Following my post, "Open Space Funds for Apartments," a number of people contacted me with questions or requests for additional information. Here are answers/clarifications to some erroneous postings, as well as questions that have been passed along to me via email, telephone, or in person:

A: No, the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has not yet approved the almost $4 million in open space funds for the purchase of those apartment buildings in the City and County of Denver. That vote needs to be made in a public hearing on a date still to be determined. This is why I am urging citizens to:

1. Contact their county commissioner and ask her or him to reject
Glendale's Infinity Park proposal.

2. Consider a vote for change by electing new leadership to the
BOCC that will implement the open space program per the resolution
and as intended by the voters.

A: Glendale has already closed on the acquisition of the 3 acres for $8.123 million. That is $2.7 million per acre. See page 3 of the Glendale proposal.

A: No, the property is not currently open space. It has apartment buildings on it that require environmental abatement (and restoration) to the tune of almost $1 million dollars. This was not included in the request to OSTAB.

A: Glendale originally asked OSTAB to be reimbursed it for half of the purchase price or $4.0625 million. No, I am not sure why an entity should be reimbursed for something that has already been done.

A: OSTAB recommended funding at $3.75 million on a 5-2 vote.

A: The City of Glendale's funding request was delivered late to staff at the open space department. My understanding is that staff had to scramble even to get it to OSTAB before its meeting.

A: Glendale's proposal was not made available to the public prior to OSTAB's meeting on August 25, 2008. I obtained a copy about a week after OSTAB had already voted.

A: No, I don't know why this proposal was not pulled from OSTAB's agenda for consideration at a later date.

A: OSTAB did engage in some discussion regarding "passive" and "active" recreation at its meeting. A county attorney was present during this discussion. However, the county attorney provided little guidance when asked by a member of OSTAB, "What is the worst that could happen? Could the county be sued?" Yes, I think an audio recording of the meeting is available upon request.

A: Glendale's proposal to OSTAB provided few details of future programming for the 3 acres. The proposal provided to the BOCC at a study session shows a detention pond and performance stage in the "open space."

A: Per the resolution passed by voters, open space funding is allowable for parks through Glendale's portion of the shareback of the open space sales tax or grants. Glendale's request was for $4 million from the county's share of acquisition funds.

A: Glendale receives a direct shareback of the open space sales tax based on its population.

A: Per the resolution, the county's share of acquisition funds is not to be used for park purposes. The intent was for the county to focus on protecting the unincorporated areas.

A: The county has completed a couple of conservation easement projects within the unincorporated areas. The most recent one involved over 12,500 acres involving 3 partners at less than $200 per acre. Yes, you read that correctly - two hundred dollars.

Unfortunately for Glendale, its park project is just a symptom of the plague nagging the Arapahoe County Open Space Program -- a top-down, backroom decision making process with little transparency -- hardly "open, accessible, and accountable," as some would like claim.

Although a relatively nice project, Glendale's Infinity Park proposal is a bad deal for the citizens of Arapahoe County and their open space program. Remember that $200 per acre? If Arapahoe County would apply that $3.75 million as it was meant to, we, as citizens, could benefit with over 18,000 acres of open space, wildlife habitat, and farmland protection in the unincorporated portion of the county.

Call me fiscally conservative, but when it comes to open space, I'll take 12,500 acres at $200 per acre over 3 acres of apartment buildings at $2.7 million per acre any day.

NOTE: The original post, "Open Space Funds for Apartments," is available at:
http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Stories/News/Government/Story~535039.aspx