Feb 22 Meeting with City CouncilFrom:Liz Mahon
To:OSBT-Web
Subject:Feb 22 Meeting with City Council
Date:Wednesday, February 21, 2024 6:08:28 PM
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Dear OSBT,
Thank you for devoting your time, energy and expertise to the Open Space Board. I am
writing about the upcoming February 22 discussion about the request for the use of Open
Space land at CU South for the purpose of constructing a flood control dam. I have been
following the CU South flood mitigation process for the last 8 years. I recognize that there
are benefits and drawbacks to the existing plan, and that we may need to compromise on
some issues that are near and dear to our heart. “Disposing” of open space is one of those
issues. I would like to ask you to consider the following in your discussion:
Is the use of Open Space the only option? Plan A required the use of RTD right of
way, but that option was turned down. Plan B is the use of Open Space. If Plan B
does not materialize, what is the Plan C or Plan D? Even if Plan C or D is more costly,
we should consider all options before disposing of and using Open Space. In other
words, what if Plan B were not even a possibility. How would you solve this problem?
I am unclear of what we, as residents of Boulder and guardians of Open Space,
would be given in return for the disposal and use of the 4.1 acres (or more) of Open
Space. Is there a piece of land that we would acquire in its place? Each acre of Open
Space is unique in the role it plays in the ecosystem. How can we mitigate this
potential loss of Open Space with a gain somewhere else?
It is a slippery slope to dispose of Open Space for a flood mitigation project. What
next? You could be asked to dispose or temporarily use Open Space for
transportation projects, housing projects, other public works projects, etc. All of
these are important projects too. But, Boulder Open Space is sacred. We should
treat it that way. It should not be up for grabs.
How can you handle this issue so that it does not add to the already tense relations
between Boulder residents, City Council and various political factions in our city? I
think that residents will feel betrayed and dismayed to hear of giving up Open Space
for a project which already is impacting so much undeveloped land. I hope that you
will communicate in a compassionate way and understand what an emotional toll this
project takes on people.
Thank you for your consideration and for your service to our community.
Sincerely,
Liz Mahon
1280 Chambers Drive
Boulder Colorado 80304
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