City of Idaho Springs
Idaho Springs Files for Injunction of Clear Creek School District’s planned Transportation Maintenance Facility
Contact: Andrew Marsh, City Administrator (303) 567-4421, admin@idahospringsco.com
Idaho Springs, Colorado – July 26, 2023
The City of Idaho Springs (“City”) has filed a complaint in the City’s Municipal Court seeking an injunction against the construction of the Clear Creek RE-1 School District’s (“District”) planned Transportation Maintenance Facility (TMF) within the City’s corporate limits. The stated basis of the complaint is the District’s failure to obtain required City zoning approval. The District has asserted that it is exempt from all local zoning requirements and processes and has commenced construction on the site at 320 Chicago Creek Road (State Highway 103). The City has informed the District that it disagrees and that a limited scope of the City’s zoning laws do apply to the proposed project.
“It is unfortunate that the City’s hand was forced to file suit against a valued community partner like the School District,” said City Administrator Andrew Marsh. “We prefer to work things out through conversation and compromise when possible. But the City’s attempts to work with the School District have not been successful. The City has offered to expedite and streamline the City’s zoning process in an attempt to make the process as timely and cost-effective as possible for the District. While those offers were accepted last fall, the District has now decided to proceed without abiding by the City’s zoning regulations and related public processes. At the end of the day, the two jurisdictions simply disagree about local land use authority.”
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