[BoulderCouncilHotline] Re: Wonderland Land - OSMP seeking community feedback

[Carlisle, Cynthia]

Dear Dan,
Thanks for your explanation of what's going on. I remain concerned about the extent to which the implementation of the NTSA is taking on a "parks and rec" aspect. To my thinking, these kinds of "amenities," the building of facilities on this scale, that disturb, rather than protect, birds and other wildlife are not OSMP's mission.  I look forward to following the public process particularly in light of the residents' concerns and the values of Open Space.
Sincerely,
Cindy Carlisle
Councilmember


From: Burke, Dan
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2018 4:20 PM
To: Council <council at bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: Wonderland Land - OSMP seeking community feedback

Dear Council,

After reading a recent Letter to the Editor in the Daily Camera, a couple of council members had inquiries about OSMP's current efforts to implement the North Trail Study Area (North TSA<https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/north-tsa-draft-plan>) at the Wonderland Lake site. This correspondence is intended to provide council with some background and to better describe the process we are using to collect and integrate community feedback with regards to preliminary implementation alternatives.

The Boulder City Council approved the North TSA Plan in June of 2016 after an in-depth 16-month public process and it includes recreation and conservation actions for the Wonderland Lake area, including: Protect sensitive wetland resources on the south, west and north shores of Wonderland Lake by not providing access to these specific areas.  Provide more inclusive access to all types of visitors along Wonderland Lake Trail. Areas of the east shore are accessible for water access, fishing access and interpretive opportunities.  Creating a Wonderland Lake fishing pier and interpretive boardwalk are also called for in the plan.

Community participation in the North TSA Plan involved a diversity of perspectives including people visiting trails in the North TSA, neighbors, stakeholder organizations and specially designed engagements for youth and families. The public engagement process was designed to promote broad, transparent, varied and inclusive opportunities for the public to participate in the process through nine community workshops (386 attendees), on-site (trail and trailhead) and store-front micro engagements (580 contacts), focused youth engagement efforts (73 participants), the use of an internet-based participatory platform (587 comments), and through email and social media communications (~1,000+).  Staff worked specifically with Growing Up Boulder and the Youth Advisory Board to seek ideas and input from our community's youth voices.  The engagement of youth and families directly resulted in the concept of a boardwalk and pier located at the east end of Wonderland Lake where visitor access is allowed and can enhance wetland and wildlife viewing and educational enrichment opportunities.

Implementation of the Wonderland Lake segment of the North TSA is being done through a process the department refers to as an Integrated Site Project (ISP).  This ISP is designed to be an iterative community process in which we strive to reach out and seek comprehensive feedback from the community - including the adjacent neighborhoods.  It is important to note that we are in the beginning stages of the community feedback process as there are several more community feedback sessions planned later this winter, including a January 15 meeting tailored to the adjacent neighborhoods. OSMP will also be checking in with the OSBT on this ISP late this winter or early spring. OSMP very much appreciates and expects to receive constructive feedback to the preliminary implementation alternatives we have developed to-date. OSMP will then use the input we receive over the coming months to revise, refine and improve the preliminary design alternatives before moving towards implementation. Although we are in the early stages of collecting community feedback, staff has already begun to incorporate comments and concerns we have heard thus far.

As part of this ISP process, we also want to use this community engagement process to hear how OSMP can improve the current Foothills Nature Center, the Wonderland Lake Trailhead and potentially update, restore and/or add structures to support youth educational opportunities and the operations of the city's Junior Ranger Program. Traditionally, the Foothills Nature Center and adjacent structures have been used for education programs and to house Junior Ranger crews during the summer, these structures are aging and require updating to meet the needs of the Junior Ranger Program and continue the tradition of youth education at the site.
Potential changes to these facilities were not part of the North TSA Plan, but since they are integral to assessing design improvements for the area and are interconnected with managing access, OSMP has developed preliminary alternatives for them and is seeking community feedback at this time.
As a preferred alternative emerges from the design options, a set of prioritized actions is likely to also be outlined that addresses actions that meet immediate needs, or/and describe a longer-term phased approach for the actions (that is dependent on funding, resources, etc.).

To address the broader question raised by Council Member Carlisle on "whether OSMP is moving in the direction of putting up more facilities on Open Space... without public consensus or council input" the department is not implementing a general strategy/direction that calls for additional structures.  Moving forward, OSMP views current Master Plan process as a forum for exploring general priorities with the community, board and council as it relates to how we best steward public dollars and resources. To that end, a forthcoming community survey and other engagement opportunities in the spring will help gauge public support for certain management approaches like - among others - acquiring or constructing new properties, trails and facilities and maintaining or improving existing assets. OSBT and Council will also have opportunities to weigh in, including a joint study session in June to discuss these strategies before reviewing and adopting the final Master Plan in early fall.

If council members have additional questions regarding the Wonderland Lake ISP, staff is more than happy to address them.

Sincerely,

Dan

Dan Burke
Interim Director
Open Space and Mountain Parks

[OSMP_lockup_COBLogo]
303-817-3143
burked at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:burked at bouldercolorado.gov>

2520 55th Street| Boulder, CO 80301
Bouldercolorado.gov<http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/>


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