What’s Happening in Golden Today?
6-6:55AM Dynamic Circuit (Virtual)
8:30-9:30AM Power Training (Virtual)10AM and 1PM Wild West Pub Crawl (3 hours)
10:15-10:45AM Let’s Dance @ Golden Library
12-12:30PM Mondays with Mayor Weinberg (Virtual)
4-4:30PM Kids Martial Arts Class (Virtual)
1PM Wild West Short Tour (1 hour)
6:30PM Downtown Development Authority Meeting @ City Hall
The DDA Board will consider an External Improvement Grant request of $2500 from Red Silo Coffee Roasters, which is moving into the former Starbucks location at 13th and Washington.
The Planning Department and their consultants have begun a study on downtown parking management. The first stage is visiting various stakeholder groups to gather input about downtown parking, and tonight is the DDA’s turn to comment. Staff has been floating the idea of a shuttle bus from the former Coors lot on 10th Street. Response from the businesses (Community Marketing and Chamber members) so far has been rather tepid:
“People don’t even want to park a block away from their destination—I don’t see them parking half a mile away and waiting for a bus.”
“I’m not sure about having people dropped off at bus stops. If we don’t have people strolling through downtown to get back to their car, they may not stop for coffee or ice cream or window shopping.”
“I have employees arriving before 6 AM and others leaving late at night. Unless the shuttle operates 24 hours a day, they won’t want to park over there.”
“The problem with the current parking is lack of enforcement of the 2 hour limit.”
“My employees are all women, and they’re not comfortable walking into a parking garage at night.”
“Can we arrange for Golden residents to pre-register with the parking system, so we don’t have to use the kiosks or app every time we park?”
(Citizens can send their comments about downtown parking to planning@cityofgolden.net.)
They will then discuss the Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan.
They will review their budget for next year. The budget included in tonight’s packet does not include line items for their usual grant programs, including Arts and Culture, Websites, Exterior Improvements, Special Events and Workshops, Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy, or Public Benefit Grants. The usual “Community Partnering” sums are also missing. This includes the Golden Visitors Center, Miners Alley Playhouse, and Foothills Art Center.
Staff will report on a Downtown Business Survey, which is currently underway, and the Visitors Center capital project, which would enclose the lower patio to make it usable year-round. The project to add overhead lighting to Miners Alley is underway.
Golden History Moment
6 Years Ago
In November of 2016, the museums were hosting some interesting lectures:
Golden History Museum – The Denver and Interurban Streetcar
Geology Museum – The Potential for Transformation in the Geosciences & Engineering Disciplines, in the Mining Industry, and Even in Academia Using the Principles of Applied Neuroscience
Railroad Museum – History of Dining Car China
Mountaineering – 100 Years of Colorado’s National Parks & Monuments
Quilt Museum – Persuasion by Hanky: Politics, Policies and Patriots
The Library hosted Teens After Dark: Geeks Who Read Trivia Night.
Golden High School performed Shakespeare to the Death; Mines Little Theater presented Flowers for Algernon, and Miners Alley Playhouse opened their holiday play, A Christmas Carol.
To celebrate the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the library offered classes on Care of Magical Creatures.
The Spot Bar and Grill’s liquor license was transferred to a new restaurant called The Cast Iron Tavern.
City Council removed a section from our criminal code that prohibited “aggressive begging” and added one making possession of an illegal weapon “unlawful.”
The Public Art Commission reviewed the City’s art collection decided to deaccession the family of bears and kids sledding.
The Downtown Development Authority reviewed suggestions from the public about downtown. Ideas included building affordable housing; more frequent trash collection; more outdoor dining; less outdoor dining; more signs; fewer signs; develop the Foss lot and the block beyond that; require new buildings to provide plentiful onsite parking; add statues of skiers, hikers, and wildlife–no abstract art.
The Planning Commission approved the site plan for a building at 24th & Jackson.
Foothills Art Center opened their annual Holiday Art Market.
The Railroad Museum opened the Polar Express and sold out almost immediately.
The Sustainability Committee hosted a Sustainability Night to highlight green building techniques.
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!
