Broncos tailgaters boo RTD
Published in the Denver Daily News
By PETER MARCUS - December 9, 2007
Some Broncos fans wanted more than just the heads of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. Over a dozen tailgating fans called for Regional Transportation District officials to sit down at the bargaining table before grabbing the building that is home to Bronco Nation’s greatest tailgating hub.
After providing Broncos fans for years with a gathering place to cook around fold-out propane grills, enjoy spirits from a full bar and watch Broncos highlights on a flat-screen TV, Orange Force One stands to lose its garage at Howard Place and Decatur Street near Invesco Field at Mile High.
Since 2004, fans here have celebrated their part in Bronco Nation inside and around the old New Jersey transit bus. The enormous orange bus had nearly a million miles on it when 33-year-old Steamboat Springs resident Steve Fesch remodeled it into a mobile heaven for Mile High sports fans.
Now Fesch stands to lose the property he uses to house the bus, as RTD has conflicting plans for its FasTracks West Corridor expansion project.
“We’re here at the Broncos game trying to have fun, but I’ve had better days,” explained Fesch as he stood with a group outside Orange Force One yesterday before the game. “I’m losing my property to RTD. It’s been a little rough on my life.”
Needed for West Corridor
On Sept. 24th, Fesch received a letter from RTD explaining that they need his property for the West Corridor and that he would be forced to sell under the rules of eminent domain. He says RTD refused to compromise when he suggested that the district only purchase part of the property for its project.
Fesch said he would one day like to open a restaurant at the location, adding that once the light rail project is done the location will be a prime piece of real estate.
RTD spokesman Scott Reed said the district has tried on multiple occasions to strike a compromise with Fesch, but that they have been unable to bring the opposing parties to the table.
“We have repeatedly told him that we’re more than happy to discuss this,” Reed said. “I find it interesting that he is organizing rallies rather than meeting with us.”
16 others received letters
Fesch is one of 16 property owners who received similar notices of intent to acquire land for its West Corridor. The district is expected to make as many as 130 acquisitions in total.
Lakewood couple Galen Lee Foster and Kim A. Snyder have joined Fesch’s fight against RTD’s intention to grab land long the West Corridor.
Foster and Snyder received a letter form RTD informing the couple of its intent to acquire their home and business at 14th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard.
The husband-and-wife team have lived there and operated an auto glass treatment center out of the property for the past 23 years.
“We just can’t get any answers out of these people,” Foster said, while surrounded by people holding posters that read, “Honk for property rights,” and “Eminent domain, or land grab?”
“These people want us to go away for a lot of money, but we’re not going to change our life,” continued Foster. “If they take our home and our business, that will change our lives forever.”
Compromise sought
Both Fesch and Foster want to compromise with RTD so that the district allows them to keep ownership of parts of their property. Both said they would work with RTD officials to develop property that is appropriate for the light rail expansion.
“What I want to do is save the taxpayers money. I want to sit down and work something out — they don’t have to purchase the whole property,” Fesch said. “This doesn’t have to be a win-lose, this can be a win-win situation. I’m in favor of light rail, but I’m also in favor of property rights.”
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Steve Fesch’s Response:
What Scott Reed of RTD said is simply not true. RTD has promised time and time again to sit down and talk but I HAVE NEVER been contacted by their office until 10:53 AM this morning (Monday, Dec. 10th). They have never offered me any explanation other than “Steve we will give you “market value” for your parcel“. That is their idea of compromise? First of all their idea of “Market Value” doesn’t even include the value that Light Rail brings to the area. You see in the literature they send you that public works projects are not included in appraisal process. How is that possible? How can a mass-transit station near my property with 30,000 projected riders not effect a COMMERCIAL corner that I own and plan to develop MYSELF?
