Dear Editor,

In good faith residents of Nederland have submitted two Peoples Initiatives concerning historically controversial subjects, of the bike pump track in Chipeta Park and development of the “Old Town Shop Site” for signature circulation that will result in at least one and possibly two 2024 Special Elections, dependent on when enough qualifying signatures are validated for each. Peoples Initiatives can take 6-9 months before a town wide vote can occur and will cost the residents to implement one or two Special Elections.

However, in an effort to fairly and democratically resolve these controversial issues for the community asap, on Feb 6th the BoT can simply and in good faith, refer the initiative issues to the voters for resolution on the April ballot.

Per CRS 31-11-111(2)The legislative body of any municipality may, without receipt of any petition, submit any… question to a vote of the registered electors of the municipality. The legislative body of the municipality or its designee shall fix a ballot title for the referred measure.

Let voters decide YES or NO on Public land being used for senior housing and a public ‘pocket’ park in Dyers Addition and YES or NO on a bike pump track in Chipeta Park. Teens Inc. is scheduled for a Special Review Use (SRU) application Hearing with the BoT for a conflicting USE for 750 W 5th St. and has stated they were not interested in a Peoples vote even though its Public land.

The People had asked the BoT if they would consider putting both initiative issues on the April ballot at town meetings and on (Staff monitored) social media since last summer. There was no formal response, other than dismissal of the ideas. But during that time at least 3 of the 5 elected trustees (the 2 others were appointed) voiced support for having the People vote on big and or controversial issues. Well, here we are with two issues meeting both qualifiers as referred measure for the April election.

Why would Staff and 5 elected and 2 appointed trustees not want all the People to vote on what is developed on Public land, and at least solicit an open call for proposals? Answer, Teens Inc. grant deadline. Eric Coombs Esmail 11-21-23 “…try to find something that will work for everybody without hampering Teens Inc. financing process, I think that is really the negotiating fulcrum.”

I have been voicing my concerns about Towns direction and timelines being determined by grant deadlines and requirements for years.

Both initiatives address the long-term future USE of Publicly owned properties and were prompted by Trustee Coombs-Esmail, stating the BoT had not been presented any other proposals, even though neither Chipeta Park nor 750 W. 5th was ever officially opened for public proposals. And 750 W. 5th just got publicly confirmed contamination free in late Nov 2023, when Board members themselves, admitted the Public was busy with the holidays through the New Year. On Nov 21st Coombs-Esmail addressed the commitment Town made to support affordable housing, “we just made a commitment as a board and as a town, to Prop 123, it’s a time limited commitment, we make that commitment, and literally a day later, somebody says that we want to use one of the main assets we thought we had as a town and make it as a childcare facility”

Without consideration of the Dyers Addition senior housing and public pocket park, 99+% of the town residents will lose USE rights to that land for 99 years for $1 year. Dyers residents who purchased their homes after the 2017 BoT Resolution for Housing at 750 W.5th have not been fairly treated or considered. The 6,000 sq. ft. proposal would bring drastic changes to a tranquil residential neighborhood and low-income & senior housing would be kicked further down the road.

Initially the bike pump track in Chipeta Park was the idea of Trustee Seavers who offered to help Parks resolve the inability to grow grass next to the basketball hoops. He offered to create a kiddos dirt track and maintain it for the first 3 years at his expense. With the help of PROSAB it has morphed into an environmentally unfriendly, Comp and Envision plan contrary, $500,000 asphalt fixture that will most likely be funded by NATO and friends, that will alter tranquil Chipeta Park when there are 85 miles of biking trails already in the area.

Please write the Nederland BoT (bot@nederlandco.org) and urge the Mayor and trustees to add the subjects of the Peoples Initiatives (ie. the pump track and senior housing in Dyers neighborhood) to the April ballot. Get your comments in well in advance of the decisive Feb 6th BoT meeting, which is the last opportunity for the BoT to refer the ballot questions to the voters at the April election.

Citizens deserve a vote on USE of Public land, especially when a drastic change is contemplated. Without your letters, 4 trustees, the Town Admin and Town Attorney will continue to make decisions for all of us, without a clear, fair and transparent process. The BoT can save the residents money (cost of up to 2 Special Elections) and release the weight off their own shoulders by referring these two measures to voters. Please encourage them to do so.

In Principle,

Kathleen Chippi

Nederland