The lights went out in the City of Black Hawk City Council chambers at the end of the July 26 meeting, which started at 3 p.m. at 211 Church Street in Black Hawk. During the meeting, loud claps
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The lights went out in the City of Black Hawk City Council chambers at the end of the July 26 meeting, which started at 3 p.m. at 211 Church Street in Black Hawk. During the meeting, loud claps of thunder could be heard, and then, finally and suddenly, the lights went out as the last action item was being approved.
The Council heard a request for land acquisitions on Bates Hill. The City is initiating annexation proceedings on parcels in unincorporated Gilpin County, according to the staff report. The proposed annexations include Annexation No. 1 through Annexation No. 6, all on Bates Hill in Section 12, Township 3 South, Range 73 West, 6th P.M.
All annexation areas are adjacent to the City of Black Hawk. All areas considered to be annexed are owned by the City and cover about 19.6 acres of land on Bates Hill. Annexation Numbers 1 through 6 will extend the City’s boundaries while remaining within the agreed upon Growth Area Boundary per the 2020 Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Central City.
Vincent Harris with Baseline Corporation said they have six annexations on Bates Hill on the south side of Maryland Mountain. He needs two motions from the Council, one to annex the property and one to zone the area into the HARD District. The Council approved the annexation and rezoning.
Jason Walsh, fire marshal, introduced an ordinance addressing amendments to the Adopted International Fire Code, 2021 Edition. Fire Department staff reviewed the current provisions of the Fire Code of the City of Black Hawk and recommended minimum requirements for Deputy Fire Code Official certification, adding an exception for fire sprinkler requirements for Occupancy Group R buildings, and deletion of additional fire alarm requirements for new development.
Walsh said they would like to amend the code and eliminate the requirement for sprinklers in rooms in buildings of no more than one story, but smoke alarms will be required. The exhaust from a truck in a parking garage set off an alarm, so they will eliminate that as a requirement.
Mayor David Spellman said this was a good cleanup, and the Council approved the ordinance.
Cindy Linker, Community Planning and Development, introduced a resolution approving the Certificate of Architectural Compatibility for the property at 187 Clear Creek Street. Linker said the applicant is Michael Mullin; the building is a contributing structure to Black Hawk history. The changes will include repairing lighting, as well as the historic outbuilding, retaining walls, and a concrete walkway. The interior is being completely re-done, paid for by the homeowner.
The applicants, Michael Mullin, and Dorinda Graff, on behalf of Fellowship Benevolent Corporation, are requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness (COAC) for the rehabilitation of the historic house, the historic outbuilding (outside the period of significance), and the site at 187 Clear Creek Street.
This residence was constructed circa 1897. The property was recorded as part of the 1986 National Park Service (NPS) survey of Black Hawk and the 2010 resurvey conducted by Deon Wolfenbarger. It is also listed in the 1991 National Historic Landmark (NHL) Nomination and was included in a 2004 photo re-survey.
The resource is recorded as a contributing feature of the Central City-Black Hawk NHL District as an unnamed resource. The existing residence is a vernacular “Folk Victorian: Gabled-Ell” residence.
The character-defining features of the residence’s form are the front gable and wing that join to form an L-shaped building. Other important features include the Victorian-era detailing, such as the decorative wood lace trim within the gable end and the turned spindles along the top of the porch. There are two entry doors, and the one-story porch is set within the ell. Not much historic information is known about the outbuilding, but materials suggest that the shed was built sometime after 1950.
The proposed rehabilitation maintains the character of surrounding residential areas along Clear Creek Street. The design and selection of building materials are consistent with the historic character of Black Hawk and all colors have been selected from the historic color palette adopted by the City and recommended for use.
The building received a City of Black Hawk rehabilitation grant for work to be completed as part of the current project. The Council approved moving forward with the project, and Linker said she will bring this back to the Council’s August 9 meeting.
Finance Director Lance Hillis introduced a resolution accepting the City of Black Hawk 2022 Audit. Colorado State law requires that the financial statements of the City be audited by an independent Certified Public Accountant. The City’s auditor, John Cutler & Associates, LLC, has issued a clean or unqualified opinion. This means the Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the City. This is the best type of opinion an auditee may receive from an external auditor.
The Council approved the resolution.
Matt Reed with Public Works introduced a resolution approving change order #1 with PEH Architects in the amount of $114,468 for design services associated with the Copper Kitchen Pizzeria Project. Reed said they are regrouping regarding the location at 271 Gregory Street.
Now they want to rebuild and put in an elevator, so they have a new set of documents that need to be prepared. Spellman said it is too costly to salvage the original building.
PEH Architects and their design team had previously completed the design process and prepared a full set of building permit documents for the Copper Kitchen Pizzeria, whereby the existing structure at 271 Gregory Street would be relocated to the east end of the Gregory Street Plaza and reconfigured into a pizzeria. However, because of higher-than-expected construction costs, a decision was made to redesign the project.
The Copper Kitchen Pizzeria building would be simplified, removing the basement and squaring up the building to allow for the use of modular building panels. The existing building at 271 Gregory Street would be demolished instead of being relocated and modified.
The existing pedestrian ramp at the east end of the Plaza would be removed and an exterior elevator added to maintain ADA access. Finally, the curve at the lower end of Church Street would be widened to allow for better visibility. A new set of construction documents would need to be prepared for this revised concept, which results in additional work for PEH Architects and their sub-consultants.
That’s when the lights went out, but the Council approved the resolution.
The next meeting of the City of Black Hawk City Council will be on August 9, 2023, at 3 p.m. at 211 Church Street. For more information, go to https://www.cityofblackhawk.org/