What Lone Tree Voters Actually Approved in 2000 — and What They Did Not

In recent public meetings about the proposed Hillcamp subidivision, deverloper representatives have repeatedly claimed that Lone Tree residents “voted to develop the Bluffs” in the year 2000.

That statement is misleading.

It oversimplifies a complex election, ignores documented irregularities in ballot delivery, and—most importantly—misrepresents what voters were actually asked to approve.

The 2000 Vote Was About Annexation and Control, Not Maximum Development

In August 2000, Lone Tree voters were asked whether the City should annex the Rampart Range property and adopt zoning ordinances that would bring the land under local control.

The ballot question did not ask voters to approve:

• specific development plans

• density levels

• road alignments

• or future build-out scenarios like Hillcamp

  
  

What voters approved was annexation—so that decisions would be made by Lone Tree residents and elected officials, instead of Douglas County.

What the Official Election Results Actually Show

According to the City of Lone Tree’s Board of Canvassers’ Certificate of Election Results and the Judges’ Certificate of Election Returns:

• YES votes: 824

• NO votes: 606

• Total ballots voted: 1,430

  
  

These figures are certified by the City and signed by election officials on August 29, 2000. The margin was not overwhelming but even more important is what happened outside the vote tally.

Thousands of Ballots Were Never Delivered

The same certified election documents appear to show that:

• 2,077 ballots were not delivered to electors

• 3,547 ballots were returned to the designated election official

• 474 absentee ballots were issued, with 24 rejected for insufficient information and 3 challenged

  
  

This means the large number often cited is not a matter of voters choosing not to return ballots—it reflects ballots that never reached voters in the first place. That distinction matters.

It is inaccurate to frame the 2000 election as a broad, enthusiastic mandate for development when these documents appear to show that thousands of residents were never given the opportunity to vote at all.

City Ordinances Confirm the Real Intent

The City’s own ordinances from that period—Ordinance Nos. 00-05 through 00-08—were adopted as emergency ordinances. Their stated purpose was to prevent the City from losing control over growth on the Rampart Range property.

The urgency language explicitly references:

• protecting public welfare

• avoiding unchecked development

• ensuring future decisions would be deliberate and locally governed

  
  

This was not a blank check. It was a safeguard.

Were Voters Even Given Clear Information in 2000?

The ballot language used in 2000 relied heavily on references to ordinance numbers and charter provisions, not plain-language descriptions of future development outcomes. Ordinance Nos. 00-05 through 00-08 are lengthy legal documents that require professional interpretation, raising a reasonable question: how could the average voter have understood what long-term land-use consequences might follow?

When concerned Lone Tree residents recently requested records of any explanatory voter pamphlets or educational materials distributed with the ballots, none were provided. Absent evidence that voters received clear, accessible information, it is inappropriate for anyone to claim that the 2000 electorate knowingly approved development scenarios like Hillcamp.

Contemporary Reporting Supports This Interpretation

Media coverage at the time reinforced the same message. Supporters of annexation told voters that a “yes” vote meant:

• local oversight

• thoughtful planning

• and avoiding the kind of “unbridled growth” seen in places like Highlands Ranch and Aurora

  
  

Opponents warned that annexation could eventually lead to loss of open space, wildlife habitat destruction, and traffic congestion—concerns that look strikingly similar to those being raised today.

Those warnings were not dismissed by voters; they were balanced against assurances of restraint and community control.

Voter Intent Still Matters—Especially Today

In 2000, Lone Tree had fewer than 5,000 residents. Today, the City has grown dramatically and continues to grow faster than many neighboring communities.

In a 2020 survey taken by the City, 89% of respondents said that open space is very important. Open space doesn't mean developed parks and ballfields, it means trails and views and serene spaces like we enjoy now while using the East-West Regional Trail and enjoying the tranquil bluff spaces.

More than 10,000 people have now signed an online petition calling for preservation of the Lone Tree bluffs and questioning whether development like Hillcamp aligns with the City’s values and long-term safety.

This is not opposition to growth. It is a demand that growth be thoughtful, safe, and consistent with voter intent.

Honoring the Vote Means Honoring the Principles Behind It

Lone Tree voters did not vote to “develop the bluffs.”They voted to control their future.

Control does not mean building on every remaining piece of land.It does not mean ignoring changed conditions, increased risk, or overwhelming public concern.

The Bluffs are not just another development parcel—they are a defining feature of Lone Tree’s landscape, ecology, and identity.

Honoring the 2000 vote means upholding the promise that annexation was meant to protect Lone Tree from exactly the kind of unbridled, high-impact development now being proposed.