Give voters a voice
Ihave been living in Boulder since 1985. I am opposed to moving forward with what is still a draft agreement for CU South. Simply put, we should wait for the input of the voters. The election is only two months away.
When I read about secret meetings where CU needed a PR team to be present and a rushed timeline by Council to push this through prior to the election, it is hard not to feel let down by those in charge. This smacks of old school politics, smoky back rooms etc. not what good governance is, not what Boulder City Council should stand for.
When the Muni situation was deeply debated, City Council followed the wishes of a closely divided electorate. Are there any substantive reasons not to wait in this case?
There are too many unanswered questions:
What was discussed at the private/secret meetings?
With the pace and consequences of climate change, is it prudent for the city to extend its water supply to 5,000 new residents?
With regard to infrastructure, how should Boulder residents, specifically in South Boulder, think about the impacts on schools and services from 5,000 new residents?
One of the goals of the city is for a high level of walkability. CU South has a terrible walking “score” being over a mile away by foot to its anchor shopping area. Is an anchor shopping center going to end up at CU South after Table Mesa is made impassable by the traffic?
What really prevents CU from slowly over time tearing up most of the principals of the agreement under “we have a duty to the University and the State,” etc.?
Why are single family homes allowed anywhere on CU South when CU says “Development will be compact, clustered in a village style” (page 41 in the briefing book)? Is this just Real Estate development under a different name?
Why is the height limit the tallest house on Chambers Drive and not of a person standing on ground level, one’s normal viewpoint?
Briefing Book page 76 — how could/did the city arrive at a value of
$200,000 to $250,000 per 1,400 to 1,600 square-foot residence when calculating forgone property taxes? The comps are at least double that. What other figures should we wonder about?
When did the allowable use change to include bars and restaurants (“Community benefit”)? I believe this change was just made last week as it is not in the Briefing Book but was disclosed on the Aug. 26 Listening Session?
Why is there only five acres devoted to affordable housing? This will produce about 120 units, or substantially less than the 25% goal by the city? When CU uses the term “attainable housing” what does that mean?
There are so many additional unanswered questions and a lack of “firm” agreements in the draft. Until more details are hammered out and the view of the electorate is heard, rushing to a conclusion is nothing short of a travesty. Why not wait two months for Election Day?
Both Mayor Sam Weaver and Councilmember
Rachel Friend have not responded to my simple request on this topic from last week. Chancellor Phil Di Stefano’s final sentence is his Guest Opinion in the Camera from Aug. 29 was “We are on the cusp of this solution becoming a reality and we cannot stall any longer.”
Nobody is trying to stall a process that has been artificially rushed to avoid the election and the view of the voters. The Boulder County Commissioners remain concerned about the lack of clarity as well as stated in their Aug. 26,
2021 memo to the City Council.
What is CU or the current City Council worried about/afraid of? If the will of the voters is to proceed with CU South, that would confirm the process to date, if not, then more work is needed.