For the past couple years City of Littleton revenues have been “Flat”. That’s, “Flat”, not “On a downward trend.” Nevertheless, this state of affairs scares hell out of those who depend on continuing revenue increases for their welfare and peace of mind.

Every time the City Council perceives the sky to be falling they threaten the citizenry with cuts in fire and police services.

Of course the City Council is quite concerned. Their reason for concern is obvious – if this phenomenon of reduced revenue actually comes to pass it might eventually cause cutbacks in the city staff, possibly reaching even unto the city manager’s office and that of the City Attorney (Gasp!).

If that unlikely event should come to pass, who would tell the City Council what to do?

Along about this time several phenomena occur more or less concurrently, which appear to present the city with a relatively long-term solution to this problem of dwindling revenues:

Lowe’s will be opening a new store in the old Hugh M. Woods location.
Marathon Oil finally sells the most desirable 77 acres in Littleton, and the developer envisions “Littleton Village.”
Looks like “River’s Edge” will open up just west of Aspen Grove.
Construction of “Littleton Station” is well under way.
Wal-Mart looms just south of Meadow Wood mobile home park.
“Gateway to Downtown” (old sheriff’s property) promises to attract bunches of condo dwellers.
The old downtown St. Mary’s property will be developed as housing (apartments/condos?).
The Ensor property (Promenade) will be developed as a “City within a city”.
“Littleton Lofts” at 5448 S. Rapp promises 56 residences.
Apparently the Norgren property well be developed soon.

The combined tax revenues from all these developments will bring in tens of millions of dollars, thus allaying the fears of the staff. BUT WAIT – one of the more astute members of City Council notices that all of these developments will be invalidated when they come up against the current Comprehensive Plan (stuff like 100’ high buildings, insufficient setbacks, etc.). So, what to do?

Well, of course we dare not suggest these fat cat developers bring their developments in line with the current Comprehensive Plan – they might pick up their millions and move to Arvada!

Further, it’s obvious Council cannot let the public find out they haven’t the guts to enforce the COMPLAN. After all, they all want to be re-elected.
So, they decide to convince the electorate a new and improved COMPLAN is needed. To make this look legit, Council hires a “Long Range Planner”, who conjures up a Citizen’s Advisory Committee comprised of a bunch of folks, some of whom have no idea they’re being used by Council to fool the public.
To make sure the CAC has the appearance of legitimacy, they (by acclamation) vote in Susan Thornton as chairman. (Good Grief!)

Subsequently, the Long Range Planner trots these Citizen’s Advisors all over town, holding neighborhood meetings purported to get citizens opinions, but where actually a 40 minute sales job is put on by Marilee Utter, espousing the virtues of New Urbanism – a totally one-sided speech, which is in no way offset by a presentation showing the other side of the issue. Then the Long Range Planner performs a brainstorming session with the attendees, and the people are sent away thinking that somehow they have contributed to the development of the new COMPLAN.

Nothing could be farther from the truth – those well-meaning attendees and CAC members have been duped by “The City” to come up with a revised COMPLAN, because the current COMPLAN would require the aforementioned developers to comply, and neither Council nor Staff have the guts for that.
CAC would do the city a great service by issuing a finding that there’s nothing wrong with the current Comprehensive Plan.

Anonymous Littleton Resident

For information about COMPLAN and upcoming meetings, please see:
www.littletongov.org/comdev/2030/