Contact Information: Contact: Pure Cycle Corporation Mark Harding 303-292-3456
Pure Cycle Announces Developer May Terminate Involvement With the Lowry Range
| Source: Pure Cycle
THORNTON, CO--(Marketwire - October 27, 2008) - Pure Cycle Corporation (NASDAQ : PCYO )
announced today that Lend Lease Lowry Range LLC (Lend Lease) has notified
the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners (State Land Board) of its
intent to terminate, as of December 31, 2008, its agreement with the State
Land Board regarding development at the Lowry Range.
Lend Lease, an Australian based developer, entered the Colorado development
market in 2005 after it was selected by the State Land Board to develop
portions of the Lowry Range property. More than 25 years prior to Lend
Lease's selection, the State Land Board sought to protect and develop its
water resources on 24,000 acres of the Lowry Range in order to assure that
an adequate water supply would be available for future development and, by
doing so, to secure a multigenerational, non tax-based revenue source from
its water assets for the benefit of the Colorado public education system.
Throughout the Lowry Range development selection process, the State Land
Board was careful to protect its long standing agreements and investments
in its water assets.
More than 12 years ago the State Land Board and the Rangeview Metropolitan
District entered into agreements with Pure Cycle Corporation to provide
water and wastewater services to 24,000 acres of the Lowry Range. Two of
the six sections of the Development Parcel are subject to these long
standing water agreements.
One of the foundations of the State Land Board's water agreement are that
it assures commercially reasonable costs for water and wastewater services
while simultaneously providing the State Land Board with a continuing
royalty interest from its water assets. Using a market based pricing
structure, the agreement requires developers of the Lowry Range to pay fair
market rates for water service based on comparable rates established by
certain neighboring water providers.
Pure Cycle's investment in the State Land Board's Lowry Range water assets
began over 20 years ago. Since that time, Pure Cycle has invested nearly
$70 million into the Lowry Range water assets and has successfully
adjudicated annual water supplies of over 30,000 acre feet of drought proof
groundwater and approximately 3,200 acre feet of renewable surface water
supplies; along with non-jurisdictional water reservoir sites providing for
at least 25,000 acre feet of storage. To bolster the State Land Board's
Lowry Range water assets, in 2006 Pure Cycle purchased an additional 60,000
acre feet per year of senior renewable water rights that Pure Cycle has
made available for development at the Lowry Range and other areas along the
Front Range. Lend Lease's proposed development on the two sections of the
Lowry Range, subject to the existing agreements between the State Land
Board and Pure Cycle, would consume only about 1,000 acre feet per year of
water and would generate tens of millions of dollars in water royalty
revenues directly benefiting the School Trust.
Lend Lease has brought unique challenges to the development of the Lowry
Range by creating controversy over jurisdictional entitlements as well as
supporting the City of Aurora's unsuccessful attempts to adversely
adjudicate three of the State Land Board's valuable reservoir sites at the
Lowry Range. Lend Lease's actions in March 2008 in support of Aurora were
in direct contravention to the State Land Board's Statements of Opposition
and Board Order filed in the case. In April of this year, the Colorado
Water Court denied Lend Lease's motion to intervene and upheld the State
Land Board's interests in these reservoir sites.
"We are disappointed with Lend Lease's attempts to intervene in the State
Land Board's water assets and preexisting agreements. Nevertheless, Pure
Cycle continues to work closely with its long standing partner, the State
Land Board, to find cooperative solutions that meet the interest of its
shareholders as well as the School Trust beneficiaries," commented Pure
Cycle President and CEO Mark Harding.
"Pure Cycle has been providing domestic water and wastewater services to
customers on and off the Lowry Range for over 10 years. In the event Lend
Lease terminates its interest in the Lowry Range, Pure Cycle will continue
to provide sustainable, renewable, cost effective water and wastewater
services to current and future developments at the Lowry Range and the
region. We remain committed to ensuring that the Lowry Range water assets
continue to provide the School Trust beneficiaries access to tens of
millions of dollars of water royalty revenues," Mr. Harding continued.
Company Information
Pure Cycle owns substantial water assets across the State of Colorado and
currently provides water and wastewater services to its customers located
in the Denver metropolitan area.
Additional information, including our recent press releases and annual
reports, are available at www.purecyclewater.com