When RTD did call this morning, the first thing I told them is that they needed to retract this statement:
“RTD spokesman Scott Reed said the district has tried on multiple occasions to strike a compromise with Fesch, but that they have been unable to bring the opposing parties to the table.” That could not be further from the truth. If you look at the Rocky Mountain News article, if you heard me on KHOW radio (Tom Martino show), I’ve been saying it over and over. I want to work something out with RTD instead of being told to “Expect our market value offer”. It doesn’t have to be this way as I have plenty of ideas TO SAVE THE DENVER TAX PAYERS MONEY.
I DO NOT WANT TO SLOW THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRESS DOWN. What I want is a chance to explain my side of the story and I WANT A FULL EXPLANATION from RTD as to why they are even trying to take my land. I still don’t understand it. They say they need it for a road and drainage. I don’t understand why they need all of my land. The road/drainage plan only calls for a small strip of my land. They tell me that if they take what the need that the remainder will not be “economically viable”. I’ve been told by the Denver city planners that they are willing to work with me on any remaining land. This is why I need to get Denver, Myself and RTD to the table. I believe that we can work something out. It doesn’t have to be RTD wins and Steve loses.
None the less it “appears” RTD is FINALLY going coming to the table. I’m not sure what that means but they did say they are contacting the Mayor’s office to check his schedule. From what RTD told me, the Mayor will be at this meeting. I sure hope so as my land IS IN DENVER, my land is ACROSS the street from a 5 acre parcel owned by the city of Denver. DENVER has a role in this and there is NO REASON for Denver not to participate in the negotiations. As long as I’ve own the property I haven’t had any drainage issues on my parcel.
I have a 10:00am slot on Tuesday Dec 11th on the Tom Martino show http://khow.com/main.html . Tune in to listen! I’ll either have positive things to say about RTD and the progress or more of RTDs refusal to come to the table. As I said earlier as of this morning they said they will let me know by the end of today. We’ll see…..
Thanks to all those that attended the pig roast on Sunday it was a blast! My next tailgate is planned ALL WINTER long downtown if RTD refuses to work with me. I plan on protesting everyday by myself or with other people who are concerned about property rights. I’m in the process of converting my Broncos bus www.orangeforceone.com into the www.eminentdomainsucks.com BUS later this week. If you happen to see me infront of the Capital building, The Mayors building, or RTDs building stop in and say hello. Just look for the big orange bus.
Thanks for the support from the readers and posters on this site.
Steve Fesch
Filed under: Uncategorized
Mr Reed what’s up with the lies? your making this big RTD bully look foolish can you maintain the slightest bit of class when you ruin peoples lives?
He just called me a few minutes ago. He said “They misquoted him”
Either way they have a few hours to get this meeting together and I’m going to “start” protesting.
I haven’t even begun. These people have given ME NO REASON to believe anything they say is true thus far. Maybe that will change but I don’t think so.
It certainly seems as if they are simply playing a game until its too late. They might say what you want to hear but I no longer have faith RTD will step up.
I’ll plan on spending some time over the winter in full protest with you and other fellow citizens.
I would also think those currently sitting in any elected office would be taking note.
The article is contradictory in that it first quotes Mr. Reed as saying RTD has repeatedly attempted to meet with landowners to find a compromise but that the landowners are unwilling to meet with them (which so far has been completely false) but a few paragraphs later, says Mr. Foster and Mr. Fesch are hoping for a compromise with RTD (which is the truth). Bringing public attention to the issue one of the few recourses a landowner has when faced with an agency that has, to date, shown nothing but inflexibility and stonewalling.
Whether the misinformation was a misquote of Mr. Reed by the reporter or not, a retraction and correction needs to be made. The public should be able to expect factual information particularly on an important issue which will apparently be affecting a significant number of Colorado landowners before the projects are completed.
This is just lunacy. You try to work w/ the local RTD board and they send their spokesman out there to spout lies?!? Is this really the way RTD (and the city of Denver) wants to start out this whole process? Work WITH the people whose land you are taking and quit treating them like pests!
