The city of Steamboat Springs should abandon the idea of constructing a “civic center” at 10th Street. A civic center is not needed. This was not requested by the community and will take away valuable parking, increase vehicular traffic and parking problems in adjacent residential neighborhoods, and be very costly to maintain. The public should decide if a civic center should be constructed.

The city should present a thorough, unbiased study identifying pros and cons, including a traffic study to show the potential impacts and present the long range maintenance costs. We have enough traffic and parking problems without closing a major street and removing additional downtown parking. Our City Council and city staff should not be asking us if we prefer Concept 1 or Concept 2. They should be asking us if we want a Civic Center and if we are willing to fund the long term maintenance. Why is there not a third option presented for us to comment on with a concept that shows a design without a civic center?

Richard Denney
Steamboat Springs