| LovelandPolitics.com |
Item 12 on the February 6, 2007 Loveland City Council meeting regular agenda was a request by a developer to close
access to the proposed development called “Outlook at Mariana� West of 1st Street in Loveland and adjacent to the
Marian Butte Golf Course.
The development hasn’t been built yet though the streets in the development are going to be public thus maintained by
City of Loveland taxpayers. The developer has requested permission from the City of Loveland to place gates at the
entrances of the development to exclude anyone not living in the development from entering.
Councilman Dave Clark recused himself from participating since he said he is working on a similar project in town that will
be coming before the council with a similar request. Therefore, Councilors Brown, Pielin, Klassen, Skowron Rousey and
Mayor Walsh were left to decide the issue.
Greg Muhonen of Timber Winds Land LLC provided a presentation to the Council that claimed a certain number of new
home buyers want gated communities and that his company was going to bring this demographic to Loveland through their
proposed project called Outlook.
The developer said they are responding to market demand for gated communities – stating that US census data indicates
that 16 million American (6% of all households) live in gated communities. In major metropolitan areas 50% are in gated
communities according to the developer.
“Folks who could be living in Loveland in gated communities are going elsewhere,� was the strange plea made by
the presenter to influence a favorable outcome. Much of the presentation focused on how open and friendly the gated
community will be towards the neighboring developments.
Gene Pielin was loud and talkative but his attempts at humor fell flat. “Tell me about your white picket fence – is it
plastic? He asked a confused developer. Muhonen responded in a low voice that in fact it will be a rod iron fence that is
welded. Earlier Muhonen described the project as being surrounded by a white picket fence. He apparently forgot this by
the end of the presentation.
Glenn Rousey, a former fire fighter, stated that Greeley requires indoor sprinkler systems on gated communities given the
potential for delayed reaction by the fire departments if the gates are not operating properly and asked if they could also
include sprinklers in the large homes. Muhonen spoke around the question saying he would not agree and probably need
to think about such a condition since it raises the cost of the exclusive homes.
Mayor Walsh, in an unexpected turn of events, stated simply he didn’t support encroachments over public streets that
would preclude the community from entering the development. He said it sends the wrong message about our community
and is exclusive instead inclusive.
The Mayor also corrected the speaker’s previous statement that the community already has a gated development by
stating, “For 15 fifteen years I have walked my dog next to that gated community you mentioned and the gates have
always been open because the residents want it that way.�
Walt Skowron agreed and quoted from a National League of Cities brochure on how they should be working to make the
city more inclusive and livable for its residents. Skowron seemed to hit the nail on the head by mentioning the fact people
enjoy driving through the community and limiting where they can drive is improper especially when we are talking about
public streets.
Skowron also stated, “It has a sense of snobbery so that is why I can’t support it�
In an embarrassing attempt at being cute, Councilman Pielin asked Skowron if he considered doormen in New York where
he grew-up as snobbish and exclusive. Skowron shot back that he grew-up in Hell’s Kitchen where people didn’t
have doormen. Pielin apparently doesn’t understand that doormen protect ingresses to private property and don’t
preclude the public from using public streets.
Pielin continued to aimlessly defend the proposal by claiming that a fence at Seven Lakes also keeps people out but the
Council had no problem with it. Pielin didn’t seem to understand the proposal was to block access to public streets in
Mariana Butte not just private property.
Skowron summed-up the issue by stating that he simply wanted “ingress and egress for all citizens� on public roads.
Jan Brown’s contribution was the redundant comment that she toured a gated community in Windsor and thought that
would be nice in Loveland. She commented on the shrubbery and other unrelated items she saw at the gated community
in Windsor.
In a strange and inappropriate move the non-elected developer, Mulhonen, he wanted to “make a motion that we
exclude the ability of the HOA (Home Owner’s Association) to lock the emergency entrance gate.� Councilman
Rousey included the change in his motion to approve the request for the encroachment on private property. The motion
passed by one vote. To see the recorded vote record click here. Post comment on the BLOG
access to the proposed development called “Outlook at Mariana� West of 1st Street in Loveland and adjacent to the
Marian Butte Golf Course.
