DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a crucial land exchange Tuesday that brings Zebulon, a mega sports complex planned for northwest Douglas County, one step closer to reality.
"It is so exciting," said Commissioner Abe Laydon, chairman of the board. "A historic day where Douglas County is delivering the highest level of parks and recreational amenities in the history of our community."
The approval allows the county to acquire 46.5 acres from Sterling Ranch developers. In the swap, Sterling Ranch will receive 23.8 acres of land owned by the county for commercial development.
The project's first phase will transform empty land near Moore and Waterton roads into a regional sports facility featuring hockey rinks, gyms, soccer fields and baseball fields.
The proposed development includes approximately 185 acres of open space, the 46.5 acres for Zebulon, and space for a new county emergency operations center.
At Tuesday's meeting, the land swap drew mostly praise from residents in attendance.
Caylan Bockenfeld of Parker, whose two young sons play youth baseball, spoke in support of Zebulon. She said finding open fields for her 8-year-old and 4-year-old has been a constant struggle.
"It means a lot to me as a mom. It means that they're investing in kids, and kids are our future," she said.
When asked about concerns regarding the project, Bockenfeld said she had none.
However, State Representative Bob Marshall, who represents Highlands Ranch, expressed several concerns at Tuesday's meeting.
"All citizens of Douglas County need equal access, because we all paid the tax to fund this," he said.
The deal requires the county to pay $5 million for infrastructure and provides Sterling Ranch residents with free gym access.
"To continually give special benefits to Sterling Ranch on the backs of the rest of the taxpayers of Douglas County is just totally inappropriate," Marshall said.
The land swap also includes a pollution liability insurance policy.
The site previously housed a DuPont dynamite factory. In 2022, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) approved prior remediation and said the site posed no environmental risks.
- Read the letter from CDPHE below:
Some small parcels of privately owned property on Waterton Road would need to be remediated before construction, though they are outside of the planned space for Zebulon, according to the county. Marshall said he remains concerned about future environmental liability for county taxpayers.
"You don't know what may lie underneath that you may hit when you start turning dirt over," Marshall said.
Laydon addressed these concerns with Denver7, stating that free gym access for all county residents hasn't been ruled out.
"It's to be determined how the usage fees would be structured," Laydon said. "On a recreational basis, I would like to see that free or reduced as significantly as possible if you're a Douglas County resident."
Laydon also squashed environmental concerns, emphasizing the state's clean bill of health for the property.
"We would not be moving forward without that solid letter from CDPHE providing the clean bill of health," Laydon explained.
The county is currently in discussions with more than 50 private entities interested in participating in the project. Laydon said commissioners plan to meet with all potential partners in the coming weeks to determine what they can bring to the table.
