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PLAN-Boulder CountyThe Boulder County Peoples Advocate March 1, 2006Boulder County public affairs news and analysis |
In this issue
Citizens Seek Vote on Boulder Annexations
A committee of Boulder citizens, including five former members of City Council and a past member of the Boulder County Commission, is seeking a change in Boulder's city charter to require a vote of the public on major annexations. The committee asked City Council to place a referendum on the November 2006 ballot that would require all major annexations to be put to a vote of the people before they are approved. Exceptions to the requirement would include city-owned property and parcels surrounded by the existing city limits.
Members of the committee proposing the referendum include Sue Anderson, Al Bartlett, Paul Danish, Allyn Feinberg, Jane Greenfield, Dick Harris, Spense Havlick, Don Mock, Lisa Morzel, Steve Pomerance and Pat Shanks. If Council refuses to put the issue on the ballot the committee plans to gather enough signatures to proceed through the initiative procedure allowed under the city charter.
Daily Camera: Local Ballot Measure
Ballot Box Growth Management in Colorado
Council Hotline on Annexation (check "Subject:" lines)
Ballot Box Planning and Growth Management
PLAN-Boulder County Holds Annual Meeting
The 46th annual meeting and dinner of PLAN-Boulder County was held on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Spice of Life Events Center. Nearly 200 people attended to hear author Stacy Mitchell talk about the importance of supporting local retailers instead of allowing "big box" retailers to dominate local economies.
PLAN-Boulder County members also elected a new board of directors for 2006-2007, with Pat Shanks re-elected as chairman. Other officers elected were Susan Morris as vice chair, John Spitzer as treasurer and Alan Boles as secretary. Board members elected were Ray Bridge, David Cook, Gwen Dooley, Pam Hoge, Eric Karnes, Thom Krueger, Mary McQuiston, Eugene Pearson, Ariel Steele and Beth Van Dusen.
Awards were given to those involved in the successful conversion of the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant into a wildlife refuge, including U. S. Senator Wayne Allard and U. S. Representative Mark Udall. Boulder City Councilman Tom Eldridge was recognized for his years of service to the community, especially his support for acquisition of open space land.
Daily Camera: Cons of Big Box
Pikes Peak Independent Business Alliance
More from Stacy Mitchell and ILSR
Site Selected for Fire Training Center
The Boulder City Council approved a site for the proposed Fire Training Center. At the Feb. 21 meeting council members voted 6 to 3 to construct the center on a site adjacent to the Boulder Reservoir, fronting on Diagonal Highway south of 63rd Street. Council members Ageton, Bohannon, Gray, McGrath, Polk and Stoakes supported the motion. In opposition were council members Eldridge, Ruzzin and Schultheiss, who supported a previously rejected site at Valmont Butte. That location had been strongly opposed by Valmont neighbors, historic preservation advocates, environmentalists and American Indians.
Council also voted to direct city staff to formulate a funding mechanism to build the center, including a possible sale of Valmont Butte to the Trust for Public Lands and a request to Boulder County for help in paying for the project, which will be used by a number of south county fire departments in addition to the Boulder Fire Department. Council also directed city staff to develop a proposal to submit to voters in November for a one-year, 0.15% sales tax to pay for construction cost overages. All council members but Eldridge approved that motion.
Colorado Daily: The Rest of the Fire Story
Boulder Council Decision
Fire Center FAQ
Daily Camera: Decision on Fire Center
Daily Camera: Council to Vote
Council Gives Direction to Staff on Alcohol Issues
At their Feb. 7 meeting members of Boulder City Council gave city staff directions on developing policies designed to combat alcohol abuse in the city, especially among young people. On a 4 to 2 vote council members authorized staff to bring back proposals within the following guidelines:
Council: Minimizing Impacts of Alcohol
Significant Alcohol Events in Boulder History
Teen Substance Abuse in Boulder County
County Alcohol Diversion Program
University Place Historic District Wins Approval
At their meeting on Feb. 21 Boulder City Council members approved the resident-initiated designation of the University Place neighborhood as a historic district. The area contained in the district covers properties in the 700 and 800 blocks of 14th Street, between Baseline Road and Aurora Avenue. University Place was platted in 1890. Most of the buildings in the district were constructed between 1910 and 1940.
