John Scarffe, Black Hawk.  Saratoga Casino will get a new parking structure with a bridge to Bobtail Street following approval by the Black Hawk City Council during a regular meeting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, at 211 Church Street.

Vince Harris with Baseline Corporation told the Council that a couple of properties were included in the review. The applicant, Brian Davis with Saratoga Casino and from Saratoga, New York, requested a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for a parking garage conversion with a new bridge from the top deck that will be an exit from the top of garage.

They plan to build a parking lot on the south side of the property with a surface parking lot, Harris said. Self-parked cars will be in the garage, and valet cars will go to a new parking lot on top, so the public won’t access it.

Staff recommended approval of motions to approve a resolution for a COA for the conversion of the existing valet only parking garage to a public parking garage and construction of access bridges onto Bobtail Road and associated improvements with five conditions.

Staff also recommended approval for a Site Development Plan for conversion of the existing valet only parking garage to a public parking garage and construction of access bridges onto Bobtail Road and associated improvements with five conditions.

The City of Black Hawk has received an application from Kings, Queens and Jacks, LLC, concerning its property located at 101 Main Street, according to the request for Council action. One of the applications concerns the conversion of the existing Saratoga Casino valet parking garage into a public parking garage.

“This proposed conversion will include demolition/reconstruction of small portions of the garage, construction of a bridge to connect the top floor of the garage to Bobtail Road and public improvements to Bobtail Road,” according to the request. The applications submitted for review at this time include a COA and a Site Development Plan (SDP) for the garage conversion, demolition/reconstruction and public improvements.

The other application in this package for the Saratoga Casino property includes a Comprehensive Sign Plan Amendment (CSPA) for the placement of signs on the property.

“Those Bobtail valet parking lot applications are on a separate property at 155 Bobtail Road, and are being presented to the City Council under a separate staff report and require separate Council action. These applications have been reviewed by staff with each submittal from the applicant,” according to the request.

“The applicant and staff have worked together to resolve issues prior to consideration by City Council.” The COA for the sign plan includes minor changes, and staff recommended approval of those two resolutions as submitted with findings of fact and five conditions for each.

The project proposes to construct a surface parking lot for the valet customers of the Saratoga Casino, according to the request. The surface lot is planned to accommodate 65 parking spaces, according to the request.

The existing roughed in access drive will be expanded and improved for access to the new valet parking lot. The parking lot is not intended to be open to public.

Parking will be limited to valet parking for the Saratoga Casino. The vehicular access will be gated, and the access driveway and parking lot surface will be paved with asphalt, according to the request.

Construction of the project will require excavation of the site surface and portions of the hillside behind the existing cuts. According to submitted documentation, about 2,500 cubic yards of unclassified material will be excavated.

A City of Black Hawk excavation permit will be required. The steepness of the existing site will require the construction of significant retaining walls, according to the request. Landscaping will be provided and has been designed to help soften the visual dominance of the retaining wall.

A valet key and security shack will be constructed on the site, and walkways and access stairs will be constructed to provide pedestrian access for valet drivers, according to the request. A vehicular circulation route has been defined for the valet drivers coming from the Saratoga garage to the Bobtail Road valet parking lot and returning cars to the Saratoga garage.

In addition to the parking facilities, the applicant also proposes lighting, public street and infrastructure improvements. A Subdivision/Site Improvements Agreement (SIA) will be required through the subdivision regulations of the City, which will more fully outline the responsibilities of the applicant. The SIA will be heard separately by City Council at the July 25, 2018, according to the request.

Harris said the proposal is for a Minor Subdivision Plat and COA, eliminating all property lines and creating one lot. Staff recommends approval of the subdivision plat with five conditions for the COA and with six conditions on the subdivision plat.

City Attorney Corey Hoffmann explained that the original packet of materials did not include the subdivision agreements. Saratoga’s attorneys learned the excavation project was more difficult than thought, but they were able to get the document done to protect the public improvements and secures the excavation. He suggested approving the applications but also indicating approval of the subdivision agreement, which will make it clear it is part of the plat.

Brian Davis with Saratoga introduced his staff, and said the reason they are doing this is because a survey of guests indicated disappointment that they can’t self-park, because the garage is valet parking due to the turning radius in the garage. To provide self-parking, they had to make the garage one way with the exit on top, so there is method behind all of this madness.

They will be taking cars from Gregory Street onto Bobtail, and the width of garage only allows one-way traffic. “The parking we are using here and the operation strategy will vary according to days of the week and season,” Davis said. They may not even take cars up to that level.

They also will be increasing the slope to bring it up so they can make a right hand turn on the top of the garage and then out Bobtail. A pedestrian bridge from the top of the garage will be in alignment with the sidewalk on the other side, Davis said.

For the signage within the garage and on existing property, they just took out the word valet and changed to self-park. The only signage on the valet lot just says it’s not public parking, Davis said.

The Council approved all four motions with appropriate conditions and the subdivision agreement.

(Originally published in the July 19, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)