Dear Editor,

I have known Christian Vanek the many years he has lived here and consider him a friendly and generous neighbor, good friend, and consider his avid support of the Food Bank and Wild Bear a boon to the community. I lived in the town of Nederland for 15 years and since then have lived just outside, off Ridge Road, for the last 38 years. I have had, a not always thriving, but always successful, electrical business in Nederland that has continued to thrive long after my 40 year tenure.

When I first arrived in 1970 the “locals” were wary of us young idealistic “out of state“ hippies coming here to change things …. so we didn’t. The local mining families wanted to preserve their history and appreciation for their culture and family histories. At first, many of us hippies didn’t relate but, those of us still here, have come to appreciate the history of the town’s mining past (see 4/18 issue for “The History of Mining in Nederland”) and of all the attendant characters involved.

We have so many nice things in Ned…..constant wildlife sightings, cool weather, clean air, constant connection to Nature, the Carousel, the Teen Center and skate park, Ned Rink and tennis courts, a clinic and many thriving retail businesses and restaurants. More than a few of us locals, young and old, don’t care for or want the “nice things” alluded to in the Vanek interview. We’re happy with the look and feel of Nederland and, frankly, moved here because of it. We have stayed for the experience of the funky way it feels today. Yes, believe it or not, many of us came here not for “progress” and big city “niceties” but, having experienced all these in other locals, we were ready for nature, small town community friendships and the experience of living more simply. When Christian surmises that Nederland has “no future” many see the status quo as our future and are quite happy with that outcome.

Since the 70s the streets of Nederland haven’t changed much and the “old timers” then and those now, like me, are able to navigate them just fine. The traffic has increased, yes, and downtown parking is a nightmare. Is the solution a 2 square block hotel/retail resortlike structure and an arcade / cocktail bar? Do we want a fast food burger joint where the bank was?

Vanek mentions there is “no planning.” When I was Chairman of the Planning Commission way back in the 70s we did lots of planning that lives on today. Our plan, however, involved less growth and less commercial opportunity. Our comp plan included efforts to limit annexation and slow growth following the debacles of Big Springs Subdivision and the conflict regarding the building of the shopping center. Big Springs became for the town, at the towns expense, a source of major road, sewer and water headaches that continue to plague us to this day. Many problems could have been avoided with the kind of careful review Christian and other developers struggle with today.

I agree with Christian that affordable housing for the many servers, cooks, dishwashers, cashiers and other downtown workers is of importance. It is #1 in my mind for what is severely wanting in our town and wonder why it is not one of the highest of priorities. I also question whether commercial growth and vanity development is in any way connected to the solution to this issue. As a matter of fact, wouldn’t added retail and other commercial growth add even more barely living wage employees in search of a place to live in town and thereby prove to be just the opposite of a remedy?

I wonder where others stand on these most controversial issues.

David Ruskay, Nederland