Skip to main content

City of Greeley Responds to Court Ruling on Ordinance No. 30

September 10, 2026

GREELEY, Colo. — After the City Council approved Ordinance No. 30, 2025, a referendum petition to repeal it was submitted, leading to a special election where Greeley voters approved Ballot Issue 1A in February 2026 which repealed Ordinance No. 30, 2025. The City of Greeley is now providing updates on a recent court ruling regarding the ordinance and two development projects in West Greeley: Cascadia and Catalyst.

Court Ruling on Ordinance No. 30 and Ballot Measure 1A

A 19th Judicial District court has ruled that Ballot Measure 1A, the special election referendum that sought to repeal Ordinance No. 30, is unconstitutional.

The court found that Ordinance No. 30 was an administrative decision by Greeley City Council, not a legislative act, because it approved a specific development plan for two properties rather than creating Greeley's Planned Unit Development (PUD) process itself. Under Colorado law, voter referendums can only be used to challenge legislative acts, not administrative decisions like this one.

Because of this ruling, Ballot Measure 1A did not repeal Ordinance No. 30, and Ordinance No. 30 remains in effect.

Cascadia Remains a Private Development Project

Cascadia is owned and developed by Water Valley Company, a private developer. Because Cascadia is privately owned, Water Valley Company retains the right to continue moving forward with the project. The City's decisions regarding Catalyst do not apply to Cascadia, as it is a separate project.

"We're excited that Water Valley Company remains in a position to move forward with their Cascadia master planned commercial and residential development. Private development is vital to our community’s vision and growth. This is exactly the kind of investment and vision Greeley needs, and we're excited to see this project take shape," said Mayor Dale Hall.

City Continues Pause on Catalyst

The City of Greeley will continue its pause on the Catalyst, the city-owned proposed entertainment district. The pause follows the referendum outcome, which affected the project’s planned financing structure and prevented the project’s nonprofit partner from issuing revenue bonds as anticipated.

The City is evaluating alternative funding options while awaiting the outcome of the proposed tax measure. If approved by voters, the tax could provide a funding source for the project and strengthen the City’s position in securing any additional financing that may be needed. The West Greeley Citizen Oversight Committee’s recommendation to pause the project and explore potential financial partnerships will also help inform the City’s approach as funding options are evaluated.

The city believes this step is an important part of ensuring the project is positioned for long-term success before moving ahead.       

What This Means for Residents

  • Ordinance No. 30: Remains valid and in effect following the court's ruling that Ballot Measure 1A was unconstitutional.
  • Cascadia: Water Valley Company may continue development, as it is the property owner.
  • Catalyst: The City-led pause remains in effect while the City continues to explore viable options for the project, consistent with the West Greeley Oversight Committee's recommendation.

Additional updates will be shared as they become available.

This ruling, along with the Colorado Supreme Court's recent decision in Kavanaugh v. Telluride Locals Coalition Petitioners' Committee, reinforces that site-specific land use approvals made under an existing PUD framework are administrative decisions properly handled by municipal officials rather than through the ballot process. For Greeley and municipalities across Colorado, these decisions provide greater certainty and predictability in land use matters, helping ensure that approved development projects can move forward as planned.