I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the term “Not in My Backyard (NIMBY).” The term is always used as an attack against people who don’t want something built near their homes–a prison, a sewage treatment plant, a sex offender home. The implication is that such things are necessary for society, and anyone who objects to having them built “in their backyard” is selfish and lacks public-spiritedness.
I can’t help but wonder–if the nearby homeowners don’t speak up for their backyards, who will? They’re the ones who are going to be most affected–it’s reasonable that they should express their concerns.
The public meeting about proposed Singletrack Sidewalks (STS) happens tonight at 6PM at Shelton Elementary. This dirt mountain bike trail would run through the Stonebridge, Eagle Ridge, Tripp Ranch, and Heritage Dells neighborhoods, plus the Bachman open space.
I haven’t followed this dispute closely and I don’t live in that part of town, but I did read the first of 10 pages of public comments on the City’s Guiding Golden site. The term “NIMBY” was used twice in that limited sample. One irate writer says that people who oppose the trail should move elsewhere–perhaps Centennial. “Stop with your NIMBY-ism. This isn’t about you, it’s about the public. The public is not defined by those that live in close proximity to this proposed singletrack.”
The people in those neighborhoods ARE the public, just as much as the people who love mountain bike trails are. In some cases they are one and the same, as some people in the adjacent neighborhoods want the trails. Those who don’t are entitled to express their objections without accusations that they are bad, selfish members of society (NIMBYs, in fact).
There’s nothing sacred about a mountain bike trail. Golden’s children can have happy childhoods without a new trail.
There’s nothing essential about a mountain bike trail. It’s not a landfill, that the public absolutely has to have. Building an additional trail in parallel to an existing one is absolutely optional. If people in the vicinity don’t want it, they have every right say so without hearing shrill, accusatory charges of “NIMBY-ism” from people who want the amenity but are not directly affected by it.
The Investment Task Force met last night and discussed a couple of questions that may appear on a survey later this fall. (“May,” because Council will discuss the proposed questions and they’ll make the final decision.) The questions ask what things citizens want to fund and how they want to pay for them.
The survey will be sent to 2000+ citizens. The City expects about a quarter of them to be returned. That will be the “statistically significant” sample. The City may also post the questions online for everyone else to answer. The online responses won’t be “statistically significant,” but may provide supporting information for council.
So that’s it for now…the Investment Task Forum will go dormant until and unless City Council wants them to consider more questions.
The Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board will meet at 6 this evening in City Council Chambers. They will discuss the upcoming North Washington Avenue project and review the draft of a Crosswalk Manual. The agenda appears on the City website.
The Golden Bike Cruise happens TONIGHT! The optional costume theme is Super Heroes. See the event facebook page for the complete schedule of events.
