Superior Considering A New Zone

The Superior Board of Trustees will consider a new "Open Space and Natural Spaces District" on Monday, with the draft to the Board including the point that no public input has been received. (starts on page 16 of the PDF document).

The proposed revised ordinance language says the new zoning definition will be used to "preserve the open space and undeveloped character of those properties within the district. Land within the district is protected from development but low-impact improvements to the land such as trails, trailheads, flood control facilities, and reclamation may be allowed pursuant to a Special Use or Conditional Use permit as set forth in the Schedule of Uses in Section 16-189. The Open Space and Natural Uses District may be comprised of both public and private lands."

Apparently there are no private properties proposed for inclusion at this point, but the zoning definition would still allow this in the future. It appears to be a way to pre-empt any demand for significant access or recreational use on Town- and Jointly-owned properties by describing them as being in this more restricted-use zoning. (No basketball courts or dog parks, etc. is how I read it.)

My understanding was that the government had to purchase land for open space if they want to so severely limit development. I'm a big supporter of open space taxes for just such purposes. But his ordinance creates defacto open space to any property it is applied to. The Lastoka and Verhey properties are the only ones listed for inclusion now, they're owned open space. Perhaps this won't ever be an issue because it won't be applied to private property. But their request to approve such language makes me wonder why they need this authority....

A public hearing will be held Aug 27 anyway, so we'll see if this causes any concern.

Superior's Rec Center Ideas Implode

Last fall the ball got rolling against funding a library in Superior in part because some residents insisted the community would be better served by a Rec Center. Turns out Superior residents are no more interested in paying for a library than they are a Rec Center and the Town Board killed plans to ask for a bond vote this fall that would have paid for it.

Not only are people not interested in paying a new tax -58% opposed both of two proposals in the survey - they actually aren't interested period. Of more than 4,000 households in town, with surveys mailed to each known address in the community, only 618 responses were received. That's just a little more than the number of people showing up for movies this summer in the Rock Creek HOA. With the HOA dues and relative amenities provided by HOAs, it appears Superior residents aren't looking for too much more from the town govt.

Open Space Zones In Superior Raise the Poop Debate

At a work session last night the Superior Trustees considered an Ordinance amending the Superior Municipal Code to add a "Natural Open Space Zone District". This was a first reading and people have a few questions - like how the District may be comprised of both public and private lands, and hence uses and improvements would be subject to permitting and other regulations. It's this latter part on private lands that moves property from intended use in the Comp Plan to de facto open space without buying it that is raising concerns. Staff has said the first concept only includes town and COunty open space, but the authority would be granted to extend/approve zones, as I understand it.

Interestingly, to keep tabs on the new District the Board considered an ordinance approving a Parks and Trail Patrol Ranger who will have the ability to issue administrative citations. Matt Magley with the Town has said the need for such a position is due to resident concerns regarding off leash animals in parks and on trails and health and safety issues that it presents. Funds budgeted at $20,000 annually for pet waste pick up would be used to pay an hourly wage of approximately $9-$15 per hour for this Ranger.

The ranger addition seems to be a natural aspect of a growing open space program. However the focus on poop pickup and citations (and the attendant education") has a few residents questioning if that's the way to spend $20k. The debate is around the practical level of enforcement possible vs just adding trash cans and counting on people to do the right thing.

People letting their dogs take a dump and not picking it up are not concerned that they may get a ticket. By the time you are an adult you've either realized you have a responsibility to do that, or you don't care. Ticket threats don't matter - I say this as someone who worked for 5 years for the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Dept. walking the trails enforcing leash laws, checking fishing licenses, etc. Adults know- and make a choice. It works better having other adults publicly shame them into behaving right - yelling "Oh, I have an extra bag if you need one since your dog is going the bathroom on the trail!" is infinitely more effective and satisfying.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles Have A Few Champions In Superior

To go along with the article today about Superior residents getting excited about Neighborhood Electric Vehicles.

Bonanza Drive Redux - This Time In Superior

The ol "smoky back room" discussions (to quote an earlier thread here) have resurged again, this time in Superior where Old Town residents have been angry to learn their presumed mellow neighborhood could actually be connected to new development. And all in violation of previous verbal agreements that such connections wouldn't be made.

Quotes from residents in the Superior Observer include "you’re cutting us off at the knees," and "the death of Old Town Superior.”

Like the resistance to a Bonanza Drive/Vista parkway connection in Erie, the reaction to an older neighborhood being connected to a newer neighborhood - in the same town - comes across as pretty, well, un-neighborly.

Growth happens.

(If you're lucky.)

