26 Comments
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Paula K's avatar

Hi Karen,

I have a question and

I’m sorry if you already addressed this.

If Lafayette turns down the Kensington request for annexation can Erie try to annex and then build anything they want?

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Karen Norback's avatar

Well, that's the big question and it's a good one. The IGA has 4 more years before it auto-renews for another 10 years in 2029. At that time either party can walk away rather than allow the auto-renew.

So, if there is no IGA in four years because one party walked away then yes, Tebo could petition to annex to Erie, and if approved, Erie would decide what happens there.

File this under nothing is simple!

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Jennifer Lake's avatar

Lafayette is no longer a special community. I would move from here in a heartbeat if I could talk my husband into it. Greed. It’s all about that. I’ve been to a few city council meetings, written to them etc. and voices from the community are simply not heard. My heart breaks with I see hawks and coyotes and foxes with less food and habitat. Joni Mitchell’s words ‘they paved paradise and put up a parking lot’ fit.

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Karen Norback's avatar

There's a council election this year have you thought about running? Or do you know someone who would?

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Sarah Wolfsont's avatar

What lame design proposals. It's like no one read the comprehensive plan. The iterations don't really make any improvements either. We need to keep pushing back so we don't get another sea of surface parking.

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Karen Norback's avatar

Agree! I thought it would be useful to put everything into one place so we could see how they have responded to public input.

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Longtime Lafayette's avatar

There are so many issues here it’s hard to know what to comment on. I’ll start with this. If we have any hope of preserving the heart and soul of this city, I think we really have to push back hard on any more residential buildings in Lafayette higher than 3 stories. We’re going to face incredible pressure from Polis and state legislators to create lots of mid and high rise buildings for rental units or condos, and who knows if we will even have the ability to resist that, so best to gear up for that fight now and in the future. Those guys are hell bent on using us to take pressure off of their housing crisis. If we aren’t diligent, their creative “problem solving” will be a very loud bell we can never unring. More later….

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Karen Norback's avatar

I have an update on the Polis effect for Lafayette but I haven't had time to write it yet. Too many things going on! But the comp plan does say 3-story limit for this land use. It also says there will be community discussion about it while the new land use code is being written. And that is happening now. I'll also be writing about that soon too.

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Jennifer Lake's avatar

I emailed Polis when he wanted urban communities around transportation. He and his husband live in a house out in the country. Not urban at all.

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Karen Norback's avatar

Sadly that passed. I'll be writing about the effect on Lafayette soon.

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Longtime Lafayette's avatar

Hallelujah! I’m still skeptical about how much the city will be able to make that decision for itself long term. The high density development maniacs have targeted Lafayette and other similar communities, and they have talked about legislation to mandate what they view as critical land use changes to rapidly force this kind of development, saying that anti growth policies are creating the problem. I don’t see myself as anti growth. That would be self defeating for our community. I’m simply adamant that we should have to first develop the required infrastructure, resources and services before approving permits. I also want each project approved to be in line with and actively contribute to our vision of the outcome for our city (comprehensive plan).

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Karen Norback's avatar

What really bugs me is that we had managed growth that did give priority to affordable units. I fought the city many times against the changes they wanted because I thought they should work within the parameters of the amendment not continue to kick holes in it. But right from the outset, affordable units were supposed to get priority and that was written by residents.

If the state hadn't taken that away from us we would have been in a better position to require affordable units within new developments. Now we don't have it there aren't any controls. (huge sigh and eye roll) Plus both our representative and senator voted to take it away. Don't recall them asking the opinion of those who voted for them.

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Longtime Lafayette's avatar

That’s because they didn’t ask us, and that’s because they don’t care. They just want to make it look like they’re doing something because everyone’s so pissed off about it. Polis acts like he has the affordable housing issue all figured out, but what he’s really trying to do is push Denver’s many problems out into the suburbs to try and dilute them at our expense. He’s claiming that high density development north of Denver will solve affordable housing. It won’t. If prices go down it will only draw more people, and then we’ll end up back where we started only more crowded. I told him that when every city in this state has an affordable housing project the size of Willoughby then he can come and try to tell us how Lafayette should contribute to the solution, but until then he should back off and mind his own business.

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Karen Norback's avatar

It's been so frustrating to watch them push this on every community when one-size-fits-all doesn't work.

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Longtime Lafayette's avatar

Frustrating doesn’t begin to describe it. The audacity of these people to think they can decide to kick down the heart and soul of our community and turn it into a mini Denver just so they can say they did something, especially when that something has no hope of solving any problems, except maybe helping them ship their work force out to our city along with the crime and crowds, not to mention all the issues it dumps on us around water, police, healthcare, traffic, city services, higher taxes, etc. Who do they think they are making those kinds of demands and decisions for our city. These are decisions that will forever drastically change our community. It enrages me.

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Ralph M Frid's avatar

PayPal kept spinning on phone so chocolate was sent via PayPal laptop. Let me know if you get it

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Karen Norback's avatar

I did! Thank you so much, Ralph.   😊 Very much appreciated!

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Ralph M Frid's avatar

So deserving... for ringing the bell on our behalf 😋

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Karen Norback's avatar

Thank you! 🔔

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Jennifer Lake's avatar

I don’t recall how to get chocolate money to you!

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Karen Norback's avatar

At the bottom of every post and email, there's a "buy me chocolate" button!

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Ralph M Frid's avatar

Ok now comes the Snark Request Alert or (SAR). Will you please send an alert out when there is an open hearing or feedback opportunity.

This request cones chololate coated once I can get paypal to stop spinning the wheel.

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Karen Norback's avatar

I will for sure notify folks as this progresses. SRA very funny!

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