H20

Condos or no condos that is the question, not in my neighborhood that is the knee jerk reaction. What is the harm, they have the rights, our rules allow it, and that is the justification.

What effect is it having?

Politically it is a many sided coin , the citizens say enough is enough, the rest of the world looking in mocking you, and the developers keep pounding nails. Read the comprehensive plan from cover to cover, study every zoning ordinance, marketing plan, political speech, or projection for Estes Park from the last twenty years and you will not find an outline that projected Estes Park to become a retirement community and a middle class second home Mecca. That was never the plan. Was the master plan to become the oldest community in Colorado, our streets lined with wall to wall condos, the laughing stock of resorts? Show us that document. Twenty years ago was the consensus “wow what a great plan, take us there.” Not hardly, we were saying then what we are saying now, we need winter business, we have traffic problems, we need more parking for the down town businesses, we need better land use policy. You said these things thirty years ago, you said it twenty years ago and you are saying it today.

Estes Park has no industry, just summer visitors. Our kids grow up, go off to college, and never come back. The school system looses students every year as we continue to age as a community. The question being, where is our master plan taking us? There was no plan to arrive where we currently find ourselves, so where are we going? Who would get on a bus not knowing where it’s headed?

Here is the big question, do you as a citizen control your community or do town employees and contractors control the politics? Who or what is influencing the politics that override the desires of the citizens? That is a fair question.

Any contractor can buy a piece of property, throw in second home condos and leave town. The rules allow it. Families moving in, not hardly. These condos are investments seldom used, the values go up - the equity realized - the property turned over and the profits are banked in Huston, Omaha, Memphis, Dallas or Ames. Your one community asset is location and the profits are being harvested by investors from around the country. The equity is not being reinvested back into Estes Park, it leaves. You are paying for all this. How you ask? Besides the grossly escalating property values (families can no longer afford to live here), the cost of running our community is going up.

Estes Park Water Users May See Rate Hike

Why the hike in water rates? Simply put, the Town administrator intends to double the capacity of the treatment plant and he wants us to pay for it. Currently the treatment capacity is two million gallons per day and the town administrator wants four million gallons per day. Where is double the demand? Let me guess,,, projected condo development perhaps? If that is the case, then why aren’t the developers required to pay for this? The increased water rates require us to pay for the demand created by condo development.

We told you so!

The Town Electric Utility is charging you more and more every year for your electricity.
Why? Because we supply service to all the extended rural users (vacation second homes) and the efficiency drops of taps per mile are made up by the urban consumer.

Water rates are going up so we can provide water treatment capacity for condo development.

Town Hall wants more fees for fire and police protection for empty condos three quarters of the year.

Condo developers are not required to install adequate roads, sidewalks, they do not pay their way concerning infrastructure, the capacities of your sewer lines, sewer treatment and drinking water supplies. The condo owners do not contribute to the local economic condition, they do not vote. Our ordinances are structured such that these condos are never to be used as full time domiciles; they amount to expensive motel rooms. They will not be running water to pay for the treatment capacity, but you will. At least we should require that the developer pay his own way. Why isn’t that happening, why does the town administrator allow the citizens of this community to carry the burden for condo development? Who is he working for?

A hearing will be held concerning this projected rate increase October 9th 2007 at seven PM in the town board room. A formality to be sure, this is an administrative function and they will hear you and implement the rate hike.

Town trustees and the town administrator are always telling you how well the Estes Park economy is doing, they are spending less money every year then they have budgeted and the excess funds are being put into the Community Reinvestment Fund – then why are they charging us more money for services?

Conds Again!

Again The Estes Parkian must intervene to tell the whole story as the Trail Gazette and Free Rag provide only a Town Hall mouth piece obviously slanted to the oligarchy message. What really is going on is political and very damaging to Estes Park over time. I believe that your local journalists are obligated to give this community the complete story when such on going controversies develop, but they never do.

So for the other side of the story:

The topic again is land use, a developer is planning to jam more second home condos into the Estes Valley and the local populace is screaming bloody murder, again.

Typically we copy the offending articles here to share, but in this case these articles were the same boring prose from town staff excusing their actions. They killed a lot of trees and wasted a lot of our sales tax money coming up with that crap, printed to “educate us simpletons.”

A very accurate summary of both articles is “our zoning laws allow it so tough shit, shut up and learn to live with it.”

We are all familiar with Mr. Josephs tendency to butcher the rules for the right people down zoning, height variances et. al.. I found Randy’s new right hand woman, Jacqueline’s, simplification of complex land use the most offensive, “It’s just really complicated babe.”

