Greeley voters get to decide on Cascadia voting - Reporter-Herald, Greeley Trib
Thomas Clayton
Greeley voters to decide on project's zoning in special election early next year
Greeley voters will decide in February whether to repeal zoning for the Catalyst and Cascadia projects in a special election.
On Tuesday, the Greeley City Council chose to send the zoning repeal to voters after Greeley Demands Better petitioned for the council to either repeal the zoning itself or hold a referendum. The special election is set for Feb. 24.
The private, mixed-use development known as Cascadia is adjacent to the city-owned Catalyst entertainment district, which aims to construct a hotel, water park and hockey arena for the Colorado Eagles hockey team in west Greeley. The city projects Catalyst will create 2,480 temporary construction jobs and 1,220 permanent jobs, in addition to generating revenue within 10 years of construction start.
The city has estimated the costs of the initial development of the Catalyst project at $832 million, including design, construction, infrastructure and utilities. A CBRE analysis estimates $486 million in construction spending and $44 million per year in new revenue from the arena, ice rinks, hotel and water park, according to the city.
Residents who oppose the project have remained doubtful the project will deliver the promised economic boom. More concerns arose once the city issued certificates of participation, one of the primary funding mechanisms for the early stages of the project, which temporarily leased city buildings to secure a loan.
Another group, Greeley Deserves Better, petitioned to put the city council’s approval of the certificates of participation issuance on November’s ballot. After a city-appointed arbiter ruled that such an action was not within the residents’ power, Greeley Demands Better gathered more than 5,000 signatures in an effort to repeal zoning for the project that was approved in September.
If this issue passes on the ballot, it will only repeal the zoning instead of stopping the project outright, Councilman Tommy Butler noted Tuesday. If the zoning is repealed, property owners won’t be able to reapply for zoning for an entire year, but that doesn’t prevent them from applying for a different type of zoning that could keep the project moving forward, City Attorney Stacey Aurzada added.
“I just want to make that very clear right now. If people vote ‘yes’ to repeal this ordinance, that does mean that the zoning goes away for a year at the PUD level, but there can be different zoning put in place,” Butler said. “The project can move forward, but I do think that this sends a very clear message from our citizens.”
The expected cost of this special election has risen to $350,000.
Councilwoman Deb DeBoutez, who has opposed the project alongside Butler, asked about the possibility of adding further questions to the ballot. Particularly general questions about whether residents approve of the project and how it’s being financed.
Aurzuda and City Clerk Heidi Leatherwood confirmed that the council could add those questions, though they were unsure of the deadline to do so. This deadline is flexible, however, since the city has 150 days to hold the special election.
“I just want to say that your voices are heard,” Councilwoman Melissa McDonald said. “The questions you ask about the project are taken into account, and many council members up here are holding the developer, the staff and everybody working on this project accountable. So your voices are being heard.”
 | Tom Clayton Communication and Media Specialist, Public Affairs |
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