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'. . . . . F1;tft{)~s pur~t.ase approved CD boat:d's vote angers Boulder ' By Mike McPhee Denver Post Staff Writer COLORADO SPRINGS - De- spite last.minute pleas and even threats of condemnation by the city of Boulder, the University of Colorado regents voted yesterday to purchase the 308.acre Flatirons property for expansion of the Bonl- der campus into the next century. A phalanx of lawyers will imme- diately begin working on the $11 million purchase, with the closing expected in less than 10 days, said CU.Boulder Chancellor Rod Park, who orchestrated the purchase. In a surprise move, Park also persuaded the regents to lease 13.5 'acres in the university's research park east of the main campus to the proposed Women of The West Museum, which originally was to, have been located on 20 acres on the Flatirons property. Museum of. ficials said the change would speed the project's construction. . Boulder city' officials said .they were disappointed with the Flat. irons purchase and would not rule out a legal challenge or,even an at. tempt to condemn. the property. "There are some serious envi- ronmental issues here that have not been given enough attention," said Mayor Leslie Durgin. "I was surprised that the vote was so overwhelming, particularly with the regents from Boulde" Certain. ly the city council will talk about i any legal challenges and possibly divert groundwater away from a condemnation. However, I'm hop- gravel mine on the property is not ing that the city and the university legal and that the'maps used to de. can work together on this." lineate the floodplain are inaccu. , Th);"c"le was unanimous. rate. Any work on the berm could ' E ,COunty Commissioner Paul Dan. affect land downstream, making . ish said he was "highly disappoint- the berm's owner liable. ed" by the vote. "I really think the The county commissioners have state ~ould investigate this action begun hearings into possible illegal of whether the regents exercised grading on the site. The university. their fiduciary responsibility prop- also faces the issue o( locating pub. erly. They paid about four..times lie buildings in the path of a flood too much for the land. should Gross Dam on Barker Res. "It will create major environ. ervoir near Nederland fail. mental problems for the city if CU Park said the Flatirons Co. will builds on it, and major problems be held accountable for restoring for the university as well," Danish the gravel quarry to its natural said. "I think the people of Boulder state and having the berm certi- would be well advised to move for. fied. The company also must guar. ' ward with their tax initiative: Per. antee the number of buildable haps that could be interpreted as a acres! and, should that number mandate by the people." . come up short, must reimburse the Initiative 205 on thi November univef$ity $20,000 per acre. To en. . ballot asks city voteJt>for a 0.1 . sure this, the university will es- percentsales tax increase)o buy crow $1.2 million of the purchase the Flatirons property and another money. Flatirons has three years .piece of land in unincorporated to co~ply. Boulder County. CU ,President John Buechner The ~eller, Flatirons Corp., had. said the founders of the Women of the lanctappraised at $16.4 million. The West Museum asked to have it The university paid $11 million for moved. The museum was to have the land and Flatirons President paid a nominal $10 in rent for 20 Larry Frey saying he would donate acres \Ill the Flatirons Property. the. $5.4 million difference as a tax At the Research Park, it will pay wrIte-off. Frey bought the property market rent of more than $4 mil. for $250,000 in 1981. The city reo lion, with the first four years rent- centIy had the land appraised at a free. Founder Jan Butcher said the maximum of $9.2 million. trade.off was worth it because of Although it claims. it has no the costs in developing the Flat. plans to develop the 'property for irons property. "The research park the next 10 to 15 years, other than is annexed, zoned and has utilities. perhaps to iet Ralphie, the buffalo Plus we can get a building permit mascot, graze and breed, the uni. from CU right away, without the versity faces a myriad of legal hassles of going through the city," snags involving the property. she said. The Federal Emergency Man. A $40 million. capital fund.rais. agement Administration, which ing campaign will begin immedi. must certify floodplains before in. ately, she said, with plans to have. surance can be issued, has said that the 100,000.square-foot museum r a dll"t berm on the property used to open in three to five years. .