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church sought exclusion from the historic district. The church did not want restrictions placed on its possible expansion, which would involve the demolition of three houses for construction of an addition and a parking lot. Council rejected a motion by Richard Polk to acquiesce to the church's request and remove the church property from the historic district. Council members Ageton, Eldridge, and Stoakes voted in favor of Polk's motion while council members Bohannon, Gray, McGrath, Ruzzin and Schultheiss voted against.
The final vote on the designation was approved 6 to 3, with council members Eldridge, Polk and Stoakes voting against the historic district.
Council Memo
Camera: Council Votes for Uni Hill Historic District
Listen to Landmark Board Discussions
County Commissioners Turn Down Church Expansion
Boulder County commissioners denied Rocky Mountain Christian Church's application to expand its church campus near Niwot. The church currently has about 128,000 square feet of space and wished to add 112,000 square feet. Commissioners found that the church's location in a predominantly rural area at 95th Street and Niwot Road was not appropriate for such a large complex. Niwot area residents strongly opposed the expansion, citing land use and traffic issues.
Supporters of the church sought to use the provisions of a recently passed federal law to encourage approval of the expansion. The law, approved by Congress at the behest of Christian conservative organizations, attempts to limit the ability of local governments to regulate churches through land use decisions. County commissioners felt that the law did not apply to the Niwot site but asked a federal judge for guidance on the issue.
Rocky: Church's Expansion Rejected
County to Let Judge Make Final Decision
Rocky Mountain Christian Church Expansion Update
Boulder Weekly: Car Trips
Council Says No to Gray on FAR Research
At the behest of some residents of the Newlands neighborhood in north Boulder, council member Crystal Gray asked city staff for information about the floor area ratios (FARs) of the large new houses being built as "scrape-offs". Since staff claimed that doing the research to determine recent FAR trends would take 20 hours of work council's policy required Gray to receive approval of at least four of her council colleagues.
At the council's Feb. 7 meeting only council member Shaun McGrath supported Gray's request. Council members Bohannon, Polk, Schultheiss and Stoakes voted not to approve Gray's request. Council members Ageton, Eldridge and Ruzzin were absent. Gray subsequently asked City staff to determine whether individual citizens could do their own research of city records to determine whether the large new homes appearing on small lots in Newlands were following Boulder's guidelines on floor area ratios.
Understanding Density and Floor Area Ratios
Council Hotline on FAR Research (check "Subject:" lines)
What do different FARs look like?
Second time may be the charm for Segway interests in Colorado. In the last session of the Colorado legislature Segway commercial interests made a last-minute attempt to pass a law overturning local control of sidewalk regulations to allow the motorized vehicles to qualify as "pedestrians". Prompt responses by pedestrian, bicycle and local government interests were able to stymie the Segway effort. Instrumental in defeating the Segway last session was Walk Boulder, the local pedestrian advocacy organization.
In the current session of the legislature the Segway interests are back again, sponsoring a bill that would define the two-wheeled motorized carts as pedestrians and bicycles so as to allow them on Colorado's sidewalks, paths and trails. Opponents are again objecting to the vehicles, which are larger and faster than people on foot and are distinct from bicycles because they are both heavier and motorized. Local governments, including the City of Boulder, also object to state intrusion into local affairs.
Text of the Bill
Bill Summaries and Votes for SB06-168
Segway Legal Status: A National Review
Segway
Memo to Segway Owners
Bicycle Colorado on Senate Bill 168
America Walks
PLAN-Boulder County is pleased with the response from Boulder County residents to the Peoples Advocate. We'll keep working to let you know how your city and county representatives are voting on important issues, and we'll continue to provide detailed information on the nuts and bolts of public process.
In order to spread the word we encourage those of you who are receiving this publication to pass it around. Please forward the Peoples Advocate to your friends and associates. Encourage any community organizations in which you are a member to distribute the Peoples Advocate to their membership.
If you like what you read, please sign up to receive the newsletter directly to ensure continuity and simplify our process by contacting PLAN-Boulder board member David Cook. And most importantly, let us know what you think about the publication and the issues we cover.
| The Boulder County Peoples Advocate is published monthly by PLAN-Boulder County and distributed free to persons interested in local public affairs issues. Eric Karnes, Editor
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