John Scarffe, Black Hawk. The Black Hawk City Council continued a resolution for the Black Hawk Park Preliminary and Final Plat during a virtual, regular meeting on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, at 3 p.m. The Council approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with Douglas County for access to the County’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Course and received information about the City’s 11 new employees.

City Attorney Corey Hoffmann introduced a resolution conditionally approving the Black Hawk Park Preliminary and Final Plat. He said this is a land use application. 

The Council should have a public hearing on the resolution, and then close the public hearing, continuing the item to the February 24, 2021, meeting because they don’t have the subdivision agreement at this time. They are waiting for comments back, so the Council should complete the public hearing and have the resolution on February 24.

On December 1, 2020, the City received an application from Dalton Horan of Ventana Capital, Inc., and Jason Krall of Rick Engineering on behalf of the property owner Club Vista Properties II, LLC, requesting review and approval of a Preliminary Plat and a Final Plat for the Black Hawk Park subdivision, according to the request for council action. The applicants request the subdivision of Lot 1 Block 1 Miners Mesa Subdivision into 10 commercial lots and one tract to develop the property with an Airstream RV Campground, a distillery and other commercial uses. 

A land dedication to the City of Black Hawk for future right-of-way improvements for Miners Mesa Road was executed in June 2020. The Black Hawk Park property is located at 830 Miners Mesa Road within the City of Black Hawk and is about 49 acres in size and is currently zoned Commercial/Business Services (C/BS), according to the request for council action. 

A Special Review Use (SRU) permit has been approved for the site to allow for the uses of RV campground and indoor shooting range facilities. The majority of the property is a plateau at the top of Miners Mesa Road overlooking Black Hawk. 

“The plateau area generally falls west to east, with a low point near the existing detention pond. The ground falls steeply from the plateau to the north and northeast extending past the property boundary. The majority of the property is vacant, but a few abandoned structures exist in the southeast corner of the property and are located within a Historic Preservation and Conservation Easement,” according to the request. 

The proposed subdivision of land is requested to provide nine developable commercial lots, and one tract. The proposed Tract A will include all remaining undevelopable lands including the area covered by a Historic Preservation and Conservation Easement, and will continue to be owned by Club Vista Properties II, LLC. 

The proposed uses for the Black Hawk Park development are an Airstream RV park with 50 permanent Airstream trailers for rent including a caretaker and check-in facility, Airstream bar and outdoor beer garden, possibly an indoor shooting range facility and distillery facilities including tasting rooms “The proposed development will provide public utility infrastructure improvements in accordance with development code, including stormwater, sanitary sewer, water distribution and telecommunication facilities.” 

Plans are currently proceeding for Lot 8 to be provided to another entity for the development of a distillery. There are no immediate plans determined for the remaining commercial Lots 2-6 and 8-9. Lot 6, being 3.9 acres in size, is set aside herein to be dedicated to the City of Black Hawk with the approval and recording of the Final Plat. 

The project proposes to connect to the City of Black Hawk’s water system via a looped water main connecting to the existing water main along the west side of the property and connecting into Miners Mesa Road,” according to the request. The proposed plat provides adequate utility easements and an access easement to lots that do not front Miners Mesa Road.

The applicant and City staff agreed to include the Historic Preservation and Conservation Easement land with Tract A because this land will essentially function as open space. All future and proposed development will require Site Development Plan (SDP) review and approval as well as the issuance of a Certificate of Architectural Compatibility (COAC) by the City Council before any improvements built on any of the platted lots, including Lot 6 that will be soon be owned by the City of Black Hawk.

Staff from Baseline Corporation evaluated the information provided by Dalton Horan and Jason Krall for this project. The City of Black Hawk Municipal Code allows for subdivision of property in accordance with the City of Black Hawk Municipal Code. 

Staff from Baseline Corporation suggested that the Black Hawk Park Final Plat has been prepared in accordance with the Municipal Code and recommended approval and recommended a motion to continue the public hearing. The Council approved continuing the public hearing to February 24, 2021.

