Open Letter to The HRCA

Dear Mark & The Residents of Highlands Ranch.

I have been collecting feedback from people who have been banned from
using the Wild Cat Trail System.  I hope this feedback will give you
some idea of the depth of that feeling.

I would like to point out that while most of the feedback has been
negative, it has also been somewhat conciliatory.

Is there nothing we can work out here?

Regards

Ben Lockett
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Parks & trails & Open Space need to be available to anyone who wants to
use them! If Highlands Ranch wants the County, and CPN to contribute $
for maintenance, fine. But what a
bad precedent to set.

As a Castle Pines North resident who lives right by the trail and all of
this 'closed' space, this completely sucks.

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I was extremely shocked when I had found out the trail is private, and
for only Highlands Ranch residents.  It seems like a slap in the face,
when I can walk to this trail from my house, but we're not allowed on
it.  My question is here
anything that can be done about this?  If it is private land, we can't
make them open it to the public.

Also, is there any way to put pressure on Shea homes?  there is still
alot of open space around there that is still under Shea homes, but is
planned to be given to HRCA.  Maybe at least we can keep the rest from
joining the same fate as this one trail. Plus, it would really depress
me if I was completely surrounded by all of this beautiful open space
that I would not be allowed to enjoy.

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I would like to add my voice to the displeased residents of CPN over the
denial of use of trails by Highland Ranch officials (If they are indeed
officials of Highlands Ranch and not some self anointed group.) I have
read in the Castle Pine news letter about the upcoming opening of
previously closed open space. I watched as the parking lot opened and
thought how fortunate I was to live in Douglas County with all these
hiking and biking opportunities.

Last weekend I took my family down to walk the new trail and found a
sign on the gate stating that this trail was off limits to anyone
outside of Highlands Ranch.

Sadly I had to explain to my children that we could not walk on the
trail. This lead to a discussion of elitism and how open space should be
OPEN to all Coloradans.

Please allow all people of Colorado to freely walk in and use all open
spaces. We should be neighbors not enemies.

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Thanks for moving on this....truly unbelievable!
Hopefully south suburban won't adopt this view and keep us from running
the Highline.

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