March 28th Commissioners’ Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners took sixty minutes of public comment Tuesday on a series of changes proposed as part of a 23rd amendment to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution. Most of the comments focused on concerns to protect many of the historical agricultural uses in the Canon City and Lincoln Park areas. Those comments were made in relation to proposed language changes in the Agricultural Estates and Agricultural Suburban zone districts. The change is intended to permit orchards and vineyards in those two zone districts if the property contains at least 4 1/2 acres. Planning Department Director Bill Giordano noted that currently in those two zone districts large commercial orchards and vineyards are prohibited. The Commissioners emphasized that the intent is not to affect backyard farmers but to better define large commercial orchards and vineyards.

Gloria Stultz, who coordinates the Farmers' Market each summer, said a lot of producers actually grow fruit and vegetables on much less than 4 1/2 acres. Stultz said 'sustainability' is becoming a major issue as people are growing more and more produce. Abbey assistant winemaker Jeff Stultz said of the 25,000 pounds of fruit taken in by the Abbey Winery last year at least two-thirds of it came from backyards. Winemaker Matt Cookson said a 4 1/2 acre commercial minimum destroys the fabric of agriculture as he urged the Commissioners to let people do as they choose. Manny Colon, who operates a commercial orchard east of Canon City, said raspberries cultivated on three-quarters of one acre could produce revenues of around $15,000 from 6,000 pints. Colon said he believes fears about a lot of spraying of pesticides and herbicides in smaller residential areas are unfounded. He said small acreage spraying should not impact neighbors and he noted that many small producers are turning to organic gardening and do not use sprays. Holly Arnett of Penrose suggested that one way to determine larger commercial orchards is whether they file an schedule 'F' agricultural exemption with the county assessor's office.

The Commissioners tabled the proposed zoning amendment and continued the public hearing until their April 25th regular meeting. There was no public comment offered on other key portions of the amendment. Among those changes; specific requirements for applications for Conditional Use Permits and Special Review Use permits would be spelled out; site plans would be required for zone changes to show maximum potential development in Medium and High density residential, Manufactured Home Parks, Travel Trailer Parks and Campgrounds, Neighborhood Business, and rural Highway Business zones; and detailed requirements for Temporary Use Permit applications.

After hearing no comment on the proposed 2nd amendment to county subdivision regulations, the Commissioners voted unanimously to approve those changes. That amendment will require developers to prepare a traffic impact analysis as part of a Preliminary Plat for a major subdivision.

In other action at Tuesday's meeting the Board:

• delivered its formal findings in rejecting an application March 14th for the Cingular Wireless Tower on the Ron Walker property next to the Top Rail Ranch subdivision near Penrose;
• adopted a proclamation designating April 23-29 as National Crime Victims' Rights Week;
• approved a condominium plat for the third and final lot of a duplex condominium for Bill Christensen in the Canon Creek subdivision along Grandview Avenue;
• granted a waiver to reinstate the original preliminary plat for Kernel Estates for 27 lots north of Canon City at the northeast corner of North Street and Minnesota Avenue;
• approved a similar use designation for massage and other therapy offices as a permitted use by special review in the Agricultural Suburban zone district;
• and rejected all bids for 4,500 tons of chip seals for this summer's asphalt chip sealing work on High Park and Garden Park roads which will use Gaming Impact grant money. The Board said the only bid received exceeded the budget for the chip sealing and directed the Road and Bridge Department to re-advertise in an attempt to get some bids within the budget.

Contract Award for Floodwater Dam Repairs

The Fremont County Commissioners have awarded a bid for the reconstruction of the C-4 stormwater control dam southwest of Canon City. The dam is located about a quarter mile east of Oak Creek Grade Road just below the Shadow Hills golf course. In 2004 the State Engineer ordered the dam repaired or breeched because of subsidence of soil indicated by holes in the top of the dam. Since then Fremont County has been working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to make preparations for repairing the dam. The NRCS committed $600,000 towards the C-4 dam repairs along with a $60,000, ten percent local funding match from Fremont County.

Much of 2005 was spent in designing the engineering and specifications for the repairs. The Board of Commissioners was finally able to advertise for bids in February. At the March 8th bid opening four bids were received but only two fell within the $660,000 budget for the project. Those bids came from Kirkland Construction Company of Rye which bid $472,811 and Moore's Earthmoving of Canon City which bid $489,327. After an engineering review the Commissioners awarded the contract at their March 14th meeting to Kirkland Construction.