Who drives the bus here in Estes Park? The Citizens of the Valley or Developers or Town Staff?

Jacqueline, I know you are new and all - so let me simplify a very complex political arena for you and caution you to test the depth of the waters before you take your head first dive. Estes Park is a Colorado statutory community. We are bound to operate our community according to the generic Colorado Revised Statutes. The same land use that is applied in Calhan, Cheraw, Hooper, Kiowa, Nucla, Romeo and Ophir Colorado is applied to Estes Park. By law Estes Park had to create a comprehensive land use plan, which by law is generic to Colorado Revised Statutes. Estes Park does not have the authority to create land use laws that are appropriate to a community that is a gateway community to a National Park Wilderness. Estes Park has allowed developers to have their way with this national park gateway community and butchered the nation’s perception of us all. The town is so intent on protecting the rights of all the states statutory towns and developers they have forgotten who drives the Estes Park bus, the citizens

Before I get on a rant please explain this to me Estes Park, so I can explain it to Jacqueline. In a national travel magazine (National Geographic Traveler - which our town buys print ad space from) rated all the North American Gateway communities a panel consisting of the people listed herein:

Stewart Allen, Environmental psychologist Nan Anderson, ArchitectArden Anderson, Recreation specialistHarry E. Antoniou, Tour operatorDr. Greg Ashworth, GeographerWanetta Ayers, Economic development specialistKenneth F. Backman, Ph.D., Tourism professorRandal G. Baker, Tourism geographer Dr. Seyhmus Baloglu, ProfessorDr. Michal Bardecki, GeographerBrenda Barrett, Heritage area coordinatorDr. Sue Beeton, Tourism lecturerPaul Bennett, WriterWendy M. Berhman, Environmental managerRajiv Bhartari, ForesterPhillip Bimstein, Composer/Former mayorNorman A. Bishop, Interpretive naturalist Kevin Blake, GeographerMichael A. Blazey, Ph.D., EducatorSuzanne E. Bott, PhD., AICP, Land plannerDr. Gillian Bowser, EcologistKelly S. Bricker, PhD., Tourism researcherRobert S. Bristow, GeographerWarren Lee Brown, Park plannerG. Wesley Burnett, GeographerBob Burns CEC, AAC, Culinary professionalLisa M. Butler Harrington, GeographerDave Butler, RPBio, RPF, Sustainable tourism specialistLinda Damron Caldwell, Cultural tourism specialistGabriela Chavarria, BiologistJoseph S Chen, ProfessorDoug Clark, Former park wardenTom Clynes, Author and journalistJeffrey H. Cohen, Cultural anthropologistDavid Cole, Wilderness researcherJim Collinson, Strategy consultantJohn Colton, Sustainable tourism specialistDouglas C. Comer, Ph.D., ArchaeologistDr. John Confer, Tourism ProfessorJay Cooke, Travel editorSuzanne Copping, Heritage conservationistKevin Crockett, Tourism plannerDr. Stephen F. Cunha, GeographerBrenda Davidson-Shaddox, Writer/photographerDanita Delimont, Travel photography specialistChristine B. Denny, Environmental communications consultantKeith Dewar, Professor of tourismJerry Dick, Heritage plannerDr Robert Dilley, University professorJoseph Domask, EducatorGeorge Duffy, Tour operatorSteve Durrant, Landscape architectDavid L. Edgell, Sr., PhD., Tourism specialist/consultantDeborah L. Elliott-Fisk, BiogeographerMarcus L. Endicott, Travel writerBelinda Esham, Forestry consultantDonald A. Falvey, Park manager Virginia Fay, EconomistEvan Ferrari, Parks program directorThor Flognfeldt, Geographer Dr. Joseph P. Flood, Recreation professorCharles Flynn, Riverfront redevelopment expertLee Foster, Travel writer/photographerBob Garrison, Nature tourism consultantRaymond Gehman, Freelance photographerMaurizio Giannone, Tourism geographerAlison M. Gill, GeographerCharlene Glacy, Travel photographyCharles Goeldner, Tourism consultantBrian Goodall, GeographerWilliam L. Graf, Professor of geographyDr. Jim Gramann, Social scientistMarcus Grant, Landscape architectSteven M. Graves, Geography professorAndrej Gregorc, MA., GeographerStephen Griswold, Landscape architectSven Haakanson, Ph.D., Cultural museum studiesC. Michael Hall, Geographer/mobility specialistCheryl Hargrove, Tourism consultantJohn Harrington, Jr., GeographerDr. Donald E. Hawkins, Tourism plannerRobert G. Healy, EconomistGregory Heming, Ph.D., Literary ecologistDavid Herbert, GeographerRonald Hiebert, EcologistJoseph M. Hnatiuk, EcologistKirk Hoessle, Tour operatorPeter R. Hoffman, Ph.D., Geographer/plannerSteven Hollenhorst, ProfessorGary Hovinen, Geographer/tourism specialistJohn Hull, Ph D., Tourism consultantDr. John D. Hunt, Tourism specialist/consultantGlen Hvenegaard, Geography professorDimitri Ioannides, Planning professorThomas J. Iverson, Ph.D., EconomistEdward L. Jackiewicz, GeographerKanneth Johnson, Biologist (tour operator)Karen