Trails Master Plan comes before the Planning & Zoning board

Download the full version of the Trails Master Plan for better maps

The Trails Master Plan is coming before the Planning & Zoning board on October 10. The proposed plan is nicely organized and well put together. We encourage residents to review the document then contact the P&Z board with any thoughts. Doing so will accomplish two goals. First, the P&Z board makes final decisions related to the multiple developments pending in our area, so your comments will let the board know how their decisions are impacting residents who live here. Second, although we feel their priority list is reasonable, there may be items that were overlooked or undervalued. The priorities list may be found on page 16 of the proposed Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan. The most current version can be downloaded from the November 19, city council agenda (updated 11/15/13).


One priority that is noticeably missing is any trail underpass of the Harmony Corridor. The 2008 plan called for completion of the Power Trail, including underpasses, by 2013. The current plan mentions 10 new underpasses but specifically states Power Trail underpasses are not included (and much of the Power Trail is now relatively low on the priority list). Traffic levels make Harmony crossings precarious -- just 2 years ago a man was killed while trying to get across in a wheelchair.*  The Harmony Corridor is well-known to the city as a major barrier to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. It's mentioned in several major planning communications, including the most current version of the Harmony Road ETC Master Plan.Why then, is this barrier not prioritized in the proposed Trails Master Plan?

Westward view of the Kechter Crossing
development, showing the virtual
elimination of Kechter Road'swestbound shoulder.

Also, we've pointed out that a nationally recognized organization, the American League of Bicycles, has specifically mentioned "safe routes to parks and schools in the southeast" as key measure needed to improve cycling in Fort Collins. Travel between Preston Middle School, Bacon Elementary, Kinard Middle School and Fossil Ridge High appear to be the primary areas raising this concern. Yet the trail which could address this issue falls to item #13 on the list of priorities and will not be addressed until at least 2017. Adding to the issue is the poor implementation of the Kechter Crossing development which narrowed the size of Tilden Road and eliminated the westbound shoulder on Kechter Road -- virtually eliminating the possibility of resolving the issue through bike lanes on the existing and planned traffic infrastructure. This clearly demonstrates failed coordination between the city's master plans, those who implement the plans and the interests of primary stakeholders who live in areas scheduled for development. Further complicating the matter are several planned developments, including one the Coloradoan calls, "one of the largest non-student-oriented multifamily projects in the city." New developments have the potential to exacerbate the current situation and jeopardize our Platinum City status. The P&Z board is uniquely responsible for new developments. So it makes sense to bring your personal experiences with these issues to their attention.

You may contact the P&Z board by sending an email to Laurie Kadrich and requesting that your comments be forwarded to the P&Z board. If you'd like to attend the P&Z board meeting, go to City Council Chambers, City Hall West, 300 LaPorte Avenue on Thursday October 10, at 6:00 p.m. On busier nights, residents are only allowed two to three minutes to make their case -- plan your statements accordingly. If you have a lot to say, consider emailing your statement and highlighting your issues at the meeting. Personal appearances tend to receive more attention than emails.

* "Man in wheelchair killed on Harmony," Fort Collins Coloradoan, October 14, 2011, Trevor Hughes

Fort Collins ranks #2 in high-tech start-up density

Fort Collins ranks #2 in a new Kaufman Foundation Report.

Fort Collins ranks #2 in a national study on high-tech start-up density. The high-tech sector is defined as "group of industries with very high shares of employees in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math" -- great news for those attending Poudre's STEM schools. And this is one "top" list that comes with an economic punch -- these high-tech start-ups play an "outsized role in net job creation" within the U.S.

Metro areas that make it to the top have one of three characteristics, and some have a combination: they are well-known tech hubs or regions with highly skilled workforces; they have a strong defense or aerospace presence; they are smaller university cities. Regionally, Boulder (#1), Denver (#6) and Colorado Springs (#9) ranked top spots and some in the Front Range are preparing to become the new Silicon Valley.

Check out the full Kauffman Foundation report. A local story appears in this week's Coloradoan. For an interesting story about a Denver-based high-tech start-up, visit the Denver Post.

Water is selling fast, despite assurances of safe water supplies

Water shelves at Walmart in Timnath are stripped clean, although
a fresh pallet of generic water was just dropped at the front door.

Despite assurances about the safety of our water supply, Fort Collins residents are buying large quantities of bottled water. Bottled water shelves at Target, in Southeast Fort Collins, already appear bare. Shelves at Walmart in Timnath are stripped clean. At Sam's club, the shelves are currently stocked -- however, the clerk at the door reported customers are buying water by the cartload.

Sam's Club employees report selling cartloads of water to
Fort Collins customers.

Concerns and rumors about drinking water persist. Some neighbors have reported church email alerts suggesting that supplies could be in danger at some point. Meanwhile, both Fort Collins and Loveland continue to assure residents of water supply safety.

Additional details regarding our water supply may be found on a previous post.

Bottled water shelves are nearing empty,
as of 2:00 pm on Sunday.

Is our drinking water safe, after the flood?

A waste water treatment plant, not a drinking water treatment plant,
sits behind flooding near the east end of the Poudre Trail.

Drinking water concerns generated only one news story that we can find. The story comes from the Reporter Herald.

A quasi-municipal corporation called the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District (FCLWD) provides water to the southern portion of Fort Collins. In the absence of a press release from this organization, we must infer our drinking water status through press releases coming from nearby water suppliers. Both the City of Fort Collins and the City of Loveland are assuring the public that their water supplies are safe. Fort Collins states their current water source is Horsetooth Reservoir, and implies this is why their water supply is not affected by the floods. FCLWD also uses Horsetooth Reservoir as their primary water source. From the information that's available, it's logical to conclude that drinking water in the south of Fort Collins is safe.

