Thursday, July 29, 2010

Neighborhood Feedback Table

1 complied from neighborhood listening session and emails from 2009
2
3 parking and traffic
4 need more parking
5 increased traffic a concern
6 more bike racks at trail heads
7 There is no public parking at Hardscabble trailhead so remove parking symbol there on map handouts.
8
9
10 litter and waste
11 dogpoop a problem
12 dog latrine further from trail head
13 trash an issue
14 compost high use areas
15 use biodegradable bags for poop
16
17 privacy
18 privacy an issue
19 undesignated trail Shanahan area impacts our privacy,
20 People have been using my property and driveway to gain access to West Highland Park
21
22 noise
23 noise rarely mentioned
24
25 safety
26 neighbor's house was shot by a stray bullet from the Shanahan property, which is right below the Big Bluestem trails
27
28 access - convenient and sustainable
29 access in South Boulder is great
30 Make sure there are parking areas and trailheads, away from peoples homes
31 keep neighborhood access
32 need diversity of access
33 more limited acess
34 more bus access
35 have more neighborhood access to spread people out and reduce parking issues
36
37 Other concerns
38 invasion of privacy an issue
39 property damage
40 bears and mtn. lions
41
42 public ideas
43
44 Dog ideas
45 V+S tag program - have a test for understanding, after the video is over, and before you can sign up to get a tag. Make it a simple multiple choice, ten question test. The respondents have to get 8 of the questions correct to qualify for a V+S tag.
46 demonstrate V&S control of your dog to "official"
47 Have trash cans, poop bag dispensers and signage at the end of the trailhead leashing distance.
48 dogs remain on leash at the beginning of the trails that pass by houses
49 Require dogs to be leashed in the first 300 ft of trailheads. This is where most dogs do their business, so owners will be more likely to pick up their poo.
50 maintain and expand voice & sight areas near neighborhoods
51 volunteer maintenance - trash poop pickup - adopt a trail
52 Volunteer dog patrols. Have two volunteers with their dogs walking the trails. The way they approach people is simply offer help. For example: I noticed your dog just pooped. Would you like a bag to pick it up? They would carry business cards with info about the V+S tag program and the rules.
53
54 Trail ideas
55 want loop trails
56 want trail diversity
57 want trail connectivity
58 Build trail from Mesa/Shadow Canyon/Big Blue area to Shirttail peak
59 Have trails that are only for: horses; or mountain bikes; or dog walkers.
60 trails designated one-way to minimize clashes (could alternate on different days even=clockwise, odd=counterclockwise)
61 Use split rail fences to mark off sensitive areas.
62
63 Bike ideas
64 mountain bike access from Baseline into the south trail systems.
65 best strategy is to create separate bike trails x2
66 build north-south mtn. bike trail
67
68 Other ideas
69 Suggest diverting land acquisition dollars to trail building, access, impact mitigation and maintenance.
70 Communication of local cultural interest spots, natural wonders, and/or conservation issues in the immediate area of each trailhead Information board.

3 comments:

  1. This web site needs to be change immediately. It is so complex and confusing I would guess that the vast majority of viewers will be unable to use it.

    You need to be a scholar to figure out how to use it. In writing this, after spending 15 minutes trying to guess what the web site designer intended, i still have no idea whether this is the correct comment area. Who ever designed this, please get back to me with some plan to simplify it.

    Saying that my name is Dan Friedlander. I live at 2945 Lafayette Drive, Boulder CO 80305. My comment on mountain bike use is that we need to continue to allow focus on using the open space as a means of giving access to our neighbors, people from throughout Boulder and the Front Range and visitors from afar, to nature. If we opened more trails to mountain biking we would help destroy this bond (I speak from experience because I have several times been almost wiped out by mountain bikers hurdling down the Dowdly Draw trails).

