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Lakewood [Change Location]

Land exchange? Let's move on!

Article Contributed on: 10/26/2007 2:30:07 PM

Mr. Allan Berger wrote an article stating that those who supported the land exchange (NOT Carma exchange) "can't accept what happened in the election" and that we "don't understand why the measure was defeated." Interesting.

I would like to clarify that, (although Mr. Berger says I do) I do not ignore the fact that the land exchange vote failed. It was a painful campaign and a painful outcome. How could we possibly ignore the loss when every day those of us who border the Carma development get to hear, feel and smell the machines tearing into what was once a (albeit, privately owned) lovely open valley. To have passed the land exchange would have preserved a portion of the valley. But then again, opponents decided it was worthless ditch land. Not to us.

How can we not accept the outcome of the vote, when daily we watch as Forsberg Park is graded for improvements, and we look out at the valley at what could have been? We now get to look forward to a 50-foot green belt, when it was slated to be a 600 foot buffer between the new development and current homeowners. But then again, we were called "selfish homeowners" by Rita Bertolli. Feel free to review any of her postings from December to verify. Try to, however, ignore her childish gloating after the election with proclamations of glee on EVERY story related to the land exchange:
_______________________________________________________________
Submitted By: Rita Bertolli
posted on 2/17/2007 @ 6:04:48 PM
Rated Story
We prevailed, 57% AGAINST the swap Jan 2, 2007.
_______________________________________________________________

Nice. Very mayoral.

The sad fact of the matter is Mr. Berger refers to "retaining a park with incredible views." We do realize, of course that the incredible views were always going to be changed with or without the land exchange. How incredible is it going to be to look over a large, private clubhouse with a tall bell tower and million dollar homes?

Incredible.

What is incredible is that the land exchange remains such a hot button issue. As has been stated ad nauseum, the City Council unanimously approved the land exchange twice. That includes Bertolli backers Councilor's Stack and Anderson. So, why is it a crime that Bob Murphy voted for it?

Mr. Berger states that "the campaign to kill the deal involved misrepresentations of the facts and a misunderstanding of land use rules." Ah, therein lies the rub. That is probably the single most frustrating fact of why we supporters evidently can't let go of why the vote went the direction it did.

Misrepresentations and misunderstandings.

Finally, something on which we agree, Mr. Berger. How can a voter trust a Bertolli campaign?

I will also agree it sure would have been nice if a sweeter deal could have been negotiated. But, it wasn't. And now those who were disappointed and those who gloat, we all must live with the outcome and move on and become one Lakewood.

Please, let's look to the future. We have many big-ticket items coming up: St. Anthony's, light rail, further Rooney Valley development, building out of Belmar, C-470 exchange. These are the issues that will impact all of Lakewood. Really, the land exchange issue was a Ward 4 issue. It's time to look to the needs of the city as a whole. Bob Murphy is the man for the job.

To read more election letters to the editor, click here.


Guidelines: Be kind. Abusive commentary may be removed. If you believe someone has been abusive, please click "Report Abuse".

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Showing 1-10 of 18 comments
Sophie Gatewood wrote on 11/4/2007 @ 3:03:35 PM

Does anyone know if there is a kill-switch for Mike Burns's posts? Allan: maybe it is important that Bertolli was able to get her opinon on a ballot, but it's more important to realize how easily some of us are led to believe what is right when we do absolutely no research into the matter ourselves.
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Josh Droege wrote on 10/29/2007 @ 8:31:28 PM

What exactly would 50 ft have done to prevent you from hearing, feeling and smelling the land being torn up? Additionally, how did Bob Murphy help to secure this magical 50 ft buffer? The FACT is that there was going to be some sort of a buffer zone anyway. Additionally, you bought your house knowing full well that there WAS going to be development up to YOUR back yard. Regardless of the Bertolli camps' methods; it is a far cry from the methods of CARMA, Burkholder and the rest of the departing (hopefully) city council. That is why this is still an issue and that is why Bertolli will get my vote.
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Allan Berger wrote on 10/27/2007 @ 12:43:26 AM

