HomeMy WebLinkAbout20131534.tiffJennifer Fuller
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Tershia [tershia@aol.com]
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 9:00 AM
MTokunaga@town.milliken.co.us; jcozad@town.milliken.co.us; lonorato@town.milliken.co.us;
tchavez@town.milliken.co.us; (beck@town.milliken.co.us; jjemiola@town.milliken.co.us;
rhobler@town.milliken.co.us; annejohnson@town.milliken.co.us; shouse@town.milliken.co.us;
rsearns@greenwayteam.com
vicki.marble.senate@state.co.us; perrybuck49@gmail.com; rephumphrey48@yahoo.com;
lori.saine.house@state.co.us; dave.young.house@state.co.us; Jennifer Fuller;
kyli.kehler@state.co.us; trenken@platteville.gov.org
Proposed South Platte River Trail Plan - It's not as if farms are zoos
Dear Mayor Tokunaga, other Town of Milliken Trustees, and Planning Commission:
Question: "What would Milliken do if strangers showed up with concrete busters to dig up parking lots and
housing, determined to plant corn rows and daylight feeder creeks?"
As property owners involved in farming and habitat restoration along the South Platte River, we are alarmed to
learn that our land is within the "South Platte Trail" planning footprint. Please remove our privately owned land, which is
outside municipal jurisdiction, from this planning initiative.
Further, we beseech you, as visionaries, to acknowledge the flaws inherent in the trail concept. Pedestrians,
cyclists and pets are catastrophic for wildlife. Look what development has done to the Platte in recent years! Non -porous
asphalt pavement lined by barbed wire interrupts wildlife corridors, prevents water infiltration, decreases carbon
sequestration, and generally augments anthropocentric impacts such as poor air quality, air and water pollution and
energy use. The trail concept is making the planet worse for future generations, not better.
The idea of ogling working farms from a fenced off trail evokes Joni Mitchell's song about tree museums. The trail
will function as conduit for the incursion of weeds and pests, including human pests, trash, dog waste, etc. making farming
harder not easier. That the lottery dollars, which fund the plan, pair "conservation" with "recreation" is flagrantly wasteful
and unethical. It keeps governmental staff working but does a disservice to biodiversity and riparian health.
Regardless of footprint, without a plan, budget and management for maintenance, these trails will almost
immediately be eyesores — weedy, trashy, attracting vagrancy, requiring policing, etc.
We are wholly adverse to this misguided plan. Burgeoning development has lowered our property value, nabbed
agricultural water resources, compromised food cultivation, diminished ecosystem services, greatly thinned out wildlife
and irreversibly altered the quality and chemistry of the South Platte. This "South Platte Trail" will increase these existing
crimes against sustainability exponentially.
If the Town of Milliken is serious about honoring its agricultural roots, it must respect surrounding farms not exploit
them.
We look forward to your response to this letter.
Sincerely,
Tershia d'Elgin
Eaton Cattle Company
619.929.7630
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June 13, 2013
Tershia d'Elgin
Eaton Cattle Company
Via email: tershia(?i aol.com
Town Hall, 1101 Broad St., Drawer 290,1\ filliken, CO 80543
(970) 5874331 Fax: (970) 587-2678
Dear Ms d'Elgin,
Thank you for your email dated June 12, 2013. The Town of Milliken thanks you for your insight and
comments. We welcome your participation in this planning process should you wish to attend upcoming
meetings. Please let us know where your property is so it can be excluded from our planning area.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Milt Tokunaga, Mayor
Town of Milliken
Electronic Copies:
Bob Seams, DHM
Steve House, Consultant, Town of Milliken
Julie Cozad, Town of Milliken
Lois Onorato, Town of Milliken
Ted Chavez, Town of Milliken
Linda Beck, Town of Milliken
Jordan Jemiola, Town of Milliken
Reid Hob ler, Town of Milliken
Troy Renken, Town of Platteville
Representative Dave Young
Representative Perry Buck
Representative Steve Humphrey
Representative Lori Saine
Senator Vicki Marble
Jennifer Fuller, Weld County
Kyli Kehler
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Jennifer Fuller
From: Anne Johnson[AnneJohnson@town.milliken.co.us]
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2013 8:06 AM
To: Tershia; Milt Tokunaga; Julie Cozad; Lois Onorato; Ted Chavez; Linda Beck; Jordan Jemiola;
Reid Nobler; Steve House; rsearns@greenwayteam.com ahoo.com;
Cc: vicki.marble.senate@state.co.us; perrybuck49@gmail.com; rephumphrey48@y
lori.saine.house@state.co.us; dave.young.house@state.co.us; Jennifer Fuller;
kyli.kehler@state.co.us; trenken@platteville.gov.org
Subject: RE: Proposed South Platte River Trail Plan - It's not as if farms are
ztrenken@platteville.gov.orgoos
Attachments: Response to d'Elgin email.pdf
Dear Tershia,
Please find attached a response from the Town of Milliken to your email yesterday. The community of Milliken is not
interested in forcing land owners to participate in the planning process. As you are knowledgeable about the land,
please stay in contact with us as we'd like to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Anne
Anne Best Johnson, AICP
Community Development Director
Planning & Building
Town of Milliken
Contact Information
Town Hall: (970) 587-4331
Direct: (970) 660-5046
Email: AnneJohnson@town.milliken.co.us
Fax: (970) 587-2678
From: Tershia [mailto:tershia@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 9:00 AM
To: Milt Tokunaga; Julie Cozad; Lois Onorato; Ted Chavez; Linda Beck; Jordan Jemiola; Reid Nobler; Anne Johnson;
Steve House; rsearns@greenwayteam.com
Cc: vicki.marble.senate@state.co.us; perrybuck49@gmail.com; rephumphrey48@yahoo.com;
lori.saine.house@state.co.us; dave.young.house@state.co.us; jfuller@weldgov.com; kyli.kehler@state.co.us;
trenken@platteville.gov.org
Subject: Proposed South Platte River Trail Plan - It's not as if farms are zteenken@platteville.gov.orgoos
Dear Mayor Tokunaga, other Town of Milliken Trustees, and Planning Commission:
Question: "What would Milliken do if strangers showed up with concrete busters to dig up parking lots and
housing, determined to plant corn rows and daylight feeder creeks?"
As property owners involved in farming and habitat restoration along the South Platte River, we are alarmed to
learn that our land is within the "South Platte Trail" planning footprint. Please remove our privately owned land, which is
outside municipal jurisdiction, from this planning initiative.
Further, we beseech you, as visionaries, to acknowledge the flaws inherent in the trail concept. Pedestrians,
cyclists and pets are catastrophic for wildlife. Look what development has done to the Platte in recent years! Non -porous
asphalt pavement lined by barbed wire interrupts wildlife corridors, prevents water infiltration, decreases carbon
sequestration, and generally augments anthropocentric impacts such as poor air quality, air and water pollution and
energy use. The trail concept is making the planet worse for future generations, not better.
The idea of ogling working farms from a fenced off trail evokes Joni Mitchell's song about tree museums. The trail
will function as conduit for the incursion of weeds and pests, including human pests, trash, dog waste, etc. making farming
harder not easier. That the lottery dollars, which fund the plan, pair "conservation" with "recreation" is flagrantly wasteful
and unethical. It keeps governmental staff working but does a disservice to biodiversity and riparian health.
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