UAHR.org -- Preserve the Heather Ridge Golf Course & STOP Development

7:00pm The meeting was called to order by Errol Rowland-Chair , Burgundy . Introductions were made.

38 people attended and all of the communities around the Heather Ridge Golf Course were represented, excluding Brookshire Downs. The agenda was accepted. A vote of mission “UAHR mission is to preserve our Heather Ridge 18-hole golf course”, was unanimously re-affirmed. Nathan Mease an environmental attorney was introduced by Ed Kay. Mr. Mease has agreed to work with the UAHR, Pro-Bono, on golf course environmental, wildlife preservation and land use issues.

The minutes of the Oct 11 and Oct 19, 2005 are posted on the website. A motion to approve those minutes was made and seconded and all approved.

The treasurer, Cathy Thrash, Chimney Hill, presented the treasurers report and indicated that the budget was in its preliminary workable stage. UAHR has had $9,310 in Contributions and the check book balance is $8,921.23. (The check book and the contribution list are attached to these minutes.) Cathy also acknowledged the people and organizations volunteering their time, products and resources to help us accomplish our mission. The contributors may be viewed on this web page:

Cathy said that we are receiving outside contributions and greatly appreciate all contributions to our cause. Anyone wishing to make a contribution may do so to: UAHR.org, 2497-D South Victor St, Aurora , CO 80014 - (303) 745-3905

The report from GMOR (Group Maintenance & Organizing Residents) was presented by Sharon Gunderson from Doubletree. She informed the group that the Flyers for distribution to the Golf Course communities was being finalized and would be ready for distribution later this week. She also indicated that "the word" regarding the sale and depreciating property values of our communities must get out to the surrounding communities.

We must write to the city leaders and editors of "all" newspapers and publications to support saving the 18 hole golf course.

Next Errol asked for suggestions for improvement of the website. One important thing we need is a simple description of what a "special district" is and how it applies to our mission. We are looking for a volunteer to put this in layman’s terms, so that we all can understand it. We must be vigilant and alert in our communities. Take note of any thing out of the ordinary, activities that may be contrary to our mission, and notice and question any company or individuals who are surveying or measuring land boundaries of any type.

Next, George Dumas , Fairway 16, spoke regarding the GCAAG. He stated that we are on schedule with the formation of the special district (SD). Preparation for forming the SD is a 38 step process and Gary White, our attorney is assisting us in getting this to the May 6, 2006 ballot. The question was raised as to the private/public status of the Golf Course after a SD was formed. George said the golf club would be public but there would be a staging or hierarchy of services. For example one scenario might be golf members (because they pay a fee every month for unlimited golf) would have the highest priority of services, privileges and tee times. People in the SD then would have the next priority of services, privileges and tee times. The public would then have the remaining and the lowest priorities of services, privileges and tee times. The three questions to be voted on in May are:

Gary White, UAHR SD attorney was unable to attend the meeting however he did provide answers to a few questions:

1. Can we elect to include the golf course grounds in the special district even if the owner of the golf course does not want it to be in the special district?

A. Generally, the golf course may be included as long as its taxable value is not more than 50% of the taxable value of the entire special district to be organized. There are other considerations as well that we will need to address, but this general response will probably suffice for the moment.

2. We have been approached by an environmental attorney offering his services Pro-Bono. We have had some suggest we initiate an EPA study. What is your opinion about working with him and initiating an EPA study?

A.I don’t have a sense about this – certainly, if you have to fight a hostile redevelopment effort, every tool you can find to do so will be helpful, including environmental counsel.

A. I have a first run of numbers now. I have a call into the gentleman who ran them for me to get some clarification on a couple of points. We’ll be ready to nail down a RANGE of dollars in the next week to 10 days, assuming I can reach him.

5. Is your firm on schedule with the time line -- RE: the items needing to be accomplished to form the special district?

A. Yes, in fact we are working with the City now to push back into January a proposed November deadline for proposing new districts for the May 06 election. I think we will have until late December before we have to pull the trigger.

A. He left me a voice mail yesterday asking me to call him. I have not yet returned the call. I assume there is no problem with me talking to him. (We have asked to be include in any meetings Gary has with any developer regarding the Heather Ridge golf course)

7. The last time we talked, you said you had been talking to the mayor. Any news at the city we should know about?

A. I have spoken with Nancy Bailey in the Office of Development Assistance about the change to standard policy for districts regarding golf courses. She thinks the City would support a change to the service plan to allow us to do what we want to do. She can’t speak for the Council. The Mayor will support the change. Nothing further except as noted above. Thanks. Gary

Many questions were raised regarding city officials and their discussions with developers and our attorney. It was determined that we must get involved in communication with the Mayor and our Council representatives via email, letters and calls regarding the state of the 18-hole Heather Ridge golf course.

Ed Kay, Heather Ridge South, introduced Nathan Mease, who attended the meeting and has offered to work, pro-bono, on environmental issues related to any attempt to destroy the golf course. The environment is Nate's passion and one of his internships in law school was with the EPA. Nate made several good points at the meeting.

He stated that environmental law includes the "preservation of the human quality of life”. He was welcomed as our environmental lawyer and will work with us regarding this aspect of survival.

Ed Kay presented a brief summary of the financial plan. Ed, Errol and Lee Eldredge, CPA, Burgundy have been working on in conjunction with golf managers and using the financial information provided by the city on three municipal courses. Ed said that when he initially got involved in UAHR he was skeptical about the financial projections and the future of the UAHR’s mission. Ed said that based on very conservative numbers, using several possibilities for membership, the business model we were using, would generate a net income of approximately $1,250,000 and that this figure would service a debt load far in excess of anything that could be conceivably needed to own, refurbish and operate the club. Ed said this figure was so high, the course could fund itself, making the increase in property taxes negligible and allowing for the early retirement of any bonds issued. He continued that if these projections were to optimistic, you could chop them in half and still fund all the debt you could conceivably need. He, also, suggested getting someone to operate the restaurant and bar with catering facilities. The people of the SD would get a percentage of the restaurant intake and this could be a way to pay off the bonds.

Vinny Roith, Sausalito , spoke regarding the offers on the Golf Course and said a purchase is not definite.

Dick Bennett, F-16, brought up the possibility of a referendum that would put the question to the voters of Aurora "Shall the zoning of Heather Ridge Golf Course be changed to allow it to be plowed under for more Housing Development?" It is unclear if this could be done in concurrence with the forming of the SD. We need to clarify this with Gary White.