Virtual Events
8:30-9:25AM Silver Sneakers Classic
10-11:30AM Virtual: Microsoft Word Basics
10-10:30AM Call In: Mid-Morning Meditation
10AM Dinosaur Talks – Sauropods
3-5PM Hard Times Writing Workshop
5:30-6:25PM HIIT & Sculpt
6PM Mobility & Transportation Advisory Board Meeting (Online)
MTAB will discuss their role in determining which areas should be granted permit parking, the criteria to be used in deciding which areas should be given permit parking, and the overall process that citizens should follow to request permit parking.
This is a hot topic, and will only become hotter.
Increasing Demands for Parking
Homeowners in the 12th Street Historic District have found it harder and harder to park since the School of Mines built the athletic complex at the west end of the street. Those houses were built before automobiles, so not all homes have garages. The residents have always relied on curbside parking. In recent years, that neighborhood has had permit parking so that during the week, during business hours (when the School of Mines is in session), parking is only available to cars with permits–generally the residents. Since the athletic complex was built, parking has become a problem on weekends too.
In the next year or two, Foothills Art Center and Miners Alley Playhouse will both be moving into the 1100 block of Arapahoe Street. Both organizations will depend on public parking, in the existing parking lots and on the adjacent streets. This will exacerbate the parking squeeze for the residents.
City Council and the 12th Street Neighborhood
A group of neighbors recently asked City Council to consider extending permit parking to 24 hours a day. Several councilors (Brown, Reed, Fisher, Haseman, Dale) were positively disposed toward helping the residents, though all agreed that parking was a bigger issue that needed bigger solutions. The City Manager pointed out that if we expand permit parking we’ll need to pay for more enforcement. The Mayor thought that historic district homeowners should be treated the same as downtown condo owners: if they can’t park on their property, they should have to pay for parking. Councilor Trout thought such requests shouldn’t come to Council–that we need to create a process so that City Staff can make the decision. They will continue the discussion in a future study session. You can watch this conversation in the December 14th meeting, beginning at 1 hour, 55 minutes.
MTAB and Arapahoe Street
On October 28h, the Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board discussed plans to redesign Arapahoe Street so it has less parking and wider sidewalks. They began the meeting by reading two letters from employees at Sirona Physical Therapy, located on Arapahoe Street. Both asked that the board not reduce parking because their patients were disabled and needed to be able to park close to the business. The board members discussed the proposed redesign and had a range of opinions. One said that the area was adequately walkable now, and that the project seemed like a lot of money ($642,552) for little benefit. Another said that the physical therapy patients would be able to park closer if the employees weren’t using all the parking spots. Employees should park in the parking garages on Jackson Street. A third said that the proposed trees along the street would soften the edges of downtown. In the end, they voted to stick with the plan and reduce available parking. You can watch this discussion starting at 1 hour into the meeting. You’ll have to listen closely–there are multiple conversations going on simultaneously.
Why reduce parking when demand is growing?
The goal in reducing available parking is to discourage people from driving downtown–to walk, bike, use scooters, take Ubers, etc. instead. If people must drive, planners want them to park in the parking garages on Jackson Street. To the frustration of City Staff, people seem reluctant to park in the garages–they prefer to park outside. (In my case, I think of parking garages as unsafe spaces.)
The “larger discussion” that Council will eventually have will include consideration of remote parking and shuttle buses into downtown.
Real World Events
9:15-9:45AM Baby Time @ Golden Library
10:15-10:45AM Toddler Time @ Golden Library – WAITLIST
11:00AM-12:30PM Golden Community Table @ First United Methodist Church
11:30AM-PM Library for All: Interactive Programs for Adults with Disabilities
2-9PM Raise a Pint, Lend a Hand – Marshall Fire Victims @ Holidaily Brewing
5:45-7:45PM Golden Women in Business Table Talks
6PM Fun Run @ Runners Roost
6-9PM Mini Paint Night @ Golden Game Guild
6:30-10PM Wax N’ Suds @ Columbine Cafe
Live Music
5-8PM Shawn Eckels @ Golden Mill
6-9PM UllrGrass Contest Winner @ New Terrain Brewing
6PM Open Pick Night @ Over Yonder Brewing
8PM Karaoke @ Rock Rest Lodge
Golden History Moment
In its early years, the School of Mines offered short courses, designed to provide a basic technical education in a specific subject. The offerings included courses in prospecting, coal mining, and highway construction.
106 Years Ago
The January 27, 1916 Colorado Transcript announced that a Prospectors course would begin the following Monday and would last for five weeks. The cost for the course was $2, plus materials. The cost of lodging in Golden at that time ranged from $5 to $7 per week. The curriculum included:
Mineralogy, lecture and lab – 40 hours
Geological features – 10 hours
Chemistry – 30 yours
Metallurgy and assaying – 5 hours
Placer mining – 5 hours
Mining Law – 10 hours
Mine Safety
The February 3rd Transcript reported that 37 people had registered for the course–34 men and 3 women. A woman from Granby was taking the course alongside her son. Golden contributed several students, including a 19 year old man and a 64 year old minister. Several students came from far-flung places to take the class, including Michigan, Washington State, Illinois, and the Yukon Territory.
The public was invited to submit samples for the students to assay.
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!