Superior Considering Recreation Funding Ballot Issues

A couple weeks ago the Superior Town Board approved a community wide survey regarding input for priority parks and recreation amenities. (Why read when you can kick or hit a ball?) Anyway, residents have received mailed surveys and are encouraged to return them with their opinions.

Their input will be used to determine whether or not there is enough support to ask the voters of Superior to put a ballot initiative forward in November of this year. Click here for an aerial map of the study items.

The Town is hosting two Community Meetings for citizens to learn about these parks and recreation amenities. June 14 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall will include a review of the information and plans that have been developed to date for the amenities throughout Superior, as well as an opportunity for citizens to provide feedback and comments on the plans. A second Community Meeting focusing on amenities proposed for Original Town will be held June 21 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall. This meeting will include a brief review of the process and plans developed to date, but will focus the proposed amenities and potential concerns related to Original Town. Call 303-554-9005 with questions regarding these meetings.

Just What Louisville Hates To See

Superior announced another great shopping draw to the Superior Marketplace: Ethan Allen will be another lure for spending to that side of US36.

Superior Visioning

On Monday May 7, 7:00 PM the Superior Board of Trustees will have a work session to discuss the Superior Town Center Vision. This completely new construction will be bounded by McCaslin Blvd. on the west, the Rock Creek subdivision on the south and US 36 on the north and east. See more info on how to be involved with helping to shape this vision on the Town of Superior's website. You can print off an aerial photo of the area, draw your ideas on it and give it to town hall.

Also at this same meeting will be a discussion of the results of a community survey on recreation center needs/desires. Perhaps if they build something so spectacular they could work out a no-cost sharing agreement with Louisville. Our Rec Center for your library.

Superior's Library Payments Means Reading on Sundays Again

The $75,ooo payment Superior has agreed to pay for their residents' use of Louisville's public library will allow the library to open up on Sundays again starting in August.

This is a positive compromise compared to the initial reaction from Superior which told Louisville to pound sand when they requested a contribution. When Superior voters defeated a ballot issue last November to fund their own library it made the situation more tense, as Louisville perceived they were being taken advantage of with their brand new public library.

Next year Superior has tentatively agreed to pay $150,000; that could be altered by a task force looking at longer-term solutions.

Toll Lanes on US 36?

The U.S. 36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition - Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Superior, Boulder and Denver - submitted an application to the federal government Monday that proposes construction of one HOT lane in each direction between Interstate 25 and Foothills Parkway in Boulder for a total cost of $234 million.

Carpools and buses ride in them free; otherwise it's pay to ride. If the amount of use the carpool lanes get now are any indication, the request might as well go towards bike paths. They'll be almost as many commuters on each. The US 36 Commuting Solutions Group already is working on the draft EIS of various corridor projects. Which transportation method will you choose to sit in gridlock? Cars, buses, vanpools?

Ex-Superior Town Manager to Be Honored With Fake Grass

I like to think I'm often more pragmatic than idealistic, however I can't really get past the idea of fake grass for ballfields as opposed to regular grass and dirt. More maintenance and irrigation costs, I know. But it's REAL. Feels real, smells real after a rain, makes cool green stains when you make a dive on a play.

This week the Superior Observer describes how a new synthetic grass field at Community Park is being rolled out, and it will be named Williams Field in honor of Bruce Williams, the former long-time Town Manager who died in a car accident in December. Great idea; too bad he couldn't be honored with something that grows instead of plastic.

Merge Superior With Broomfield?

So what about folding Superior into Broomfield and that way their costs and income would be more manageable, spread out and less duplicative? This is the idea of Paul Everitt, a 6-month resident of Superior.

I've heard of a few people who want Erie to secede from Boulder County or Niwot should annex into Longmont. What do you think of this one?

State Officials Meeting In Superior (Superfield?)

Hey future Superfield residents! Sorry, I mean Superior...

Mark your calendars for April 14th, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., to meet with your State elected representatives. Representative Dianne Primavera, along with Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, have scheduled a Town Hall meeting to speak with the public and local officials regarding local and state issues. The meeting will be held in the Boardroom at Superior Town Hall, 124 E. Coal Creek Dr.

Fitz-Gerald could be replacing Rep. Mark Udall this fall, who plans to run for Sen. Wayne Allard's US Senate seat.

Ask them why they think raising small group health insurance rates is a good idea, as they are contemplating with HB 1355. Or better yet tell them to support SB 203 which will require mortgage brokers to be licensed in Colorado. Looking around Rock Creek at the for sale signs should help raise this issue to the top.

Free Water Audits in Superior

All the snow during the holidays won't really make any difference come this summer in terms of water restrictions. Depending on what happens re: precipitation over the next two months, restrictions could still be need this summer. And anyway, efficient use of water less expensive.

