John Scarffe, Nederland. After votes by the Nederland Downtown Development Authority Board, the Board approved a new member, a parking Resolution, and elected officers during a regular, online meeting July 8, 2020. 

During the NDDA’s June meeting, board members shared that they did not have time to review applications for board membership. Mark Stringfellow’s term ended on June 30, 2020, leaving an opening on the board.  NDDA received one application hours before the board meeting to review.

A number of board members expressed an interest to have more time to review documents and give community members more time to consider applying. The board agreed to extend the application period for board membership to July 1st, 2020, as well as to review current and future applications.  Karina Luscher applied in June. Ron Beatham applied during the extended time period.

Ron Beetham owns property on Second Street in Nederland. He attended school at the University of Colorado. He also lived in Paris, Africa and was head of a refugee camp in Mozambique.  After living in Germany, he came back to Boulder, where he has a working farm that grows hay and apples. He bought the old feed store and that’s who he is. “I’m too old to be a farmer,” he said. “I’m a big fan of boutique signs about trails, and Barker Meadows is way underutilized.” He really likes the old Burma Shave signs that repeat a message while drivers go along the highway.

Katrina Luscher is very engaged in the community and is owner of Laughing Mountain, which owns Clock Tower and Salto. While Karina was unable to attend the meeting due to a work conflict, Executive Director Hope Jordan shared with the NDDA board Karina’s strong interest in being an NDDA Board Member.

Town Clerk Miranda Fisher asked Board members to email their vote to herself and the Executive Director of the NDDA for fair voting practices. Executive Director Hope Jordan reminded theBoard that they also needed to elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair. 

Executive Director Hope Jordan informed the NDDA board that current Chair Steven Karowe  is interested in continuing as Chair and was nominated by the Board. Board Member Brent Tregaskis was nominated as Vice-Chair. After votes at the end of the meeting, the officers were voted in, and the Board elected  to forward a recommendation for Ron Beetham to the Board of Trustees, as the new Board member.

Regarding parking on Big Springs, Ron Mitchell said the Parking Committee had three weeks to review the parking options…..the information after this is incorrect. Perpendicular was not in the option. The NDDA Parking Committee reviewed parking exhibits and parking cost options created by JVA for the Big Springs, Conger, Lakeview parking project. The Committee determined that Option 2, which develops parking on Big Springs, as the option that would benefit NDDA constituents. The Parking Committee met with Nathan Skalak of JVA and Stephanie Wirth of TEBO to discuss potential overlaps between the NDDA project and TEBOs parking lot project. Nathan Skalak amended Option 2 and its corresponding pricing.  The Parking Committee was asked to meet with the Town Administrator and Public Works Manager to update them on their redline recommendation. At this time, Town Staff only knew about original plans presented by JVA.

The Committee recommended to the NDDA board that Lake View traffic patterns should be studied deeper at a fixed cost of $3,000. On Conger, a new bridge could appear there.   This information is incorrect. The money is for surveying land on Big Springs for parking. 

Board Member Andrew Dewart said the proposal is for perpendicular parking and not angle parking, and enough space exists in front of the Black Forest building. They need to solve concrete storm water problems. Working with Tebow is important to get drainage and sidewalks in order, so they are proposing a retaining wall. 

“Ron and I think that this is the best bang for the buck with future development to the east on Big Springs,” Dewart said. “There will be  34  spots available.”

They can have the dialog with Tebow if he would give up property for a right-hand turning lane and then a straight left turning lane going up Big Springs. They also can establish the perpendicular sidewalk, retaining walls and the drainage. 

Public Works Manager Chris Pelletier looked at the plan and is very much in support, but it’s the first time he has seen the plan and will bring it back to him for staff input, but he supports the survey.

Mitchel moved to go forward with the resolution with a $215,000 budget, and the Board approved. Mitchell said he will start working on the RFP with expertise from Pelletier.

The next meeting of the Nederland Downtown Development Authority will be on August 12, 2020.

(Originally published in the July 16, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)