By Peter Baumgartner

Redstone Review

LYONS – During my three terms in office, I saw many significant legislative matters decided with outcomes that I believe benefited Lyons. While I advocated for enhancements to bicycle and pedestrian safety, a reasonable revision to the criminal code, restrictions on smoking in public venues, and against a sales tax increase, what I think defined my terms in office was my efforts to increase access to Boulder County Open Space and the creation of trails. Among these efforts, the most difficult related to Town of Lyons access to Boulder County’s Heil Ranch Open Space.

In 2006, Nick Angelo became mayor and I began my second term. Ron Stewart, director of Boulder County Parks and Open Space approached the mayor and asked him to negotiate with Victor and Sharon Olson who owned a 70-acre parcel of land between the Town of Lyons and the Heil Ranch. If the purchase could be made, not only would the county gain open space, but a northern trail head location could be established. The mayor and his wife met with Victor and Sharon Olson at the home of the receptive Olsons. At the meeting, Candace Shepard, the mayor’s wife, and Mrs. Olsen bonded quickly. In another room, Olson and the mayor began to talk business.

Mayor Angelo had learned the terms that Director Stewart said the county could agree to. To those terms Mayor Angelo wanted something for Lyons and he made that clear to Stewart. The deal that emerged would be that Lyons would purchase the property and in an immediate subsequent deal, Lyons would assign the sales contract to Boulder County, retaining ten acres with an option to purchase ten additional acres within ten years.  The assignment of the contract had a clause within, which stated Lyons would provide parking space on town owned land “in the vicinity of Bohn Park.”  “In the vicinity of Bohn Park” to me meant anyplace close, but outside of Bohn Park.

As a trustee representing Lyons, I didn’t want a regional parking lot creating forever free parking in a location that avoided sight of our commercial district.  I feared such a parking location would draw people away from our coffee shops, restaurants and bars.  I preferred a parking location where the visitors would drive coming and going through our commercial district.  I developed a power point presentation and showed it at a Lyons Chamber of Commerce meeting and also at a Board of Trustee’s meeting.  I suggested there were six possible locations and the least favorable, for the Town of Lyons, was in Bohn Park.

Finally the Bohn Park location came to a vote of the Town Board. Trustee Brian Donnell went through a litany of problems with the procedures leading up to the vote. Listening to Donnell, Trustee David Goranson, well versed in Roberts’ Rules of Order; found the Parks and Recreation department had not been given adequate notice on the proposal. This procedural fault caused Trustee Goranson to change his intended vote from a pro-Bohn park location to a nay vote. With the change, the Bohn Park site failed to win approved with a vote of three in favor and four against.

The Boulder County Commissioners gave approval to a trailhead and parking lot construction on the former Olson Property along Red Gulch Road. The parking for the Picture Rock Trail was finally finished in June of this year.

Although the process of the location decision was at times heated and contentious, it was an open and thorough process. People do park at the official parking lot, but just as many park in Bohn Park and an equally large group park in the Lyons business district.

With parking and trail heads finally in place, I hope you get to experience this gorgeous land.

Peter Baumgartner is a former Lyons town board trustee. He served from April 2004 to April 2010. He was term limited so he did not run in the April 2010 election. He has a daughter and lives in Lyons.

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