Steve Pomerance

Because of my interest in the charter issues around the Pro Cycling Challenge bike race, I did some research into the history of the Flagstaff Summit Road, the half-mile spur from the main Flagstaff Road at Realization Point to the Amphitheater, which is the proposed finish for the race. I believe what follows is accurate, but I am not a professional historian. Information came from the City of Boulder’s Central Records, the Carnegie Library, former Parks and Open Space board members, Mary Reilly-McNellan’s “History of Boulder Mountain Parks,” and other sources. The city first obtained land in the Flagstaff area from the federal government around 1898. The only road from Boulder went up Gregory Canyon on the north side of the creek, and came out about where the dirt road now descends from the Realization Point parking area. By 1906, the road had been abandoned. Per the 1906 newspaper article, “(County) Commissioner Hoover admitted that he would not dare to walk down the road at nig...

New issues have emerged in recent weeks that need to be resolved if the Boulder stage of the Pro Cycling Challenge is to be a success. (What follows is based on my understanding to date — good information has been hard to come by.) The first challenges to address are charter issues related to open space; all of Flagstaff is open space, including the whole top and spur road from the gate up, except for the actual county road, the Flagstaff House, and some private land at the lower edges. Charter Section 176 prohibits anything other than “passive recreation” on open space ( colocode.com/boulder2/index.htm ) This requirement would prevent finishing the race right on the top of Flagstaff. Section 177 requires that any “exclusive license or permit” on open space be agreed to by at least three members of the Open Space Board of Trustees. Since the current draft plans for the race limit access to Flagstaff and charge a hefty price to VIPs who will be allowed at the finish, apparently ...