Felice to City Council: Write a better story.

PUBLIC STATEMENT

Denver City Council

 

The matter before Council is fundamentally about the loss of irreplaceable natural area and betrayal of the public trust.

 

But you should reject this insidious scheme because there are too many misleading and deceptive questions about how the deal was made and how much this so-called trade is actually going to cost.

 

As an example of the confusion, the Council bill now describes 11-point-seven acres, when previous discussions have been about 11-point-five acres?

 

Why does anyone think it’s a good idea to build a school in a flood plain?  There are open spaces along south Monaco where even commercial building is prohibited because of potential flooding.  Who actually pays for getting proper drainage at Hentzell Park Natural Area?

 

When Kelly Leid worked for the school district, why did he decide the natural area was the only site for a school building? Did Leid know he’d go to work for Michael B. Hancock who wanted the land for a trade?

 

Leid apparently didn’t even know the land was designated as a natural area.  The Parks Department initially had difficulty describing the land and describing how much land was to be involved.

 

When did Michael B. Hancock promise the building for a domestic violence assistance center?  According to its web site, the center declared it had secured a lease in October, even before the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board considered de-designation.

 

How much is actually going to be spent to renovate a building which School Superintendent Tom Boasberg acknowledges “has outlived it usefulness.”  Who pays if asbestos abatement is required? 

 

Why did Boasberg buy 1860 Lincoln even before the deal on 1330 Fox was complete?  Did he have a secret assurance from the city administration?

 

The school district’s own reports show overcrowding throughout the city.  Is there a plan to build more schools in other locations and does this plan involve taking more parkland?

  

The supporters of this ill-advised proposal will talk about their self-interests and say anything necessary to get what they want at the expense of the general public.

 

Don’t be part of a government whose legacy is the killing of prairie dogs and the deaths of other animals, the destruction of natural vegetation, and the loss of open space.

 

History is full of stories about someone taking land away from somebody else.  Write a better story.

 

 

David P. Felice

April 1, 2013