John Scarffe, Black Hawk. The Black Hawk City Council conditionally approved an RV campground and shooting range at the Miners’ Mesa Subdivision during a regular meeting on Wednesday, October 12, 2020, at 3 p.m. The meeting followed the Ceremonial Swearing-In of Police Chief Michelle Moriarty at 1:30 p.m. at the Robert A. Clark Emergency Operations Center.

To begin the regular meeting, the City Council met in executive session. During Public Hearings, the Council considered a resolution conditionally approving a Special Review Use Permit to allow an RV campground including one caretaker’s unit and an indoor shooting range in the Miners’ Mesa Subdivision across from the City’s Public Works facility, according to background.

The property, about 47.7 acres in size, is owned by Club Vista Properties II, LLC. The applicant, Dalton Horan, requested the SRUs, which may be allowed in the zoning district. 

If approved by the Council, the applicant can apply for a Site Development Plan and provide construction documents and plans for construction of the infrastructure needed for the public and private improvements to build the proposed development. On July 22, 2020, Club Vista Properties II, LLC, dedicated about 2.3 acres in the Miners’ Mesa Subdivision to the City of Black Hawk for the purposes of extending and improving Miners’ Mesa Road, according to the request. 

This extension will provide improved access to the proposed Black Hawk Park. The applicant has provided phased conceptual plans for the development of the proposed Black Hawk Park, according to background.

Phase 1 of the development would include fifty permanently located rental Airstream RVs, forty-three temporary RV sites, six indoor shooting range lanes housed in three metal storage container modular units, a basecamp office, axe throwing, lawn games and a beer garden. Each permanent Airstream site would include a propane grill, picnic table, shade sail, string lights and full hookups for water, sewer and electricity. 

Phase 1 of the development would also include the development of a distillery on a separate lot to be created on the eastern portion of the existing one-lot property. Phase 2 of the development would further subdivide the property creating eight additional one-acre commercial lots in the area where the temporary RV sites will be located in Phase 1. The Phase 2 commercial lots are proposed to be sold for the development of additional small-scale distilleries in the future when the market is stronger to provide them. 

Staff recommended approving a Special Review Use permit to allow an RV campground including one caretaker’s unit and an indoor shooting range with 11 conditions. The Board approved the SRU and will continue to work through the project.

Staff recommended directing the City Manager to approve and accept a grant offered by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program (CESF), originated from the U.S. Department of Justice, in the amount of $214,000 to reimburse staffing expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The City of Black Hawk has been granted $214,000 to pay for the salary and benefits of one police officer from January 20, 2020, through January 31, 2022. The funds will be a reimbursement on expenses the City has already incurred to maintain staffing levels. The Board approved the Intergovernmental Grant Agreement between the City of Black Hawk and the State of Colorado’s Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice.

The Board approved an ordinance appointing directors to the board of the Black Hawk Business Improvement District. Based on the recommendations provided by the BID with presently two vacancies to be filled, the City Council appointed Tim Morrissey, General Manager of the Saratoga Casino Black Hawk, and Kenneth J. Ostempowski, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Isle Casino Hotel & Lady Luck Casino, Caesars Entertainment, Inc., to the office of Director of the Business Improvement District. Both were confirmed by the BID Board on September 1, 2020, with a unanimous recommendation for appointment.

City Manager Stephen Cole distributed the Proposed 2021 Annual Budget. The Council will have a workshop on November 11, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. and then commence with the Council meeting after the workshop. The Board then convened for another executive session related to city owned property and potential litigation.

(Originally published in the October 22, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)