The anti-sprawl amendment is being opposed by builders,developers, the brokerage community, real estate lawyers ... andevery possible facet of the development industry. The opponentsclaim the proposed amendment is too rigid and nearly impossible tochange once the constitution is altered. They also claim it ispoorly written and ultimately will lead to years of litigation. Todate, opponents have raised $4.4 million to defeat the measure.

"You only have to look as far as Boulder to see what willhappen," Jim Neenan, president of the Fort Collins-based NeenanCo., tells GlobeSt.com. "Boulder had discouraged growth for years."He claims Boulder's prosperity lies in its suburbs, wheredevelopers sought space for their projects. "But if Amendment 24passes, there will be no place else to go. Companies looking tomove to Colorado will simply go to other states where you don'thave the uncertainty," he contends.

Respected developer Harry Frampton, a partner of East WestPartners, has broken from the ranks and is supporting theamendment, a move that some leading opponents say could turn thetide for victory. East West is building more than $1 billion indevelopments in the state. Frampton believes Amendment 24 will domore good than harm, comparing it to the 1986 tax law changes thatremoved some benefits of owning a second home.