Spectacular 1,192-acre Goltra property near Golden preserved
Longtime priority acquisition to be funded by land exchange with Martin Marietta Materials
Golden, Colorado – Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) has closed on and now owns 1,192 acres of the Goltra family property on just outside Golden, adjacent to Mount Galbraith, Clear Creek Canyon, and Centennial Cone Parks. The transaction was completed on December 14. The family previously sold 3,672 acres of their property to JCOS that is now Centennial Cone Park. “We are thrilled to be working with Jefferson County Open Space to steward and protect this land so that it can benefit all. My father had an amazing vision of conservation when he worked to amass these individual parcels of land over a span of three decades. As the region becomes more densely populated, the idea of protecting the pristine beauty of Colorado’s foothills becomes more important than ever. I am delighted to help make his vision a reality with an exceptional organization such as Jefferson County Open Space and create a natural oasis for all our grandchildren’s grandchildren to enjoy,” said Carolyn Goltra.
Funding for the acquisition will come from a land exchange with Martin Marietta Materials (MMM) referred to as the Heritage Square Exchange (HSE), which should be complete later next year. In 2020, the County and MMM executed the HSE agreement that would convey 64 acres of JCOS property near I-70 and US-40, in exchange for 131 acres of MMM property including the 56-acre former Heritage Square amusement park. The County planned to sell the former amusement park property and use the proceeds for other open space and parkland acquisitions once the exchange was complete. When the Goltra acquisition became a possibility, JCOS and MMM amended the HSE agreement to include funding for the purchase instead of conveying the 56-acre former Heritage Square property. MMM will also pay JCOS $150,000 per year for 30 years to help fund ongoing JCOS acquisitions. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Martin Marietta to partner with Jeffco Open Space to create a legacy and support the community in which we operate. We are very excited,” said Abbott Lawrence, President of Martin Marietta’s West Division.
Once it is completed, the HSE transaction will preserve 1,267 acres of open space in Jeffco including the Goltra, Bachman Farm, Alpine Slide, and Magic Mountain Reservoir properties. “The acquisition of the beautiful Goltra property continues our nearly fifty-year long legacy of preserving land for conservation and public enjoyment. We are so pleased to work with the conservation minded Goltra family and Martin Marietta Materials to bring this to fruition. This collection of properties preserves more than double the acreage we acquired in our 2004 exchange with the prior mine owner, LaFarge. That exchange preserved 522 acres, primarily at North Table Mountain Park,” said Tom Hoby, Director of Jefferson County Open Space.
The Board of County Commissioners approved the Goltra acquisition and MMM HSE amendment to the land exchange on November 16.
As is the case with most new JCOS acquisitions, the Goltra property has been placed in Study Area status and is closed to the public. During this period, the property will be inventoried, assessed and management plans will be developed.
For more information contact Matt Robbins, Community Connections Director, at [email protected] or 303-271-5902.
Jeffco Open Space was founded as a land conservation organization in 1972. Our mission is to preserve open space and parkland, protect park and natural resources, and provide healthy, nature-based experiences. Funded with a one-half of one percent sales tax, our organization contributes to city and park district projects, has preserved more than 56,000 acres, and manages 27 open space parks and more than 252 miles of trails in Jefferson County, Colorado.