Follow-Up on The Great Stink
I received a call yesterday from Mark Koch, the environmental manager from MillerCoors. I had left a message on their odor hot line, saying that the odor from their wastewater plant is particularly bad right now. He agreed that it’s bad, said the hot weather makes it worse , and added that the vents for the treatment plant are right next to Highway 58 . He said they had made several improvements over the years that have helped: they added scrubbers in 2010 and an ionizer in 2016. Nevertheless, he remarked that 2017 (post improvements) had been a particularly bad year. He says they have monthly phone meetings with City staff. He said they have “persuaded some experts to come out to identify quick fixes.” I asked what their plans were for longer term fixes. He said they would have to look into it.
I called the Health Department on the same day (Jeffco’s, not the state’s as I had reported last week). I haven’t heard back from them, but Mr. Koch from MillerCoors said the Health Department odor measurements showed that the plant was operating within acceptable limits. He also commented that the Golden plant receives far more complaints than any of their other breweries.
If you’re bothered by the smell, by all means, call and leave a voice mail. Even if you never hear back, at least now we know that they’re counting the phone calls. 1) Call Coors’ Odor Complaint Hotline (303-277-2112) and leave a message, telling them that they have a problem. 2) Call the Jefferson County Health Department (303-232-6301) and ask them to check the odor from the wastewater treatment plant to verify that it is in compliance with their operating permit.
Incidentally, the term “The Great Stink” is one I drew from English history.
Wednesday Events:
10AM-3PM Blood Drive
10-11AM TriceraTOTs
6-7PM Y’ALL
6:30-8:45PM West Denver Chapter of Trout Unlimited
7:30PM – Preview Showing of Once at Miners Alley
Tonight and tomorrow night, catch a preview performance of Miners Alley’s new musical for only $15!
6PM – Lecture at the Golden History Museum: Tourism, Make-Believe, and the Built Environment: Colorado’s Mid-Century Tourist Parks
Join our panel as we take a visual journey to Colorado’s historic theme parks, featuring those built around the mid-century heyday of American tourism and family road trips (envision wood-paneled station wagon and no seatbelts!). Design, kitsch, and make-believe all merge in these creative, nostalgic and visually rich set designs that have become part of our historic Colorado fabric. Presented by Michelle Slaughter, Abigail Christman, Jane Watkins, and Cindy Nasky. Learn more and register here….
6:30PM Planning Commission Study Session
The Planning Commission will meet tonight to discuss the West Downtown Neighborhood Plan. The City posted an online survey asking how the public wanted the “West Downtown” area to be developed. The survey was not included in the meeting packet, but apparently it asked whether people wanted the residences in the 12th Street historic district to be “downzoned” from R3 to R2. 71% of the respondents said no, they didn’t want that. When asked whether the downtown architectural requirements should be revised, 72% said yes. The meeting packet doesn’t say how many people took the survey, but it does say that only 5 of the respondents live in the West Downtown area.
The survey asked “whether the community would support a decrease in parking to make way for more commercial development or enhanced pedestrian amenities.” It asked whether the city should start charging for on-street parking spots (majority answered no) and whether the parking lots should be removed (65% said no). Overall, 39% of the respondents felt that parking in the West Downtown area should be increased, 38% said it should be decreased, and 22% said it should remain the same.
Somewhat surprisingly, city staff took those survey results as direction to begin decreasing available parking downtown: “…a strong contingent of the survey responses would like to see a reduction in the amount of parking and an increase in efficiency. Therefore, staff has elected to promote a series of projects that will transition the west downtown away from surface parking.”
To better understand the City’s goals, see the meeting packet. To hear the Planning Commissions response to these suggestions, watch the meeting.
Tonight’s Live Music:
Rock Rest Lodge – Dave Frisk, 5-830PM
Dirty Dogs Roadhouse – Peter Fletcher, 6-9PM
Thursday Preview:
9AM – Public Art Commission
6PM – Hike to Happy Hour
6PM – Beginning Line Dance Class
6:30PM – Leather Earring Workshop
Live Music at Ace Hi Tavern, Golden Hotel, New Terrain Brewing, Rock Rest Lodge
