Aspen Meadows House Concerts

“One can only hope that there are more events such as this in Nederland's future. Seeing a live band on the stage of the community center was a joy to behold. The Duhks were the perfect band to inaugurate this stage as a concert venue. May more such events be in Nederland's future.”

— Burt Rashbaum, The Ned Gazette - 03 May 2008

“As for events like the Aspen Meadows House Concert Series that Ching hosts, which started the entire argument and precipitated the amendment regulating and permitting them, it seems they were never a real problem to begin with. Even the commissioners voiced their overwhelming support of them.

"We're convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt of the value of House Concerts," said Pearlman. "But the world's changing and I don't think the current Land Use Code properly addresses it."

As for Ching's opinion of the amendment set before the council, he said, "I think it's unnecessary, unenforceable and unconstitutional. Someone will challenge the ruling and take Boulder County to court."

Many others echoed his sentiments.

Paul Rennix called it "a waste of time, waste of money, and overall, an embarrassment for Boulder County."”

— Kathy Raczkowski, Left Hand Valley Courier - April 2008

“"There are a bunch of house concerts all along the Front Range," Greg told me by phone before the March 13 ruling. "There are probably like twenty of them. And there are many, many more that are underground; they pop up once a year, once every couple of years, not every month like we were doing. … Some of these house-concert series' have been very supportive; others have been kind of apathetic. They just think it is our problem. But they don't realize it is going to hit them and what we are doing right now is saving their butts."
”

— Elliott Johnston, Fort Collins Rocky Mountain Chronicle - 03 April 2008

“You're right - we almost never do house concerts.  Greg and Debbie Ching's series is special to us - we had a great time playing there in 2005.  We believe in house concerts, and that they benefit a community greatly, and we're so happy to be part of the experience!”

— The Duhks, Mountain Music - April 2008

“After a two-year legal battle, Boulder County has passed one of the first ordinances in the country to legalize home events. Colorado Spring legalized house concerts seven years ago, but took a very different, less legislative approach.”

— Grace Hood, KRCC News - 24 March 2008

“But the fact is, despite the complaints of a few cranky neighbors, such events -- most notably those at the home of Greg Ching near Nederland, which sparked the original dispute -- are rarely a nuisance, and already are subject to existing noise, parking and other regulations. And it was downright Kafkaesque that under Billingsley's interpretation, Ching could have held 365 concerts a year, for even more guests, so long as he never asked them to help pay for the show.”

— Clay Evans, Boulder Daily Camera editorial - 18 March 2008

“Commissioner Cindy Domenico joined with Pearlman in approving the ordinance. Commissioner Will Toor said he voted against the measure because he thinks there should be a more minimalist approach to regulating private residential gatherings.

"I think this is an arena where we should tread very lightly," Toor said.”

— Heath Urie, Boulder Daily Camera - 14 March 2008

“The idea that busy-bodies should be able to keep citizens from using our own property as we choose, without actual harm to anyone, is something that could only get this far in a place as far beyond reason as Boulder County.”

— Ross Kaminsky, Boulder Daily Camera Letters to Editor - 04 March 2008

“Delighting house concert supporters on January 16, the Boulder County Planning Commission voted 6-2 to delete Land Use staff recommended restrictions for the proposed "home events" regulations. The Planning Commission was split 4-4 to simply changing the definition of commercial activity to exclude home events (e.g. house concerts, Tupperware parties) which would have eliminated the justification for the initial Land Use Director interpretation. The recommendation made by the Planning Commission will be taken up by the County Commissioners in a February public meeting.”

— Nederland The Mountain-Ear - 24 January 2008

“Because the county did draw a clear line and because it does understand the nuances of this case, it is now looking to amend the land-use code — a step that would have been unnecessary if the county had simply exercised the option to look the other way. This, too, underscores the wisdom, not to mention efficiency, in balancing regulations with discretion.”

