More than a dozen Estes Valley residents were recognized at a Community Information Academy graduation ceremony and reception during the Town Board meeting Tuesday night.
The program, which consists of six weekly three-hour classroom sessions and a Town facilities tour, offers an inside look at how town government works. The purpose of the program is to familiarize participants with Estes Park’s municipal government and encourage community engagement. Many CIA graduates have gone on to serve on various pubic boards and participate in other volunteer activities in the Estes Valley.
Sessions included a focus on Public Works, Utilities, Internal Services, Community Development, Finance, the Town Administrator’s Office, Town Clerk and Human Resources, Events and Visitor Services, Police, the Municipal Court, and Special Districts.
The CIA is held on odd-numbered years. The next session will be held in 2027.
Arbor Day and Duck Race Proclamations
Connor Nattrass, 8, a student at Estes Park Elementary School, was the first-place winner of the Arbor Day poster contest, sponsored by the Town of Estes Park and local sign makers.
The poster includes his drawing of happy squirrels in trees, on rocks, and by the river
along with the slogan: “Plant a tree today … the squirrels will love it tomorrow!”
The young artist was honored at Tuesday night’s Town Board, where Mayor Gary Hall
read a proclamation recognizing April 25 as Arbor Day. Nattrass will also receive a $100 cash prize from Smith Sign Studio.
Posters of Nattrass’ design will be displayed around town to encourage the community to pick up a free tree on April 26 at the Town’s greenhouse in the Park Division yard, 600 Big Thompson Ave. This facility is located on the east side of the Visitor Center’s parking lot.
The Estes Park Duck Race will be on May 3. This is the 37th year of this event, sponsored
by the Rotary Club of Estes Park. Hall’s proclamation explained that the Duck Race provides
area non-profit organizations and community groups with a fundraising opportunity
through the “adoption” of rubber ducks to be included in the race.
The public can adopt a duck by purchasing a ticket for $25; each adoption is a donation to a specific organization of the donor’s choosing.
The Stanley Hotel is offering a free ticket to the Burn the Ballroom concert on May 2 with every duck adoption by those 21 and older until the event is sold out. Tickets to the concert with special guest Patrick Warburton, are expected to sell out quickly. Warburton is a comic and actor known for his roles on Seinfeld, Family Guy, Rules of Engagement, and many other television shows and feature films.
This year, the race has a new route. Thousands of adopted ducks will be released into
the Big Thompson River from the bridge near the post office in downtown Estes Park to
reach the finish line near the visitor’s center. This event is a festival every year along the
Riverwalk downtown.
Over the past 37 years, the Estes Park Duck Race has raised more than $3 million for
local nonprofits and groups, according to their website.
Annexation of Elkhorn Phase II
The Town Board heard from Town staff and the petitioner, East Avenue Development, about the proposed annexation of the Elkhorn Phase II project. Because of high public interest from neighbors, the mayor also allowed an opportunity for public comment. Typically, public comment is not permitted during presentations to the Board unless the meeting goes into a public hearing.
The project seeks annexation of a parcel of undeveloped land called the “Upper 40” located in unincorporated Larimer County into the Town of Estes Park and a change in zoning from its current classification of Estes Valley Rural Estate to Town of Estes Park Accommodations.
The site is mostly comprised of slopes of 20 to 30 degrees and has a ridgeline that would be subject to ridgeline protection status if annexed into the Town.
Paul Hornbeck, the town’s senior planner, presented the petition which pointed out that according to the Estes Valley Future Planning Map, the area in question was planned to be zoned A1, rural accommodations, if it were to be annexed by the Town.
“The applicant has requested ‘A Accommodations/Highway Corridor Zoning,’ which allows hotels and resort lodges/cabins,” said Hornbeck in the meeting.
In comparison, A1 zoning would only allow small hotels of eight rooms or less and would place a limit of 20 guest rooms, an overall density of one guest room per 1,800 square feet of land area, considering “reductions required for sites with slopes in excess of 12%,” Hornbeck said.
The petitioner’s application includes plans for two 110-room hotels and various other amenities, including treehouse camping sites and ample parking.
During public comments, neighbors cited concerns about wildlife corridors, steep slopes, and increased traffic as reasons not to change the zoning on the undeveloped land.
Advantages to annexation include having the developer follow Town regulations and increased sales and lodging tax revenue, said Hornbeck.
Disadvantages include “potential negative impacts to quality of life of nearby residents and potential additional stress on the housing market,” Hornbeck said, along with providing Town services to the property and the staff time involved in reviewing development applications and permits.
It is expected that the developer will bear the cost of providing the site with the required infrastructure.
There are several additional steps before any annexation could take place.
Utility hardening grant accepted
A grant to improve the line between two Town of Estes Park Electric substations was accepted at the meeting. Line Superintendent Joe Lockhart said that the project will underground approximately 1,800 feet of electric line and improve 2,700 feet of line with tree cable.
This project is estimated to cost $722,895.00 and will be paid in part through the Grid Hardening Small and Rural Communities Grant. Funding is from the State of Colorado and the US Department of Energy in the amount of $538,262. The matching requirement for the grant will be met with in-kind labor instead of cash and will be performed by the utility’s staff, said Lockhart.
VEP executive director search
During Board comments, Trustee Kirby Hazelton reported on the search for a new executive director for Visit Estes Park. Hazelton, who is the Town Board liaison to VEP, read a prepared statement sent out by Mike Zumbaugh, the interim CEO of VEP, at the request of Sean Jergens, chair of VEP, that explained that one of the finalists for the CEO position was the subject of allegations that required investigation. During that process, the candidate withdrew from consideration.
Visit Estes Park is a marketing district charged with promoting tourism to the Estes Valley area.
Subdivision amendment and rezoning approved
Two development projects were considered in public hearings during the meeting but received no public comment.
An amended subdivision plat for Elkhorn Plaza Condominiums, to be located on property which combines 540 and 550 W. Elkhorn Ave with an undeveloped adjacent property, was approved unanimously by the Town Board. So was the rezoning of 1895 Fall River Drive from Commercial Outlying to Accommodations.
The next Town of Estes Park Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Town of Estes Park Town Hall, 170 MacGregor Ave.