HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeather Beach_20-FEB-26Dear Garfield County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners,
I'm guessing you won't receive many emails of this type - the kind that supports
development in our valley, but this is certainly one of those emails. I'm writing to register
my support of the Harvest Roaring Fork LLC proposed development on Highway 82 in the
Cattle Creek area.
Undoubtedly you'll hear lots of opposition, given the money and effort behind the group
that opposes this development, a group who believes that any type of development will
destroy our world as we know it.
However, I'm a big believer in two things: building communities in this valley that ordinary
people like me can afford to live in; and NOT having the mindset of an elitist NIMBY; in other
words, I'm not one of those who believes that only I have a right to live here, and once here,
we close the gate to others.
This valley enjoys copious amounts of open space, which is lovely, but this
disproportionate amount of open space has resulted in making the RF valley out of bounds
in terms of cost for the ordinary human. Because developable land is so scarce, everything
that is built has an outrageous price, and sooner than later, no one will be able to afford to
live here. No business will be able to afford to do business here, and people will need to
live farther and farther away to come to work and play here. It's a recipe for the slow death
of a community.
Why not consider bringing some vibrancy and life to this valley - by creating homes that
people will live in year-round, rather than only a few weeks a year, and giving our children
and grandchildren an opportunity to live here in the future, thus ensuring that the area stays
alive. We also sorely need more local retail and hospitality opportunities, which would also
bring new life and energy to a community, and will help people avoid driving to Denver and
Grand Junction to spend their hard-earned dollars elsewhere.
Let's take a bold step to avoid being elitist, and build thriving, well-planned communities
here in this valley, so that many more than the uber-wealthy can afford to live here. I'm
certain you can partner with these developers to get the kind of community that many
(except the elitist few behind the Cattle Creek Confluence Coalition) would be happy to live
in.
Thank you for your time, and for all you do for Garfield County.
--
Heather Beach, Glenwood Springs resident