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The City Council has been taking a lot of heat for much of their work. Most recently, a Pilot & Today editorial and the Base Area Reinvestment Coalition sharply criticized council's denial of the One Steamboat Place community housing plan. First and foremost, I want to point out that this City Council has been extraordinary in their efforts to try new things and to balance the needs of different aspects of the community.

Under this City Council we have developed an inclusionary zoning ordinance, approved the Urban Renewal Authority, approved several huge and controversial developments (Wildhorse Meadows and Riverwalk), negotiated a compromise between the Riverwalk development and the West End Mobile Home Park owners, and upheld our urban growth boundary, to name a few.

Currently, this City Council is pursuing LEED certification for the new Community Center, supporting and financially backing the recommendations of the Green Team, pursuing ordinances to protect current mobile homes and other sources of affordable housing, developing an ordinance to address the housing needs created by new commercial developments and large second homes, updating the planned unit development process, and the list goes on.

This City Council is doing things that should have been done years ago. This City Council is trying new things and breaking out of the mold. This City Council is taking risks. And boy howdy, all of this is difficult, to say the least. There will be some mistakes, there will be some adjustments needed. But the last thing that is needed is to lambast the council for its daring to find solutions that meet the needs of the community. The Pilot & Today's editorial about the base area and the inclusionary zoning ordinance is out of line and off the mark.

If council members are truly good stewards of the land, wouldn't they want to hold developments to a standard that will be good for the whole community? In this case, the inclusionary zoning ordinance is designed to supply homes. If council did not feel the payment in lieu would be sufficient to meet this purpose, then the only responsible thing to do is turn it down. The ordinance itself provides for this option. Accepting fee in lieu is completely at the discretion of council. The developers knew about the discretionary nature of the decision. Denying the offer is within the rules, contrary to what was expressed in the ViewPoints editorial this week.

Hope Cook

Steamboat Springs