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<br />4, OBITUARIES '
<br />5, STATE & REGION
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<br />Monday, July 14, 1986/Section C ***
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<br />ETRO
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<br />'IHEDENVERPOST
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<br />OPINIONS, 6-7
<br />WEA TRER, 8
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<br />Boulder 'anchor' in middle of floodway
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<br />By JQhn Oiaz
<br />Denver <f'>Q$t maff Wtl'l.er
<br />BQULDER - The Boulder Pul>
<br />lie Librarv is "a downtown an-
<br />,chor," says a, coro:n>>ss1on studying
<br />whether to expand the library.
<br />-It v.;as an- unintentional, bu,t fit.
<br />ting,. pun. The library happens to
<br />Bit smack in the middle of Boulder
<br />Creek's fioodway - an area that
<br />would be subjected to the greatest
<br />deptlr and flow in the event of a
<br />major flood.
<br />Even-so, the Boulder City Coun-
<br />cil on Tuesday night will consider a
<br />plan to add 38,000 square feet to the
<br />eity's main. library. That would
<br />roug.lUy'oouble the sl.ze of tbe build.
<br />jug near ~e corner of C'!Iiyon Bou~
<br />levant and 9th .street.
<br />. The $8 million project would. be
<br />paid 1:ol"with,a OJ-cent increaSe in
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<br />the sales - tax, so the counc1l must
<br />decide whether BOUlder voters
<br />should consider the proposal.
<br />Proponents of the expansion _
<br />including a Library Commission
<br />that studied various proposals for
<br />almost four yearS. - argue that
<br />propping the new section up on
<br />platforms and employing other en-
<br />gineering tricks would make the
<br />building flood,proof.
<br />But Councilman Spenser Ha",,-
<br />lick, a University of Colora.do envi-
<br />ronmental design professor, ques-
<br />tioned whether the engineering
<br />barriers could stand t-oe-to-toe
<br />against nature's forces.
<br />"What you have with a flash
<br />flood in the mountainS shooting out
<br />,kom a can:r.on is a tremendous
<br />wall of water that,turns everything
<br />in its path ~to- IiiiSsuei - bhdges.
<br />
<br />Despite the flood dangers, the commission
<br />recommended the expansion because of its
<br />lower cost and proximity to downtown and other
<br />municipal offices.
<br />
<br />trees,.. cars - everything," Havlick
<br />aaid.
<br />Much more than a library expan-
<br />sion is at stake. .SQme council
<br />members .worry about thEi political
<br />implications of a ctty known for its
<br />tight rem on developers undertak-
<br />ing a' project in an area prone to
<br />floodingc
<br />"City government should be the
<br />example - the good example. not
<br />
<br />.the bad example," Councilman
<br />Phil Stern said.
<br />The council, which already bans
<br />residential buildings in the flood-
<br />way, is considering an ordinance
<br />that would.prohibit any major de.
<br />velopment near the creek.
<br />. "We should not put massiVe in-
<br />vestments in an area that will
<br />eventually be destroyed;" Stern
<br />said. "It's time for us to bite the
<br />
<br />bullet."
<br />Despite the flood dangers, the
<br />commission recommended the -ex.
<br />panSiGn because of its lower cost
<br />and proximity to downtown and
<br />other municipal offices, It would
<br />cost an estimated $20 million to
<br />build a new library across Canyon
<br />Boulevard, the commissioners
<br />projected, <ompared with the $8
<br />million expansion plans,
<br />There has. not been a major
<br />flood along Boulder Creek since
<br />the library was constructed in 1961.
<br />But that luck might be rnnning
<br />out, observers warn. Just up.
<br />stream, the county recently spent
<br />$500,000 to construct a concrete
<br />barrier around the Boulder County
<br />Justice Center.
<br />"I don't tbink a public steward
<br />. who knows the risk of a flood
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<br />a;';~Creel<,
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<br />The Denver Post
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<br />should ever put a facility of intense
<br />publiC USe in the fIoodway," Hav~
<br />lick said.
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