The moon will be full tonight. It will rise at 7:12PM and set tomorrow morning at 8:13AM. This full moon report is brought to you by Buglet Solar.
6-8PM The Golden Police Department invites you to their monthly Golden Safety Academy. Tonight’s focus is Environmental Dangers and Home Safety Kit. Seating is limited, so please register.
6:30PM The Golden Urban Renewal Authority will meet this evening in City Council Chambers. The meeting packet is available online. Staff will update them on the various Urban Renewal Areas:
Parfet-Briarwood – There will be a neighborhood public input meeting on March 16th to discuss design options for 8th St.
Central Neighborhoods – GURA might choose to extend a sidewalk up to 23rd St. and add lighting on 24th St.
West Colfax – Golden is working with CDOT to eventually get title to the land along Colfax that fronts Heritage Square. That way, Golden could develop the property. The County will hold public meetings on March 10th and 19th to update us on the Heritage Square/Jeffco Open Space land swap. We expect that, as a by-product of that swap, the City will receive title to part of the Bachman property. Hunger Free Golden has identified sections of the community most at risk for shortage–and it tends to be in the West Colfax URA area. Last week, the Planning Commission approved a new “commercial boarding house” to be built in the Gateway Village area, next to Origin Red Rocks Hotel.
They will also hear a report from the Legacy Fund Task Force, which met on February 21st. This is a small group consisting of 2 members of GURA and 2 members of the DDA, plus a backup member from each board, plus city staff, that is discussing how to spend the $1.8 million left from when GURA redeveloped downtown. Some hope that the money will be used to “un-blight” the Astor House and others want to use it to build Affordable Housing. City staff is suggesting a drainage project along Ford Street.
More Monday Events:
10AM Hunger Free Golden Meeting
10AM Toddler Time at the Library
10:30AM Toddler Time at the Library
11:15AM Let’s Dance at the Library
12-4:30PM Pinochle at the Front Porch
12:15PM Preschool Time at the Library
5-8PM Social Bridge at the Front Porch
6PM Make It Count MAGIC Monday (MICMM) at the Buffalo Rose
7:30PM Nar-Anon Family Group at Calvary Episcopal (map)
Speaking of the Boarding House…
If you’re interested in learning more about the boarding house to be built in the Gateway Village area (near the Red Rocks Origin Hotel and Avalanche Harley Davidson), you should watch last week’s Planning Commission meeting. It was an interesting conversation. The developer (Confluence) said the ground floor will include 8,000 square feet of co-working space, common areas, one or two restaurants, and a bike manufacturing facility. Upstairs, there will be 160 co-living units with 204 beds. The cost of an average 1 bedroom with a 12 month lease will be $1184/month. A three bedroom “pod” will go for $2700/month. If the tenants want furniture, it will cost more. He concluded by saying “If you vote against this, you’re voting against sustainability. You’re voting against attainable housing.”
A board member remarked that the area is a “food desert,” and wondered how people could live affordably with no grocery stores nearby. The developer responded that the term “food desert” is archaic because young adults don’t cook. They use Door Dash and Uber Eats and reheat leftovers.
Several people spoke during public comment. The developer of Gateway Village said he was pleased with the project because this was his last development pad. The owner of a new salon in that area introduced himself as the retired superintendent of juvenile services in Dallas. He and his wife would love to be able to employ kids coming out of the juvenile justice system, mental health facilities, and foster care, and this building would be an enormous resource. A young woman working for the company that plans to build a self-storage business in that area thinks this would be a very desirable place to live because it would be affordable and close to outdoor activities.
A board member asked the Planning Manager why this residential development wouldn’t be subject to the 1% growth limit. He said that because the units didn’t have kitchens, they didn’t count as living units. A member asked whether–if we do decide to impose a lodging tax–these rooms would be subject to that. The Planning Manager said probably not, because lodging tax generally applies to short-term lodging, and these rooms will be rented a minimum of 30 days at a time.
One last confusing remark made by the developer: he said he couldn’t justify building commercial, because commercial tax is too high (Does that mean the building is taxed as a residence?)
There was some speculation as to whether similar projects could be built in other parts of town–apartments without kitchens, so they didn’t count as living units, so they would not be subject to the 1% growth limit.
Preview of Tuesday Events:
10AM Toddler Time at the Library
9:15AM Baby Time at the Library
10AM Everything Dinosaur Talk: Pachycephalosaurs
10:30AM Toddler Time at the Library
10:30AM Mah Jongg at the Front Porch in the Community Center
11AM Golden Tones Band at the Front Porch in the Community Center
11:15AM Toddler Time at the Library
1:15-3PM Hands and Hearts at the Front Porch in the Community Center
4PM Play & Build at the Library
5PM Golden Chamber’s VIBE@Five at Cheese Ranch
5:30PM Proposed Heritage Square Exchange Community Meeting
5:30PM Golden High School PTA Meeting
6PM Orchestra Performance at Bell Middle School
6PM Golden Beer Talks – Michael Kerwin, PhD, University of Denver – The Day Cape Town Nearly Ran Out of Water: Implications for Drought and Water Supply in the Denver Area
6PM French Conversation Group at Goozell
6:15PM Making Body Butters at Earth Sweet Botanicals
6:30PM Bingo at the VFW
6:30PM Self Defense Class for Women at Runners High
6:30PM Economic Development Commission (EdComm) Meeting
