Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership, the nonprofit organization supporting the 14-mile urban trail running through Aurora, Denver and Commerce City opposes Initiative 300 on Denver’s May 7 ballot.
As we release this statement, it is our understanding that not a single non-profit homeless service provider supports the Initiative. While framed as a measure to support the homeless population of the city, 300 will not provide resources to assist homeless individuals.
While failing to help the very population it purports to support, the result of the Initiative will likely make the maintenance of a clean, safe, user-friendly trail and greenbelt difficult. Thirty years of effort have been devoted to repairing the Greenway from environmental damage, and significant work has taken place to remove invasive species and plant and nurture native species. There is still much work to do in repairing the land from generations of misuse; if the initiative passes, we will be unable to clear campsites from land undergoing restoration.
Our Sand Creek Greenway is tucked between neighborhoods and industrial areas in the northeast metro area. Many stretches of our trail are at least a mile from public restroom facilities and running water. The environmental impact of human waste from campsites may render the Greenway unusable for recreation or education. Eventually, waste will make it to our Sand Creek, soiling it for public use. Bringing youth to our trail for environmental education programs could bring new health risks, as would scheduling public programming or events like our popular Greenway walk series. The public health risk may be too high.
Our Greenway is but one public recreation space in Denver. If passed, these challenges would be extended to every park, trail, and public space in our city. If passed, we would not be able to prevent damage or defend our public spaces. We would lose hard-fought gains in environmental repair made over decades of partnership and community diligence.
Initiative 300 will make maintaining a clean, safe and user-friendly trail extremely difficult, while not solving the very problems it endeavors to address. For that reason, the board of our Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership must voice our opposition to Initiative 300 and urge Denver voters to defeat the measure.
April 26, 2019
Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership Board of Directors