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Home My WebLink AboutPROSPECT EAST FOURTH ANNEXATION & ZONING - 2-04 - MEDIA -nancn Continued from Page Al concern is the 300-foot buffer along the east side of her prop- erty. She worries the land's use will be subject to interpretation because of the buffers. But her concern is unwar- -anted, said Doug Moore, an en- ironmental planner for the city. The protective buffer al- lows for ranching businesses, he said. "Buffers just don't come into play at all," Moore said. "It's only if there would be development other than agricultural use." Gibbens inherited her ranching business from her fa- ther, John O. Anderson. She raises about 200 cattle in the winter months and in the sum- mer transports them to JOA- Buckhorn ranches in Buckhorn Canyon — one of the largest grazing ranches in the county. That ranch is thousands of contiguous acres. Gibbens won't say exactly how big, but lys that in the past she has en approached by develop- ers. She doesn't want to sell that property, but has at least con- sidered the possibility of sell- ing or renting if her winter ranch becomes unprofitable. She doesn't have the money to buy another winter ranch be- cause she is "land -rich and cash -poor." "I have no intention of leav- ing the business," said Gibbens, who has consulted a lawyer. "But I feel I will be forced to leave." She'd like to move the winter ranch somewhere less governed by restrictions, but selling the 21- acre parcel will prove difficult Get Fit Fort Collins! Corner of ? Drake and Shields �{,�A�w S��►►ol logo 490-1300 � � "Helping members attain their fitness goals gives me a feeling Ae of energy and strength.I turn around and ace that to motivate others, creating a powerful circle." Michelle Crotcau Group Fimcss Get Fit At The Pulse! V. Richard Harc/The Coloradoan SKEPTICAL: Local rancher Dixie Gibbens, whose assurances from current officials that her land property was annexed by the city, said she doesn't won't be subject to land -use rules about buffer trust the actions of future city officials, despite re- zones. because of the buffers, which limit development. Roughly half the property, tucked between two lakes near the hustle -bustle of Prospect Road, is not subject to buffers. A sliver of the property the size of a football field is on Prospect Road, where com- mercial development is boom- ing. Gibbens hopes the city will buy the property, but it's al- ready spent its open -space budget for the year with the $73 million purchase of 12,500 acres of the Soapstone Ranch, about 40 miles north of Fort Collins, on the Wyoming border. Mark Sears, natural -areas di- rector for Fort Collins, said Gibbens' property could have value to the city, but the city has CaOW)CAN `e26 Colorado Press Ascociatim Colorado Associated Press 1985, 1996. 1989. 1990. 1991. 1993. 1995. 1997 General Excellence Winner Year 131.017 Dorothy M. Bland President and Publisher. _.......... ..224-7885 DoromyBland@coloradc an.com Michael Limon Executive editor. __._..._._.._...224-7755 MichaelLimon@coloradoan.torn Bevan Noack Controller ........ ......................... 224-7786 Bevantsoack@coloradca i corn Jerry Quinn Production director ................224-7761 Jerry0innn@coloradoan cant Lisa Barkley Market development director .....224-7796 LisaBarkey@coloradcan.com Joe Luethmem Circulation director _.... 416-3989 JoeLuethmers@ccloradoan. com Lori Abe Human resources director. ..._....... 224-7797 LonAbe@coloradoan. com Robert Romme Technology director __............_.._224-7705 RobertRo nne@coloradoan.coin Dan Walker Advertising director.... .... ___224-702 Dan Walker@ccloradc an.com `Is Fort Collins still a farnung community? I don't know that we are anymore, probably not as much as Greeley.... It just can't be sustained in the city.' Karen Weitkunat city councitwornan not looked at the property be- cause it didn't know Gibbens might sell "Anything along the Poudre River corridor, we're interested in," Sears said. He didn't know if the city would offer Gibbens enough money to relocate. City Councilwoman Karen Weitkunat said the debate about creating the river buffer was contentious when it started about five years ago because it could impact business. She also noted Fort Collins has grown around ranchers such as Gibbens. "Is Fort Collins still a farming community?" she asked. "I don't know that we are anymore, probably not as much as Gree- ley.... It just can't be sustained in the city." However, the city must re- spect those who helped estab- lish it, she said. "I think one of the things the council and city staff can do is offer some level of sympathy for the culture and heritage that's been around so long," Weitku- nat said, adding that there's a need for city leaders to be sensi- tive to situations such as Gibbens'. Become a Morning Person. Make a fresh start.' So uniquely fresh, so completely delicious, LaMar's OW made -from -scratch donuts are the perfect way to 5 sweeten up your day. . ,, Any Dozen Donuts $599 One Doz. Ray's Original Glazed Continued from Page Al Owens and others, however, said vouchers would encourage more students to go to college. And education officials warned that public universities could be forced to close their doors or be- come private without vouchers because the state is caught be- tween conflicting constitutional requirements: The Taxpayers' Bill of Rights limits how much the state can tax and spend, and Amendment 23 requires annual increases