Print
E-mail
Comment
Software offers new tool for Cripple Creek developers
  
|
By Norma Engelberg
The July 1 Cripple Creek City Council meeting started out with a demonstration of Sketchup software used by Thomas $ Thomas, the consulting firm helping the city update its master plan.
Using the software, Councilmember Gary Ledford took the city hall block of Bennett Avenue and showed what it might look like with a hotel, underground parking, casino expansions and workforce housing.
The software allows viewers to see the street at any level from below street grade to birds-eye-view.
Using a photo postcard of the old National Building, which used to stand on the next block, Ledford used the software to stretch it and place it in a vacant space on the main street just to show what it would look like.
One audience member was worried that large buildings would block the views of property owners across the street, but Ledford said property owners have the right to build and that because of the lay of the land, even a one-story building will block views.
“The purpose of this workshop is to show you what infill could look like,” he said. “It’s only a vision. Anything built on Bennett would have to be a big joint venture.”
Mayor Dan Baader said he wants developers to use this kind of software to show how their projects will fit with what’s already there and show the layman what the city will look like.
The next step for council is to create zoning and design specifications that not only preserve the historic character of the city’s downtown but also show developers what is allowed and what isn’t.”
“We can’t be a moving target,” Baader said. “We have to show people what is allowed and give them the tools they need to do it.”
Historic preservation and planning director Larry Manning suggested re-writing the city’s preservation ordinance, keeping it strict on Bennett Avenue and adding flexibility on the next streets north and south, Myers and Carr. As the ordinance is written currently, both of these streets are governed by the same rules as Bennett.
During the regular meeting, council voted to amend an emergency ordinance that was approved last month creating a parking exempt zone on Bennett Avenue. The exemption would allow developers of non-gaming businesses on the main street from having to meet off-street parking requirements. The amendment extends that area from the 400 block of East Bennett to the 400 block of West Bennett.
Officials hope that lifting the parking requirement for non-gaming businesses will lead to more diversified development, Manning said.
Council agreed to transfer $15,000 to the heritage tourism department to pay for cost overruns in printing and mailing tourist packets. Costs for producing the packets have been higher than estimated and because of their design they can’t be sent as media mail.
“It costs $6.89 to produce and mail each packet,” said Ray White, heritage tourism director. “That’s $4.61 for materials, $2.28 for postage and doesn’t include labor.”
The plan is to finish mailing packets that are already printed for this quarter, create a link to the information on the city Web site for the next quarter and create a glossy magazine that can be mailed cheaper for next year.
“Some of the other cities are doing that and they are very effective,” Baader said.
Council approved a request to move the two historic cabins at the corner of Golden Avenue and Colo. 67 to Hardrock Park at the Cripple Creek District Museum between the Assay Office and the Colorado Trading & Transfer Office. At first, museum director Jan MacKell suggested that the cabins remain city property but Ledford said the city should just donate the buildings and that’s what they did.
The cabins will be stabilized and furnished the way they would have been when first built. They will be dedicated to the memory of Jeff Miller, who was instrumental in preserving them.
City administrator Bill McPherson said a title search is being conducted on a piece of land in Cripple Creek Mountain Estates that was donated to the city years ago in preparation for listing the property for sale.
He also said a man, who for the last 20 years has owned 49 vacant lots in or just outside city limits, wants to know if he can donate some of them to the city for a tax break. Public Works director Chip Hoffman has determined that some of the lots could be used to add a water tank.
Ledford said he didn’t see any reason why council wouldn’t be favorable to the donation since they don’t generate much tax revenue and city attorney Lee Phillips said there were no legal impediments.
During the next week paving work will take place on Teller County Road 1 between the Medical Plaza and the Post Office and four streets around the Wildwood Casino. The city has transferred funds from a streetscape project to the paving project because officials decided that starting streetscape work was not a good idea since the casinos are moving to 24-hour gambling.
Historic Preservation and planning department building manager unveiled a plaque from the Cripple Creek-Victor Class of 1958 that will be installed at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. A similar plaque was recently installed at the Victor Sunnyside Cemetery.
Baader said a meeting with representatives of Colorado Department of Transportation has been profitable, literally.
“They didn’t realize that we have been taking care of Bennett Avenue [Colo. 67] since 1992,” he said. “They have agreed that they owe us about $100,000 a year so they’re going to cut us a check for $60,000. ... They have also agreed to look into letting us take over the road. If they do that they will upgrade the entire street before handing it over to us.”
