Hello,

This is my contribution to Citizen's Discussion at Tuesday's City Council meeting:

Good morning,

An article in the Gazette last fall proposed the construction of a reroute of the section of the Barr Trail that the city obtained from the Cog Railway in the land swap in 2016.

My god, why?

That land is appraised at $1.3 million!

I asked how much in repairs that section of the trail needed during the public comment process, if the cost of those repairs was significant, or if the trail were beyond repair, the city would have had a legal obligation to disclose those facts.

Were the individuals quoted in that article mistaken about the severity of the problems with that section of the Barr Trail?

Is the city now considering a reroute?

I have a right to contribute to the debate on this issue.

I have a right to make an informed decision regarding the fate of our beloved Barr Trail, as does the public.

How much would it cost to do the needed drainage study for the section of the Barr Trail known as the “W”?

If the city were to decide to construct a reroute, do you plan to leave the drainage problems on the trail and erosion damage on the hillside?

If so, “Proud Stewards of America's Mountain” have become reckless and environmentally negligent.

There is no excuse for the city not making some improvements to the drainage on that trail and repairing the worsening erosion damage on the hillside after owning that land for over six years.

The chronic washouts on that section of the Barr Trail are unnecessary and are doing more structural damage to the trail each year.

RMFI repairs one washout, and the water forms a new one, often adjoining the previous repairs.

This will be the case until the needed drainage study is done and the required drainage improvements are made.

Why did the city obtain millions of dollars for repairs for the Manitou Incline and now hold the well-being of the Barr Trail in contempt?

Is the city now studying the possibility of a reroute of the section of the Barr Trail that the city owns?

How much would a reroute cost?

How much would it cost to improve the drainage on the existing trail?

Would the drainage work and erosion damage not still have to be done on the old trail even if we do a reroute?

If this is the case, why wait?

If the city has realized that the appraisal that the Broadmoor submitted for that land is flawed, the city must disclose this fact to the public.

I asked for the cost of the repairs repeatedly during the public comment process.

Mr. Jack Damioli and Karen Palus repeatedly heard me asking that question and refused to answer.

According to Kurt Schroeder, RMFI was already doing $40,000 of work on the trail in 2016.

Am I to believe that Mr. Damioli was unaware of this or that he did not learn of it after hearing me ask about the cost of the needed repairs?

If he made a “mistake” of that magnitude, that would constitute gross negligence.

The laws governing appraisals are stringent. No omission or mistakes are allowed.

Did Mr. Damioli fail to provide the appraisers with the cost of the needed repairs to the Barr Trail?

Is the cost of the needed repairs so high that the city is now considering closing that section of the trail?

Many residents of the Broadmoor area did not want the city to trade away their beloved Strawberry Fields.

Has the city now learned that we traded that gem to obtain a lemon, a trail that is beyond repair?

This fact would have to be disclosed to those who opposed the land swap in 2016.

Thank you, Carl Strow