Genevieve Gustavson, a citizen who, along with others, lost her home in the Waldo
fire, mentioned their decision to invest in the community for its rebuilding. She
highlighted that the City had promised to collaborate with the neighborhood to
rebuild better but had not fulfilled that commitment. Ms. Gustavson believed there
was an opportunity to halt the tank project and urged the Planning Department to
address the situation. She concluded by stating that this issue needed to be
acknowledged as a mistake, and corrective measures needed to be taken.
Butch Gunn, a landowner in proximity to the project site, emphasized the
importance of the commission understanding that he had no issue with the
necessity for utilities to replace the old water tank. His understanding of the 20 feet
dome was that it was essential for structural strength to support the required water
volume without the need for interior supports. He noted that if a flat roof had been
considered, it would have fallen within the scope of the original development plan,
but this had not been the case. Mr. Gunn believed there had been significant
miscommunication in this matter, and he felt that these issues could have been
identified and resolved earlier. He expressed that trust within the community was
gone.
Leigh Ann Wolfe, owner of Flying W Ranch, asserted that the issue wasn't merely
about miscommunication but about deception. She characterized the situation as a
mockery of the process and the Planning Commission. Wolfe expressed frustration
over being misled repeatedly, stating that they were assured the tank would be the
same size and height but that this had not been the case. She emphasized that the
tank's height difference from the original development plan amounted to 45%,
stressing that utilities needed to take the time to rectify the situation.
Thad Zylka, citizen, expressed deep concern about the entire process and hoped it
wouldn't recur in the city. Mr. Zylka felt that people had misled them and
disregarded the proper process. Zylka highlighted that the initial building process
had commenced in 2023 without a valid building permit and believed that there
were individuals within the organization who did not adhere to the same rules and
ordinances. He called for a full independent audit on utilities projects and cited the
numerous emails he had received from NextDoor and COS as evidence of a
problem. He characterized the situation as an illegal water tower and lamented the
lack of a representative government to protect them, underscoring that not
following the rules impacted all taxpayers.
Jackie Gunn, a citizen residing next to the current water tower, clarified that the
current tower stood at 36 feet tall and expressed that it wasn't difficult to hide it by
strategically planting trees for camouflage. She accused CSU of violating the UDC
and RBC and refusing to acknowledge responsibility for submitting incorrect and
conflicting information to obtain the development plan and building permit.
Peggy Anderson, a resident of Mountain Shadows, joined her neighbors in
opposing the modification and urged consideration of the lack of transparency, the
lies, and how the neighbors had been treated throughout the process. She
requested a postponement of the vote until all the necessary information was
