Letters of Support
Blakey Letter
September 04, 2006
To whom this may concern:
We are residents of the Aspen Meadows subdivision, in western Boulder County, having lived at 618 Aspen Meadows Road for 19 years. We understand that there have been some complaints from a couple of our neighbors directed at Greg and Debbie Ching, another one of our neighbors, resulting in a formal review by Boulder County (Docket 20N-06-075). We are writing now to add our view of the situation for your consideration in this matter.
We met Debbie Ching while taking walks around the neighborhood not long after the Chings moved into their house, and soon befriended Greg as well. From the very beginning we recognized their interest in being an active part of the community, as well as their generosity towards others. They soon began participating in activities sponsored by PUMA (Preserve Unique Magnolia Association), our main community organization, including hosting some of the regular meetings at their house. They also joined the local volunteer fire department, and later helped set up and run the high-speed internet coop that serves much of this area.
Not long after they started hosting house concerts, we began periodically attending these gatherings, for both the fine music and the social interaction of the pot-luck meals. It has always been a great time to reconnect with other neighbors, and meet new people from the area we hadn't yet been acquainted with. We were impressed with Debbie and Greg giving these traveling musicians a place to stay for a night or two, providing them with food and not getting any financial benefit from the events. Indeed, they spent their own money each time for food and drinks (bottled Eldorado Springs water, sodas, teas, etc.), collected all the recyclable waste (and paid for its collection) and cleaned all the reusable dishes, utensils and napkins.
We are aware too of their continuing investment in energy-saving and water-saving appliances and treatments to reduce their environmental footprint " like low water-use dishwasher and clothes washer, ultra-low water-use toilets, and air-drying laundry. Then there are the solar collectors, for both heating their domestic hot water AND for generating electricity. These are steps we all need to be making to be good stewards of the Earth, but many of us haven't gone this far yet, and still others are not even thinking about it. By attending the pot-luck meals and house concerts our neighbors are getting to learn how these things can be done and perhaps be inspired to do the same.
After the Watsu pool was constructed, we were given the opportunity to experience the water massage work (our daughter included) by being models for some of the classes that have been held there. (This is an opportunity that has been extended to others in our community as well, I believe.) We are again impressed with the solar heating of the building and pool, the water conservation measures (covered pool, low-flow toilets, etc.) and the insulating window shades.
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.
George Blakey & Yvonne Short
618 Aspen Meadows
Nederland, CO