Notwithstanding my remarks about residential efficiency being a threat to riparian corridors (see my Yellow Scene article "Wasteful Watering Not All That Bad" from July 2006) it's still a good idea to avoid watering the sidewalk for 2 hours or losing half your mid-day sprinkler spray to evaporation.

To that end, Superior has announced the following Free Irrigation Audits for residents:

The Town of Superior is partnering with the Center for Resource Conservation this summer to bring our customers the "Slow the Flow Colorado" program. This is a FREE irrigation inspection program available to Town of Superior water customers who have automatic sprinkler systems watering turf. The program is designed to reduce your water consumption while maintaining an attractive landscape. A trained specialist will evaluate your system for irrigation efficiency, identify and list repair items, formulate a watering schedule, and give you valuable information on how to irrigate more efficiently for your specific landscape.

To qualify you must be a Town of Superior water customer, have an automatic sprinkler system and must be present at the time of the audit. Contact the Center for Resource Conservation at 303-441-3278 ext 17 to put your name on the wait list or visit www.conservationcenter.org to schedule online.

Superior's Library Funding

The Louisville/Superior library funding debate will continue tonight when Superior Trustees consider Louisville's latest negotiation request: that the fledgling intergovernmental agreement between the two retain a firm commitment by Superior to chip in $105,000 for their citizens' use of Louisville's library in 2008.

Superior wants to have more flexible language to reduce the payment in case analysis shows a lesser level of usage. Their comments tonight will reveal the level of confidence they have in Louisville's previous analyses. The IGA could fall apart on Superior's resistence to an absolutely firm invoice from Louisville. Superior's new Town Manager Scott Randall will get to hit the ground running with this on his plate.

Superior's New Town Manager Announced

Town trustees have chosen Scott S. Randall, the former city manager of Auburn Hills, Mich., to become Superior’s next town manager. Read more here.

Randall was city manager of Auburn Hills, Mich. from December 2004 to May 2006. He has been city manager of Clayton, Mo., as well as village manager in the cities of Streamwood, Ill., and La Grange, Ill. He was a finalist for the Seabrook, TX ("home of the third largest marina in the US!") City Manager position in October of last year as well as Liberal KS' city manager position. He was also cited as recently as last week as in the running for Santa Fe's vacant city manager position. Looks like Superior has picked a guy many communities found more than capable. But how come they didn't choose him?

It reminds me of the Rodney Dangerfield skit re: shopping for tomatoes. His wife asks - "You took these tomatoes? How come nobody else took these tomatoes?" Exasperated, he replies "How could somebody else take these tomatoes if I took these tomatoes?!?"

Anyway, good luck to the newest local official. There's plenty to work on.

Superior Town Manager Announcement Looming

The Superior Board of Trustees interviewed the candidates for Town Manager over the weekend and a new top dog will soon be named in East County. The finalists' backgrounds were briefly outlined in a Daily Camera article. Prediction: Abelson - local cred and proven collaboration skills; a great combo for Superior/Louisville issues.

Bravo Superior!

The Superior Board of Trustees voted last night to pay $75,000 a year for two years towards the Louisville library and create a task force to consider joint recreational services in the future.

I'd been taken to task by a few Superior residents for my chiding in the Yellow Scene and on this blog. I applaud the Trustees for making this neighborly decision. It's still short what Louisville said the true expense is, but it's something. Hopefully the decision will be regarded favorably and not as a grudging donation. It's up to Superior to continue to proactively nurture this issue.

Superior May Fund Library Use Tonight

The Superior Board of Trustees will revisit their snub of Louisville tonight at their regular meeting. When the Board flat-out rejected any funding plan in December, Louisville's City Council asked for them to come up with something by this past week or Louisville would look to charge Superior residents for their use of Louisville's library.

What do you think? Will Superior edit their budget to chip in towards Louisville's library? I guess they will not. Besides, it may actually be more fair for individual Superior residents to pay for their use than the whole town paying for it. This is what the Superior Board seems to have heard from their constituents.

Some background in the Louisville Times.

Longmont on the Ball; Louisville Buried by Comparison

It's interesting to see which communities have considered the snowstorms an issue and to what level. Besides Erie and Lafayette (see below), here's Longmont's website info. All three have links to the info on their website's homepage. Great use of what a homepage is for - the most likely pertinent info for residents. It shows a philosophy of accountability and service, I think.

Superior's take on the storm on their website's homepage is to remind people of the ordinance requiring them to shovel their sidewalks, plus a notice on how to report potholes. I dug through Louisville's site to find their snow removal information, deep in the Public Works section.

And Erie is the only community to have the Mayor make a personal announcement about what's being done and asking for staff to answer questions about it too.