[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: some thoughts about Chautauqua, post study session

[kohls at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Osborne, Susan

Dear Colleagues,

I missed the Chautauqua study session and so haven't had much of a chance to share my thoughts with you.  I know I have more learning to do and more ideas and concerns to hear and consider.  There will be a lot of opportunities this spring and beyond so please view these thoughts as preliminary.  Also, please forgive if some of my points were a part of your February discussion...

1.  It seems important to me that in any forum where we are talking about Chautauqua it be made crystal clear that these early meetings in no way indicate preliminary approval of building plans.  I believe at this point we are all learning; the first piece is to have a good outline of the steps in a deliberative process for consideration of changes to this beloved place.

2. The city owns most of the public buildings, the land under them and the land under the cottages.  We are ultimately responsible for changes to our property and need to balance what's good for the non-profit Colorado Chautauqua Association with what's good for the community if there is a conflict.

3. At our first quick look at the Chautauqua Association's strategic plan and proposed new building, I asked to have a copy of our lease with the association.  My desire was to understand the city's authority (Council, Planning Board, LPAB, PRAB, OSMP) in relation to the Chautauqua Association, an independent non-profit that leases cottages, maintains the property and runs Chautauqua's programs.  While the Council has a couple of appointees to the board, most board members are membership-elected. There is always a director that represents the cottagers and the directors themselves choose three of the directors.  The 15 member group serves as the board of directors of the non-profit.  The Association's board functions without the transparency that is required by city boards.

My point is that the Chautauqua board of directors is distinctly different from our council appointed boards.  The very make up of the board suggests a group whose mission is focused on the running of the non-profit, not a group whose mission is to represent the interests of the larger community. That is our responsibility.

4.  I have reread the Chautauqua design guidelines and the wonderful cultural landscape assessment (http://chautauqua.com/pdf/ChautauquaLandscapeAssessment2004.pdf).  I couldn't find a reference to the addition of a new significant building in either document, so there is little adopted guidance about how to proceed.  There is certainly no assumption that significant new buildings should be added.  I know many folks have suggested the need to revisit and consider changes to the design guidelines, and it seems to me that this should happen forthwith.

I toured Chautauqua last summer with Phil Shull and Susan Connelly.  It does seem to me that moving the back-of-house operations from Primrose Cottage makes sense and more public bathrooms near to the auditorium is a great idea.  We also need to come to an understanding and, hopefully, a resolution of the parking issues, both as it affects program patrons and cottagers and as it affects nearby neighborhoods.

I believe that we are fortunate to have a good partner in the Colorado Chautauqua Association, and no comments above should be construed otherwise.  Many of us remember when our Chautauqua was a very different place and when rehabilitating the decrepit Auditorium and Dining Hall were Community Development Block Grant projects.  My, how far we've come.  On the other hand, the building that was shown to us in February is approximately the same size as the Dining Hall, the Academic Hall and the Community House. As responsible stewards, we really must take seriously this new proposal and begin an open and public discussion about the way forward.

Finally in closing, if changes to our lease are proposed (for example, if new construction is approved), I think we might consider a larger lease payment.  With our Parks Department strapped for funds, an agreement to reinvest an increment of a lease payment in parks maintenance and improvements makes sense to me.*

Best,
Susan

* Chautauqua may already subsidize Parks' budget here... In which case, we could formalize an agreement in a revised lease.






Susan M. Osborne, Mayor
Boulder, Colorado
303-447-3280
"Yes We Can"