Understanding
The Project
That May cause Trailmark home Values to Decline
Chatfield Solar Array
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These are the entities behind the project
US Army Corps of Engineers
Landowner
Denver Botanic Gardens
Lessee
City and County of Denver
Lessee
When Does Construction Start?
Spring 2024
The Botanic Gardens will utilize the property for solar energy production for 20 years or until 8/31/2044
What is this Project?
4.5 Acre Solar Array and agrivoltaics display. .96 – 1.2 megawatts. Utility-scale begins at a minimum of 1 megawatt. For reference, the corn maze is 7 acres.
What are the Dimensions?
The array is 388 ft north to south and 475 ft east to west.
Will they face your house?
Very likely. The Solar panels will follow the path of the sun starting each day in the east, rotating to the south and then to the west throughout the day. The panels will backtrack from west, south to east again as the sun goes down.
Trailmark sits directly to the south and west of the array and will have solar panels pointing directly at homes multiple times throughout the day.
What are they made of?
Materials to construct the array will include the installation of structural steel, copper and aluminum wire, PVC conduit and concrete pads for the equipment.
Is there any barrier?
Not from Trailmark. Various types of crops will be planted and tended amongst the solar array’s rows.
Where will the Solar Array be located at the farm?
South west portion of Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms beginning directly behind the greenhouse. This is the closest location to our community that this project could be installed.
Why are they building this?
- Conduct research into the positive impacts of co-locating solar with agriculture
- Develop workforce and education opportunities
- Generate electricity for both the Farm and provide electricity for low-income housing in Denver.
- Chatfield Farms will receive approximately 250,000 kWh per year of discounted power to power their existing and planned buildings. 750,000 kWh per year will go to the City of Denver.
10 reasons industrial-scale solar isn't right for agricultural-rural areas
Why YOU Should Care?
Property Values
Property values across the nation have declined after solar farms were built nearby. The City of Denver cites study that homes within .5 miles of the solar arrays decrease by 1.5%. Other studies cite as much as a 7% decline in property values. That’s $15k–$70k out of YOUR pocket on your $1M home.
Wildlife impacts
The area slated for construction is abundant with wildlife. A variety of birds, coyotes, and elk frequent this area while making their way towards Chatfield Reservoir. This path will be disrupted and cause patterns to change.
Fire Risk
Solar farms are not without risk of electrical fire. This could have significant impacts on homeowner insurance premiums and/or availability. While steps can be taken to reduce risk, it is not recommended to have homes and solar farms within a one mile radius of each other. Homes in Trailmark are as little as 600 ft to .5 miles radius from the array.
Zoning
The land this project is slated for is zoned for recreational use. Despite the US Army Corps of Engineers approving the use, a solar array is a clear violation of the permitted use.
Don’t be fooled that this solar array will not impact you. Even if you can’t see the array from your home, a majority of the homes in Trailmark are within a .5 mile radius of the proposed location. The solar array will decrease your property value, take your hard-earned money from your pocket, change wildlife sightings and pose potential safety and insurance issues due to the additional risk of fire.
The majority of Trailmark homes are within 1/2 Mile of the planned .96 - 1.2 megawatt solar farm
Read the letter to Trailmark residents from the City and County of Denver
Read The Denver Botanic Gardens Press Release
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions
We’ve collected our answers to the most common questions about the solar farm at Chatfield Botanic Gardens .
A Trailmark resident found out about the project by pure chance in September 2023, by finding a non-active permit on the Jefferson County website.
No. Residents just learned about the project by chance in September 2023
Recreational use.
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