STEW SALLO author of The Deadhead Cyclist

Thursday, June 29 at 6:30pm

The Deadhead Cyclist may be the most unique book ever written about the Grateful Dead. It focuses on the deeper meaning behind the magical lyrics that have stood the test of time for more than 50 years, inspiring multiple generations, and adding wind to the sails of a timeless movement that has brought a hopeful, life-affirming message to troubled times.

Tickets: $5 (+ a small processing fee)

Tickets include a coupon for $5 off The Deadhead Cyclist, or a purchase on the event day. The coupon will be distributed at the event. SalloBBS.eventbrite.com land, without the county’s involvement.

If the county commissioners decide to end the easement on Kanemoto Estates, the developer will pay the county $2.3 million. The county has been paid once before to end an easement: nearly $2 million to develop the area northeast of North 79th Street and Plateau Road in Longmont known as Lane Farms. Community backlash was similar, with residents forming an opposition group that argued high-density urban housing development on the Lane Farms property wouldn’t be compatible with the neighborhood’s rural character.

The county says payment from the developer would be used to acquire more open space.

‘A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW’

Kanemoto Estates is attractive for development because it’s already within Longmont’s planning area and could keep development clustered to eliminate sprawl. The county maintains that terminating the easement aligns with the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan (BCCP) and various intergovernmental agreements with Longmont, which has identified the property as a future development site since 1996.

But a letter to the county commissioners from Weiner & Cording, the law firm representing the KARES group, argues the easement shouldn’t be terminated for multiple reasons. First, they say comments by county staff in support of the termination are “unsupported legally.” The legal team also argues ending the easement would be inconsistent with some of the goals and land-use regulations set out in the BCCP. Finally, they claim the easement predates now-expired intergovernmental agreements that establish development plans for the area.

“It is precisely when the development pressures are great that the county commissioners should fulfill their fiduciary obligations to maintain the conservation easements already in place,” the letter says.

While language in the easement contract suggests termination is possible in favor of development, the subdivision plat, signed by Jimmy and George Kanemoto on April 21, 1982, includes a dedication of improvements on the property “to the use of the public forever.”

Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann says these landuse discussions are “a really complicated topic.”

“Having a comprehensive view of where we want growth to occur and where we want preservation to occur is so important,” she says. “And that’s what our comprehensive plan strives to do — to really put growth and development in concentrated areas in the city, and then to leave unincorporated areas more rural.”

Conservation Or Development

Kanemoto Estates is currently owned by Lefthand Ranch LLC, the same company that proposed the development of Somerset Village. One of its goals for the property is to “ensure there are affordable and accessible housing options that meet the needs of residents of all ages, abilities and income levels” through a mixed residential community.

“This is a win-win for open space and for attainable housing,” says Jack Bestall, part of Lefthand Ranch’s ownership. “We need affordable and attainable housing for workers and people to build equity and ownership and have rental home capability.”

Emerson, with Habitat for Humanity, says community concern often surrounds development projects.

“If we backed down from all and any type of neighborhood concern, and didn’t advocate for those who are not able to live here but [who] work here, we would not be building at all,” he says.

If the easement is terminated, the property must be annexed by Longmont. Final decisions surrounding annexation, zoning and development of the site will be made by the city.

Longmont City Councilmember Sean McCoy says council hasn’t talked about Kanemoto Estates, but that his constituency wants open space, including conservation easements.

“I would not [support annexation of the land], and I would really lobby my other council members to see it the same way,” he says. Hea shared additional concerns that it would be difficult to bring resources like public transit to the development area.

Weiner, who represents KARES, says there may be enough interest from residents to sway the commissioners.

“Open space is one of the crown jewels of Boulder and if there’s enough people knowing what’s happening, there will be a lot of opposition,” he says.

Commissioner Stolzmann says the biggest thing that will sway her vote at the July 6 hearing is public input.

“It’s just so critical that people weigh in with their views on this,” she says, “because this is a complicated one, it’s not cut and dry.”