Thank you to everyone who has signed the CU South Open Space petition! Our partner organization, Save SoBo is now 174 members strong and we DO have a say! It’s time to make our voices heard, loud and clear. See “How Can You Help?” section below for this week’s action steps. Mark Your Calendar: CU South Open House This event will be put on by CU and the City of Boulder. We need a BIG presence from Save SoBo members to give them our feedback. Volunteer leaders will be there so you will not be alone! Details, from the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Website: This open house event will provide opportunities for community members to receive information and provide specific feedback on multiple projects related to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) Update and Inclusionary Housing program that follow: • BVCP Draft Plan • 3303 Broadway land use • Inclusionary Housing Program options • CU South This event will take place on Monday, April 3 from 6-8:30 p.m. at 4001 Discovery Dr., CU East Campus SEEC (Colorado & Foothills pkwy), Auditorium, C120. For more information go to the BVCP web page, www.BoulderValleyCompPlan.net, or contact us at planning@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-4907. Media: Planboulder.org: An excellent article by Sean Kendall. CU South - $22 million for Berm? Did you know? The bad news: The CU South Property is currently under consideration for land use designation changes as part of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update. Save SoBo believes CU is seeking a change to a PUBLIC designation from the three current designations: Low Density Residential (LR), Medium Density Residential (MR) and Open Space-Other (OS-O). The good news: Any changes to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan are subject to a four body review process, meaning that all four of our governing bodies must vote in favor of the changes. If even one body votes NO, the land use designations will remain the same! The four bodies: City Council (elected by Boulder residents) City Planning Board (appointed by city council; acts as an advisory board to council) County Commissioners (elected by Boulder County residents) County Land Use Planning Commission (appointed by county commissioners; acts as an advisory board to commissioners) How can you help? You do not need to be an expert on CU South or on our local government to make your position known to your elected officials. Keep in mind that WE the people voted our city and county officials into office and that their highest calling is to represent US! The time is NOW for them to hear from us. This week, it’s time to let members of the Planning Board hear your concerns. Several members of this board appear to be sympathetic to our cause. As of a few days ago however, there are two new members who lean towards growth and development, replacing two members who were supportive of slow growth and open space protection. Read the Daily Camera article here. We need to communicate our stance to the new members quickly, before their upcoming study session on April 6th at 6:00 pm (more information to come). Here are some talking points to include in your emails: Where you live and how long you’ve been in Boulder. NO land use designation changes to CU South. CU South should remain Open Space (include what Open Space means to you). Separate flood mitigation from changes to land use designations. CU has no master plan for the site; NO annexation talks until they do. Your emails can be brief, respectful, and as simple as a bulleted list of your concerns. The most important thing is making your opinions known, today. Imagine if Planning Board members heard from every last 174 of us - what an impression we would make! Planning board general email: boulderplanningboard@bouldercolorado.gov Upcoming Save SoBo Strategy Meetings: Tomorrow, Sunday, March 26th Lucky’s Community Room 695 South Broadway 4:00-6:00 pm Next Sunday, April 2nd George Reynolds Library Meeting Room (basement) 3595 Table Mesa Drive 4:00-6:00 pm Both meetings are open to anyone on our listserv who is interested in volunteering to help our cause. They are not intended as public forums or informational presentations; instead we will be strategizing and planning our next action steps. We truly hope to see you there. Please share these emails with neighbors, family and friends. We are growing every day and we are stronger together! Thank you for caring about Open Space in Boulder! Join the CU South OpenSpace and Wildlife Preserve Meetup at: https://www.meetup.com/Green-Boulder/events/238698533/ Best Regards, Ken Beitel Chair of Wilderness Conservation CU South Open Space and Wildlife Preserve email: Ken.Beitel@gmail.com