It seems clear that the will of the people of the city of Grand Junction was to make the river accessible to all citizens and visitors and clear the river of industrial mess, pollution and trash.

I have the original maps agreed to by the city and they do not include industrial sites where the river flows through the Grand
Valley. They do not include a trucking business. Trucking is essential to our economy but industrial business need not occupy the
premier real estate in a community.

My husband, James M. Robb, grew up as a Boy Scout in New Jersey and saw first-hand the many rivers ravaged by industrial use. Because of those desecrated rivers, he worked to preserve the beauty of the Colorado River in the Grand Valley. Jim’s belief was that the river should be for the enjoyment and recreation of all of our citizens. His vision included business along the river that contributed to the loveliness, recreation and culture of the community. The parks, the trails, the Botanical Gardens and the concert shelter were to be first steps followed by theaters, museums, restaurants and perhaps even lovely hotels some day.

Why should the city now undo what the people of this valley worked so hard for by allowing industry to get a foothold along the river? Letting the truckers in would open the way for the city to grant others the right to do industrial business on the banks of the river. Let’s think about long-term goals instead of short-term profits.

It hurts my heart, for Jim and every one of us, to think that all the work done by so many people for so many decades could be so easily forgotten.

MAGGIE ROBB
Grand Junction

Council to decide zoning for riverfront property

Monday’s City Council meeting is scheduled to address adoption of the South Downtown Plan and the zoning of the Brady parcels along the banks of the Colorado River.

Many people put a lot of time and energy into creating a plan that will enhance the south downtown area and develop a green waterfront for the community, tourists, sports enthusiasts and wildlife to enjoy and share.

Most people in the community probably presume these issues have been finalized by the City Council, since the topics have not been in the media for quite some time.

I would like to thank the city and the Trust for Public Land organization for attempting to secure a land swap with Brady Trucking. Unfortunately, it was not successful. So Brady is still asking for industrial zoning on the banks of the Colorado to house the trucking firm that services the oil and gas industry.

Brady was well aware the parcels would have to be rezoned when it purchased the properties. There was never any guarantee that industrial zoning would be adopted. And it has become obvious that any kind of industrial zoning is a poor choice for property adjacent to two parks, residential property and riverfront acreage.

Some 430 people signed a petition asking the city to initiate a land swap and, with that failing, the petition asks that the parcels be zoned “mixed use” to minimize negative impacts in the area.

Neither light industrial nor industrial/office zoning would be compatible with the town’s vision of a green waterfront.

Brady has already allowed Aspen Drilling Company to conduct business on the property. I doubt they plan on opening an ice cream shop on the banks of the river.

Please go to the meeting Monday night and let the council know industrial zoning is not part of a green waterfront.

JANET MAGOON
Grand Junction

Assault charge is overkill in accidental shooting
Regarding Richard Bacher, it seems an overkill to charge him with a misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon.

The facts presented seem to indicate it was an accident, which should make a formal charge and court case by the Garfield County district attorney redundant and a waste of time and money.

By comparison, in a much more serious situation, whatever happened to Vice President Dick Cheney, who shot his hunting partner in the face with a shotgun?

PAUL WUBBEN
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 6:18 am and is filed under Printed letters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.