Otten: What to do with the open space

Rachael Richards has called the Marolt Open Space a sacred cow and would have you believe there can be no use of the property other than pasture. She has a penchant for misstatement and, in this case, is wrong.
CDOT has the right to build a two-lane highway and a light rail corridor across Marolt. That was granted by the voters in 1996. With light rail a thing of the past, CDOT shifted gears and now wants to change the use to include two bus lanes without any further mitigation. The voters have continuously said “no,” the last time in 2002. A new plan is required, not something from 1996 that no longer fits our needs going forward.
What is galling here, and subject to adverse comment by some who favor a greater use of open space for mass transit, is the scope of her referendum No. 2. Richards wants to grant CDOT the unchecked right to build anything it wants. That just goes too far. It is a blank check that strips away the ability of the voters to consider any plan put forward in the future by CDOT.
People are inpatient and want this problem to be resolved — but not at the expense of a totally unknown future for our community. That is why Richards and Referendum No. 2 must be defeated.
Doug Otten
Aspen