Steve it was a pleasure speaking with you yesterday at the game. I am hoping that you will get this so called meeting with RTD. It is time that RTD meets face to face with the land owner’s whose properties are effected. Stop hiding behind the Political figures who voted this stupid law into effect. Keep me posted on the bus and I hope to come sit with you down town for a few hours. I have some vacation time that I can burn, and what a better way than by sitting dowtown at a good old fashioned protest. I make a mean poster.
Steve,
I hope these elected officials live up to their responsibilities and actually meet and work with you and the others affected by this. The average property owner has surprisingly few rights these days and I hope you are treated fairly and not steamrollered in the name of “progress”. I grew up in Colorado and these are shady maneuvers that would not have been attempted in the Colorado I grew up in. Good luck in your fight, and let me know how I can help further.
Ron Goldberg
“Goobzilla”
Centralia, WA
Steve. Keep fighting the good fight. I am so sick of greed in my state. Please tell us whatever we can do to stop it.
Colorado is the WEST. This isn’t New Jersey or Delaware, where the citizens have given up their property rights in the name of strip malls.
Thanks for being a real man and taking a stand.
PS: Mayer Hickenlooper, you do the right thing a lot of the time. Please do it again now.
Um, you mention that “fair market value for your parcel” doesn’t take into account the Light Rail station. But, if they don’t take your land, there won’t be a light rail station there to impact your land. You don’t get the laws of emminent domain. To the greater public good, you are entitled to fair market value of your land now, not based on some future value that might or might not ever be real. You come across as a greedy, self-important person who cares more about Bronco tailgate parties than the environment and health of our regionl. You apparently think that 8 Sundays a year are more important than our kids being able to breathe the air? Can you not see the brown cloud that still occasionally hovers over our region?
Look, I was born in the city and county of Denver and live here now. I was a Bronco-maniac until Elway retired and the city decided to sell it’s life blood to something called Invesco to make the Broncos richer–where is all that money going now–and save take payers a few million to have our stadium called something idiotic when every poll suggested we’d rather keep the name Mile High Stadium. So, I respect that this is your business etc, but sometimes we have to take it like a good citizen and realize that the needs of the many millions of lpeople in our region might outweigh you and your tailgate parties. So, no, I don’t support your cause. I disagree that RTD is grabbing unecessary land, and that you should be exempt from the laws of emminent domain because you have a big orange bus. Unless your bus is going to carry 20,000 people a day from JeffCo to downtown, I suggest you think about someone other than yourself in this matter, take your fair market value, and stop acting so self-important.
Steve M…Thanks for the comments. However my land has nothing to do with the light rail stop. In fact there is a discussion now to not take any of my land at all now since RTD realized that it would be cheaper to utilize Denver’s land across the street from mine.
It’s ok though you don’t understand the facts. See maps and sketches. You’ll see that Denver owns 5 acres across the street from me that is a mainteance facility right now. They are going to demo it and make it a draiange channel.
The discussion now is to use that land to widen the road to spare my land/investment. It just so happens my building has a tenant that adds millions to the Tax base of Denver via their manufacturing business. My parcel is not just about 8 days of tailgating.
If RTD wipes my building out jobs/tax dollars will be lost as my tenant said he will move out of Denver. All RTD is trying to do is widen a small road and fix some drainage issues in the area. I’m not in the path of light rail Steve M. Take the time to read the articles and get your facts straight.
Anyhow I’m trying to save your Tax dollars Steve M as RTD was about to piss away millions aquiring land that didn’t even need.
Besides I don’t even want to sell my land. I want to keep it. If I was greedy I’d be trying to mile RTD for everybit I could. I’m not interested in their offer and quite honestly I’m not so sure they are interested in my land as much as they initially were now that they’ve started to listen to me and realized it’s cheaper to make their project happen with land ALREADY OWNED BY THE TAX PAYERS OF DENVER. Get it Steve M?