Threats to Our Farmland
Threats to Fruita Farms: What You Need to Know
The City of Fruita is taking actions that threaten family farms and private property in our community, while Mesa County fails to uphold policies meant to protect farms. Here’s what’s happening:
What Fruita is Doing
Annexing Roads Without Transparency
Fruita is annexing roads east of the city without notifying private property owners. This lack of transparency leaves many in the dark about critical changes that impact their land.Demanding Excessive Right of Way (ROW)
Property owners are being forced to give up land for road expansions based on oversized, "future" road classifications that exceed the actual needs of the community.Threatening Condemnation of Private Property
Fruita is using these "future" road classifications as justification to condemn private property, jeopardizing family farms and livelihoods.
How Mesa County is Failing
Ignoring Farmers' Right to Farm
Mesa County is neglecting its responsibility to enforce proper road classifications and protect farmers under the Right to Farm Policy.
Road Classification Discrepancies
The table below highlights the gap between what Fruita is claiming versus the reality:
CDOT East of Fruita Road Classifications:
Before and After: Visualizing the Impact
Before: A local east of Fruita farm road under threat from City of Fruita’s excessive road widening.
After: City of Fruita’s 19 Road widening encroaching on our farms and destroying the peaceful, vital agricultural land that defines Fruita.
Fruita’s Aggressive Right of Way (ROW) Acquisitions
The City of Fruita is relentlessly pursuing ROW acquisitions for these excessive road widening projects. Residents in the 19 Road and east Fruita areas have been receiving Eminent Domain Appraisal letters, a direct consequence of City of Fruita’s actions. These letters are causing immense stress and uncertainty among local farmers, who are struggling with the pressure to sell their land.
This is from City of Fruita’s Right of Way Acquisition Services Request for Proposal (RFP):
Condemnation and Eminent Domain:
A Grim Reality
The City of Fruita’s ROW Acquisition figure and the condemnation paragraph from City of Fruitas ROW Acquisition RFP clearly show the areas under immediate threat. This aggressive approach is not only displacing families but also destroying treasured local businesses. For instance, Da Shabby Moose, a beloved Fruita glamping site, faces destruction due to the 19 Road project.
Condemnation enables the government to seize private property unwillingly. City of Fruita has contracted for Condemnation services - see this paragraph from City of Fruita’s Right of Way Acquisition Services Request for Proposal (RFP):
Economic and Community Impact
The 19 Road expansion, initially budgeted at $6M, has now escalated to at least $7.7M, placing a heavy burden on taxpayers now and into the future. Mayor Matthew Breman’s statement about "1,200 housing units in development" raises the critical question: How much is enough? This overdevelopment is not only forcing out family farms but could choke off essential irrigation, the lifeblood of our local agriculture.
Follow the Money
The City of Fruita’s projects are funded by our tax dollars, which are being used to hire an excessive number of contractors including to acquire, or take, private property (AKA “real estate acquisition”). This spending raises significant questions about where the money is going. The City of Fruita appears to be prioritizing increased tax and other revenue from new dense housing developments over the well-being of local farm families.
Community Call to Action
Our community’s tax dollars are being used to advance the City of Fruita’s ambitions, including the potential taking of private property through Eminent Domain. The Eminent Domain Appraisal letters received by numerous local families are a direct result of Fruita’s solicitation for "ROW Acquisition Services." This misuse of power and resources must be stopped to preserve our agricultural heritage and support our local farm families.
We urge you to stand with us in opposition to these aggressive actions. Together, we can protect Fruita’s farmlands and ensure a sustainable future for our community. Please sign our petition and join the fight to save Fruita Farms.
