History of Lookout Mountain Antenna Tower Land

Denials & Approvals

• October 9, 2002: JeffCo Planning Commission recommends denial of an application for a web of towers and a half-underground 14,000 sq. ft.
  building on the east face of Mt. Morrison above the Red Rocks
  Amphitheatre. The PBS affiliate KRMA-Channel 6 is proposing an
  unpainted or lighted spider web below 200 feet in height. Organizations
  epresenting more than 12,000 citizens provide power-point presentations
  ecommending denial. Hundreds of individuals wrote or spoke against and
  many individuals spoke for approval. Supporters of the Catholic Television
  channel 23, which operates from Mt. Morrison, spoke in favor. The same
  citizens that stood up in 1999 showed up again in 2002.
  March 11, 2003: Commissioners Sheehan and Lawrence approve
  the Mt. Morrison spider web of towers after refusing to hear citizen
  testimony half way into the hearings and allowing the applicant to
  substantially change the proposal. Citizens appealed with District Court,
  which reversed the approval in 2006.
• May 14, 2003: JeffCo Planning Commission votes 4 to 3
  recommending approval of Lake Cedar Group’s second proposal for a
  730-foot tower and 20,000 sq. ft. building. JeffCo Planning Staff
  recommends denial. Hearings are set for April 9, April 30, May 7 and May
  14. Hundreds of Greater Golden residents again pack the hearing room.
  Organizations representing 30,000 citizens request denial. About 28
  broadcast media employees and consultants, friends and relatives of
  employees and consultants, attended and seven testified for approval.
  Most signed in as residents of Littleton, Westminster, Denver, Englewood,
  and Lakewood.

• Marv Rockford directs testimony for LCG. Citizen volunteers again did
  their homework and testify. CARE attorney Deb Carney reminds the
  volunteer Planning Commissioners that “ Colorado law disfavors legal
  nonconforming land use and encourages their elimination at the earliest
  possible time.” Retired business executive Wayne Matthai said, “They
  need to get rid of those dinosaurs and build a spiderweb of low towers
  at 10,600 feet altitude.” Dr. James Wilson, chair of CU Denver Dept of
  Engineering, said engineers have traditionally dismissed the impact of
  antenna tower radiation. “After reviewing the state health statistics
  compiled in 1999, I changed my mind. I see this proposal as an
  experiment on Shelton Elementary School children.”
• Golden residents John Widley, Charles Cuchiava, and Brent Anderson
  testified to deny the application. Peter and Ann Sauer said they moved
  to Golden for honest government and a safe environment. Former EPA
  scientist and radiation regulator Dr. Roger Mattson reminded the
  Commissioners that they are responsible for health effects because the
  federal government has withdrawn all funding for research. Petroleum
  engineer Richard Veghte testified that underground diesel storage at the
  LCG facility would contaminate Kinney Run and the Golden water supply.
  Mt. Vernon Canyon residents Scott Albertson, Al Hislop, Dave Venetti, Patricia Roberts, Andy Beck, Ron Selstad, Dick Bartlett, Bob Barrett, Jim Vicery, Penny Clarke, Al Cooper, Lee Todd, Philadelphia Cousins, Mike Klineider, Jim Shea, T.J. Carney, Brian Smith, Susan Landon, Don D’Antuono, Eddie Alinarello, Galen Knickel, Colin Barton, Betty Seeland, Steve Howards, Dick Kieffer, Vera and Guenter Groth, among many others, testified recommending denial. Commissioner Sheehan repeatedly states, “Well, if you think the towers are such a problem, why don’t you just move.”
• July 22, 2003: Commissioners Sheehan, Lawrence, and Holloway approve the LCG Supertower after hearings on July 1, July 8, and LCG rebuttal (without citizen opportunity to respond to last-minute changes). Hundreds of citizens (730) attend the first two hearings and demonstrate against the Supertower during lunch break by forming a land-based “human tower” of the proposed 730 feet long and 50 feet wide tower. Denver mass media provides no coverage of the demonstration or hearings.
  

Reasons for denial by these same commissioners in 1999 are: 1) not conform with Central Mountain
Community Plan; 2) Not conform with Telecom Land Use Plan; 3) not meet minimum standards for telecom
facilities; 4) not compatible with residential uses in the surrounding area.

Reasons for approval by these same commissioners in 2003 are: 1) conforms with Central Mountain
Community Plan; 2) conforms with Telecom Land Use Plan; 3) compatible with existing land uses; 4)
rezoning is best interest of health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and welfare of residents
of Jefferson County. The City of Golden, CARE, homeowner associations, individuals and businesses
filed to reverse approval with District Court.

• March 26, 2004: District Judge R. Brooke Jackson declared (in response
  to Golden filing for an injunction against Jefferson county issuing a building
  permit to LCG) “The Court finds that the commencement of construction of
  the tower would present real, immediate, and irreparable injury.” He also
  declared that the Board of County Commissioners failed to comply with
  its own procedures, and allowed LCG to file substantial revisions and
  additional information without the required time of 21 days for public
  response. Jackson remanded the case back to the County Commissioners for further hearings to allow plaintiffs an opportunity to respond.
• August 17, 2004: Commissioners Sheehan, Lawrence, and Holloway
  again approve the LCG Supertower announcing that “nothing has
  changed.” The Commissioners congratulate LCG after their decision.
  Golden and CARE take this back to Judge Jackson who on October 24, 2004
  refused to lift the injunction against construction.