L. Johnson, Travel consultantRussell Johnson, Travel journalist, consultantRussell Johnson, Tourism media producerKenneth Anthony Johnson Diaz, HidroBiologistClaudia Jurowski, PhD., Tourism professorJerold D Kappel CFRE, Sustainable tourism facilitatorSabra Kauka, Cultural specialistRoger Kaye, Wilderness specialistMaryam Khan Ph.D., Educator-professorDr Audrey Kobayashi, GeographerRhonda Kranz, EcologistPaul Labovitz, Conservation plannerKristin M. Lamoureux, Tourism educatorSam Lankford, Tourism planner/educatorDr. Laura Jane Lawton, Tourism specialistRaynald Harvey Lemelin, Environmental sociologistSarah Leonard, Ecotourism consultantAndrew Lepp, University professorDavid W. Lime, GeographerPatrick Long, Professor of sustainable tourismDr. Edward W. Manning, Sustainable tourism consultantDr A M Mannion, Geographer, authorLawal M. Marafa, Ph.D., Geographer, tourism scholarSteven R. Martin, Professor (resource recreation)Galen R. Martin, GeographerLisa Mastny, Environmental editorShelley S. Mastran, GeographerColleen May, Travel marketing researcherKyle McCarthy, Tourism consultantStephen F. McCool, University scientistDaisann McLane, Travel writerEd McMahon, Community planner Dr. Barbara McNicol, Geography instructor Bill Meade, ConsultantMary C. Means, Heritage tourism developmentMichael Melford, PhotographerCynthia C. Messer, Tourism specialistMike Meyer, Travel writerKlaus J. Meyer-Arendt, Coastal geographerNicholas P. Miller, Noise control consultantMark Miller, Travel writerSimon Milne, Tourism professorLisle S. Mitchell, GeographerDr. Christian Montes, Geographer Duarte B. Morais, University professorThomas More, Recreation researcherKathy Moyer Dragon, Tour operatorNeil Munro, Forester/GeographerTracy John Mullins, GeographerLarry Neal, Consultant - leisure educationSanjay K. Nepal, Tourism geographerChristian Newman, M.S., M.B.A., Environmental consultantNorma Nickerson, Ph.D., Tourism researcherRonald Nickerson, PhD., Recreation professorEileen Nivera, Park PlannerReed F. Noss, Ph.D., Conservation biologistArq. Eduardo J. Nycander v.M., Ecotourism tour operatorAndrew Dean Nystrom, Adventure travel consultantBob O'Connor, CTP., Travel plannerDuane K. Okamoto, Economic development consultantCynthia Orlando, Park Manager Dr. James M. Parrent, ArchaeologistCarol Patterson, Tourism consultantJoe Pavelka, College instructor Sally Pearce, HistorianGordon Phillips, Tourism consultantJohn H. Plantinga, Tourism management educatorClaudia A. Polley, Museum planning consultantDr Julianna Priskin, GeographerPaul Pritchard, Park advocateLuther Propst, ConservationistJeff Rennicke, Travel writer Bob Reynolds, Retired park managerDaniel M. Rice, Non-Profit CEOJ. Michael Robbins, Tourism consultantBetsy Robinson, EcologistPolly Rodriguez, Tourism education Abigail Rome, Ecotourism consultant Hugh Rose, PhotographerAlvin Rosenbaum, Tourism consultantJoel Sartore, PhotographerNancy Schamu, Historic preservationIngrid E. Schneider, ProfessorDr. Daniel Scott, GeographerRick Searle, GeographerMartin Segger, Art historianIndriani Setiawati, Ecotourism specialistDouglas K. Shifflet, Market research-travel Craig R. Sholley, Wildlife conservationistJohn Shores, Biodiversity specialistScott Slocombe, Environmental plannerRichard B. Smith, Protected area consultantJohn M. Snyder, Tourism specialistJohn Splettstoesser, Tourism consultantScott W. Standish, Tourism plannerTaylor V. Stein, Associate professorWilliam Stewart, Park planning academicPatricia A. Stokowski, PH.D., Social ScientistHarold Stone, Environmental planning professorJamie Sweeting, Conservation tourism specialistDixie Swenson, Heritage development consultantDr. Guy S. Swinnerton, Parks specialistRonald R. Switzer, Park ranger - superintendentPeter Tarlow, Tourism specialistLisa Testoni, Environmental plannerDallen J. Timothy, PhD., GeographerRussell K. Tippett, EducatorRon Tipton, Parks advocateWilliam Trousdale, Sustainable-tourism plannerDr. David Truly, Tourism geographerJacquelyn Tuxill, Conservation consultantDr Louise Twining-Ward, Tourism resource consultantsMuzaffer Uysal, Tourism specialistCarroll Van West, HistorianDavid L. Wall, GeographerTim Wallace, Applied anthropologistGrace A. Wang, Natural resource policyDavid Weaver, Tourism specialistMr. Jonathan Wessell, Geographer/travelerDuane West, Park ManagerTom Wheaton, RPA, ArchaeologistDr. Dave White, Environmental studies professorKim Whytock, Sustainability strategistEd Wiken, EcologistCarolyn Wild, Ecotourism consultantJennifer J. Wilhoit, Ph.D., Researcher/educatorPaul F. Wilkinson, Tourism geographerDr. Christopher Wilkinson, GeographerMark Willuhn, Tourism specialistCary Wolinsky, National Geographic photographerLochen Wood, Geographer/plannerPamela Wright, Parks educatorTerence Young, GeographerHarry C. Zinn, Park management educator

