{"id":9407,"date":"2011-12-13T15:12:50","date_gmt":"2011-12-13T22:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/?p=9407"},"modified":"2012-01-16T21:42:56","modified_gmt":"2012-01-17T04:42:56","slug":"hogan-pancost-development-heads-to-planning-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/?p=9407","title":{"rendered":"Hogan-Pancost Development Heads to Planning Board"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/97U29WmPgSU\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re like us, you know Dr. Seuss \u2013 you\u2019ve either had his stories read to you, or read them to your own children.\u00a0 Woven into the whimsical illustrations and sublime rhymes are some pretty serious lessons.\u00a0 One seems very timely, with the proposal of a concept plan to develop what\u2019s known as the Hogan-Pancost property in Boulder.\u00a0 It\u2019s <em>The Lorax<\/em>.\u00a0 You know the story:\u00a0 The <em>Once-ler<\/em> comes to town, and, happening upon a pristine land full of <em>Truffula Trees<\/em>, he sees green \u2013 money, that is.\u00a0 He chops down every last tree, builds a factory that pumps out <em>Thneeds <\/em>(which nobody really needs), making such <em>smogulous smoke and Schloppity-Schlopp <\/em>that everything leaves \u2013 the <em>Brown Bar-ba-loots, <\/em>the <em>Swomee-Swans<\/em> \u2013 even the <em>Lorax<\/em> himself, the only one who would \u201cspeak for the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There are 22 acres of <em>Truffula Trees<\/em>, so to speak, just outside the city limits of Boulder, adjacent to the East Boulder Recreation Center.\u00a0 The area, known as the Hogan-Pancost property, is home to wetlands, wildlife and lots of water.\u00a0 It\u2019s in the South Boulder Creek Flood Plain \u2013 \u201chigh hazard\u201d for flooding.\u00a0 And, since the recent building of soccer fields and parking lots near the rec center, those of us whose homes line the west boundary of Hogan-Pancost now have sump pumps in our basements.\u00a0 In peak wet season, our pumps remove tens of thousands of gallons of water from our homes\u2019 lower levels <em>each day<\/em> \u2013 water that <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> enter our homes before the land was disturbed for building.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9431\" style=\"width: 608px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/hpmap.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9431\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9431\" title=\"hpmap\" src=\"http:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/hpmap.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"598\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/hpmap.png 598w, https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/hpmap-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/hpmap-400x275.png 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9431\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Location map (click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The land is part of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, and can be annexed into city limits.\u00a0 It\u2019s the <strong>last<\/strong> large parcel of land in Area II that can be developed.\u00a0 But we say just because it <em>can<\/em>, doesn\u2019t mean it <em>should<\/em>. Developer Mike Boyers, whose plans for developing Hogan-Pancost have been turned down several times in the past, is trying again.\u00a0 The <a title=\"HP Concept Plan\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bouldercolorado.gov\/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=7148&amp;Itemid=4715#CONCEPT\" target=\"_blank\">concept plan<\/a> for his Boulder Creek Commons development will be discussed at the City of Boulder Planning Board meeting tentatively set for Jan. 19, 2012.<\/p>\n<p>At that Planning Board meeting, city officials are sure to hear from many of us Boulder residents who, like the<em> Lorax<\/em>, will speak for the things that cannot speak for themselves:\u00a0 the trees, the wetlands, the wildlife\u2026 the very fabric of our neighborhood, Keewaydin Meadows.\u00a0 We residents of Keewaydin Meadows are concerned about the consequences of building at least 120 new residential \u201cunits\u201d on Hogan-Pancost.\u00a0 But really,<strong> ALL<\/strong> Boulder residents should be watching this decision closely.\u00a0 After all, we all trust city officials to uphold the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, which states:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The overall effect of urban growth must add significant value to the community, improving quality of life. The city will require development and redevelopment as a whole to provide significant community benefits and to maintain or improve environmental quality as a precondition for further housing and community growth.<em><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Does the Boulder Creek Commons concept plan uphold these values?\u00a0 <strong>NO.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Concerns<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Compromised\u00a0Child Safety:\u00a0 <\/strong>The safety of Manhattan Middle School students as they face substantially increased traffic at already-congested peak drive times.\u00a0 In addition, children playing at Keewaydin Park, adjacent to the middle school, will face increased traffic in an area already heavily-used for after-school sports events.\u00a0 Parked cars line Manhattan Drive for blocks during such events, making it difficult to see small children as they attempt to cross the street.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Compounded<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Residential Traffic Congestion<\/strong>:\u00a0 The impact on Kewanee Drive \u2013 a short, dead-end street with a dozen or so homes with driveways connecting to the street \u2013 would be devastating.\u00a0 Even the developer\u2019s conservative estimates of six to ten car trips per household per day add up, when you consider a minimum of 120 new \u201cunits\u201d at the end of the street.