John Scarffe, Nederland. A grant-funded new greenhouse will maintain its current planned location after the Nederland Board of Trustees regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in the Nederland Community Center. Members of the Nederland Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Advisory Board (PROSAB), Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB), Public Works and the public at large have offered their insights into the proposed location of the Nederland greenhouse project.   

The question before the board was: does the town want to keep the greenhouse in its current location on the northeast side of Barker Reservoir, or does the board want to move it?

Although some construction has already begun on the greenhouse at its current location, PROSAB Board members recommended moving it to another location.

Jessie Ansari wrote in a letter to the board that she was surprised and honored to be elected as the new PROSAB chair at the last meeting. “I am optimistic about the abilities of the newly seated and motivated PROSAB to thoughtfully review the 2013 Master Plan, consider Envision 2020 goals, and address current public thought and feedback,” Ansari wrote. 

“I honestly do think it entirely possible that we can present a park plan which will unite the community from the young to the elderly and everyone in between. The current moment is an opportunity for SAB, PROSAB and the BOT [Nederland Board of Trustees] to demonstrate our willingness to accept community input and conduct our decision making and planning process with transparency and oversight.”

 The greenhouse location was cited by NedFest organizers as a reason they couldn’t continue operating, Ansari wrote. Other people are concerned that the building will affect the multi-use purpose of the Guercio Ballfield, which includes baseball and soccer. 

One Trustee asked PROSAB to compile a list of alternative locations with pros and cons listed, and Ansari requested that they use the original list of possible alternative locations with pros and cons listed. “It seems like any permanent structure built on Guercio Memorial Ballfield would need to adhere to the Nederland Planning Process (Resolution 2012-12).” 

PROSAB members are currently unaware of any public vetting of this project. As such, the board voted to advise the Board of Trustees to halt construction and begin a public process. PROSAB is of the opinion that a build on public land should go through a rigorous, public vetting process, Ansari wrote.

SAB members also gave the board their recommendation. SAB Requested $5,000 in matching funds on October 2017, and it was denied by the trustees. SAB applied for the BOCO Sustainability Matching Grant, waiving the 25 percent cash match requirement by pledging $13,000 in volunteer hours and a $500 in-kind match from the town. 

The grant application was approved in February 2017, and the IGA with Boulder County was signed in Spring 2017. In early 2018, SAB connected with PROSAB and attended their meetings to move the greenhouse from the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the Barker Meadow Park Area, according to SAB. 

 In April 2018, PROSAB suggested the current location. In 2018, as remembered by Trustee Dallas Masters, the location change was updated to the trustees, and the current location was approved. 

In April 2019, PROSAB discussed the location of the greenhouse and had concerns and discussed making a recommendation to the trustees to move it. At the same time, SAB recommended the Board of Trustees confirm the approval of the current location of the greenhouse.  

Public Works Manager Chris Pelletier wrote: “I want to first recommend to the BOT that they continue to adhere to the February 2013 Nederland Area Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Master Plan adopted by Resolution 2013-02 on February 19, 2013. It is this plan that helps staff and advisory groups guide decisions that affect parks and open space in Nederland.

“A lot of consideration has gone into the current location of the greenhouse and has been discussed at multiple public meetings and venues since 2017,” Pelletier wrote. The area was logistically vetted to be easily accessed for deliveries, pedestrians, staff and users. 

The greenhouse is located in an area that will be near the town’s water supply if the restroom facilities are constructed. Open space was identified as one of the main goals of the master plan, Pelletier wrote. 

“Keeping the greenhouse next to the road helps to satisfy that goal. This was also a serious consideration of the PROSAB Board at the time, which was another reason why the existing location was chosen,” Pelletier wrote.

This area was also chosen because it will not impact future music events and will actually compliment them. A performance space has already been dedicated in another location, and 40 percent of the entire area to be developed is dedicated as performance space, Pelletier wrote.

SAB Member Melody Baumhover told the board the story of the greenhouse and the challenges she has faced. She joined SAB in early 2015, and the greenhouse has been a longstanding goal of the board.

She has spent many hours seeking funding, but most gardening and agriculture grants don’t fund building materials. Then, she found out about another greenhouse in Ward that was built through a sustainability grant.

SAB decided to apply for the 2017 BOCO grant to fund the greenhouse. SAB started a community agriculture subcommittee, which started community gardens, the farmer’s market and the greenhouse project, Baumhover said. 

After several meetings, SAB had a hard time finding a location, considering Old Town and the town shop site. The director of public works said it could built by the WWTP east of the reservoir, Baumhover said.

Throughout 2016, the design committee decided a $15,000 grant was not enough for a 20 x 20 larger structure, so they discussed a 10 x 20 size, 200 square feet, which people could replicate in their back yards and would cost $20,000, Baumhover said.

SAB struggled with the WWTP location, because of high ground water and air intakes. If they were to tap into the water line, it would require extra piping all the way around and back in and would have to hand excavate that area, Baumhover said. Due to these multiple site challenges, they also looked at moving the location. 

In 2016, Baumhover saw it was in the 2013 master plan for the location in the corner below the highway on the northeast side of Barker Reservoir. They had greenhouse design meetings and posted information on the website, at town hall and at the post office about the proposed location.

