HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit CC - Gina Hardin letter dated June 5, 2013GBH 2621 Woodberry Drive, Glenwood Springs, CO, 81601 (303) 525-3076 June 5, 2013 Garfield County Board of County Commissioners By Email: tallen@garfield-county.com Attn: Tamra Allen,
Garfield County Planning Manager RE: Proposed Changes to Article 7 of the Unified Land Use Resolution of 2008 (Phase II) Dear Ms. Allen and Commissioners, I own and live at the Cottonwood
Landing Condominiums along the Roaring Fork River in Glenwood Springs and am very concerned about the proposed changes to Article 7 of Garfield County’s Unified Land Use Resolution of
2008. The deletion of Section 7-203 (Protection of Wetlands and Waterbodies) and substantial modification of Section 7-204 (Water Quality from Pollutants) would be a giant step backward
for the quality of life and economic development potential of Garfield County and its residents. The proposed changes to Sections 7-203 and 7-204 remove protections for wetlands and
riparian vegetation which serve as natural buffers against detrimental development impacts such as sedimentation, erosion, and contamination from hazardous and non-hazardous pollutants.
Wetlands and riparian vegetation play an integral role in stream health by trapping sediments and reducing erosion. They also help manage pollutants, including nutrients and pathogens,
in the water supply. However, unwise development can degrade and deplete wetlands, thereby impairing these functions – and the primary consequence of the proposed changes would encourage
just that – unwise development. According to the Colorado Legacy Project, hunting and angling result in a $300,000 economic boost to direct spending in Garfield County, while the same
recreational pursuits provide over 550 jobs. These figures do not account for people who, like me, are not hunters or anglers, but choose to live and vacation here because of the natural
beauty of Garfield County – and the non-hunting and fishing recreational opportunities this beauty provides. While the rest of the country is becoming increasingly aware of the need
to protect wetlands and riparian areas, it is beyond comprehension that a county whose economic prosperity and quality of life is so tied to the beauty and health of its rivers would
take the opposite direction. As I understand it, the primary justification for the changes is to avoid replication of regulation under state and federal law. However, this seems a ruse
to profit short-sighted developers, as state and federal protections are far more limited than those Garfield is proposing to eliminate – and do not include setbacks. Garfield County
will be far the worse for the proposed changes. The Commissioners surely do not want to leave the destruction of the wonders of our beautiful and utilitarian rivers as their legacy.
I respectfully but strongly urge the Commission to leave the protections provided by Sections 7-203 and 7-204 in the Garfield County Land Use Code. Thank you. Best regards, Gina B. Hardin