HomeMy WebLinkAbout20061110.tiff Page 1 of 2
•
Carol Harding
From: Myrna Folsom [myrna_f 2000@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 6:19 AM
To: Carol Harding
Subject: preserving a little of our heritage
Dear Commissioners: FYI. What follows is an article from the 4/11/06 edition of the Greeley Tribune. It
has been sent to all the mayors in southwest Weld County, with the hope that they will emulate Windsor
government's actions and in some measure fill the void being created by Weld County government by its
policies in the MUD district. Thank you. John Folsom
a1!. Comments (0) a Print ® Email
Windsor and Weld County lack sales taxes for purchase of open space, but an ordinance under review
by Windsor could give the town a way to bolster its swaths of green space.
The Town Board will make a final vote on an ordinance that amends the definition of neighborhood
parks in the town code today. The change, recommended by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board,
allows Windsor to accept cash, in lieu of park dedication, to buy open space and conservation
easements.
"In the past we haven't identified (open space and easements)," said Town Manager Rod Wensing.
"Now with this ordinance we will be able to identify those when they present themselves."
The net effect, he said, could be the acquisition of land that could act as a buffer between communities.
Windsor requires developers to provide neighborhood parks, which are funded through fees the
developer pays when drawing building permits.
A developer can provide space for a park within the subdivision or donate an equal-sized parcel the
developer owns elsewhere in Windsor, per town approval.
Windsor may work with the developer for cash, in lieu of a park, if the needed acreage is not feasible in
a particular subdivision.
The latter method has been used only once, according to Melissa Chew, parks and recreation director.
The town is anticipating a payment of about$200,000 from Poudre Heights.
Meanwhile, fees are coming in at a steady clip.
"We've been getting land and doing a good job of reserving the land," Wensing said. "Now we want
flexibility in using the fees."
Those fees could be used to buy land next to a neighborhood park, such as a drainage area, that would
provide wildlife habitat.
In that way, a conservation easement or open space option is "just another way to expand or enhance
Go rr._ftg nOexc
4/11/2006 2006-1110
Page 2 of 2
park opportunities for neighborhood parks," Chew said.
Windsor has 10 parks, not all completely developed, totaling 116 acres.
Chew, who was hired in January, cites Windsor's bisection by the Poudre River Trail as well as nearby
wildlife areas as solid foundations in open spaces.
"There's some pretty significant area for open space committed to perpetuity for a small city," she said.
"It's very impressive."
what's next
The Town Board will make a second-reading final vote on the changed ordinance at its meeting at 7
p.m. tonight in Town Hall, 301 Walnut St.
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 10/min.
4/11/2006
Hello