During a Nederland Town staff meeting, staff members thought SAB should move ahead with designs. In January 2017, Baumhover contacted PROSAB to collaborate. PROSAB supported the project and being in the Barker Reservoir area, noting that it is a natural structure, Baumhover said.

She then attended several other PROSAB meetings to discuss the location. They ruled out the hill and amphitheater site, because they didn’t want to get in the way of performance space. Trustee Dallas Masters told Baumhover that PROSAB did say that would be a good location and should bring it before the Trustees. 

SAB received approval from the board to move forward, so Baumhover said she worked with an engineer to continue to work on the design. She had information about the design and the greenhouse location at the farmer’s market, and never, in that time, did she ever receive a negative comment regarding the design, location, space or function. 

If the board approves the greenhouse at the current location, the SAB Board will push for a sustainability coordinator. “If we can’t continue in the current location, we will need to shut the project down and go through the town process,” Baumhover said. 

Trustee Alan Apt asked Trustees Dallas Masters and Kristen Conrad, who previously served on PROSAB, to discuss their involvement with this issue. Masters said he remembers Melody contacting him to come before the Board for a location. The WWTP had a security problem, because going into and out of it would be a problem. 

It then came before PROSAB, Masters said. The greenhouse was discussed over two to three meetings with PROSAB, SAB and public works there. Looking at all structures that would be built by the grant, they would be out of the way in that corner, and all utilities would be dropped at that corner as well as being next to water. 

SAB wanted to get started on construction that summer and let PROSAB know that the current location was the best from their point of view. He got an email from Melody about whether that should come before the Board, and he doesn’t think he ever answered that email.

“Our response was that the building was in the correct location according to PROSAB, but he didn’t say it should go back to the board. It was not a controversial thing to talk about, and at the last Board meeting, they said SAB and PROSAB should get together and talk. That didn’t happen, and then PROSAB decided to recommend that it be moved,” Masters said.

“I wish they wouldn’t have done that,” Masters said, and suggested tabling this until the two boards have the meeting to sit down and talk about this. “I thought they were working together, and they need to work together and give it back to them.”

Trustee Jonathon Baumhover, current board liaison for SAB, said he would have liked to see that meeting take place, but there is a deadline associated with this grant. Mayor Kristopher Larsen said there is a timeline issue here.

Town Administrator Karen Gerrity said that to meet qualifications for the grant, the greenhouse would need to be completed by the end of 2019, but the town would like to complete it by October, and if the town wanted to apply for another grant, it would have to be completed by, more likely, November.

Trustee Conrad said she was on PROSAB in 2017 and 2018, when this very park planning and the greenhouse did come up with at least two agendas, and what was being called the Gateway Park was on the agenda every time with no public comment. SAB came before PROSAB with this project and there was no public concern. The exact location of the greenhouse was on the agenda repeatedly. 

During public comment, 14 people addressed the board. Comments included that the greenhouse is very important, and the town is going to miss an opportunity if we don’t do this. It’s on the edge of the fence and you could put a ball field with what’s left, and it’s a misconception of how much in the way it is. 

Former Trustee and current SAB Board member Kevin Mueller said that greenhouses need to be part of Nederland’s future. It gives us an incredible advantage. “We have limited budget and limited funds, so it’s critical we make the best of what we have.” 

The town should maintain its infrastructure before taking on new projects. The town should continue to use Guercio Field and can have a 10 by 20 greenhouse by the end of the July, Mueller said. The town hasn’t invested a lot, and premium space is that continuous open space. They can get it built in another location that doesn’t take up that space.

Folk Singer Daryl Purpose said that Nederland will be the only town that has a greenhouse in left field. Magnolia Resident Kathleen Chippi opposed the current location and said the town has plenty of time to move the greenhouse. 

Showing pictures at the Farmer’s Market is not legitimate public communications, Chippi said. “Why do we have a new PROSAB board if we’re not going to take their advice?”

Trustee Baumhover said he has a concern about moving the greenhouse, because a lot of staff time has been spent. They posted for volunteers and their workdays, and they were always posted on the agenda.

Moving the greenhouse to accommodate a baseball field doesn’t make much sense. Fisher’s Lot on the southeast side of the reservoir is a good idea, but when you are looking at a 10 by 20 structure it doesn’t make much sense.

Mayor pro-tem Julie Gustafson said the board has received a lot of emails from those who support the current location and see the value of that. Nedfest organizers didn’t have concerns about the placement. 

“We hear Nederland doesn’t get anything done. We’re never going to have a 100 percent, but we all need to figure out how to get behind it,” Gustafson said. 

Gerrity explained that the land at Guercio Field belonged to the town. The Guercio’s son died in car accident, and in 979, the family raised the money and gave a donation to the town for a baseball field. She has never heard anything about changing the name of the ball fields but when talking about the whole park that’s a different matter. 

Masters said that if the board were to change direction now, they risk valuable volunteer efforts. “You have a bunch of volunteers from SAB who have worked very hard, and to stop that process could be detrimental to the board.”

Apt said it’s a small building on the corner of a large field. SAB volunteers are all moms and have babies on their knees, and he appreciates their efforts. Larsen said that it was very even on people who spoke tonight. Many volunteers have put in years of effort on this project. 

Conrad made a motion to make no change to the Greenhouse location or timeframe, and the board approved keeping the greenhouse in its current location. 

(Orginally published in the May 16, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)