Letter to the editor: To the Alamosa city council and city manager

To the Alamosa city council and city manager:

First of all, I want to thank all of you for your thoughtfulness and consideration of the many ideas generated last night! I appreciate your service to our community, and your understanding of the importance of these decisions. I want to speak to you regarding many conversations I have had. I see this RV resort and the ownership of many of the lands on the back nine and the 30 acres next to the walking trail as something we might be able to trade for.....Many of us in the conservation community would love to see the city trade more pastureland than the original 35 acres asked for — this one time until we get a true Ranch Plan. Maybe 75 acres to avoid the congestion and cutting down of a beautiful forest. We then get some land that is better to preserve to add to the ranch. The developers do not have to rework the space as they now have already cleared land on the ranch and the community gets more places to wander, as well as the animals get a place to live as well.

I have spoken to Randy Wright about this as well as the RV developer and he is not opposed to this idea — nor are many of the folks that I have talked to and I have talked to many. In this scenario, we have less congestion in the RV park allowing for better RV clients, less work for the developers to do, in regards to clearing. Additionally the golf course will be more pristine and the homeowners will feel less encroached upon.

Please remember that your city plan/our city plan shows that the whole community values the river and recreational opportunities. Please consider that as you move forward. The more we close up our open spaces, the less there will be to recreate!

I personally would like you to put a moratorium on any other changes for the ranch until we have the planning process that Heather mentioned. She feels this work can be done internally. I believe she is correct as she and the staff are so talented and I respect her so much! This is one area though that I respectfully disagree. I think that it is important that the community feel that the process is super transparent — that the city is really listening to the community as a whole, that everyone can come to the table and that city staff should be able to participate with their ideas and that cannot be done without an outside facilitator. I would be happy to write a grant to pay for that if she and all of you agree. We have learned over time that if you want people's ideas you need to ensure that the facilitation is done by a professional facilitator — and we need everyone’s ideas!

Julie Mordecai