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Long Days and Watercolors

Westernaires - Golden Colorado

I failed to mention yesterday that it was the LONGEST day of the year, at 14 hours, 59 minutes, and 14 seconds. Today is less than one second shorter than yesterday, so if you still want to perform some pagan rituals, maybe today will work as well.

The Planning Commission will have a study session tonight at 6:30 in City Council session. They will be discussing the City’s noise ordinance and comparing it with the standards used in other cities in the metro area.

Foothills Art Center
Foothills Art Center - Golden ColoradoThe Colorado Watercolor Society State Watercolor Exhibit at Foothills Art Center will close on June 25th. Tomorrow night (Thursday the 22nd), Hassan Najjar will host his “Last Look” at that show.  The viewers choice award will also be announced.

Want to improve your watercolor skills? Janet Nunn will teach “Painting Flowers with Watercolor” this Saturday from 10-4 at Foothills Art Center.

This Sunday, June 25th, Foothills Art Center and the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado will offer SPARK! This program provides interactive and engaging experiences in comfortable settings guided by trained docents and volunteers. The program is FREE, but registration is REQUIRED. Learn more….

Mines & Neighbors

The Planning Commission will meet tomorrow night at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  The Kong Company, located in the Coors Technology Center, is requesting an amendment to the Planned Unit Development to allow them to do manufacturing within their existing building.

They will also be considering a request by the Colorado School of Mines to vacate a city right of way, in order to allow them to construct a parking garage.  Over the past several years, the City has allowed the School to close several streets through the campus, including parts of 16th, 18th, and Maple Streets.  When the city allowed the School to close 16th Street, they did so in exchange for a right of way to extend 14th Street to the west.  This piece of 14th Street hasn’t been built to date, and the school now wants the right of way back, in order to build the parking garage.

14th St.

Residents of the adjacent 12th Street Historic District have seen traffic levels through their neighborhoods rise as Mines continues to expand, and they are concerned that the proposed parking garage will bring even more traffic through their streets.  They want 14th Street, which is currently used by Mines for surface parking lots, to go straight through to the new garage.  If you have an opinion on this topic, plan to attend the Planning Commission meeting and voice your concerns or approval.  Learn more….

Farewell to Pleasant View

The Citizen’s Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) meets this morning at 7:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will discuss Affordable Housing.


Senior Housing in Golden Colorado

The Planning Commission meets tonight at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will consider a request for a site plan change on the senior housing development going in at Highway 93 and Golden Gate Canyon Road.  The developer wants to expand the project from 110 apartments to 120.  This change request was also discussed at last month’s meeting, but a problem with the mailing that went out to nearby residents caused the commission to delay the hearing until a new mailing could be sent.

After that, the Planning Commission will hold a study session to consider Open Space requirements, both big and small.  The “big” open space discussion would look at whether Golden could or should acquire some land to serve as a buffer zone, so adjacent communities can’t build right up to our boundaries.  The “small” open space concerns the requirements for multi-family project developers to include some open space.  The code is currently a bit vague as to whether that open space needs to be available to the public, or just to the residents of the development.  Learn more….


Wild Wednesday:  A naturalist from the Lookout Mountain Nature Center will be at the library this afternoon from 4-5PM to tell 6 to 10-year olds about “Fabulous Flight.”


Pleasant View Elementary is closing at the end of this school year.  Tomorrow afternoon (Thursday 5/18) at 5PM, there will be a Closing Ceremony to mark the event.  Student ambassadors will provide building tours.  An interactive art activity will allow families to mark the event, sponsored by The Denver Art Museum.  Light refreshments will be served.  All are welcome to attend.  15920 W. 10th Avenue, Golden, CO (map)

Planning, Public Art, and Geology

The Planning Commission meets tonight at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will consider requests for Special Use Permits for two “Tourist Homes,” one at 922 10th St. and one at 2020 Jackson St.  The municipal code defines a tourist home as “any building containing five or fewer guest rooms used, or designed to be used, let, or hired out for occupancy by persons on more or less a temporary basis.”

Senior Housing in Golden Colorado

They will also consider a site plan amendment for the new senior housing development to be built at Highway 93 and Golden Gate Canyon Road.  The currently-approved plan calls for 110 units.  The developers are asking to raise that to 120 units.


Public Art - Golden ColoradoThe Public Art Commission meets tomorrow morning at 9AM in City Council Chambers.  The will discuss possible locations for the Checkmate bronze.  It’s being relocated from its position in an industrial park in north Golden to the new overpass at Highway 6 and 19th Street.    They will also discuss a proposal to add giant Golden Eagle sculptures to the stone pillars on the new overpass.  They will discuss a mural that may be added to the retaining wall on Goldco Circle when Washington Avenue is re-done.  They may discuss fundraising assistance for the elk sculpture that the Heritage Dells neighborhood would like to install.


