Posts tagged city
Boulder’s Chautauqua Park future discussed
Oct 5th
The City of Boulder and the Colorado Chautauqua Association (CCA) are working together to develop a “Chautauqua 2020 Stewardship Framework” to help guide their collaborative management of the Chautauqua area, and to inform any future decisions about its use and enhancement.
The consultant team of Anderson Hallas Architects, PC and Mundus Bishop Design, Inc. was recently retained to help develop the Framework. The city and the consultant team will host an open house for the public to learn more about the project and provide feedback. The meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Municipal Building lobby, 1777 Broadway. A 5:15 p.m. presentation will highlight:
- The project scope and timeline
- Results of a Chautauqua area visitor survey
- Access and parking data
- Preliminary criteria for defining a decision-making framework
This collaborative effort is taking place in order to develop a Stewardship Framework for the Chautauqua area, located at 900 Baseline Road. The effort arose in response to CCA’s “Chautauqua 2020 Plan” that was brought to the city in February 2011. The 2020 Plan identifies the CCA’s priorities as it strives to continue its mission “to preserve, perpetuate and improve the site and spirit of the historic Chautauqua by enhancing its community and values through cultural, educational, social and recreational experiences.”
The overall purpose of the Stewardship Framework is to establish a shared understanding and approach to Chautauqua’s stewardship, including a process by which potential changes to facilities and the adjacent historic area could be considered. It also seeks to lay the foundation for continued success of the Colorado Chautauqua through coordination of uses and a shared management philosophy and practice between the city and the CCA.
To learn more about the stewardship framework, visit www.BoulderColorado.gov/Chautauqua, or contact Louise Grauer at 303-441-3134 or grauerl@bouldercolorado.gov.
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Boulder hospital takes in large drug stash
Sep 30th
More than 415 people dropped off 1,000-plus pounds of expired, excess and unwanted medications at the city-sponsored pharmaceutical drive-up and drop-off event on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Boulder Community Foothills Hospital. Almost 47 pounds of controlled substances were also collected and will be properly disposed.
The event provided a convenient, local and safe place for residents to properly dispose of their medications, while also educating them about the potential environmental impacts of improper disposal. Until recently, pharmacies had advised patients to flush or wash unused medications down the drain. Recent studies indicate that these practices may be having an adverse affect on the environment, including streams, fish and other aquatic life, since municipal wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to completely remove trace chemicals and compounds.
The City of Boulder, Boulder Community Hospital, Boulder County Public Health and Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) appreciate the public’s participation in the event and remind residents not to allow water quality to “go down the drain” by flushing unused medications.
For those who could not attend the drop-off event, there are several other methods to properly dispose of medications:
· Pour liquid medications over cat litter, or some other absorbent material, and seal it in a plastic bag before placing it in the trash.
· Fill pill containers with household glue, remove all personal information from the container, and place it in the trash once the glue has dried.
· Cut trans-dermal patches into small strips, place them in a container and add glue, or mix them with used coffee grounds or cat litter.
For more information about the proper disposal of medications, visit www.boulderwater.net and click on “Pharmaceutical Disposal Information.”
The event provided a convenient, local and safe place for residents to properly dispose of their medications, while also educating them about the potential environmental impacts of improper disposal. Until recently, pharmacies had advised patients to flush or wash unused medications down the drain. Recent studies indicate that these practices may be having an adverse affect on the environment, including streams, fish and other aquatic life, since municipal wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to completely remove trace chemicals and compounds.
The City of Boulder, Boulder Community Hospital, Boulder County Public Health and Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) appreciate the public’s participation in the event and remind residents not to allow water quality to “go down the drain” by flushing unused medications.
For those who could not attend the drop-off event, there are several other methods to properly dispose of medications:
· Pour liquid medications over cat litter, or some other absorbent material, and seal it in a plastic bag before placing it in the trash.
· Fill pill containers with household glue, remove all personal information from the container, and place it in the trash once the glue has dried.
· Cut trans-dermal patches into small strips, place them in a container and add glue, or mix them with used coffee grounds or cat litter.
For more information about the proper disposal of medications, visit www.boulderwater.net and click on “Pharmaceutical Disposal Information.”
CU: “Our Hill” gets pilot project
Sep 28th
The City of Boulder and a group of engaged University Hill community members are launching a pilot program this fall that will test-drive the creation of a new services district concept in the Hill neighborhood to support ongoing revitalization efforts. The idea of the district is to share costs and create economies of scale for basic maintenance services, such as litter, graffiti and snow removal. The target area is the neighborhood zoned as high-density residential, adjacent to the Hill commercial district.
This concept is one of two “big ideas” presented to City Council in April 2010 by the Hill Ownership Group, an ad-hoc group of University Hill property managers, residents, business owners, CU employees and students, and city staff working together to support neighborhood improvements. The other “big idea” is the creation of an innovative/creative/arts district in the Hill commercial area.
The high-density residential services district is conceptual at this point, with boundaries, services and governance structure still to be determined. The Hill Ownership Group is continuing to explore the concept of a taxing district that could potentially address the following services:
· Litter pickup in the public right of way and potentially, with appropriate waivers, in specific areas on private property, such as front yards;
· Graffiti removal in the public right of way and potentially, with appropriate waivers, on specific types of private property;
· Weed removal in the public right of way;
· Sidewalk snow removal;
· Notification procedures for more serious quality of life offenses;
· A coordinated approach to recycling; and
· Additional trash service pickups at specific times, such as during move in and move out periods.
“Most of the property owners and managers on the Hill are already paying individually for these services. By pooling funds to purchase the same services, the district could create economies of scale,” said Ron Mitchell, Hill property owner and committee member.
The pilot project, which will run from Sept. 30 through Nov. 7, 2011, is designed to gather information and determine whether there are positive effects of coordinated maintenance in a limited area. The area covered by the pilot program will generally be between 10th and 13th streets, and between College and Pleasant avenues. The services provided during the pilot project include litter pick-up, graffiti removal, limited landscaping clean-up, and limited snow removal, depending on weather.
A subcommittee of the Hill Ownership Group is in the process of contacting property owners and managers in the pilot area to inform them of the project and obtain permission to remove litter and graffiti from portions of their properties.
The city will provide supervisory staff, and donated funds will pay for temporary labor and supplies (paint, garbage bags and tools). Sponsors of the pilot project include University of Colorado administration and student government, Roche Colorado, the University Hill Neighborhood Association, Boulder International Youth Hostel, Four Star Realty, Michael Boyers and Western Disposal Services. The pilot will include students from the restorative justice program for a few larger clean-ups. An important component of the pilot project will be documentation of before and after conditions and accounting for budgeting and planning purposes.
If, after the completion of the pilot program, there is support from property owners and residents to create a taxing district, the city will put the concept to a vote. The election, likely to occur in November 2012, would be limited to voters and property owners within the proposed district boundaries.
“This is an idea created by a cross-section of the Hill community, the very people who make the Hill the vibrant and innovative community it is. The city is excited to see what types of impact a residential services district can have,” said Molly Winter, director of Boulder’s Downtown and University Hill Management Division. “We are hopeful that if the Hill is a cleaner and well-kept community, those who live, work and play there will want to become partners in upholding a more desirable quality of life for everyone.”
For more information about the pilot program, the work of the Hill Ownership Group or the possibility of a taxing district, please contact Jennifer Korbelik,