Aldermen Sworn In Three Aldermen were sworn in to the Black Hawk City Council during a regular meeting at 3 p.m. on April 13, 2022. Above, left; Judge Carlson swore in, from left, Jim Johnson, Linda Armbright and Hal Midcap. Above, right; the Council approved a Liquor License for JKQ Consolidated at its new Crook’s Palace location, represented by owner Kara Tinucci. PHOTOS BY JOHN SCARFFE[/caption]

Three aldermen were sworn in to the Black Hawk City Council during a regular meeting on April 13, 2022, at 211 Church Street in Black Hawk. The Council approved a Liquor License for JKQ Consolidated, an Exemption Plat for Black Hawk Park, and a real estate purchase from Eagle Property.

Judge Carlson began the meeting by ringing the traditional bell to start the meetings. He then swore in incumbents Linda Armbright, Jim Johnson, and Hal Midcap.

The Black Hawk City Council canceled the April 5, 2022, City election during a regular meeting on February 9. City Attorney Corey Hoffmann introduced a resolution canceling the April 5 Regular Election and Declaring the Candidates Elected. This is a statutory provision: according to the Black Hawk Municipal Code, the City may direct the City Clerk to cancel the election if they have received the same number of candidate petitions as the number of offices to be filled, and this election was the only matter before the voters.

As a result, the City Council directed the City Clerk to cancel the April 5 election and declare the following candidates elected to the following offices for the following terms: Linda Armbright, Alderman, four-year term; Jim Johnson, Alderman, four-year term; Hal Midcap, Alderman, four-year term.

After the swearing in, the Council went into executive session to discuss trademark licensing and land use issues.

After the executive session, and later in the meeting, the Council considered a liquor license for a new Hotel and Restaurant Liquor License for JKQ Consolidated, LLC, dba JKQ BBQ & Grill, located at 200 Gregory Street. The City Clerk’s office received the Hotel and Restaurant Liquor license application from JKQ on February 10, 2022. The application was deemed complete on that date.

The application is under concurrent review with the state, pending local approval. At their February 23 meeting, Council set the boundaries of the neighborhood as the entire City and set the public hearing date for April 13, 2022.

City Attorney Corey Hoffmann said the Council has to evaluate the eligibility for the application, and that has been done with background checks. The other question is if there is need for another hotel and restaurant in the area.

Applicant Kara Tinucci said she is very excited for customers to have a nice dinner and have a bottle of beer or glass of wine. The response from the community has been very open. She circulated a petition and went to households, focusing on Chase Street and the Commons Area. She submitted the petition to the City Clerk.

Mayor Spellman asked members of the public in attendance to raise their hands if they approved, and a majority did. The Council approved the liquor license.

Vince Harris with Baseline Corporation introduced a resolution approving an Exemption Plat for Black Hawk Park. The lot owned by the Brian Watts family ownership known as Lot 7 of the Black Hawk Park Final Plat subdivision is the only property included.

This is the property and lot that currently has the proposed Rick Thomas Distillery, and both the distillery and barrel storage buildings are under construction. They are anticipated to be completed in fall 2022. The subject property is originally part of the Black Hawk Park final plat. The Watts ownership completed a Site Development Plan (SDP) for the distillery.

At this time the owner desires to create a very small tract of land for private ownership purposes within the existing Lot 7 property. The exemption plat shows the updated lot as Lot 7A with the new Tract B (only approximately 600 square feet) as an undevelopable tract within the original expanse of Lot 7.

This new Tract B will accommodate separate private ownership. Once the proposed

Exemption Plat is approved, the landowner can and will record a deed in the Gilpin County Clerk & Recorders office changing the ownership of the Tract B as desired by the owner. The City of Black Hawk can sign off on this if this exemption plat is approved at the meeting.

Brian Watts with the distillery at 830 Miner’s Road, provided an update on the distillery and said they hope to finish construction on September 1. They have some lead time on equipment with parts coming from Shanghai.

They will have a grand opening and sip of the project when dates are firmed up. They have a Scottish still and a wash still. Spirits out of barrels will be ready in two to three years. They also will have a second line with vodka and whiskey; they can have vodka ready in 16 days. They will run the whiskey through test runs.

Watts said they will distill mostly single malt Scotch and bourbon and try some rye. They hope to have a rye. They plan to have a tasting room after two years. “We’re very excited,” he said.

The Council approved the Black Hawk Park Plat. The Council approved the contract to buy and sell real estate between the City and Eagle Property, LLC

The City is interested in acquiring land next to the Fire Department facility at 7501 Black Hawk Blvd. City Manager Stephen Cole introduced a request to approve the purchase of property owned by Eagle Property, LLC, in the amount of $250,000 plus any applicable closing costs for the Smith Lode Claim.

Eagle Property LLC has agreed to sell four parcels to the City consisting of the Smith Lode Claim, Mill Site 12, Mill Site 13, and an easement on Mill Site 13 for $250,000. Staff requested approval from the City Council to purchase the property for $250,000 plus closing costs.

The next Black Hawk City Council meeting will be at 211 Church Street in Black Hawk on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at 3 p.m. For more information go to https://site.cityofblackhawk.org/.