The Friends of the CSM Geology Museum will continue their lecture series tomorrow (Thursday) night.  Their guest speaker will be Jeff Graves, Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources’ Inactive Mines Reclamation Program.  Jeff’s talk is titled: “Implementing Source Control at the Pennsylvania Mine, Summit County, Colorado”.  Socializing and munchies begin at 6:30 p.m. The lecture will start at 7:00 p.m.  Admission is free and all are welcome.  Ben H. Parker Student Center, Ballroom E, 1310 Maple Street, Golden, CO (map)

Friends, Foes, Foothills, Finance, And Some Things That Don’t Start With “F”

The Lookout Mountain Nature Center will make their monthly visit to the Golden Library at 4PM today.  This month’s topic: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t – Camouflage.  The talk is geared for 6-10 year olds.


Jefferson County Open Space is offering a free landscaping class tonight from 6-8:  Friend or Foe? Learning to Identify Noxious Weeds.  The talk is free, and takes place at the JCOS Administration Building, 700 Jefferson County Parkway (map)


Our much-anticipated giant hummingbird is currently being installed in the roundabout by King Soopers.  Tonight from 6-8, the artist (Don Kennell) will be doing at meet-and-greet at Foothills Art CenterLearn more….


The Friends of the Jefferson County Public Library will meet from 6:15-8PM at the Golden Library. Want to become more involved with the Library? Meet new people? Provide ideas for new programs? Volunteer at fun events? Help raise awareness of the library? Help raise funds for Jefferson County Public to continue to meet the needs of all residents of the county? Here’s an opportunity to learn about joining the Friends of the Library.


The Planning Commission will meet with the GURA board tonight at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  Colfax Avenue through Golden is expected to see substantial change over the next 20 years.  It is a defined Urban Renewal area, so GURA can provide some direction and incentive to guide its growth.  This meeting will allow GURA and the Planning Commission to discuss their visions and make sure they agree.  Learn more….


If you have a kid in high school, you may want to attend Financial Aid night at the High School, which starts at 7.  Learn about grants, loans, and scholarships for college.

This Week’s Meetings

The Historic Preservation Board meets tonight at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will discuss a tax credit application for the historic home, built in 1900, at 500 21st. St. See their meeting packet for more information.

The Planning Commission will meet Wednesday night at 6;30 in City Council Chambers.  They will hold a public meeting on the site plan for a new convenience store/gas station at 18465 W. Colfax.

They will then adjourn to a study session to discuss ways of incorporating more affordable housing in Golden.  Options to be discussed include rent subsidies and relaxing the 1% growth limit.  See their meeting packet for more information.

The Public Art Commission will meet at 9AM Thursday morning in City Council Chambers.  They will be voting on whether or not to accept the loan of a carved stone piece by Bill Gee entitled “Shoshone Spirit.”  The Commission will also work on prioritizing potential locations for art installations.  View the agenda here.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Mardi GrasHappy Mardi Gras!  Tomorrow is March 1st, so I’ll be posting my preview of the month’s events.  There’s nothing happening tonight that I haven’t already covered, so here’s my preview of Wednesday events.

Wednesday
At 10AM, Dinosaur Ridge will host the ever-popular TriceraTOTs.  At 4, the Library will teach you to make Knifty Knitter Bookmarks.  From 6-7:30, Bent Gate will present Peak Skiing 101Trout Unlimited will hold their monthly meeting at the Jeffco Fairgrounds from 6:30-845PM.

The Planning Commission will meet tomorrow night at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will review a site plan and a Special Use Permit for 1255 Catamount Drive.  The owner wants to construct an office/warehouse building with an outdoor storage area.  There are residences west of the proposed development, and the owners would prefer that the outdoor storage not be allowed.  City Staff feels that the development is appropriate.  The Commission will decide whether it should be approved.

Commission will then go into a study session to consider a piece of property west of the Golden Heights neighborhood.  The property is wedged between houses & the Interstate. It was previously zoned commercial, but nearby home-owners didn’t want commercial development so close to their houses, so the zoning was changed to residential.   That area gets too much traffic noise to be a good location for residences.  The property owner wants to discuss the area with Planning Commission, to see if they can offer some advice as to how to use the property.  Learn more by reading the meeting packet….

10th Mountain Division, Speed-Dating, Affordable Housing

There’s a celebration of the 10th Mountain Division tonight from 6-9 at the Mountaineering Center.  Join us to honor the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division!  Old and new will be side by side in the museum with presentations by the Tenth Mountain Historical Society as well as the current 10th Mountain battalion. We will also be showing the Icelantic Skis film The Mountain Infantry: A Return to Nature Story.  Odell beer will be on hand as well as an awesome prize giveaway!  We’re so excited to have the Tenth Mountain Living History Display Group on hand and in uniform at this event! These volunteer docents keep the history of the 10th Mountain Division alive through reenactments, speakers and exhibits.  Learn more….