The development hasn’t been built yet though the streets in the development are going to be public thus maintained by
City of Loveland taxpayers. The developer has requested permission from the City of Loveland to place gates at the
entrances of the development to exclude anyone not living in the development from entering.
Councilman Dave Clark recused himself from participating since he said he is working on a similar project in town that will
be coming before the council with a similar request. Therefore, Councilors Brown, Pielin, Klassen, Skowron Rousey and
Mayor Walsh were left to decide the issue.
Greg Muhonen of Timber Winds Land LLC provided a presentation to the Council that claimed a certain number of new
home buyers want gated communities and that his company was going to bring this demographic to Loveland through their
proposed project called Outlook.
The developer said they are responding to market demand for gated communities – stating that US census data indicates
that 16 million American (6% of all households) live in gated communities. In major metropolitan areas 50% are in gated
communities according to the developer.
“Folks who could be living in Loveland in gated communities are going elsewhere,� was the strange plea made by
the presenter to influence a favorable outcome. Much of the presentation focused on how open and friendly the gated
community will be towards the neighboring developments.
Gene Pielin was loud and talkative but his attempts at humor fell flat. “Tell me about your white picket fence – is it
plastic? He asked a confused developer. Muhonen responded in a low voice that in fact it will be a rod iron fence that is
welded. Earlier Muhonen described the project as being surrounded by a white picket fence. He apparently forgot this by
the end of the presentation.
Glenn Rousey, a former fire fighter, stated that Greeley requires indoor sprinkler systems on gated communities given the
potential for delayed reaction by the fire departments if the gates are not operating properly and asked if they could also
include sprinklers in the large homes. Muhonen spoke around the question saying he would not agree and probably need
to think about such a condition since it raises the cost of the exclusive homes.
Mayor Walsh, in an unexpected turn of events, stated simply he didn’t support encroachments over public streets that
would preclude the community from entering the development. He said it sends the wrong message about our community
and is exclusive instead inclusive.
The Mayor also corrected the speaker’s previous statement that the community already has a gated development by
stating, “For 15 fifteen years I have walked my dog next to that gated community you mentioned and the gates have
always been open because the residents want it that way.�
Walt Skowron agreed and quoted from a National League of Cities brochure on how they should be working to make the
city more inclusive and livable for its residents. Skowron seemed to hit the nail on the head by mentioning the fact people
enjoy driving through the community and limiting where they can drive is improper especially when we are talking about
public streets.
Skowron also stated, “It has a sense of snobbery so that is why I can’t support it�
In an embarrassing attempt at being cute, Councilman Pielin asked Skowron if he considered doormen in New York where
he grew-up as snobbish and exclusive. Skowron shot back that he grew-up in Hell’s Kitchen where people didn’t
have doormen. Pielin apparently doesn’t understand that doormen protect ingresses to private property and don’t
preclude the public from using public streets.
Pielin continued to aimlessly defend the proposal by claiming that a fence at Seven Lakes also keeps people out but the
Council had no problem with it. Pielin didn’t seem to understand the proposal was to block access to public streets in
Mariana Butte not just private property.
Skowron summed-up the issue by stating that he simply wanted “ingress and egress for all citizens� on public roads.
Jan Brown’s contribution was the redundant comment that she toured a gated community in Windsor and thought that
would be nice in Loveland. She commented on the shrubbery and other unrelated items she saw at the gated community
in Windsor.
In a strange and inappropriate move the non-elected developer, Mulhonen, he wanted to “make a motion that we
exclude the ability of the HOA (Home Owner’s Association) to lock the emergency entrance gate.� Councilman
Rousey included the change in his motion to approve the request for the encroachment on private property. The motion
passed by one vote. To see the recorded vote record click here. Post comment on the BLOG
| Council Votes 4-2 To Approve Encroachment (gates) Across Public Streets in Loveland |
