The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 6 p.m. to receive updates on Beautification and Public Art, including approving a design for a new mural. They
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The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 6 p.m. to receive updates on Beautification and Public Art, including approving a design for a new mural. They also discussed the next steps for their Performance Space and Wayfinding projects.
Town Administrator Dr. Miranda Fisher added to her Town Staff report, discussed with the NDDA as an Informational item, that the Town has been awarded $100,000 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund Grant (EIAF), and has matched another $100,000 to fund a Comprehensive Plan update.
Fisher also mentioned that the Board of Trustees (BOT) had approved Resolution 2023-30, authorizing Mayor Billy Giblin to sign a contract agreement with Fehr & Peers to consult in the creation of a Multimodal Transportation Plan. The plan is funded by the Denver Regional Council of Governments Transportation Improvement Program.
Judy Evans, the head gardener responsible for the planting and care of various perennial and annual flowers throughout town as part of the NDDA’s yearly Beautification project, gave board members a verbal update on her progress. Evans noted that all 13 containers that were used last year have flowers planted, as well as seven new flower beds, including the traffic circle, in front of Peak Wine & Spirits, and the stop sign at East 1st Street and Snyder Street.
Evans mentioned that she has been planting and weeding at the Mountain Forum for Peace statue and at the Veterans Memorial and also stated that once the Covered Bridge repair project is complete and new flower boxes are added to the side of the bridge, the flowers are already ordered and ready to be delivered and planted.
NDDA Vice Chair Andrew Dewart delivered an update on the Performance Space proposed project. The Town’s engineering consultants JVA created one preliminary design schematic which detailed which stage and amphitheater styles could feasibly be constructed on the parcel just north of the wastewater treatment facility, between Guercio Field and Barker Reservoir.
Because Nederland’s current floodplain map indicates that roughly two-thirds of the proposed site is within the floodplain, any structure or utilities built on the land must be constructed no less than two feet above the base flood elevation. The free passage of water through something like flood vents must be provided so that pressure does not build to unsafe levels. JVA suggested a band shell-style stage built atop a concrete pad.
NDDA Chair Barbara Hardt questioned why Guercio Field, which is not within the floodplain, was not an option. Fisher explained that adding a performance space to Guercio Field would change the scope of the Field’s defined use, which could potentially affect the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant that has already been awarded to the Town.
Dewart expressed that with more design options from JVA expected, and with the need to reach out to Nederland Parks Department Director Nicki Dunn about the potential of Guercio Field as a build site, the matter of the Performance Space project will return as a Discussion Item at a future meeting.
Board members Steve Karowe and Steve Rountree provided an update on the Wayfinding project. The accessibility-focused initiative is in its second stage of development, involving the fabrication and installation of wayfinding signage that indicates points of interests and parking locations throughout Nederland.
It was stated within the update that members of the consulting firm Merje would be in town on Wednesday, June 21 to review and finalize the locations of the signage, which has already been reviewed on a map and approved by board members. The meeting is expected to consist of Karowe, Rountree, Town staff, Merje representatives, and potentially a CDOT representative.
Hardt expressed to Karowe and Rountree, members of the Wayfinding Committee, that the meeting should be announced publicly and that invitations should be extended to fellow NDDA members or to the BOT who may be interested in learning first hand about the progress of the project.
It was agreed that the meeting could be publicly announced and labeled as a “work session,” which does not allow for public comment. The meeting is considered as informational only for the public who do attend, as the meeting concerns finalizing signage locations only, which is not open for discussion.
The NDDA discussed the plan to repave the Visitors Center parking lot in 2023 and construct a sidewalk connecting the RTD parking lot to North Jefferson Street as part of the Transportation Improvement Project (TIP). North Jefferson will also be repaved, but not until 2024, since the TIP will cover partial paving of the street to mitigate grade issues.
Following the discussion of this item during the May 10 meeting, members of Town staff and NDDA Chair Barbara Hardt, Vice Chair Andrew Dewart, and Executive Director Kate Masingale determined that the Town of Nederland would serve as project manager for the paving projects.
