Spring General Meeting Minutes
University Hill Neighborhood Association (UHNA)
General Meeting Minutes
The Academy, April 25, 2019, 5:30 pm—7:00 pm
Welcome and Opening Remarks – Scott Thomas, EC Member and Nancy Blackwood, President, UHNA
Thank you to The Academy, especially Karina and Gary Berg, for hosting the meeting
Introduction of the Executive Committee members by Nancy, noting their contributions and the successes of the past year:
Scott Thomas – our Listserv expert, born and raised in Boulder, and our source of institutional knowledge
Beanne Rothenberg – the ringleader for the tremendously successful Beach Park Picnic last August hosted by UHNA
Linda Sparn who organized this event and, with Lisa Spalding, spent endless hours over the past year representing UHNA in the discussions and strategic planning for the Harbeck-Bergheim house stakeholder group
Lisa Spalding who has been keeping up with all things related to zoning, occupancy and accessible dwelling units (ADUs) that have potential to impact our neighborhood
Lori Schuyler – host of our monthly EC meetings at the Castle House and contributor
Andrea Clark – UHNA’s consummate graphic designer, newsletter designer and keeper of the amazing website
Stephen Clark – pretty much single-handedly for almost a year fought for quieter Park-to-Park shuttle buses last spring and we got them
Jyutsna Raj – 40-year resident of The Hill who continues to make important contributions to our neighborhood, including her work on the preservation of the Harbeck-Bergheim House[if !supportLists]
Susan Stafford – head of CU’s Off-Campus Housing and Neighborhood Relations, has been an invaluable link between The Hill neighborhood and the students who live on The Hill. She also serves on the Hill Revitalization Working Group (HRWG)
Representatives on the HRWG: Lisa Nelson, Andrew Shoemaker and Callie Weiant
Wu Mountain Tea has generously contributed premium Chinese tea which is for sale at the meeting as a fundraiser
Nomination and Election of New EC Member – Nancy Blackwood
Nominee, Stacy Silverstein-Apple, was elected to the UHNA Executive Committee
Stacy and her husband David Apple moved from Ohio to Boulder five years ago and have lived on The Hill for four years. Stacy recently retired from the Ken Blanchard Companies where she was a leadership, executive and organizational consultant. She will be working with The Hill Revitalization Working Group in documenting and addressing pressing neighborhood issues by identifying best practices and strategies for pursuing long-term neighborhood conservation
University Hill Public Art Installation – University of Colorado at Boulder Environmental Design Program Students with Assistant Clinical Professor, Marcel de Lange
Students presented the final design of their public art installation, titled Oculus, an interactive pavilion, that they will build in Beach Park this spring
The design, the result of extensive public outreach and input, was well received at the meeting
The oculus will be available for neighborhood gatherings and events for at least five years
The students hope that neighbors will handle scheduling for use of the site
[endif]More information is available at: universityhillpublicart.com
City of Boulder Parks & Recreation Department’s Updates – Jeff Haley, Planning, Design & Community Engagement Manager and Caitlin Berube-Smith, Historical & Cultural Assets Coordinator
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Infestation:
Boulder will lose 30% of its tree canopy to EAB and The Hill neighborhood has the highest concentration of ash trees of any Boulder neighborhood
It is important to take EAB seriously if you have an ash tree on your property, and while the city is focusing on trees on public property, many resources are available on the City’s website at eabboulder.org
An ash tree declines quickly once it is infected and when it becomes too brittle to climb, a very expensive removal by crane is necessary
The Tree Trust also is available to help tree owners and in the future, the trust may offer financial assistance for treatment, removal and replanting – PlayBoulder.org/treetrust
Columbia Cemetery:
Columbia Cemetery is a virtual “who’s who” of early Boulder
The cemetery grounds management started their season early this year and is actively readying the grounds for Spring and Summer
Boulder Forestry continues their work to remove trees devastated by EAB and to plant new trees
2019 is the 20th anniversary of the Columbia Cemetery Conservation Corps, a cadre of professionally trained volunteers who assist with grave marker repair and conservation; a grave marker restoration is planned for May 11
Many volunteer opportunities exist. A clean up day is planned for May 4
More information can be found on the City’s website at: bouldercolorado.gov/parks-rec/columbia-cemetery
Harbeck-Bergheim House:
Since the Museum of Boulder vacated the house last year, the City of Boulder Parks & Recreation Department staff has conducted a thorough analysis and public engagement process to determine the future of the house
At recent meetings, the Parks and Recreation Board and City Council voted in support of a motion to support the exploration of a lease of the Harbeck-Bergheim House
Currently City staff is working on a request for proposal (RFP) and expects to have proposals submitted by Fall of this year
Additional information and regular updates can be found on the City’s website at: bouldercolorado.gov/parks-rec/harbeck-bergheim-house
Historic Boulder Presentation on Harbeck-Bergheim House – Carol Taylor, Executive Director of Historic Boulder
Carol presented a very informative presentation on the history and important aspects of the Harbeck-Bergheim House, a one-of-a-kind estate with a fascinating past
J. H. Harbeck and his wife, a wealthy and reclusive New York couple, built the house as a summer retreat in 1899
Milton Bergheim and his family, pillars of the Boulder community, moved into the house in 1939
The building represents significant architecture combined with an intricate interior that would be impossible to replicate today including woodwork, windows, tiles and fixtures
Closing Comments – Nancy Blackwood
Nancy noted the latest update on The Hill Hotel:
On Tuesday night, City Council directed staff to request a purchase offer for the UHGID owned Pleasant Street parking lot as part of its land assemblage to construct a hotel on the site
In addition, City Council requested that the City engage a 3rd party to conduct an economic impact analysis to assess the catalytic effect of a hotel on the vitality of Hill businesses and to determine the potential additional parking demand generated by a hotel use
It is anticipated that a public hearing to present the results could happen this summer
UHNA EC will keep neighbors posted. Neighbors are encouraged to check out the recently released professional video “HELP THE HILL” on the website at hillneighbors.com
Many thanks to Andrew Shoemaker for his contributions to this effort
Nancy adjourned the meeting and thanked everyone for attending
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By:
Linda Sparn
Member, Executive Committee
University Hill Neighborhood Association