Dear Editor,

I sympathize with neighbors of the proposed Teens, Inc childcare facility who’ve been dismissed and/ or vilified by some Town officials and Teens, Inc supporters, because they oppose the private use of public land in their neighborhood. Ned’s municipal code gives special place to neighbors’ views on zoning changes. In January 2023, the Planning Commission rejected a private-property zoning change requested by Ron Mitchell, because neighboring residents objected. Each Commissioner stated they had no choice but to reject the request because of the Town Code language.

Public land is owned by the public—taxpayers/voters in Nederland--and is not the property of Town Government to dispose of as they please. Dyers neighborhood residents have discussed possible uses for the land for years, waiting for the results of toxicity testing, and have their own views of what they want their neighborhood to be.

Two early, questionable decisions by the BoT were: 1) to forego the usual open bidding process for other interested parties, and 2) to encourage the Planning Commission to approve a Special Use Review to permit private schools on public land, a change sought specifically for the Teens, Inc project and which sets a bad precedent.

Rather than holding public meetings with neighbors, the Trustees asked the Teens, Inc Director to gather neighbors’ opinions(!). Unsurprisingly and based on a limited sample, the Director reported the majority of neighbors were in favor, which several neighbors contested as untrue.

Unfortunately, the way the town has handled this reflects the considered approach of some Town officials, who believe the way to “get things done” is to get projects through under the radar. This disinterest in involving the public in governance was evident in the Town’s choice to direct the Vision 2030 process themselves, rather than hiring an outside consultant as done previously. The anti-democratic views of Town leadership were evident both in the way they attempted to direct the vision statements and in the discarding—by a subcommittee chaired by the mayor—of Vision 2020 language on the importance of resident involvement in town governance.

Compare: Vision 2020 Statement: In 2020, Nederland’s elected leaders are qualified, competent and representative of the entire community. They are committed to open and clear communication with town staff and all citizens. They actively encourage connections between residents, service providers, businesses and government. Critical information is easily accessible to all, and residents feel included and have a sense of responsibility and ownership in the governance process.

Vision 2030 Statement: “In 2030, Nederland’s government effectively provides representative, transparent, forward-thinking leadership and administration through dedication, creativity and responsiveness to the needs and goals of the overall community.”

The issues here go well beyond whether child-care or affordable housing is a more critical need for taxpaying residents. I hope voters will vote NO on the child-care proposal so that a fully democratic process, which gives proper consideration to neighbors’ views and examines fully the various possibilities for use of this public land, can be conducted.

Sincerely,

Susan Wagner

Nederland