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Northern Cheyenne Chief and Neighbors Urge Botanic Garden Instead of Lit Stadium Courts on Annexed Land
Summary
Speakers including a Northern Cheyenne traditional chief and neighborhood advocates urged the city to prioritize a botanic garden and indigenous-led stewardship on the newly annexed Hogan Pankaus parcel, raising concerns about wetlands, cultural heritage and stadium lighting; staff asked proponents to submit a formal proposal and noted site review could consider alternatives.
Several speakers asked the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to consider an alternative vision for the recently annexed Hogan Pankaus property: a botanic garden centered on indigenous knowledge and stewardship rather than stadium-lit tennis courts.
Catherine Sunfall (speaker 6), who identified herself as coordinator for the Boulder Botanic Gardens project, said the group has pursued a public–private partnership for the site since 2010 and plans to work with Northern Arapaho and Northern Cheyenne partners and regional institutions. "We are proposing that this project be built... on the Hogan Pankaus property," she said.
Chief Philip Whiteman Jr. (speaker 18) described ancestral and emotional ties to the site: "I went there tonight... I prayed and I cried," he said, urging the council to "reconsider further development" and to give indigenous people a decision-making role and prior informed consent for uses of traditionally used lands.
Staff said they have been in some contact with proponents and outlined the procedural path: Tina Dalton and other staffers have met with advocates, shared examples and described the steps needed to turn an idea into a formal proposal. Ali Rhodes told the board that site review for the tennis project is not a closed process and that a legitimate, reasonable proposal could be considered during permitting and site review.
Planning and ecological constraints also figured in the discussion. Staff said they have commissioned ecological and wetlands reports and will undertake wetland monitoring this summer to confirm buffers. Project managers said the immediate footprint proposed for courts is concentrated near existing developed areas of the park, and staff emphasized the city will stay outside identified federal habitat buffers.
Board members urged careful engagement and asked staff to help proponents prepare a complete proposal with funding sources and technical documentation. No formal decision was made; staff asked for a written proposal so the city can evaluate scale, funding and siting options before altering any approved plans.