The consensus opinion of Estes Park:

Facing TroubleMajor problems confront 13 parks; often it's unsuitable gateway development.

19. Rocky Mountain National Park COLORADO (Score: 56)"Deep blue glacial lakes and majestic mountain views" in a "totally overstressed" park. "Traffic, condo developments, and noise around the sappy, touristy town of Estes Park lessen appeal."

We brought this article to your attention in the summer of 2005.

The citizens of the Valley do not want more condo development; the national experts listed herein think you are a blight area to the Park. But we continue to rush head long into the abyss of second home condo development on every square inch of available land.

Why? Because our comprehensive land use plan and zoning laws allow it? Excuse me if I choke on that one because your town staff invested eight years and untold stack of our dollars changing one line in one Colorado Law to allow a statutory town to collect a lodging tax. The town is juggling several law suites as we speak, because they conveniently ignore laws and change the ones they do not like. They must like this one, why? Look who is jamming things into peoples pockets before you answer that one.

This is as plane as the nose on your face, our town government is broke and it no longer serves the citizen of Estes Park. Jacqueline and Josesph said it: you do not like it, the nation thinks its inappropriate for our location, but the rules allow for a developer to throw in a bunch of condos, develop a HOA and throw in substandard infrastructure that future generations will have to contend with. If thats not broke than define broke.

STOP IT!

Change the rules. Home Rules. Create land use that is appropriate to a gateway to a wilderness area. Change and growth will occur, but we need laws that are appropriate to the Estes Valley not Collobran, Colorado.

Thank Your Business Man !

On August 28, 2007 the trustee meeting was so much prototypical nonsensical, so out of touch with reality that this elected body and the ‘Public Meetings” are officially a joke.

David Haubecker appeared before the board to pronounce that God is imaginary. The same man that created this legal mess that hangs around the mayor’s neck like a mill stone. Who profited more from being a trustee than David, besides Sue Doylan?

The town financial director praised himself for being on target in forecasting sales tax verse the towns projected budget. How tough is that, our economy flat lined ten years ago?

The town concluded its meeting by quoting the C.R.S. that allows them to go into the back room and conduct Town business behind locked doors.

Wayne Newsome wanted to Thank Tom Pickering for doing such a fine job “packing all the people into Estes Park.”



The Estes Parkian would like to take a moment during this Labor Day Weekend to thank all those businesses that make our community possible. Without our businesses no one could afford to live here. While elected officials spend our tax dollars (that you collect) like a drunken sailor in a whore house, you work twelve hour days seven days a week to earn it.

Every penny that is spent by town hall enters through your cash register first. You bring million to this town, Tom Pickering is a failed businessman who does not earn one dime for our community, in fact he and the rest of those bums are a gigantic black hole of spending.

Wayne Newsome is stupid and has not accomplished one thing in six years asleep in that seat. Do us all a favor Wayne just shut up. That quote will be in the idiots hall of fame like your letter of support for a child molester.

Idiots!

They are government, they do not earn they spend!