating $210,000 to the project.
The Friends of Roxborough State Park sold tee shirts and candy bars, hosted park moonlight hikes and patio concerts, collected “Pennies for the Park” and garnered contributions from park volunteers and supporters. John Fielder graciously held benefit slide programs featuring his outstanding Colorado photography. This newly formed non-profit organization met their goal of raising $100,000. Director Laurie Mathews, allocated the balance of the funds needed from Colorado State Parks sources.
May 31, 1996 was a day of great joy for the 200 plus attendees and all those who worked tirelessly over two and a half years to preserve Southdowns and Roxborough State Park. The dedication was blessed with a cedar ceremony by Northern Cheyenne Richard Tall Bull. Governor Romer presented recognition gifts to nine organizations for their significant contributions to the preservation of Southdowns. “Outside of how we care for our children,” Governor Romer stated, “how we care for our environment is the most important issue we have.” The Roxborough Volunteer Naturalists provided Rox Rides and park tours to the dedication guests. The ceremony concluded with participants joining hands in a Native American Friendship Dance led by Sicangu Lakota, Jessica Bordeaux Vigil and Miss Junior Indian Colorado, Ogallala Lakota, Randi Rae Blakesly.
The partnerships forged during the Southdowns campaign resulted in the project being recognized by the Denver Business Journal as the 1996 Deal Maker of the Year Award, the Colorado Park and Recreation Association Starburst Award and the 1996 Governor’s Smart Growth Award. Just as importantly, the 625-acre Southdowns project added the largest single parcel to Roxborough State Park and provided a critical buffer to the red rock inner sanctum.
The working relationship established between Colorado State Parks, Douglas County and the Friends of Roxborough State Park went on to acquire critical parcels to the south and west of the park’s core. The Southdowns project became a model for citizen participation in the protection of critical open space.
Today, we enjoy the rolling hills and meandering Willow Creek of Southdowns thanks to the tireless efforts of so many who loved Roxborough. The partnership between citizens, governmental agencies, the non-profit community and the developer is celebrated as a “win” for land use conservation in Colorado. It is our responsibility to care for the legacy they bequeathed to us. It demonstrates that the quote attributed to Margaret Mead is true.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
By Susan Kraner Trumble
Roxborough Senior Ranger/Park Manger 1980-2003
May 2, 2021