Here is the link to tonight’s agenda.
My concern is that the data on voting on street closure is not completely accurate. The Kensington Park neighborhood had no input on any street closures. Also, at that meeting it was stated that the City wanted to create east/west corridors.
Presently HENA has 5 east/west corridors: 4th, 5th, 6th, Longs Peak & 8th Avenue.
-8th avenue is closed in both the east/west directions. In the early ’80, under (I think) under Bob Schleicher’s leadership, had 8th Avenue in HENA neighborhood closed in exchange for a new crossing on 21st Street. This was the catalyst for new development throughout that area.
-6th avenue is closed at Main Street. In the early ’90s, 6th Avenue Plaza was put in and this shut off HENA’s westbound access to create a gathering place for Downtown events.
-Longs Peak Avenue is the parent car drop off for Columbine Elementary parking lot and also has a roundabout as a traffic calming device for Collyer St. *See photo below
-6th Avenue is the bus drop off for Columbine Elementary. *See photo below
-4th Avenue will greatly be impacted because 3rd Avenue is designated an Enterprise Zone and future commercial development impacts can be substantial.
-Construction on the 1st & Main St. Project is getting closer to completion and visually you can get a good idea of the potential traffic impacts.
-The closing of Emery St. at 1st avenue is a reality. This will force traffic from the 1st & Main St. Mixed Use Project up into our neighborhood rather than heading south or west.
-Transit Station is beginning. https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/Home/Components/News/News/5584/661?backlist=%2Fdepartments%2Fdepartments-e-m%2Ffinance%2Futility-billing%2Fstart-or-stop-service
-Any Main Street parade, summer concert series, Jazz Festival, Artwalk, Wednesdays Summer Farmer’s Market, Festival on Main, Chuck Wagon Breakfast, etc closes off street access to residents of HENA. HENA not against Downtown events but there is a ripple effect on connectivity and access for families east of these closures. This should be a consideration of why it would not be the “best solution” to close off additional streets in our neighborhood & the Kensington neighborhood.
-This is really about making a west corridor for the 1st & Main Project as well as the Transit Station. In order to do that the City needs a 2 for 1 street closure with BNSF so the City wants to close ANOTHER street in our neighborhood.
Our neighborhood can assist in working with the City to make real change with accountability from BNSF. We want a Quiet Zone but not at the cost of reduced quality of life for neighborhood residents. Not with the cost of our personal safety and well-being of our residents being compromised, especially our young children trying to get to school, church, library, sporting events, a friend’s home or the numerous things healthy families do. We are not an extension of Downtown but a real neighborhood. We are the first Longmont neighborhood and a part of the original Chicago Colony plan. We do not want to do anything that will cause the slow erosion of a viable, historical neighborhood by creating accessibility issues.
-Sharon O’Leary
Historic Eastside Neighborhood Association 