    Note, I am both a hiker and a mountain biker myself. But I am not a dare devil mountain biker. Given the steepness/narrowness/obstacles of the trails between Shanahan Ridge and Eldorado Springs I am convinced that most of the mountain bike users would be the extreme type. This would immediately create big conflicts with hikers and bikers. It would not liberate these trails for the lets get from one place to another place over an unpaved trail type of bikers. Besides, if this was allowed I believe that the bikers would dominate and this could easily set the stage this beautiful area to become a national mountain bike meccca (like Eldorado Spring is for rock climbing). If this happens this area would become the undisputed domain of the extreme sports enthusiasts. Is this our intent?

    Now there may be an alternative. Perhaps there is a way to build an entirely separate mountain bike trail systems designed to meet the needs of this group. I believe this was accomplished in part with the separate bike path at the bob o link trail on Baseline. Perhaps the devoted mountain bike groups would finance this.

    Best,

    Dan Friedlander

    ReplyDelete
  2. I apologize. This page was mistakenly switched with the homepage. This has now been fixed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am not sure if this is the correct place for my comments, but I will put them here and hope readers can figure out my intent. My name is Julie Zahniser. I am a Mesa trail walker with aging knees and a mountain biker. As a South Boulder resident at 3782 Telluride Lane, I greatly appreciate both the foresight of having the high density development here in Shanahan Ridge 5 townhomes where I live, and the easy access to the Boulder Open Space Trail system. The Shanahan trails which loop around and through the forest and to connect with the Mesa Trail are some of the most valuable assets of the entire Boulder Trail system. These trails span a variety of ecosystems and range from relatively flat, wide, and easy-to-walk-on paths to narrower, rougher trails, thus providing opportunities for a variety of types of hikers, runners, and walkers to utilize and enjoy them. Individuals, families, and groups with children and dogs frequent these trails. This area is characterized by a diversity of plant and animal life, including incredible cricket and frog choruses which can be heard and appreciated because the South Mesa-Shanahan area is typically peaceful and quiet.
    I enjoy riding my mountain bike on the Marshall Mesa, Dowdy Draw, and the other recently developed trails in the Eldorado area south of Boulder. If you look at the entirety of Boulder County from Lyons to Eldorado Springs, it is clear that there are many miles of mountain bike trails to be ridden. These trails were designed specifically for the wear and tear of mountain bikes which are hard on trails. Depending on weather conditions, mountain bikes can quickly make trails rutted and more difficult to walk on, and they require work to maintain. In the Shanahan-Mesa area the relatively smooth trails would be vulnerable to damage from mountain bikes. Mountain bikes move fast, especially downhill, and would be hazardous to walkers and hikers who are not able respond quickly, especially the less physically able walkers who can currently enjoy S. Boulder trails. Mountain bikes would also pose hazards to the great many who use S. Boulder trails as a place to walk their dogs.
    I do not think that all trails in the Boulder area need to be mountain bike accessible. However, I could see the feasibility of a compromise of making the lowest north-south Shanahan Trail that goes along the lower forest border and heads toward Eldorado being designated a multi-use trail for both biking and walking. This would provide a non-highway access to Eldorado trails but would maintain the upper trails and their relatively serene character for present and future generations to enjoy.

    ReplyDelete

Please be sure that you are entering your comments on the appropriate page (Supporting Comments, Opposing Comments, or Compromise Ideas).

YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND THE AREA IN WHICH YOU LIVE (SEE LIST BELOW.)
Otherwise your comment may be deleted.

For the "comment as" box, the easiest thing to do is comment as "anonymous" (just include your name and address in the body of your comment).

Information about common comment posting problems is found at the top of the right hand link column.

Also, please e-mail us your comments at west.tsa.neighborhood.reps@gmail.com. That way, if there is a problem, you can contact you. You must do this if you want us to add you to the mailing list.

Comment areas:
- North Neighborhood -- North of Canyon, West of Broadway
- Central Neighborhood -- Between Table Mesa and Canyon. West
  of Broadway
- South Neighborhood -- south of Trable Mesa and west of Broadway
- East Boulder -- east of Broadway

As "West of Broadway" Neighborhood Representatives we do not represent East Boulder interests. We will, however, make your comments available to other CCG representatives who are responsible for representing your interests. We also encourage you to contact your representatives directly. (See right hand column for links.)

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.