Planning Commission Minutes 2015 08 13

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes August 13, 2015 Page 9 of 22 EYESORE: Gardens grow a few months out of the year and then plants begin to die off. I say we preserve a natural area that creates a much coveted visual barrier in an already over- crowded city core. Fences, sheds, compost piles, irrigation hoses, and railroad ties will be visible for most of the year. Presently, Garfield and Lincoln Street near South Boulder Road present numerous eyesores. There are dumpsters facing the street, abandoned couches, broken glass on sidewalks, weeds, and abandoned grocery carts. It has been that way for nearly 30 years. I suggest we preserve the natural landscape, not contribute to the eyesore and carry it down to Lafayette Street. The Kerr Community Garden (Harney Lastoka) is less than a mile from this proposed site and these gardens have 43 plots, less than the ones being considered for this site. The Kerr Community Garden should be expanded. It accommodates in ways the proposed site will not. The Kerr Gardens has fewer sites than the proposed site but includes numerous parking spots, appropriate traffic circulation, no residents, handicap parking, and outhouses. It has space for gardeners to congregate, share, plan events, educate, and expand. In contrast, there are fruit trees planted at that garden that buffer the hardscape. It is also surrounded by corn fields. I suggest that the Kerr Community Garden should be expanded. ALTERNATIVES: We need to explore alternatives. Community gardening is a trend. I think we need a garden registry and I suggest (such as one in Santa Monica, CA) that there be a garden share registry. This program connects Santa Monica homeowners who have space to grow with Santa Monica gardeners who love to garden. The parties work together to create a perfect match. There are sample forms on websites available. As we see in Louisville, this site was picked for a reason, because it is the only site. I have driven around and I don't see any other sites. I don't know if other sites were recommended. There is no land left. I say that there are places that should be kept in their natural grasses for everybody to enjoy. Finally, I would like to quote a well-known philosopher, Thoreau. "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to left alone." I say we leave this space alone. I say that it has been like this for 40 years and everybody has enjoyed it. Thank you. Pritchard says there are emails to be submitted that he does not have. Only two Commissioners have the emails. Staff will print the emails and give them to the PC. Russell makes motion to enter seven emails into the record, seconded by O'Connell. Passes by voice vote. Judy Feland, 1450 Lincoln Avenue, #213, Louisville, CO I live at Lydia Morgan because I was flooded in Boulder. I have a couple of comments. Nobody at Lydia Morgan was consulted and we were listed as one of the main constituents. The majority of people there are in their 80s and 90s so they were very concerned as Mary Ann said. The traffic and visibility coming out of Lydia Morgan onto Lincoln is already very compromised. However, I don't see that related to the garden. It seems to me that if there is some lottery, the people who live closest should be chosen first so they can walk or bike. My little tiny balcony looks right over on the east flood plain. I have a comment about maintenance. Christina was talking about grasses. What's there right now is millions of seeds from thistles that are flying all over on both sides of this unit. I would request if you have any input, that there is some maintenance. It is wild and I like that, but there some maintenance that should happen with or without a garden. Regarding the irrigation ditch which comes around the north side of Lydia Morgan and comes out to the end of Lincoln and Griffith, the ditch system has a lot of debris in there. If there were to be flooding, and I experienced it, I think you should be speaking to the appropriate persons to clean it out. I have a question for Sean about the raised garden plots. talked to a City Council member, who introduced me to Mary Ann, who came for a meeting at Lydia Morgan and did answer our questions on Saturday. It was really helpful. I recommended to her that because most of our residents would not be able to garden by themselves, they look at some kind of buddy system where some of us would be paired with a younger gardener. I gardened in Boulder's community plot for 5 to 7 years, but I always did it with someone else. It says raised garden plots. Is it flat ground and then 18" raised for handicapped? Is the rest flat?