I have posted comments about the exchange on my blog in a very long post, http://denver.yourhub.com/Lakewood/Blogs/News-Politics/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~383634.aspx. Donald, I am looking to a future and comtemplating whether I want Bob Murphy to lead Lakewood into it.
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Allan Berger wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 10:56:13 PM

Rich, For me, the only thing that Rita did that influenced how I voted was get the measure on the ballot. At first, I was up in arms. Then I got the facts and saw how bad a deal it was for the city and how the city was hiding the ball. Once I saw all the facts, I made my own independent determination that this specific exchange was not good. I did not buy into any of Rita's arguments. But I did see how the council (or whomever) was trying to pull a fast one on us. And I sympathize with the neighbors of Carma. Of course they wanted open space behind their houses, and would likely have been for the swap at any price. I, too, would have been disappointed. Bottom line: Rita's ability to get the matter onto the ballot is the important thing, not what she did thereafter.
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Joan Bradley wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 10:20:31 PM

I agree, let's move on and elect Bob Murphy as the new Mayor of our wonderful city. It is comical that a Bertolli supporter would accuse Bob Murphy or his supporters of being angry. Bob Murphy is a man of integrity and has never said a negative word about his apponents or had a cross exchange of words with them. He simply won't stoop to that level which makes him the obvious choice for Mayor.
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Rich Urbanowski wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 8:52:07 PM

Ms. Krause's letter reads to me like a pretty emotional report on how the neighbors of the land swap feel about the fact that it failed, mostly due to Bertolli's exaggerations. Many of them were against development at all, until they realized that private property rights gave the property the right to develop. Accepting that, the next best thing would have been a large buffer. But Bertolli ended that idea, and left them with a small buffer that is 1/4 to 1/12 of what the land swap would have yielded. Of course they aren't happy about that.
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Thomas Glenn wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 8:40:44 PM

As a strong supporter of Jefferson County's Open Space program, and one who had no personal vested interest in the land swap deal, I was disappointed in the outcome of the election because of it’s net value to Lakewood’s Open Space. The personal attacks and misrepresentations by Bertolli in that campaign had a large influence on the outcome of election, in my opinion. I see her using the same tactics with this election and would again be disappointed if these tactics work a second time.
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Mike Burns wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 5:59:11 PM

Let's see here, all the SAME people keep talking and blogging to themselves trying to convince each other apparently of who to vote for. The great thing is, while you guys gripe on Yourhub, Rita is meeting with voters, learning about issues, gaining votes, and winning the election. The smear is ineffective folks. Your angry tactics aren't working. This campaign is about judgment, not 8 poor years of "experience" that not a single one of you has yet to materially define.
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Allan Berger wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 5:38:53 PM

I am disappointed by both. I am disappointed that Ms. Bertolli did not stop her slash and burn tactics. I am disappointed that Mr. Murphy (and other proponents) did not reach out to the opponents, acknowledge the faults with the exchange, and vow to do a better job next time.
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Lisa Scott wrote on 10/26/2007 @ 5:27:07 PM

Bertolli's dealings with the homeowners (and we are Lakewood citizens too) backing to Solterra have been anything but mayoral. After stating in her "victory" speech after the election that she would be helping us with efforts to get more open space, she did nothing other than gloat over her victory and insult us. The person who came to us and said let me help you find a solution was BOB MURPHY. He is the reason we have 50 ft. and not nothing, which the developer was well within its rights to give us. I might have a very different view of Bertolli had she been first, gracious in her win, and second, willing to help find a solution. THAT would have been very mayoral of her. It was Bob Murphy who reached out and helped preserve something of an area where people can (someday when Carma is done with construction) walk between the two parks as they did before. To me, it does not come down to one "victory" but rather to the character, or lack thereof, exhibited afterwards.
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Showing 1-10 of 18 comments
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