Flying Saucer RV Park in Sheridan (Colorado), a longtime riverside community just south of Denver, may be redeveloped into a 362-unit apartment complex, leaving residents worried about losing one of the metro area’s RV parks.
The 162-space property, opened in 1949 and opens year-round, is under contract with Indiana-based developer the Garrett Companies. The firm has agreed to purchase the land from the Whipple family if Sheridan officials approve a rezoning request submitted June 26.
“I don’t know where we would go. And, of course, a lot of the other RV owners don’t know where they would go, either,” Resident Steve Ohlfert, who is leading opposition to the development, said, as reported by Westword on September 12.
Ohlfert said people accept that the Whipple family has the right to sell but would prefer the site remain an RV park rather than be converted into apartments.
Sheridan’s Planning Commission is set to review the rezoning application. Once the review is complete, a public hearing will be scheduled. Under Colorado’s quasi-judicial zoning process, council members cannot discuss the matter outside of the official hearings.
If approved, the matter will then advance to the city council, which must also hold a public hearing before a final vote.
“Our company and the seller have committed to continue to update the tenants on the overall timeline of the new project so they have the time they need to make plans,” a spokesperson for the Garrett Companies said.
The RV park sits along Bear Creek near its confluence with the South Platte River, a site valued for its trees and open space. The location has drawn interest for its redevelopment potential, but residents point to the limited options for year-round RV living in the Denver metro area.
Many current tenants pay $600 to $700 per month, far below the likely rents of new apartments proposed for the site.
The RV park sits along Bear Creek near its confluence with the South Platte River. It operates year-round and offers full hookups, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, and pet-friendly policies. Twelve sites can accommodate rigs more than 45 feet long, with space for slideouts and patios.
