Bennett Boeschenstein

Grand Junction City Council Candidate District C

boeschenstein.bennett0@gmail.com

I will work with the public, the Mayor, the other Council Members, City Manager, and staff to:

Encourage sustainable economic development: job creation; enterprise zones, incubator center, industrial park development, the Downtown Development Authority 

Keep taxes low

Keep taxes low; investigate special bonded indebtedness similar to safety      center

Encourage Neighborhood development

Strengthen our unique neighborhoods, historic neighborhoods, neighborhood block watch, neighborhood block parties, and neighborhood ID signs; police walking and biking patrols, coordinate with sheriff and other law enforcement, combine functions

Encourage Partnerships

School District 51, municipalities, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Riverfront Commission, non profits and others

Protect the Riverfront

Implement Las Colonias and former Jarvis property riverfront redevelopment plans, sell and/or transfer surplus parcels along the riverfront parkway, provide watershed protection.

Support scientific, cultural facilities and recreation facilities

Support the Riverfront Commission, the Grand Valley Audubon Society, the Western Colorado Center for the Arts, the Museum of Western Colorado, the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens, the Math and Science Center; begin a feasibility study for the construction of a new recreation center or centers

Support Affordable Housing

Use Community Development Block Grant funds, other grants and incentives to work in partnership with the Grand Junction Housing Authority and other affordable housing agencies to increase the supply and quality of affordable, decent housing 

Support our schools

Support community school partnerships; support school/parks land acquisition and development; safe routes to schools 

Stop sprawl development

Support the cooperative planning agreement between Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade and Mesa County; continue to support the Mesa Land Trust and acquisition of conservation easements

Promote Historic Preservation

Support restoration of historic Grand Junction RR depot and its redevelopment as a multi-use transportation center and multi use structure, support historic districts, Main Street, the Handy Chapel and other historic buildings and sites

Promote all modes of Transportation

Support the regional transportation planning effort, encourage bike/pedestrian improvements, Grand Valley Transit, riverfront trails

Improve our Environment

Support green initiatives, solar and geo thermal energy, protect GJ drinking watersheds on the Grand Mesa, support clean water and clean air initiatives

Implement plans

Implement the newly adopted comprehensive plan, the North Avenue plan, the Orchard Mesa plan, revive the South Downtown plan, Las Colonias Riverfront Park plan

Bennett Boeschenstein is a semi-retired urban planner, who has lived in the City of Grand Junction for 18 years and in the Grand Valley for 29 years.  

Experienced in local government

worked as planning director over the past 30 years for the City of Fruita, the City of Grand Junction, Mesa County, the City of Norwalk, Connecticut and Hudson County, New Jersey 

Education

Masters Degree in Urban Planning from New York University 

Bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Cincinnati. 

Community Service & Professional Qualifications

U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer: three years in Kenya and Tanzania;

Member of the America Institute of Certified Planners; Past president of the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association; Past President of the Fruita Rotary Club;. Member of the Riverfront Commission; KAFM volunteer. His interests include bicycling, hiking, skiing, photography, art, music, architecture, parks, open space and rivers. He is married to Elizabeth Rowan and is the father of three children.