Letter to Open Space

November 2, 1997

Jim Crain, Director

Open Space Department

City of Boulder

1300 Canyon

Boulder, CO

Dear Mr. Crain:

The North Rim / Lake Valley Trails Committee (NRLVTC) represents almost all of the adjacent property owners of the North Rim Trail corridor as well as other nearby residents and trail users. As you heard at the October 14 meeting organized by Brent Wheeler, we are concerned about the master plan for Open Space trails around our neighborhood.

We trust that you understand that we support the creation, maintenance and usage of Open Space trails in the North Boulder Valley. However, we have concerns about the likely consequences of certain proposals by your staff. We would sincerely prefer to work with you to propose and advocate for a trail system which we can all agree is in everyone’s best interests, rather than to work against you to obstruct changes at every step. As the organizational representative of a large number of the people most directly affected by the trail plans, the NRLVTC has a right to such participation.

At the October 14 meeting, we submitted testimony and maps proposing modifications to the planned trail system that would keep all high-usage Open Space trails at least 100 meters from residences (see attached maps). We are still awaiting a response to this testimony. If this proposal is acceptable to you, we would be happy to solicit support from other stakeholders and work with you for speedy implementation. If you are sympathetic to our concerns but have specific reservations about our proposals, we would like to discuss the problems you foresee and work toward a mutually acceptable solution.

To initiate dialog, we propose here a series of specific questions. Perhaps you could respond to these questions in writing during the next week and then we could meet to discuss them. Here are our questions:

  1. What are your projections for future usage of a trail system connecting Sage Trail with the planned East Beech and Axelson Trails? What might be a peak volume on a nice Spring afternoon once these trails become well known?
  2. The 15 foot corridor around our neighborhood was not originally intended to be a high volume multi-use trail and critical link in the Open Space trail system. Has it now been officially designated a multi-use Open Space trail? If so, when did this occur and what was the process through which this designation took place?
  3. How would you improve the North Rim trail corridor to handle heavy, multiple-use traffic? Considering the confinement of the trail by the ditch and private properties, how could the trail be expanded to accommodate increasing traffic over the years?
  4. Do you have concerns about conflicting uses along the North Rim trail corridor at its confined sections where there is no room for horses and baby carriages to move aside for bikes and dogs?
  5. Do you have concerns about conflicts between neighbors with dogs and children in their back yards interacting with trail users or their animals?
  6. Are there examples that we could look at in Boulder of narrow multi-use (i.e., equestrian and bike) trails going through residential areas with just low split-rail fences as barriers?
  7. What are your grounds for believing that trail users will prefer a trail along the back of a suburb to an alternate route through open space?
  8. What, if any, are your primary objections to extending the East Beech trail due south to the Boulder Valley Ranch trailhead? (See alternative trail 1 on attached map.)
  9. What, if any, are your primary objections to angling the northern end of the North Rim connecting trail eastward to avoid the backyards of three homes? (See alternative trail 2 on attached map.)
  10. What, if any, are your primary objections to angling the western end of the Axelson trail southward to avoid the backyards of a dozen homes? (See alternative trail 3 on attached map.)

We are currently planning to make a presentation to the Open Space Board of Trustees on November 12 th. We would prefer to be able to support your proposal for the East Beech trail, but cannot without knowing the answer to questions such as those above. For us, the

East Beech Trail is only acceptable within the context of an overall trail plan that makes sense.

Please respond to our questions in writing by November 7th so we can proceed in a manner supportive of your plans.

Sincerely yours,

Gerry Stahl

President, NRLVTC

 

Encl.: Map of planned Open Space trails and alternatives

 

Cc: Andy Poltorak, NRHOA President

David Eisenstein, Esq.

Brent Wheeler

Greg Oxenfeld

Glen Carriere

Dave Kuntz

Carolyn Holmberg

Dan Wolfred

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This page last updated: 03/05/99.