Collaborative plan is informative

As is typical for a Steve Pomerance commentar y, he doesn’t let facts get in the way of a good stor y. The East Boulder Subcommunity Working Group has had all information available for anyone who would care to research it.

I encourage anyone who is interested in Boulder’s goals for housing, transpor tation and walkable neighborhoods to go to the website: bouldercolora do.gov/planning/east-boul der.

In short, the three concepts the working group has presented at this stage are compared to an as-is scenario for population, jobs and other metrics. A quick look at the numbers will tell you that the number of jobs that are forecast for this subcommunity under each of the scenarios is less than it would be with no changes. Not sure where Mr. Pomerance is getting his information.

Not that jobs are a bad thing … he might appreciate that people need jobs to suppor t themselves and their families. Boulder’s job market has helped sustain this community for decades.

The legacy of suburban office parks that are distant and removed from other ser vices has led to transportation demands that are unsustainable. If we can walk to a bank, cof fee shop, drugstore, bike shop or other ser vice instead of drive, imagine the impact that would have on overall traffic patterns.

Add some ar ts and cultural facilities, and you have a livable neighborhood that can suppor t itself from within. We need to let the failed zoning policies of the past give way to a more sustainable future, and

East Boulder is well-suited for this adaptation.

Our working group has been one of the best examples of thoughtful, collaborative planning I have witnessed. I hope the City of Boulder will continue this type of engagement instead of knee-jerk reactions to long-term issues.

City staff deserves a lot of credit for running a transparent and informative program.

PETER AWEIDA president, Westland Development Services Inc.

Boulder