— Clint Talbott, Boulder Daily Camera - 10 June 2007

“The legal struggles of Harris and the Chings are ostensibly about the legality of house concerts and the civil
rights of their hosts. But at the fundamental level, house concerts are all about community, they say, and
should future court rulings decide against the legality of house concerts, it's not the individual hosts who will
suffer but the collective community that has galvanized around these living-room performances.”

— Vince Darcangelo, Drexel University Dragonfire - 21 March 2007

“"If the Chings, or anyone else hired a band, ensemble, orchestra, or other music entertainment and invited people to a concert for a party, that would be permitted regardless of whether it generated noise or traffic which might annoy the neighbors," reads a staff analysis. "However, once they charge for the entertainment, even in the form of requested donations, it changes the event from entertainment to a business."

It`s a fine, some might say silly, distinction. As even Billingsley said, "Neighbors probably can`t tell the difference between this and a party."”

— Clay Evans, Boulder Daily Camera - 11 February 2007

“...the Commissioners -- could clarify the code, for example by (a) stipulating that normal social activities are not automatically deemed to be businesses merely because money, food, or gifts are exchanged, and (b) stating that social activities that do not involve enough people or last long enough to qualilfy as a "Group Gathering" under the code are expressly permitted, provided that they do not violate other laws.  And there must be more accountability in enforcement of County ordinances so that a single idiosyncratic individual cannot wield power via an anonymous complaint.
”

“More recently, the county commissioners last year asked Billingsley's department to change a policy that regulates house concerts in unincorporated Boulder County. The land use code currently precludes house concerts -- and any other gathering that can be construed as involving business transactions -- as illegal in residential areas without a permit.”

— Heath Urie, Boulder Daily Camera - 03 Feb 2008

“Whatever the merits of this particular draft ordinance (and we think it is a very poor draft), or some modification of it, might or might not be, this effort is the camel's nose under the tent for a host of issues -- the whole camel -- that would likely consume the rest of your terms in office. The problem is a common one in government: Graham Billingsley has drafted an ordinance tailored to deal with the *Chings'* unique version of "house concert". But there are countless other "group gatherings" that occur, and should occur, in the privacy of people's homes that would become questionable as a result of this ordinance. And, no matter how you tweak this draft, it is going to have unexpected consequences in a very sensitive area of interaction between government and citizens. You are treading dangerously close to constitutional issues of privacy, freedom of assembly, and commonly understood freedoms in a democracy.”

“People sat in the aisles and spilled into the hallways. It looked like a social gathering of mountain folk and musicians. At least 150 people came to speak their piece, although they were limited to two minutes.”

— Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County News - 29 March 2007

“Although only two houses separate our property from the Chings', the concerts have had zero impact on our enjoyment of our own house and land. The house concerts are not frequent events. Those arriving at the concerts by car pass by our house; however, we have never found this to be a nuisance. No one has ever parked on our land or even used our driveway to turn around. There have never been any issues regarding speeding, parking on or blocking the road, or littering. We should add that even in the summer months when we have our windows open or are on our deck, we have never heard noise either from the concert itself or from people entering or leaving the Chings' house. We appreciate the Chings' efforts to diminish further the minimal impact of the traffic by encouraging car-pooling among the attendees.”

“I can also say without a doubt that music remains one of the greatest gifts
society has to overcome the diversity of socio-political-cultural
differences and has helped our neighborhood become more understanding of
each other.”

“As a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department (1981-1997), I served abroad and in Washington, D.C. I have never met a couple as unfailingly positive in their community life as the Chings. I urge you to find a way for them to continue their house concerts and Watsu therapy within Boulder County regulations, because I am very confident that the good they are building within our mountain community will redound to the benefit of the larger Boulder County community and perhaps even help us solve problems that you will never hear of because we've taken care of them ourselves. In their environmentally conscious and compassionate lives, they represent the best of what Boulder County symbolizes for many of us.”

