“From a distance, the world looks blue and green / And the snow-capped mountains white. From a distance, the ocean meets the stream / And the eagle takes to flight,” Julie Gold sang in 1985.
The haunting lyrics of that song give me solace as many of my friends complain about controversial problems in the Boulder area now and in recent years. Several examples that create rancor and acrimony are: Worsening and widespread potholes on most Boulder roadways; illegal homeless campsites in downtown and under bridges and along bike paths; new hotel and dense housing developments that exacerbate already congested traffic conditions; and a controversial CU branch campus that is proposed to be built on a historic flood plain inhabited by threatened species.
It may be of some consolation to know that there are remedies available for each of the four issues listed above.
• Serious potholes on local streets: Call the City of Boulder Transportation Maintenance Department at 303-441-3200. That same transportation office has a very user-friendly website that enables one to click on a box designed to handle pothole complaints. I have contacted that office with great success.
• Illegal camping under bridges and along streams: City of Boulder ordinances make it illegal to camp on flood plains or specific public spaces. These laws should be enforced. A safe, licensed city campground has been proposed when shelters are filled but that option is not without controversy. The phone number to report illegal camping or related problems is 303-441-3333.
• New hotel and high-density housing development in traffic-congested areas: This aggravation as seen by many is the result of City Council decisions and by University of Colorado (unelected) administrators in the CU Office of Real Estate Services (“A full-service real estate development and property management department”). City Council members can be recalled, or not re-elected. However, university administrators are immune from city votes, and CU as a sovereign state institution is not required to adhere to city laws.
• The long-term controversy over a CU branch campus proposed on the historic flood plain of South Boulder Creek: Very few other major land use decisions in Boulder Country have been more complex than the proposed CU South Campus. Local, state and federal agencies are involved. There are lingering questions that include insufficient flood protection, unknown costs to local taxpayers and protection of federally listed threatened species. Even the location of a fourth CU Campus, located two miles from the central campus, has come into question. Several unresolved problems remain including required permits.
CU purchased the abandoned gravel mine in 1996 but the reclamation plan to restore the area to ponds, wetlands and flood attenuation was rejected by the university. The current plan is to bring landfill to lift a 129-acre campus up to the 500-year flood design. A stadium, parking lots, graduate student housing and a non-academic commercial development two and a half times larger than a super Walmart store have been proposed.
The CU South property was annexed with city services so that an earthen dam and concrete wall could be built.
I offer possible solutions to this project that is fraught with unknown costs and risky protection, especially in light of climate change with floods of more frequency and greater intensity.
• Apply the dozens of successful flood mitigation measures to South Boulder Creek that we did on the main stem of Boulder Creek: High-risk structures were removed, buildings were flood-proofed, a flash flood warning system was implemented, evacuation drills were carried out, photos and information were posted bankside to warn people of the flood risks. These measures would negate the need for flood works on South Campus.
• Another solution is for CU to place future growth on the East Campus, which has city services, flood attenuation and transportation infrastructure already in place. A master plan was completed for the “East Campus Vision” in 2010. The plan includes eleven new buildings to accommodate 1,500 students. This site is two blocks from the main campus.
We need to step back and envision this proposal from a distance. Go up to Davidson Mesa to the southeast of South Boulder Creek and gaze out on a remarkable city of problems but also a city of solutions and a place where alternatives are explored. You will see the lush green vegetation hiding the old gravel pits. There are ponds, scarce wetland species and hiking trails for people and dogs. The succession of a riparian ecosystem after disturbance is a unique phenomenon in Boulder County.
Perhaps you, the reader, will find comfort from the lyrics and refrain made popular by Nanci Griffith and Bette Midler: “From a distance, the world looks blue and green…”
Spense Havlick is a former member of the Daily Camera Editorial Advisory Board and a former Boulder City council member. Email: [email protected].
