Dear Editor,

It was a breath of fresh air; albeit disappointing, but not surprising; to read Christian Vanek’s perspective as a long time resident, property owner, developer, and as someone who seriously invested in the Town of Nederland.

I had the good fortune to chat with Christian, long before Snyder’s Garage was demoed. He’s a good guy, with a clear vision; a vision that isn’t so different from Ron Mitchell’s decades long vision for town. A different approach, but similar result. A badly needed upgrade to Ned.

In reading the “Nice Things” article, I was not surprised by Christian’s challenges with Town Hall; challenges Ron has faced for decades. I know there’s a love, hate relationship with change, be it Christian, Ron or Tebo; but Town is paralyzed.

Christian is now clearly experiencing this paralysis, even after recently investing over $4 million dollars in Nederland. I agree with him that the Town needs to “pursue home rule or get incorporated into Boulder County.” It is beyond clear Town’s organizational chart of multiple teams and ambiguous rules results in the inability to resolve difficult decisions facing tax paying residents and business owners. It’s time to cut the fat.

As a long time resident, community volunteer and festival owner; I’ve been a huge proponent that the Town needs to resolve issues with infrastructure (water/sewer/roads), downtown parking, update-demo buildings, finish sidewalks, and build affordable housing before investing in the fun stuff. This list, IMHO, represents a solid foundation from which to build a viable, thriving town to support residents and visitors alike. It’d be nice to have the arcade Christian envisions; and more than one motel for visitors to stay & play. An upgraded downtown for all to enjoy.

Cheers,

Deb D’Andrea

Nederland