“Anyway, we'll also add our two cents on the impact the concerts have on the neighborhood. We don't always go to the house concerts, and on the nights we don't go, we have never noticed any noise coming from that direction. And in our mind, the traffic is a non-issue. We just don't notice that the concerts are taking place. In our lives, the negative impacts are zero.”

“Each and every time that I have been invited to their musical potluck dinners, I have been reminded to carpool, to drive slowly in the area, to never turn around in a neighbor's driveway, and in every way be considerate of the folks who live next door.  For myself, I would welcome living directly next door to them, as these evenings are in no way obtrusive to the neighborhood, and they even create a sense of community that can only benefit everyone who lives nearby.”

“Colleen is a frequent attendee of the house concerts and Howard is very infrequent. However, for both of us, the concerts are of no impact and a benefit to the community. Once again, we live across the street from the Chings. Howard notices absolutely no sound coming from the house during the concerts irrespective of the time of year. Cars are parked on their property with very few, if any, visible from the road. The only evidence of the concerts is a handful of car headlights driving down the road when the concerts are over. Once again an absolute non-issue.”

“Neither the house concerts nor the pool house have had negative affects on our lives, indeed quite the opposite is the case. We live only a few doors down the road from the Chings and have not noticed any increase in traffic or noise from the activities they sponsor at their house. As noted above, we have lived here for almost two decades, and many neighbors have come and gone during those years. With the barking of dogs and smells of horse manure and diesel trucks we have put up with from other neighbors' properties, I can truthfully say that we would rather live next door to the Chings house than have to live with these other intrusions for years on end.”

“Aspen Meadows subdivision is a distinctive residential/wilderness area with large tracts of public forest lands on its boundaries. The Chings and many of the rest of us value our situation and live compatibly respecting the wildlife and revering nature's gifts. However, 'subdivision' is the operative word here. It connotes a lifestyle while grounded in nature remains responsive to a community of people. Subdivision residents are interdependently linked together by virtue of living in a place where properties are in close proximity to each other. In order to maintain the quality of our common lifestyle, environmental concerns (from blizzards to beetle kill) require residents' cooperation and good will. The Chings practice stewardship of the environment, and foster community building on many fronts. They are good neighbor citizens by definition and demonstration. I urge you to consider the collective benefits of all the Chings' initiatives when you assess the perceived impact of the house concerts on a very small and negligible minority.”

“All these things bring us together, but none in quite the way the
Ching's musical potlucks do. Social connections are strengthened when
people break bread together, and this does happen from time to time at
most of the above mentioned functions. But there is something about
the joyousness of music that brings us together in a special way, and
this is what the Chings have given to our community.”

“While it is unfortunate that a few disgruntled neighbors, not able to attract the positive accolades showered upon the Chings, and, with no thought to a negotiated compromise suitable to all parties, have sought to interfere with, take charge of and restrict the peaceful congregation of an entire community, I think that closer inspection of the situation will show the efforts by the Chings to be progressive, honest and above board. The Chings should be allowed to peacefully pursue activities beneficial to their community without harassment from their neighbors.”

“We, and everyone we know, with specific exceptions, love and respect the Chings.  In our opinion, they are the victims of harassment by a small number of unhappy people, who have nothing better to do than make life miserable for someone else.  ”

“I would be saddened if the "law" or one or two neighbors could stop people/neighbors from sharing their space and listening to artistry together to appreciate their humanity and creativity from time to time. This is the modern "barn raising, square dances, quilting bees, jamborees and jamming get togethers." Or maybe in the suburbs now, cocktail parties with a band in the next-door neighbor's backyard.”

“Many of us, living on these mountain properties, are somewhat reclusive by nature, myself included. I believe it is a good thing to have a few neighbors, with a sense of community, who are willing to provide a social setting for the recluses to get together. It is usually a good thing to see your neighbors face to face on occasion. The Chings do have a sense of community and are generous, considerate people. Both Greg and Debbie served as volunteer firefighters, for the community, for many years.”