South Suburban candidates speak at forum

Multiple issues discussed

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At a forum on April 12, candidates for the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District board of directors tried to win votes from dozens of community members by explaining why they care about the district and how they plan to lead if elected.

South Suburban is a regional provider of parks and recreation services. Its May 2 election will ll two seats on the ve-seat board of directors.

Candidates Michael Edwards, Elizabeth Watson, John Priddy and Alexis Barrere attended the forum, which was hosted by the Littleton Business Chamber and the South Metro Community Foundation.

Pam Eller, who could not attend the event due to a pre-planned vacation, submitted statements to be read at the forum by former mayor John Ostermiller.

No reason was publicly announced to explain the absence of Ken Lucas.

Property care and the unhoused population

David Long, a Littleton Business Chamber board member, moderated the event by asking questions provided by the chamber.

For the rst prepared question, Long asked candidates what they will do to improve and care for South Suburban’s outdoor properties, listing examples such as overgrown trees and weeds to vandalism and destruction.

“In formulating your answer, please factor in that the growing homeless population continues to utilize South Suburban open space to sleep, and on occasion, members of that population may engage in illegal activities,” Long read.

Edwards said he would like to nd a way for people to alert authorities or maintenance teams of overgrowth and other property issues so they can be dealt with properly from a habitat and ood control standpoint.

In regards to unhoused individuals sleeping in open spaces, Edwards said there are other resources available for them.

“It’s a lot of people who do not want to take advantage of those and comply with the conditions,” he said.

Watson said she would make sure South Suburban dedicates an appropriate percentage of its budget to maintenance and upkeep of the outdoor facilities in its 2023 master plan, as taxpayers had said was a priority for them.

“Also, the homeless issue is said. “ at is something we can really reach out to some community members and existing organizations and make sure that we are interacting with them to make sure homeless people are aware of existing resources.”

Priddy agreed that maintenance of parks should be a top priority in terms of where the district puts its money.

“ e second thing is, we need to give the community an opportunity to get back to us with these concerns,” he said. “Are we taking that feedback? Are we putting that back into our processes for maintaining the overgrown trees? at’s the way I would approach it.”

Barrere said she would use her relationships with local organizations to address concerns about the unhoused population and would establish a plan of action that would consider all parties involved.

“Our parks and open spaces are key to our quality of life here in the district and in Littleton, but they also have to be a place where we feel safe,” she said. “And I’m increasingly hearing from community members, friends and families that they’re not feeling safe in our parks.”

Littleton Golf and Tennis Club design

For the next question, Long told

Chamber had received negative feedback about the exterior design of the Littleton Golf and Tennis Club at West Bowles Avenue and South Federal Boulevard.

“What is your opinion of this project?” he asked the panel. “Do you feel it can be improved, and if so, how?” e candidates all said they thought the board should have taken more community input or aesthetic considerations into account when choosing how to design the building.

“I know there were quite a few citizens who put input into the construction and the ideas behind it and it doesn’t seem like those opinions were heard or heard loud enough to have an impact,” Barrere said. “If I am elected to the board, I will make sure that decisions like this are made in consideration of public opinion and with consideration of the aesthetics and the feel that it brings.”

“I do think they completely missed an opportunity to build something that Littleton could be proud of, and it could be a community space,” Watson said. “Littleton deserves to be respected and listened to and have their community supported in an equal way to all in-district members.”

Several candidates pitched some ideas for improving the building.

“I guess what I see is hopefully a blank canvas, and some creative artists can hopefully bring something to that particular design,” Edwards said. “I was wondering about something historic, or if you can incorporate something that does bring in that Littleton, and as you look out at it, you’re not seeing just a steel building out there.”

“In terms of where do we go from here? Do we plant big trees? What do we do?” Priddy said. “ at’s the question but there’s a lesson in this for us, right? Which is making sure that when these opportunities come up, grab the table, making sure that the opinion of the community and the character of the town is taken into account.”

Hudson Gardens

To set up the third question, Long said South Suburban recently announced that concerts and other events would not take place at Hudson Gardens in 2023. Long said South Suburban is analyzing business operations and creating a strategic plan to identify opportunities for the venue and patrons.

“In your own words, what would you expect the strategic plan to address and what events do you see will continue, be pursued and/or be discontinued?”

Watson said the strategic plan for Hudson Gardens is a great opportunity for community involvement. She said it isn’t about what she thinks is important, but what the community values there.

“( e nancial aspect) should be a consideration,” she said. “But an also equally important consideration should be what the community wants, what events are important, what events encourage our kids to get out and engage with nature… Involve the community in the creation of this plan. It is vital.”

Priddy agreed that both nances and community opinion should be considered in the formulation of the plan.

“Having had the experience of creating a number of strategic plans in my career, I think without a doubt, how the events and activities that were held in that facility… perform is a critical component of it,” he said. “It is my expectation that this plan will be inclusive of consideration of the value, not just scal value but other community value that’s brought as it relates to all of the activities and events.”

Barrere said she would love to see the venue collaborate more with businesses in downtown Littleton.

“I’m looking at ways to partner for programs, you know, picnic baskets that you can pick up at one of the restaurants in downtown Littleton to bring to a concert or things like that, opportunities to drive the economy,” she said.

She said she would also like South Suburban to have a plan for stewardship of the historical components of Hudson Gardens.

Edwards said he thought early community input was the most important part of a new strategic plan for the gardens.

“Looking at the bene ts, or the nancial aspects of these di erent events, how popular were they?” he said. “How important are they to the community, but also from a nancial standpoint, how well are they supported? Can they be improved?”

Closing statements

In his closing statement, Edwards said his interpersonal abilities, especially his ability to receive criticism, would make him a great board member.

“I think one of the most important