Friends of the Library
The Library is hosting a Friends of the Libraries event tonight from 6:15-7:45. 
This Valentine-themed meeting/event includes a “Share Your Love of Books” exercise and you’re encouraged to bring your favorite book and chat about it with a different person every four minutes in a progressive lineup. (Think speed-dating – but you’re not really looking for a mate, just a new friend or acquaintance.)  We’ll have door prizes and refreshments. This is a great way to meet new people and learn about fun opportunities at the library through the FRIENDS of the JCPL and the JCPL Foundation. For all lovers of the Library.  Learn more….

The Planning Commission will have a study session tonight at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will continue to discuss ways to bring affordable housing to Golden.  City Staff recommends that, if we ever annex any new land into the city, we make affordable housing part of the deal.  Our 1% Growth Limit only allows about 75 new homes/year, and there is hot competition for those allocations.  City Staff also recommends that we accumulate past and future unused allocations until we have enough to support an affordable housing project of 40-50 units.  Learn more by reading the meeting packet….

The School of Mines will hold a meeting tomorrow night at 5:30 in Ben Parker Student Center.  They plan to build a parking garage and are seeking input from the community regarding two possible locations.  The planned garage will be 4 stories high and hold 600 cars.  Learn more….

Paid Parking Starts Tomorrow

Parking Ticket - Golden Colorado

The City of Golden will start charging for parking in some parts of Downtown tomorrow, February 1st.  See the City’s parking page to learn more about where you can and cannot park, and for how long.

The School of Mines is promising to build a parking structure to accommodate their students, staff, and faculty.  They are considering two locations, and will reveal them at a Town Hall meeting today from 11:30-1 in the Student Center, Ballrooms D and E.  The meeting will be repeated on Thursday February 2nd from 4-5:30 in Ballroom B.  Learn more….  There is also a report of a public meeting (for the Golden Community) tonight from 5:30-6:30 in Ballroom B.  I haven’t been able to find an online link about this meeting.

UPDATE:  Mines contacted me to inform me that today’s 11:30 meeting and Thursday’s 4PM meeting are only open to the Mines community.  There is a public meeting tonight, January 31st from 5:30-6:30 to discuss an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Golden, share information on the parking structure and other general updates.  They also plan a meeting to specifically discuss the parking garage during the week of February 13th.  Date, time, and location are to be determined.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tomorrow night at 6:30 in City Council Chambers regarding the home at 1107 Illinois Street (map).  The owners are requesting a Special Use Permit to allow them to rent part of the home to tourists via AirBnB or VRBO.  See the meeting packet for more information.

What’s The City Up To?

For more information on any of these meetings, visit the City’s Agenda Page and click on the meeting packet.

Tuesday
The Parks & Recreation Board will meet tonight at 7PM at the Community Center.  The City is looking for a new company to run the restaurant at Fossil Trace.  The former operator, Three Tomatoes, ended their relationship (by mutual decision) on December 31st.  The board will discuss the options, as well as the 2017 work plan.  Parks Director Turullo will report on the status of the new Ulysses Skatepark, outdoor fitness equipment, the new park rules, and the Parks Master Plan, which was adopted last week by City Council.

Wednesday
The Planning Commission will have a study session (no public comment) tomorrow night at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will discuss ways that the City could subsidize, provide land for, buy buildings for, or otherwise facilitate affordable housing.  They will also consider “Enhanced Transit Options,” designed to provide alternatives to driving private cars.  Options include adding another green circulator bus and facilitating ride sharing.

Thursday
The Public Art Commission will meet Thursday morning at 9AM in City Council Chambers.  1) There has been a proposal from a community group that hoped to incorporate some children’s artwork in the new park/lid at 6 and 19th.  That group has talked with Public Works and concluded that the lid location won’t work.  They’re going to look for other locations within Golden.  2) A different project may be incorporated into the upcoming redesign of Washington Avenue, north of downtown.  It would likely be installed on a retaining wall.  3) The committee will hear an update on the status of the giant hummingbird that will go in the roundabout by King Soopers.  4) Fund-raising is going well for the proposed elk statues that will go in one of the roundabouts on Heritage Road.  5) Some artwork was donated by a citizen for use in Ulysses Park.  The Parks department is struggling to find an appropriate and safe place to put it.

City Council will hold a study session (no public comment) on Thursday night at 6:30 in City Council Chambers.  They will consider having Comcast collect an additional 50 cents per subscriber per month to be used to improve the City’s communication equipment.  The Finance Director will discuss possible new revenue sources, such as adding a lodging tax or increasing our sale tax.  The Parks and Rec Director will discuss the new version of the Museum Collections Policy.  This policy was scrutinized after museum staff sold off many of the Astor House artifacts through an auction house in Littleton.  The updated policy requires that the community be told ahead of time before artifacts are sold, so residents have the opportunity to buy them.  The Parks Director will also recommend a Los Angeles-based consultant who will conduct an $86K feasibility study regarding turning the Astor House into a Beer Museum.