The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, May 11 at 6 p.m. to review the chosen finalists for local artists who will be creating two new murals in town. The NDDA also discussed several plans from the Parks, Recreation, Open Space Advisory Board (PROSAB) concerning the construction of more mountain biking opportunities in town, as well as the formation of an interconnected trail system.

PROSAB Board Member Sam Ovett and Parks Manager Nikki Dunn presented to the NDDA their plan for a cycling pump track to be built in Chipeta Park, between the parking lot and the basketball court. A pump track is a loop of banked turns designed to maximize momentum for bicyclists.

The Chipeta Park pump track will be constructed of compacted dirt and is designed to be an instructional track for children to learn bicycling skills. A raised part of the track will create a natural barrier between the track and the basketball court. The pump track will remain flat at one end for maintenance access to the gazebo.

PROSAB had met with the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and received a great response on the Chipeta Park pump track plan. Dunn and Ovett answered the NDDA’s concerns over possible erosion or damage to nearby native plant life, assuring that the willows in Chipeta Park will not be affected and that revegetation of native plants and grass will occur after construction.

Owner of High Performance Earth Works, Jesse Seavers, offered to cover the cost and labor for the construction of the Chipeta Park pump track, as well as the responsibility for maintenance for three years after completion of the project. After that initial three years, maintenance for the pump track will fall on Nederland’s Parks Department.

Seavers’ offer extends to the construction of a progressive downhill flow course. A mountain biking flow trail is designed with berms, rollers, jumps, and other features meant to emphasize speed and rhythm, using the rider’s momentum to minimize pedaling and braking. The proposed flow course would feature three to six downhill lanes, each lane progressing in difficulty and challenge, as well as an “up track” for returning mountain bikers, which could double as a walking corridor for hikers.

Dunn and Ovett discussed with the NDDA three possible locations for the downhill flow course, with options slim due to the need for steep land features while limiting negative impact on wildlife, plant life, or existing trails. The properties under review for this project were Big Springs Park, Joe Smith Park, and the Wingate Property.

PROSAB has been walking the chosen properties along with Nederland Area Trails Organization (NATO) and have determined that Big Springs Park, just past Chipeta Park into the Big Springs area, isn’t ideal because of parking concerns and a hazardous cliff drop. Joe Smith Park, located off the Peak to Peak Highway on Indian Peaks Drive, was noted as ideal because of parking at the school; as well, the flow course could connect to Mud Lake trails. However, Dunn mentioned that the area is a wetlands and a known wildlife corridor, and that there are 222 different types of unique plant life that grow in Joe Smith Park.

The Wingate Property, donated to the town of Nederland by Mary Quinlan Wingate after her death on June 11, 2020, is considered the best property for the downhill flow course. The property provides trail access to both Big Springs and West Magnolia and is big enough for the possible creation of a parking area.

Dunn noted that the Wingate Property is thick with blow down and needs to be cleaned up for necessary fire mitigation. Dunn also mentioned that constructing official mountain biking trails at this location will hopefully eliminate the social trails created by illegal campers. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has offered to help eliminate the problem with the campers, as well as assist in having the flow course connect to existing USFS trails in that area.

The NDDA unanimously agreed that the Chipeta Park pump track was a great use of available land, and moved for the project to go forward. Board Members discussed the possible locations for the downhill flow course and agreed that PROSAB should explore both Joe Smith Park and the Wingate Property as viable options.

Dunn continued the meeting in a discussion with the NDDA about the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Master Plan. Dunn and PROSAB had been meeting with all of Nederland’s advisory boards and committees for feedback on what they would like to see included in the master plan.

The NDDA inquired about clarifying public trails from private ones, constructing a trail from the high school to keep pedestrians off the side of the highway, and about the possibility of a river walk trail behind the businesses on the south side of East 1st Street. Dunn mentioned receiving resistance from a property in the path of the proposed river walk, but the NDDA was interested in pursuing the option further.

