Robert Porath: Development of CU South Would be a Loss

At the heart of opposition to CU’s south campus expansion is the regard and stewardship of Boulder’s public good. Both the city and the university have adopted business plans that emphasize constant growth over refinement and quality of life. Capitalizing on its tax-exempt status, the university has transformed itself from an institution of higher learning into essentially a corporate rental empire with an ever-increasing administrative overhead. There is nothing in its south campus plan that will improve the quality of education offered nor make it any more affordable. What it will do is add more traffic and stress on the city’s infrastructure and carbon footprint. Historically, the site was a natural wetland. Gravel mining further lowered its elevation and left three ponds fed by groundwater. By no means pristine, it presents a clear example of the natural world healing itself from human scarring and, by definition, is still a wetland that will require drainage and massive infill before construction can begin. As it stands now, with vistas in all directions, it has value beyond any future income for the university. Paving and building over it would be a loss for us all.

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