to K-12 schools. Lawmakers tried to fix the dilemma but failed this year to come with a plan to present to voters in November. Owens has said he is considering a spe- cial session to finish the job, while several groups are work- ing on their own plans to put on the ballot. University of Colorado Pres- ident Betsy Hoffman said vouchers are a first step in giv- ing the school the financial Finals Continued from Page Al one week in my life. Granted, it is an important week, but it's not going to kill you." Jason Fearheiley, a junior studying fisheries biology, said he relies on repetition and review in studying for finals. He used a study guide, old exams and be- tween 500 and 600 note cards on Sunday to prepare for a cumula- tive test in an ecology course. It's easy to freak out over fi- nals, Fearheiley said, but the key to getting through the week is relaxing, not stressing out and taking it one step at a time. Fearheiley has to take four fi- nals in three days so he can trav- el to the Mountain West Con- ference track championships in Las Vegas, where he will partic- ipate in discus, javelin and ham- *11 or 1I budl ,7 mots do," calct "It d you out the for, to of ■ dal, the U.S. led coalition announced Sunday. Spc. Jeremy C. Sivits, 24, a military policeman from Hyndman, Pa., will stand tragi judicial tlgures would have no role in the trial. Sivits, a member of the 372nd Military Police Com- pany, is charged with con- sidered one of the lesser figures in the scandal. Mili- tary authorities determined he could bypass an Article 32 hearing, the military's r -.. e s con c ror ege abuse at u ee om were dashed by m imusentence is a year in Ghraib prison, just west of the coalition's decision to confinement, a demotion in Baghdad. A coalition inves- turn to members of Saddam rank to private, forfeiture of tigation into prisoner abuse Hussein's former military to two-thirds of his pay for a began in January, but the help suppress insurgent& — Rancher fears future after annexation V. Richard Haro/The Coloradoan UNCERTAIN: Dixie Gibbens bottle-feeds a calf at her 21-acre and the Poudre River. She is worried that City Council's annex - winter ranch in Fort Collins, which borders East Prospect Road ation of her ranch will lead to its end. Open -space plans won't affect ranch, city says By MICHAEL de YOANNA MichaeldeYoanna@coloradcan.com Rancher Dixie Gibbens can see the writing on the fence Post. She's worried that roughly 50 years of rearing cattle in Latimer County could be fad- ing into history. Her concerns arose anew last week when City Council annexed her 21-acre winter cattle ranch at Prospect Road and Sharp Point Drive from the county into city limits, subjecting the property to city rules that are meant to protect the environment. Ironically, the city's efforts to protect open space could backfire and force Gibbens to sell. She's worried the farm buildings, haystacks, cattle feed, tractor -trailer trucks and corrals that lie inside a buffer zone aimed at protect- ing the Poudre River will one day be prohibited, making her land less useful to her. "I'm just worried this will put me out of business," she said. But that's not the city's goal, according to city plan- ners. "We're not putting her out of business," said Steve Olt, city planner. The annexation will not af- fect Gibbens, Olt said. An in- tergovernmental agreement with the county calls for land surrounded by city property to be annexed, he said. Gibbens agrees that the city has not asked her to make changes. However, she says she doesn't trust the actions of fu- ture city officials. Her main See RANCH/Page A2 College vouchers could be in trouble Budget crisis is blamed again By STEVEN K. PAULSON The Associated Press DENVER — Trouble is brewing for Colorado's first -in -the -nation college voucher plan. State lawmakers say the $2,400 voucher each student is expected to re- ceive next fall will have to be cut to $1,600 unless voters ease fiscal re- straints embedded in the state Consti- tution or agree to use millions of dol-- lars Colorado gets from the national settlement with the tobacco industry. Without one of those steps, higher education and Medicaid will be on the chopping block when lawmakers have to cut an estimated $254 million next year, said Rep. Brad Young, R-Lamar. The budget crisis threatens to over- shadow the voucher program itself, which will give each high school gradu- ate the annual stipend to use at any pub- lic college or university in the state. Half - stipends can be used at three privat schools: Regis University, the University of Denver and Colorado College. The National Conference of State Legislatures said no other state has at- tempted a voucher program on such a scale. Gov. Bill Owens championed the program and will sign it into law today. He had pushed lawmakers to use $850 million from Colorado's share of the tobacco settlement — a step called se- curitization — to stave off budget cuts, but the measure was killed. "I would have preferred to securi- tize to give us the assurance of having those dollars and also to give us a rainy -day fund and some funds that could be accessed if needed," Owens said. "At this point, higher education is a priority for me, and I will work to do everything I can to assure that we hav( as attractive a voucher as possible." Opponents complained that giving state funds to private colleges would draw money away from state institu- tions and could be challenged in court. See VOUCHERS/Page A2