Virtual Events
6-6:55AM Virtual Dynamic Circuit
8:30-9:30AM Virtual Power Training
10-10:55AM All Levels Yoga Virtual
11-11:55AM Find Your Balance
12-12:30PM Mondays with Mayor Weinberg
4-4:30PM Kids Martial Arts Class
Real World Events
Spring Yard Waste Collection Begins
12-4PM Stich’n B*tch @ Golden Quilt Company
6-9PM Golden Game Guild Meet-Up Mondays @ Golden Game Guild
6:30PM GURA Board Meeting @ City Hall
The Golden Urban Renewal Board will hear about a proposed redevelopment of the AAA-1 U Stor It property at 17270 W. Colfax (map). The proposal includes approximately 37,000 square feet of commercial/office space and 120 market rate apartments. The developer (Confluence) intends to ask GURA for Tax Increment Financing assistance.
The board will also hear an update about 17200 W. Colfax (map). This property, which currently holds the Table Mountain Townhomes, may also be redeveloped for “mixed use.” Plans have been submitted to the Planning Department.
The boarding house project near Avalanche Harley-Davidson should be done by the end of the month. You may recall that this project was approved two years ago. It was “mixed use,” with commercial uses on the first floor and 160 apartments above. The developer (Confluence) avoided Golden’s 1% growth limit by including “kitchenettes” rather than “kitchens” in each unit. This meant tenants could have refrigerators, sinks, microwaves, dishwashers, hot plates, and other small appliances, but not stove/oven units. Without a stove/oven, the apartments didn’t count as dwelling units and thus were not subject to the 1% growth limit. The developer said there would be shared kitchen areas where people could use stoves and ovens.
There have been some changes since the project was approved by the Planning Commission. Rather than 160 apartments, there are now 167. The developer said that a 1 bedroom with a 12 month lease would be $1184/month. The building’s website now shows 1 bedroom apartments ranging from $1802-$3112. Shared kitchens are not listed among the amenities. Curiously, public transportation is listed as an amenity, though there are no bus lines in that area and the light rail station is 2-1/2 miles (by road) away.
Walk with the Stewards
The Stewards of Golden Open Space have some delightful offerings coming up. The groups are filling fast, so reserve your spot ASAP.
May 2022 Kinney Run Bird Watching Walking Tours
Join Stewards’ bird experts for an early morning bird walk along the Kinney Run trail on May 15th, May 21st or May 22nd. These walks will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis and they are filling up fast!
Send an email to info@stewardsofgolden.org if you would like to participate. Tell us which day and how many in your party. We will send you additional information later about where to meet and what to bring.
May 2022 Kinney Run Geology/History Walking Tour
Join Donna Anderson and Paul Haseman for a morning geology/history tour of Kinney Run on May 29th.
Kinney Run Open Space is a gem in Golden’s Open Space inventory. Designated as open space in 1998, it was formally recognized in 2005 as a unique geologic and environmental area in Golden. The walk highlights the geology, mining, and land-use history of the area.
We will meet at Shelton Elementary and walk about 1 mile down the Kinney Run Trail.
Donna and Paul have published an eBook titled Golden Rocks: The Geology & Mining History of Golden, Colorado. Get a copy of the free eBook here.
Space is limited – send an email to info@stewardsofgolden.org to secure your spot!
Golden History Moment
Continuing the walk through Heart of Golden territory, today I’m covering the history of Parfet Park. The southeast corner of 10th and Washington was originally the site of one of Golden’s first buildings, the Boston Company. In subsequent years it held stores and houses. For a number of years, into the early 1920s, it served as the town dump.
George W. Parfet prospered by developing clay mines in the Golden area. He was a community benefactor, serving on the school board and city council and helping with several civic improvements. He was the first president of the Golden Kiwanis Club and was serving in that role when he died in 1924.
The Kiwanis Club decided to develop a park in his honor. They chose the ground along Clear Creek, east of Washington Avenue. At the time, that land was still a dump, so a significant clean-up was required. Some of the trash was removed, while some was shoved over to the east side of the park, where it remained for a few more years. The park was dedicated in 1929.
Shared Ownership
The building across 10th Street, now the Mountaineering Center, was Golden High School from 1924-1956, and later Golden Junior High from 1956-1988. Part of the current Parfet Park belonged to the City and part to the school. In 1931, the school turned the remaining city dump in the southeast corner of the property into clay tennis courts. The Transcript noted that this was “made land,” formerly part of the bed of Clear Creek.
Much-Used Park
For a number of years, Parfet was Golden’s only downtown park. Formal and informal summer camps were conducted there beginning in 1935. Softball, football, and tennis were played in the park. Scout troops often met there. Frequent band concerts were held in the park, and many organizations used it for picnics and pot lucks. The Kiwanis Club and downtown merchants began hosting Easter Egg Hunts in 1953.
Council approved a plan to build restrooms in the park in 1945, but it took until 1955 before they were built, with labor provided by the Golden Lions Club. Thereafter, the restrooms were severely vandalized several times, with plumbing appliances pulled out of the walls. (“Hoodlums” also smashed picnic tables and threw them in the creek.)
The Mill Race
Parfet Park was bisected by a mill race (a ditch) for many years. The water running through the mill race powered the grinding operations at the Golden Mill. It was an attractive nuisance, and reportedly several children drowned in the water. The final one was a 19 month old boy in 1949. In 1952, the city negotiated a deal with the Peery family, who owned the mill. It paid them $12,500 for the water rights so they could close the ditch. The ditch was filled in 1954. According to the Avenue Flashes column, Jesse Quaintance dug the ditch to power his mill in the 1870s and his great-grandson, Arthur Lowther (the City Manager) filled it in 80 years later.
Problems of Shared Ownership
Ownership and maintenance of the park was an ongoing subject of dispute between the city and the school district, as each owned part of the property. The school district said the city didn’t let them develop the property as a playground or athletic field. The city said the school maintained the property very badly, letting it go to weeds. Gym teachers had their students run laps around the perimeter of the park, leaving bare dirt all around the edges. One gym teacher cut down a tree to make more room for his classes. Issues over maintenance continued for many years, and finally in 1972 the school district deeded the land to the city.
Today, despite not having any playground equipment, Parfet is probably Golden’s hardest-working park. During the summer, Buffalo Bill Days is followed by Movies in the Park, National Night out, and the Symphony concert. In January, UllrGrass fills the park and in the spring, there’s the Easter egg hunt. On any given day, dozens of people hang out there. Through it all, the City does an impressive job of maintaining the grass and trees.
Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