UPDATE (For our friends in the northern sections of Fort Collins.):
According to this Larimer County Map, Fort Collins is served by two additional water districts including East Larimer County Water District (ELCWD) and West Fort Collins Water District (WFCWD). The ECLWD has not yet posted a press release related to drinking water but they share ownership with the FCLWD in the Soldier Canyon Filter Plant and use Horsetooth Reservoir as their primary water source. We're unable to locate specifics related to the WFCWD at this time.

ADDITIONAL UPDATE:
On Monday, September 16, we received a response to an inquiry with the FCLWD. The response states, "The District has not experienced any problems with its treatment facility, Soldier Canyon Filter Plant.  The drinking water is completely safe to drink."

Ozone: A problem for the O&G industry and residents

The Colorado Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) may be adding to emissions requirements for the oil and gas industry as early as August -- which according to the Greeley Tribune, makes Weld County industry representatives nervous. This has been, "the fifth time in the last eight years that the state has tightened emissions control standards on the industry." A recent study identified the chemical signature of Weld County's O&G operations and attributed 55% of the Front Range's ground-level ozone to the O&G industry -- a finding which has made it difficult to point to other pollution sources.

On the resident side, the Colorado Department of Public Health has sent out multiple action alerts over the past weeks for ozone levels in Fort Collins that ranked among the highest in the nation. According to the American Lung Association, ground-level ozone is a concern to residents because of health impacts primarily related to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems which can lead to premature death. According to their site:

Even low levels of ozone may be deadly. A large study of 48 U.S. cities looked at the association between ozone and all-cause mortality during the summer months.  Ozone concentrations by city in the summer months ranged from 16 percent to 80 percent lower than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently considers safe.  Researchers found that ozone at those lower levels was associated with deaths from cardiovascular disease, strokes, and respiratory causes.¹³

 Ozone levels have finally dropped in Fort Collins, aided by recent rain and winds, but it's a good idea to check ozone levels before engaging in outdoor activities. Even a single day of high ozone can obstruct the airways of healthy adults but children and those with known cardiovascular and/or pulmonary disease should be especially careful. Ozone levels can be found at www.enviroflash.info and clicking on the dot over Fort Collins.

One final note: The APCD is currently accepting public comments on O&G emissions regulations which may be emailed to Mark McMillan.

The dwindling power of “We the People”

Issues which appear to be “no-brainers” often contain a series of unintended consequences.  The Colorado Observer is now warning that voter oversight of taxes, which was extended to voters through the TABOR constitutional amendment, is now vulnerable, due to yesterday’s DOMA ruling.

"'[T]he court’s decision opens the door for state officials to ignore laws enacted via ballot initiative, since the voters who passed them now have no standing to defend the law in federal court,' ... As the 2014 election approaches in Colorado – and with it the possibility of re-election for Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper and the potential replacement of term-limited GOP Attorney General John Suthers with a Democrat – some conservatives are concerned that liberals may try to re-create a Prop. 8-style scenario – killing TABOR by simply refusing to defend it."

Some Coloradoans have questioned the wisdom of TABOR but voter control of taxes is not the only issue of concern. Back in January the Independence Institute, a non-profit, nonpartisan Colorado think tank, expressed similar concerns about consequences that include destabilizing voter initiatives while advancing special interests.

"If the plaintiffs win, the result will be legal and practical chaos, not just in Colorado but across the country. This is because the theory of the lawsuit is that any fiscal restraints on a state legislature render that legislature less than “fully effective” and therefore “unrepublican.” Special interests can employ this theory to destroy well-founded and long-standing safeguards against legislative fiscal abuse.  Furthermore, they can use the same theory to attack the voter initiative and referendum process, and other constitutional limits on the power of state politicians."

That the DOMA ruling may have repercussions is even further evidenced in the blistering, dissenting opinion offered by Justice Scalia. Scalia writes:

 "The Court is eager—hungry—to tell everyone its view of the legal question at the heart of this case. Standing in the way is an obstacle, a technicality of little interest to anyone but the people of We the People, who created it as a barrier against judges’ intrusion into their lives... It is an assertion of judicial supremacy over the people’s Representatives in Congress and the Executive. It envisions a Supreme Court standing (or rather enthroned) at the apex of government, empowered to decide all constitutional questions, always and everywhere 'primary' in its role."

This national issue may have local implications, so Fort Collins citizens should be aware. A primary goal of this page has always been to assert the power of “We the People.” Now, more than ever,  we must be vigilant to affirm our rights.

Cathy Fromme Prairie in the springtime

Fossil Creek Trail from within Cathy Fromme Prairie. (Click to enlarge.)

As the Fossil Creek Trail passes through Cathy Fromme Prairie in the summer it is hot, has grueling westward climbs and is often interrupted by sunning rattlesnakes. It's understandable why some choose to pass on this baking, desert prairie during summer months. However, springtime paints a far more pleasant picture in this open space.

In the spring you'll find Cathy Fromme has a cool trail which winds through green fields, bearing fantastic views of Horsetooth Rock. The westward climbs are not severe without our summer heat and those who endure to the end, will be rewarded for their efforts. Fossil Creek Trail now connects to the popular Spring Creek Trail and if you continue when you reach it,  you'll enjoy what must be one of the city's longest downhill grades.

While we wait for trails, connections and parks in much of the southeast, don't neglect to enjoy outdoor opportunities afforded throughout the city. There is much to enjoy, so take some time out and rejoice in our beautiful outdoors. And it might not hurt to remind city council and our new Councilmember, Gino Campana, that we're still waiting on trails of our own. ;)