\u00a0 The other access street, 55<sup>th<\/sup>, is what neighbors call a \u201cslow road to nowhere.\u201d\u00a0 It jogs around the East Boulder Rec. Center and borders open space, not any shops or services.\u00a0 It\u2019s reasonable to assume that most traffic in and out of Boulder Creek Commons would use Kewanee Drive, severely impacting residents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wetlands Destruction:<\/strong>\u00a0 The proposed destruction of <a title=\"HP environmental values\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hoganpancost.org\/environment.html\" target=\"_blank\">wetlands<\/a>, even with a developer promise to re-create them somewhere else on the Hogan-Pancost land, is suspect.\u00a0 Why destroy what nature intended?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t protecting fragile habitats a core value of Boulder city officials and residents?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Increased Flooding:<\/strong> \u00a0The western and eastern portions of the Hogan-Pancost property are in the designated <a title=\"HP Flood maps\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hoganpancost.org\/flood.html\" target=\"_blank\">100-year flood plain<\/a>, with some areas deemed \u201chigh hazard,\u201d according to a city study.\u00a0 According to the City of Boulder\u2019s web site, Boulder is the #1 flash flood risk in the entire state. The site says: &#8220;It only takes three inches of rain over a few hours to trigger a 100-year flood.&#8221;\u00a0\u00a0 Those of us who lived through the 1969 flood in this area saw the land behind our homes become a fast-moving river. \u00a0That same land would <em>become<\/em> Boulder Creek Commons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Groundwater Drainage Issues:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Groundwater is a huge concern among those of us who live on the western border of Hogan-Pancost.\u00a0 (Remember our sump pumps?)\u00a0 Many of us had no water in our basements prior to the nearby soccer fields and parking lots being built.\u00a0 We are extremely concerned that increased development will only make the situation worse.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Broken Promises:\u00a0 <\/strong>A <a title=\"city promise\" href=\"http:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/pdfs\/Hogan-Pancost1992.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">memo from city staff in 1992<\/a>, discussing the possibility of making Kewanee Drive a through-street, connecting to future development, promised us it would<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> never<\/span> happen.\u00a0\u00a0 Here\u2019s a direct quote from that memo:\u00a0 \u201c\u2026staff and Planning Board made assurances to the neighborhood on Manhattan Dr. that this connection would not be made in the future.\u201d\u00a0 Area residents trusted city leaders then, and hope they can still trust them now.<\/p>\n<p>Residents of Keewaydin Meadows are entrusting city officials with the symbolic last <em>Truffula Trees <\/em>in Boulder.\u00a0 We want the Hogan-Pancost property to remain undeveloped.\u00a0 We\u2019re hoping Planning Board members heed the lesson of <em>The Lorax<\/em>.\u00a0 In the book, the <em>Once-ler <\/em>says,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>You\u2019re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Plant a new Truffula.\u00a0 Treat it with care.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Give it clean water.\u00a0 And feed it fresh air.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Grow a forest.\u00a0 Protect it from axes that hack.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Then the Lorax <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>and all of his friends<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>may come back.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Take Action<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/lorax.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-9424\" title=\"lorax\" src=\"http:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/lorax.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"255\" \/><\/a><a title=\"city survey on HP\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bouldercolorado.gov\/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=15609&amp;Itemid=5274\" target=\"_blank\">Take the city survey<\/a> about the proposed Boulder Creek Commons concept plan.<\/li>\n<li>Speak out at the Planning Board meeting, tentatively set for Jan. 19, 2012, at 6:00 p.m., in City Council chambers, 1777 Broadway, second floor.<\/li>\n<li>Join the Southeast Boulder Neighborhoods Association (SEBNA) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seboulder.org\/\">www.seboulder.org<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Read more about the development of Hogan-Pancost at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hoganpancost.org\/\">www.hoganpancost.org<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re like us, you know Dr. Seuss \u2013 you\u2019ve either had his stories read to you, or read them to your own children.\u00a0 Woven into the whimsical illustrations and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":877,"featured_media":9424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,85,7],"tags":[309,529,528,144,19,315,174],"class_list":["post-9407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-hogan-pancost","category-neighborhoods","tag-development","tag-groundwater","tag-hogan-pancost-2","tag-housing","tag-planning-board","tag-sprawl","tag-wetlands"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/877"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9407"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9489,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9407\/revisions\/9489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.boulderblueline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}