Over a decade on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus

With the closure of the Fitzsimons Hospital in 1995 to the opening of the University of Colorado Health and Science Center in 2004 the haphazard development continues for over a decade on the problematic CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Where anywhere in the developing world do you witness a seven (7) Billion dollar development without any access infrastructure asks a Hoffman heights neighbor? Our entire community has been adversely effected by this CU Anschutz campus. Increased traffic, smog, and immigration of an unwanted medical facility that does not serve the Colorado community!

Only on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus located in Aurora, Colorado spearheaded by now jettisoned Aurora mayor Ed Tauer, who was instrumental in the redevelopment of the Fitzsimons Army Base into the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Without any community input, support, vote, or additional business alternatives researched, or considered that would have better served our taxpayer community. Coerced upon the Colorado community!

The band aid piecemeal construction continues with the opening of the 43 million dollar access ramp from I-225 on to the Fitzsimons Parkway allowing traffic access to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The elevated ramp was constructed with temporary construction jobs paid for by the American recovery and investment act and the City of Aurora, Colorado. Taxpayer financed!

Expected to be completed in early 2013 allowing access to over an additional unwanted 40K cars daily the incoming onslaught traffic can access the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, continue to jockey and fight for one of the few parking spaces located on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus where a recent car caught on fire and rapidly spread to adjoining parked cars located on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus overflow parking lot. After driving around in circles at a futile attempt to park their cars many visitors left the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and end up parking off the poorly planned and constructed CU Anschutz Medical Campus creating traffic jams in neighboring Hoffman heights and filling vacant parcels of undeveloped ground surrounding the forever expanding CU Anschutz Medical Campus financed by unwitting Colorado taxpayers.! There was no thought or prudent planning for 40k unwanted additional cars creating smog, hurting our children’s health on a daily basis! Complained the Hoffman community.

There will be no light rail at CU Anschutz Medical Campus!

To effectively illustrate the decade long continuous failure of  comprehensive planning by the City of Aurora, Colorado, Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA), and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus RTD regional transportation district board member Tom Tobiassen recently confirmed on December 15, 2011 there will be NO light rail access to alleviate the onslaught of visitors, employees, construction workers and continuous flow of gridlock traffic attempting to access and exit the poorly planned and undeveloped infrastructure on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Therefore the problem of accessing and exiting the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will only be exacerbated as the future unfolds, adding to the bewilderment of angry neighbors now adversely effected by the lack of infrastructure planning executed by the City of Aurora and the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) responsible for redeveloping the entire 578 acre CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Which was acquired free from national taxpayers. As both entities failed at developing a comprehensive redevelopment plan suitable for the surrounding community. Which was adversely displaced.

How did this happen? Asks another angry long time Hoffman heights resident. This complete failure of infrastructure planning combined with the failed vision and incompatible use approval for the old Fitzsimons Army base initiated by Ed Tauer, City of Aurora and the FRA effects our children’s safety, traffic congestion and rapidly declining quality of health, and residential livelihood.

Ed Tauer is now finally out of political office but the neighborhoods surrounding the problematic CU Anschutz Medical Campus have to live with the increasingly negative consequences of the City of Aurora actions. We have now all become victims by the Fitzsimons redevelopment zoning initiated by the City of Aurora shouts another angry neighbor…..The continued expansion of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus is detrimental to our daily lives! As the future unfolds more and more neighbors worst fears have come to reality as they stand by helplessly and witness the ever changing Aurora, Colorado skyline with distain in their hearts and minds. As they are coerced to finance this unwanted public organization! Who confusingly maintains non profit 501 (c) status.