CoorsTek Plans, Residential Property Issues, and a Railroad Building that Lasted Nearly a Century

*Golden Eye Candy – Nancy Torpey – A Glimpse of Castle Rock from Tucker Gulch – click to enlarge*

Weekly COVID Update

% of Jeffco residents (12+) who have received at least one shot (+1.5% since last week) – source Note: last week, this number was 75.6%. I don’t know why it went down.

Jefferson County Case Summary:
Cases in Jeffco – June 28th: 48,882 | July 7th: 49,042 (+160)
Deaths in Jeffco – June 28th: 855 | July 7th: 858 (+3)
Currently Hospitalized in Jeffco – June 28th: 11 | July 7th: 12 (+1)
Recovered – June 28th: 47,815 | July 7th: 47,987 (+172)
Known Cases in Golden – June 28th: 2012 | July 7th: 2013 (+1)

COVID Vaccine Appointments
State of Colorado: Where You Can Get Vaccinated
Jeffco Public Health Vaccine Call Center: 303-239-7000
State Vaccine Hotline: 1-877-268-2926.

Golden Testing Sites
Mines COVID Testing | Jeffco Fairgrounds COVID Testing

More Public Health References
Sign up for exposure notifications | CDC | Colorado | Jefferson County | City of Golden

Virtual Events

6-6:55AM Strength and Conditioning
8-8:55AM Tai Chi
8:30-9:30AM Virtual Power Training
9AM Golden Walks – Wednesday Morning Celebrating Life @ Golden Library
10:15AM Baby Time with the Library
11:30AM-1PM Community Development Committee Meeting (Hybrid – in-person and online)
Chamber members are invited to attend this meeting–either in person or online–to hear the plans that CoorsTek has for its industrial buildings on 9th Street, between Ford and Washington.

12PM RTD Proposed Service Changes Meeting
2-2:30PM Cliffhangers Club
2-3PM Summer Challenge – Art for Teens
3-5PM Hard Times Writing Workshop
5:30-6:30PM Golden Orators Toastmasters

6:30PM Planning Commission Meeting

The Planning Commission will consider two cases tonight. The first concerns the Fossil Point development on 24th Street between Ford and Jackson. This part of town is zoned CMU (Community Mixed Use). The theory with this zone is that 25% of developments will contain neighborhood-centric businesses, such as coffee shops, to enliven an area and bring in some sales tax revenue. The remaining 75% is to be residential. Residential property in Golden is so valuable, that developers generally request a Special Use Permit that will allow them to use more of the property for residential use. The Jefferson County Housing Authority made this request for the Flats on Ford Street, currently under construction across the street from Fossil Point. The Flats will be 100% residential. Fossil Point has one commercial tenant–Sunflower Bank–but wants to turn the remainder of its first floor spaces into residential apartments. The Special Use Permit that they are requesting tonight would allow them to have 86% residential use.

2119 Mt. Zion Drive with the right-of-way through the yard – click to enlarge

The second case involves a home at 2119 Mt. Zion Drive. This neighborhood was laid out in the 1950s, and the home was built in 1958. The road was built a little differently than shown on the survey. As a result, a sizeable part of the home’s yard is designated as “right of way.” The property owners are asking that the city vacate (relinquish) the right of way that runs through their yard.

Real World Events

9AM-2PM Archaeological Dig @ Astor House Yard
11:30AM-1PM Community Development Committee Meeting (Hybrid – in-person and online)
8PM Trivia Night at Woody’s Pizza

LIVE MUSIC:
6PM Jack Hadley @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage – outdoor patio)
6PM Jonathan Browning @ Miners Saloon
6:30PM Open Jam/Mic at Over Yonder Brewing

Golden History Moment

*The 1870 Freight House, shown in the July 7, 1968 Colorado Transcript – click to enlarge*

53 Years Ago
The July 7, 1968 Colorado Transcript included an article titled “Old Landmark to Disappear.” The building in question was the Colorado Central Railroad freight house, built during the summer of 1870 in anticipation of the first train to reach Golden. It also served as Golden’s passenger depot during several intervals.

*This photo was taken from Castle Rock, probably on September 26, 1870, the day the first train arrived in Golden – Dan Abbott collection – click to enlarge*

The freight house had an office on the east end, while the west end served as the freight depot. The building appears in many photos and maps over the years, including the 1882 Birdseye View Map of Golden:

Excerpt from the 1882 Birdseye View Map of Golden, with the freight house highlighted – click to enlarge

*Excerpt from a photo showing railroad buildings in the foreground – Dan Abbott collection – click to enlarge*

The employees who worked in the old building were looking forward to its replacement by “a new, modern air conditioned, pretty steel structure.”

Satellite image of the replacement building from Google satellite images

The pretty steel building is still located in Goosetown (map), and now serves as an operations center for the railroads that support Coors.

Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and many thanks to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866