The $60,000 covers work done so far this year, he said, but the department won’t be paying for work done in previous years. After the meeting, Baader said the department will be investigating why this went on so long without their knowledge.
Using the software, Councilmember Gary Ledford took the city hall block of Bennett Avenue and showed what it might look like with a hotel, underground parking, casino expansions and workforce housing.
The software allows viewers to see the street at any level from below street grade to birds-eye-view.
Using a photo postcard of the old National Building, which used to stand on the next block, Ledford used the software to stretch it and place it in a vacant space on the main street just to show what it would look like.
One audience member was worried that large buildings would block the views of property owners across the street, but Ledford said property owners have the right to build and that because of the lay of the land, even a one-story building will block views.
“The purpose of this workshop is to show you what infill could look like,” he said. “It’s only a vision. Anything built on Bennett would have to be a big joint venture.”
Mayor Dan Baader said he wants developers to use this kind of software to show how their projects will fit with what’s already there and show the layman what the city will look like.
The next step for council is to create zoning and design specifications that not only preserve the historic character of the city’s downtown but also show developers what is allowed and what isn’t.”
“We can’t be a moving target,” Baader said. “We have to show people what is allowed and give them the tools they need to do it.”
Historic preservation and planning director Larry Manning suggested re-writing the city’s preservation ordinance, keeping it strict on Bennett Avenue and adding flexibility on the next streets north and south, Myers and Carr. As the ordinance is written currently, both of these streets are governed by the same rules as Bennett.
During the regular meeting, council voted to amend an emergency ordinance that was approved last month creating a parking exempt zone on Bennett Avenue. The exemption would allow developers of non-gaming businesses on the main street from having to meet off-street parking requirements. The amendment extends that area from the 400 block of East Bennett to the 400 block of West Bennett.
Officials hope that lifting the parking requirement for non-gaming businesses will lead to more diversified development, Manning said.
Council agreed to transfer $15,000 to the heritage tourism department to pay for cost overruns in printing and mailing tourist packets. Costs for producing the packets have been higher than estimated and because of their design they can’t be sent as media mail.
“It costs $6.89 to produce and mail each packet,” said Ray White, heritage tourism director. “That’s $4.61 for materials, $2.28 for postage and doesn’t include labor.”
The plan is to finish mailing packets that are already printed for this quarter, create a link to the information on the city Web site for the next quarter and create a glossy magazine that can be mailed cheaper for next year.
“Some of the other cities are doing that and they are very effective,” Baader said.
Council approved a request to move the two historic cabins at the corner of Golden Avenue and Colo. 67 to Hardrock Park at the Cripple Creek District Museum between the Assay Office and the Colorado Trading & Transfer Office. At first, museum director Jan MacKell suggested that the cabins remain city property but Ledford said the city should just donate the buildings and that’s what they did.
The cabins will be stabilized and furnished the way they would have been when first built. They will be dedicated to the memory of Jeff Miller, who was instrumental in preserving them.
City administrator Bill McPherson said a title search is being conducted on a piece of land in Cripple Creek Mountain Estates that was donated to the city years ago in preparation for listing the property for sale.
He also said a man, who for the last 20 years has owned 49 vacant lots in or just outside city limits, wants to know if he can donate some of them to the city for a tax break. Public Works director Chip Hoffman has determined that some of the lots could be used to add a water tank.
Ledford said he didn’t see any reason why council wouldn’t be favorable to the donation since they don’t generate much tax revenue and city attorney Lee Phillips said there were no legal impediments.
During the next week paving work will take place on Teller County Road 1 between the Medical Plaza and the Post Office and four streets around the Wildwood Casino. The city has transferred funds from a streetscape project to the paving project because officials decided that starting streetscape work was not a good idea since the casinos are moving to 24-hour gambling.
Historic Preservation and planning department building manager unveiled a plaque from the Cripple Creek-Victor Class of 1958 that will be installed at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. A similar plaque was recently installed at the Victor Sunnyside Cemetery.
Baader said a meeting with representatives of Colorado Department of Transportation has been profitable, literally.
“They didn’t realize that we have been taking care of Bennett Avenue [Colo. 67] since 1992,” he said. “They have agreed that they owe us about $100,000 a year so they’re going to cut us a check for $60,000. ... They have also agreed to look into letting us take over the road. If they do that they will upgrade the entire street before handing it over to us.”
The $60,000 covers work done so far this year, he said, but the department won’t be paying for work done in previous years. After the meeting, Baader said the department will be investigating why this went on so long without their knowledge.
Submit a Comment
|
You must be logged in to post a comment.
|
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one. |