Chief of Police Michelle Moriarty requested an ordinance approving the Intergovernmental Agreement with Douglas County, Colorado, for access to the County’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Course. In the past, the Police Department has been able to use Miners Mesa parking lot for POST required driving training.

The Police Department needs to locate a new area for training with the new construction area on Miners Mesa. The Police Department would like to sign an IGA with Douglas County CODE 303 to use their driving track. 

The CODE 303 facility would allow the department to conduct full training days and accommodate all the POST required hours. Website link: https://hrletf.org/services/code-303.

The Council approved the request.

City Manager Stephen Cole introduced 11 new employees. They couldn’t attend in person due to Covid-19 regulations, but they were presented in the Council’s meeting packet.

Executive Administrative Assistant Tiffany Murphy was hired at the end of March 2020. She came from various backgrounds, including a degree in Biomedical Engineering and a stint as a small Midwestern town Mayor. Most of her life was spent running her own hospitality software company.

Development Services Coordinator Ashley Wilson worked for the City of Loveland for eight years, four of those years in the Building Division. Police Officer William Amburn works the midnight shift patrolling the neighborhoods and casinos and chasing off the occasional bear. “I never thought bear chasing would become required expertise,” he said.

Police Officer Sol Atencio was born and raised in Colorado. While at the University of Colorado, Boulder, he became a Community Safety Officer, who patrolled the dorms and looked for any crime within the campus. After college, he went to the police academy at Arapahoe Community College to become a police officer. 

Police Officer Jasson Brobbey is originally from Ghana but moved to Colorado from New York and began pursuing his career in law enforcement. He has worked for Denver and Adams County Sheriff’s Department.  

Police Officer Justin Dietrick said working in the mountains is a plus. He is happily married and has a daughter. He was born and raised in Lakewood, Colorado, and worked as a police officer for Commerce City, sales of power sports and vehicles, a new construction plumber, a field technician for an engineering firm, and served as an infantryman in the U.S Army for four years. 

Sergeant Jorge Duque is originally from Colombia, South America, and moved to the United States in 1999. In his native country, he completed his mandatory military service with the Colombian National Police and, just before coming to the United States, was attending law school while working for the Colombian Department of Justice. In 2006, he moved to Colorado to become a State Trooper with the Colorado State Patrol and was assigned to Gilpin County for four years. 

In 2013, Sgt. Duque left the Colorado State Patrol to join the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office as a Criminal Investigator, where he worked felony investigations. During that time, he was also part of the Witness Protection Unit, the Critical Incident Response Team, and the Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations Unit. 

In 2015, Sgt. Duque joined the Colorado Attorney General’s Office as the Criminal Investigator in charge of the Foreign Prosecutions Unit where, in coordination with local, state, federal, and international Law Enforcement Agencies, he worked cases with international connections and acted as a liaison with other countries in criminal justice and police matters. 

Sergeant Rick Grassi made his way to Black Hawk from Texas. He joined the United States Marine Corp and then decided to become a police officer. After attending training, he worked in Texas for 21 years, including the Tomball Police Department. 

Police Officer James Kimball is assigned to the uniformed patrol division and works the 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. He and his wife Ana have been married for 28 years, and have two adult daughters. They moved to the Denver Metro area in May of 2020. He began his law enforcement career in the Air Force and has more than 25 years of combined experience in the field. 

Water Operator Michael Downing started with the City on October 21 and is working at the Dory Hill plant. He met his fiancé in Denver in 2014 and will be getting married later this year. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor of science degree in natural resources, watershed management and hydrology; and recently certifying as a Colorado Water Professional and starting a career in the water treatment industry. 

Water Operator II Travis (Royce) Mclain was hired on November 2 and is tasked with assisting with oversight of the Dory Hill Water Treatment Plant and City Distribution system. He has a wife and one son and is a native to the area.

The next meeting of the Black Hawk City Council will be on February 24, 2021. For more information go to https://site.cityofblackhawk.org/.

(Originally published in the February 18, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)