Rezoning Standards
Learn about the standards Jefferson County uses to evaluate rezoning applications and how they apply to the proposed development.
Rezoning decisions are guided by established criteria that help determine whether a proposed development is appropriate for its location. This page explains the standards Jefferson County may consider when reviewing the application and summarizes how those standards relate to the proposed Greystone rezoning.
What are the Standards this application will be judged by?
D. Criteria for Decisions for Rezoning and Special Use Applications
In reviewing proposed Rezoning and Special Use Applications, the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissions may consider the following criteria:
- The compatibility with existing and allowable land uses in the surrounding area.
- The degree of conformance with applicable land use plans
- the ability to mitigate negative impacts upon the surrounding area.
- The availability of infrastructure and services.
- The effect upon health, safety, and welfare of the residents and landowners in the surrounding area.
Is this compatible with existing and allowable land uses in the area?
No, the area surrounding Greystone is low density single family residential and some agricultural zoned parcels. The property itself is currently zoned agricultural, which would not allow the suggested use in either County.
Does this conform to applicable land use plans?
No, placing what amounts to a commercial hotel offering various wellness services and psychedelic therapy (a “healing center” deemed equivalent to a medical office building) does not conform to the newly revised Together Jeffco 2045 Comprehensive Plan. It also does not conform to the Clear Creek County Master Plan.
The property is located in or near Rural and Mountain Residential areas, where single family residences on 5 to 35 acres are expected and low impact agricultural or bed and breakfast activities allowed. A hotel for 25 clients with maximum one to one staffing for hotel services and wellness treatment belongs in a commercial zone or activity center.
Clear Creek has identified this area as Rural Residential where lots for single family residences are larger than 35 acres, and next to it Residential areas, again planned for single family residences. It is not near an area designated for multiple use by Clear Creek.
Can negative impacts on the surrounding area be mitigated?
The disruption such a business would cause to the neighborhood cannot be remedied. Promises for a no-smoking resort cannot be enforced; the addition of traffic to already stressed evacuation routes cannot be cured; and the absence of neighbors who live in the community and know and support each other is not cured by having high net worth individuals who purportedly value their privacy and would not want to know the neighbors.
Would this lower my property’s value?
The owners and developer claim putting a residential treatment center in the neighborhood would not affect property values, citing a study of sales near the Spero recovery center. The study did not account for three houses near Spero that sold under market value because they disclosed the nearby recovery center, nor the fact immediate neighbors are considering selling even if the market is not good because of the disruption from the clients. Studies in other markets show proximate sober living homes do adversely affect property values. The sale, if consummated near the asking price of $16,750,000, would increase property values for property tax purposes, but could impair sales of the properties since buyers do express concern about living near addiction treatment centers.
Are infrastructure and services available?
Key infrastructure is limited in this location.
Roads to and from the property, that would have to be used for wildfire evacuation, are rated non-survivable.
Medical resources, which are limited, would be burdened by a residential treatment center for addiction, with psychedelic therapy. A local Evergreen recovery center has made far more 911 emergency calls (for medical and law enforcement) than typical residents. This center can be expected also to have higher needs for assistance than a typical family.
Water requires scrutiny because there is a difference between water rights (e.g., the well and cistern rights) versus actual water supply. The demands of a 25-client resort, with its client water uses, laundry, meal services, landscaping and swimming pool, will be significant. In a drought such as we are experiencing, neighbors are correct in being concerned about how the water draw for such an operation would affect their wells, especially since they have already experienced dry wells necessitating redrilling to extreme depths even with the single-family residence there.
What is the effect on health, safety and welfare of residents and landowners in the surrounding area?
Evacuation in the event of a wildfire is a number one concern and adding any more cars from staff and clients to already crowded roads needs to be avoided. Taking medical and safety resources away from the residents to care for out-of-area clients also creates health and safety risks for the neighbors. While it would be expected any psychedelic agents would be safely stored, there is an increased risk of attempted theft. Drug seeking people do get drawn to remote, unprotected locations – which is one reason there are strict limits on where healing centers (and cultivation centers) can be located.
But the most severe ill effect is on the sense of community. Especially in remote mountain areas, neighbors need to know each other and provide support in times of challenges. It is worrisome in a remote area to have a constant stream of outsiders driving through the area, especially at night. People who live next to a recovery center can tell you about the disruption caused by clients struggling with their addictions.
Is wildfire a concern?
Yes, Greystone is located in an area with an extremely high risk of wildfire and limited evacuation routes that are described as “unsustainable.” See the Evergreen Fire Protection District Community Wildfire Protection Plan, 2025.
https://emberalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Evergreen-CWPP-Document_Draft.pdf
The two ingress-egress roads are narrow and likely to be extremely crowded if evacuation is required. They remain lined with trees that could burn and block the roads.
Does the ODP address fire safety and evacuation?
No, it is silent. It says the clients won’t be leaving and suggests they will be chauffeured in, but there is no mention of having a safe evacuation plan in the event of wildfire.
And it does nothing to prevent clients smoking inside or outside or off the property.
What about traffic?
Traffic is a concern in this area, especially in inclement weather or in the event of a wildfire evacuation. Greystone is remote, accessible from Witter Gulch or Upper Bear Creek Road, both of which are narrow, winding roads. Further, adding 50 (or more likely over 100) car trips a day (assuming 25 clients and one-to-one staffing during the day and 1-2 staffing at night, plus some number of deliveries and maintenance) would further increase the already dangerous traffic. Either access road would already be highly congested in the event of wildfire for hundreds of families and they are rated “non-survivable” due not only to the congestion, but also the brush and tree growth. Plus the transportation plan only addressed the county roads and provided no assessment of the long internal driveway fitness for two way traffic or an alternate emergency escape route.
Doesn’t A No Smoking Policy Cure the Wildfire issue?
Anyone who has worked in addiction treatment knows smoking is an issue. While the facilities may be “non-smoking” and that restriction enforced, it is unlikely outdoor smoking can be stopped. At best, Greystone can build a fireproof smoking area and hope to restrict residents to that location. But experience at other residential treatment centers shows that will be a challenge.
Even if Greystone stopped all smoking, wildfire remains an issue. No matter whether a fire starts from a lightning strike or a downed wire or a cigarette butt, numerous guests and staff will be joining residents in the area trying to evacuate on the non-survivable roads. Experience from other fires, like the Bluebell Fire or the Elephant Butte Fire, reveals traffic jams from people trying to flee fast-moving fires.
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