The budget for repaving, provided by the NDDA, is $139,000. The first estimate received for the scope of work on both the Visitors Center parking lot and for North Jefferson Street came in at $85,000. Town staff aims to secure more quotes by the July 12 meeting of the NDDA, including from Edge Construction, who are completing the Big Springs paving project this summer.
The matter of moving forward with the repaving of the Visitors Center parking lot in 2023, then of North Jefferson Street in 2024, with the Town of Nederland assuming the role of project manager, was approved by a nod of four.
In July, 2022 the Town of Nederland was selected by the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) to take part in the Reimagine Destinations Program, a tourism promotion initiative offered by the $2.4 million dollar CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant. Nederland’s Public Engagement Manager Peter Cacek presented an update on the program.
A core tourism team consisting of Cacek, Fisher, Parks Department Director Nicki Dunn, Nederland Community Center Director Dawn Baumhover, Event Coordinator Stephanie Andelman, Wild Bear Nature Center Executive Director Jill Dreves, and TEENS, Inc. Executive Director Stephen LeFaiver has been formed, and CTO Contractor Amy Cassidy, along with colleague Derek Shimmel, were named the facilitators for the partnership between the CTO and Nederland.
A timeline of short, medium, and long-term actionable items to advance tourism in Nederland was created by the core tourism team. The Town’s areas of focus are: encouraging responsible and respectful use of public lands, championing the value of community-based tourism, and defining Nederland’s identity.
100 hours of free consulting from tourism expert Cassidy has been completed, resulting in the creation of a guideline for how Nederland’s tourism management will be organized. Actionable decisions involving issues of tourism will be drafted and approved through a process beginning with the public, the Visitor’s Center, marketing experts, a Tourism Advisory Subcommittee (TAS), Cacek, Fisher, and ending with the BOT.
In addition to the potential formation of the TAS, some other next steps in the Reimagine Destinations Program include launching a “Do Nederland Right” marketing campaign to uphold the town’s defined values; having a $20,000 creative production shoot done in 2024 (funded by the program); and possibly to apply for the Destination Blueprint grant, which would help form medium to long-term initiatives for Nederland’s tourism structure.
Hardt reiterated a belief she previously expressed during public comment at the BOT meeting on June 6, concerning the Reimagine Destinations update. Hardt stated that she felt the “Do Nederland Right” name for the campaign to highlight the town’s respect for nature and for all walks of life was not appropriate and did a disservice to the message that is meant to be portrayed by the campaign.
It was also noted that the newly formed Peak to Peak Chamber of Commerce should be the organization to oversee such local business-focused endeavors as tourism, as opposed to the Town of Nederland and the BOT.
Board Member Danielle Crouse presented preliminary drawings from artist Jessica Moon Bernstein for the Public Art Committee’s mural project. This is an 8’ by 24’ six-paneled piece to be installed on the west-facing wall of the Mountain People’s Co-op building. On May 10 the NDDA approved the Committee using a portion of their remaining 2023 budget to obtain either scaffolding equipment or one-day use of a scissor lift to install the panels of the mural.
The change to installing the mural in panels decreased the overall square footage of the mural, as well as the cost, decreasing from $9,225 to $6,540. The panels will be stored at the Nederland Community Center until they are ready to be installed. The $2,685 in savings from the mural’s size change will go towards the cost of the panels and the rental of equipment for installation.
Bernstein’s plans for the Mountain People’s Co-op mural is to feature the mountains and forests of the Indian Peaks, with a “semi-abstract” sunset behind the mountain range emitting bright, vibrant colors. The mural design also included an artistic symbol of a dove as well as a portrait of Chief Ouray’s wife, Chipeta.
Board members chose from four different options, each showcasing different color options and different sizes and placement of certain elements of the mural. Concerns were raised about the Public Art Committee and Bernstein obtaining the proper permission necessary to use Chipeta’s image in the piece.
A motion was made to approve two of the four design options barring any copyright infringement issues concerning Chipeta’s likeness moving forward. The motion was seconded and passed with a unanimous vote.
The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. Their next scheduled meeting is for Wednesday, July 12, 2023, and will be held online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center. For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado. gov/downtown-development-authority