The NDDA hoped to discuss the master plan in a work session and to collaborate with the Wayfinding project in relation to signage that would properly direct trail seekers to desired hikes.

Town and Zoning Administrator Miranda Fisher and Planning Commission Vice Chair Jim Reis led the NDDA in a discussion concerning the parking problem in Nederland. A subcommittee formed of Fisher, Reis, Deputy Zoning Administrator Cynthia Bakke, and Planning Commissioner Linda Glasser devised four recommendations for the NDDA on the issue. The subcommittee advised the NDDA to suspend the parking moratorium, develop lots around town, phase in paid parking, and promote the Wayfinding project’s efforts on signage and PROSAB’s efforts on trail walkability.

The recommendation to place a two- year moratorium on payments into the commercial parking fund, as well as the off-street requirement for businesses in the Central Business District (CBD), would also require the money currently in the parking fund to be returned. Board Member Rea Orthner mentioned that the moratorium shouldn’t be for businesses only in the CBD, but for all commercial businesses in Nederland.

Reis spoke to the NDDA about the locations being looked at for developing new parking lots in town. Reis and the subcommittee suggest redesigning and properly outlining parking spaces in Chipeta Park, using the Old Town Shop lot until a commitment for affordable housing development is met.He would also encourage parking at the Nederland Community Center through Wayfinding and maintenance of the existing trails there. They also suggested creating parking along West 1st Street in front of Nedernet, and constructing a parking garage on the RTD lot.

The recommendation to phase in paid parking isn’t a popular one with residents, though it is likely the optimal way to enforce parking limits in the CBD. Phase one of the paid parking rollout would begin along East 1st Street, with phase two moving into the Visitor’s Center parking lot. Reis confirmed that the first 15 to 30 minutes of parking would be free and that the funds from paid parking would go towards better parking infrastructure in town.

Fisher noted that these recommendations will be actionable when presented to the Nederland Board of Trustees in July. The NDDA advised not to focus on Wayfinding or signage until proper parking spaces are created first, and also hoped that the paid parking system will be easy to operate, if not the same system utilized by Boulder.

Board Member Danielle Crouse presented to the NDDA the chosen two finalists for the Public Art mural project, which will see two new murals created in Nederland. Apart from the artists chosen to create the murals, a backup artist for each was also chosen, in case the selected artist is unable to take on the project.

Local artist Sally Eckert was chosen for the mural on the upper wall of the Tebo property, with Jessica Moon selected as the backup artist. Eckert is a graduate from the Parsons School of Design in New York City and has studied the Dutch Masters in Europe, learning masterful techniques to bolster her skills with acrylic paint. She has lived in Colorado for more than 25 years and has been inspired by the landscapes of the West, having painted murals along the Peak to Peak Highway and in the Spanish Hills area of Boulder.

Colorado native Julia Williams was selected as the artist for the Poe Wall mural, with Casey Pile chosen as the backup artist. Williams has a background in graphic design and has experience in creating over 40 murals, commissioned by the cities of Boulder, Thornton, Lyons, and Golden. Williams’ style is described as “colorful and otherworldly,” with a focus on local wildlife and strong feminine imagery.

Crouse had to address the NDDA about changing the location of the Tebo site mural, as communication with Tebo properties had resulted in them backing out of the agreement. Crouse discussed the interest from other business owners on having a mural on their properties. The Mountain People’s Co-op would accept a mural painted on their back wall, facing the creek; while The Hop Inn, as well as Kathmandu and the adjacent building, have also expressed interest.

Due to this matter of a location change for the mural not being on the NDDA’s meeting agenda, Crouse called for a special meeting to be held, along with Eckert, the artist for the intended mural, in attendance to further discuss the issue.

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, starting at 6 p.m. and will be online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center.

For more information go to: https:// townofnederland. colorado. gov/ government/boards-and-commissions/ downtown-development-authority.