John Scarffe, Nederland. The Nederland Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors approved meeting with town engineers to discuss creating diagonal parking spaces and directed the executive director to look for designers to create wayfinding signage during a regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2019, at the Nederland Community Center. The board also agreed to move two requests for funding to 2020 budget discussions.

Executive Director Hope Jordan requested that the board approve a Request for Proposals for engineering drainage on Big Springs and Conger Streets to create diagonal parking spaces near the Caribou Shopping Center, according to the meeting minutes. Jordan presented maps and discussed parking and sidewalks from the 2017 Master Plan. 

She explained the need for engineers to look at the bioswales and requested guidance on the RFP, according to the minutes. The board discussed bioswales and how parking would possibly affect them on Conger Street. 

Bioswales are linear channels designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution. Bioswales can also be beneficial in recharging groundwater, according to Wikipedia.  

The board gave Town Engineers JVA, Inc., the go ahead to review engineering for parking on Big Springs, Conger and Lakeview, according to the minutes. Because JVA is town approved, the DDA does not need to present an RFP for JVA services.  

Board Member Brent Tregaskis said that engineers can create alternatives to parking, so they can go ahead and give the DDA a bid. The town knows JVA well and has worked with them for several years, according to the minutes. 

Town Staff and Jordan can meet with JVA to discuss the engineering project. The board agreed to work with the town’s engineering firm. Town Administrator Karen Gerrity suggested adding an engineering line item to the DDA budget and asking JVA to request a bid so that the meeting regarding parking would not cost anything. Nederland Board of Trustees Liaison Dallas Masters said they should draw a box around the shopping center to indicate that all public spaces around the area should be reviewed for parking.

Board Member Claudia Schauffler presented a request to fund Wayfinding Signage.

Jordan discussed meeting with a sign design fabricator, and Schauffler explained that the signs used in the proposal are an example and a starting point for review. 

The Master Plan defines areas where wayfinding signs were designated by Downtown Colorado Inc. and the Center for Community Development. The shopping center would be the pilot area for the signs.  

Treasurer Mandy Kneer suggested creating a map sign that directs people to areas in town. Trustee Masters suggested that a signage company should review the location of the signs to ensure that their placement is useful and efficient and proposed adding installation of all the signs in the plan. The board directed Jordan to contact three sign fabricators.

Rea Orthner requested funds for noxious weed control, which came before the board previously. These funds are for 2020, and this request is in line with the Master Plan, according to the minutes. 

The DDA could fund the downtown areas for weed reduction, and the money would go to Weed USA, the contractor. 

Orthner said a lot of people would support the request, and the town has some money in the budget for weed remediation. Japanese mountain weeds are in the downtown district and require removal. The board tabled this item for discussions about the 2020 budget. The board also placed the 2020 Beautification Request for proposals on the budget discussion.

The potential of a shared part-time employee with the Town of Nederland was considered, according to the minutes. A seasonal employee would plant and water flowers.  

The board discussed the potential of expanding landscaping in the beautification program. Treasurer Kneer discussed how the DDA has expanded the beautification project since its inception. The board discussed tabling the project until the budget is figured out. Board member Mark Stringfellow suggested breaking out the additional landscaping aspects, and the board discussed breaking down cost between labor and plant cost. 

(Originally published in the October 31, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)