Once the contract is signed Kirkland will have 180 days to complete the work. NRCS and Fremont County officials both expressed pleasure with the bids received. The Commissioners had indicated that because of the county's financial situation and limited cash reserves, if the bids came in over budget the only option may have been to order the dam breeched. The dam prevents floodwater from spreading across a large section of the Lincoln Park neighborhood in event of a large storm.

March 14th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners conducted four public hearings during a marathon 5 1/2 hour meeting on March 14th. Two issues involved zone change applications and the other two involved applications for special review use permits.

The Commissioners approved a zone change from Agricultural Living to Agricultural Suburban for Russ and Bonita Jewett on just over 50 acres on the northeast corner of MacKenzie and Adams Avenues in the Four Mile area east of Canon City. The Commissioners found the zone change is in keeping with similar development in the area. While the Ag Suburban zone permits development on lots as small as 15,000 square feet, the Jewetts say they likely won't develop anything smaller than one acre lots. Other Ag Suburban zoning in the area is also typically one to four acres in size.

The Commissioners denied a special review use permit for Ron Walker who sought to lease a site on his property 1 1/2 miles northeast of Highway 50 and 'R' Street in the Beaver Park area of Penrose to Cingular Wireless. Cingular wanted to erect a 180 foot monopole tower for cellular antennas. Cingular promised that if they were ever forced to light the tower, they would remove it first. Despite that pledge, neighbors next door in the Top Rail Ranch subdivision, which was earlier developed by Walker, said the tower would block their views which they said was the reason they moved to Top Rail Ranch.

A special review use permit was approved by the Commissioners for the Fawn Hollow transfer station. John and David Howard plan to build the solid waste transfer station on a 10 acre parcel of industrially zoned property 500 feet west of Oak Creek Grade Road and just north of McDaniel Boulevard. They will operate the transfer station in conjunction with Howard Disposal. It will operate out of an 80 by 80 foot metal building which Howard pledged would be operated in a clean, professional manner. Neighbors generally praised Howard's planned operation but several expressed concerns about the mix of truck traffic with residential traffic. The Commissioners approved the permit asking that the access to the property be moved to the east as far as possible and still maintain a right turn lane.

Also approved following a public hearing was a zone change from Agricultural Farming and Ranching to Travel Trailer Park and Campground for Doug and Cathie Brill of Howard. The zone change affects ten acres of the Brill's land along County Road 45 east of Howard on the north side of the Arkansas River. The campground will contain thirty trailer parking sites. Several neighbors protested the zone change saying the traffic would disturb their quiet, rural lifestyle. The zone change approval was accompanied by the approval of a two lot minor subdivision. That approval came with the requirement that the Brills have a buffer of fast growing tree and shrubs in place within 14 months or will be required to erect a six foot opaque fence.

Hearing set for Zoning & Subdivision Amendments

Proposed amendments to Fremont County’s zoning resolution and subdivision regulations will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners during a public hearing at the Board’s regular meeting on March 28th. Fremont County’s Planning and Zoning Officials report the proposed changes have been under discussion for the past several years and the changes are now being put forth for consideration by the Commissioners.

Among issues addressed in the 23rd Amendment to the county’s zoning resolution are changes in definitions, calculation of animal units, cultivation of vineyards, property line setbacks, home occupation definitions, requirements for development plans in several zone districts, and changes to temporary use permit applications in several zone districts.

Proposed changes to Fremont County’s subdivision regulations address a need for a traffic impact analysis in subdivision preliminary plans, some language changes for final plat drawings, and language changes for lot line adjustments.

Citizens can review the documents for both zoning and subdivision amendments on this same web site. To find the documents, click on the ‘Planning and Zoning Department” under the Department menu. In the menu on the left side, click on both Subdivision Regulations and Zoning Resolution. The middle of the next web page will then provide an option to click on the proposed amendments.

The Commissioners plan to have their own detailed review of the proposed amendments with Planning and Zoning Department staff in a workshop prior to the public hearing. The Commissioners urge citizens who have concerns about the proposed changes to submit their comments in writing or attend the March 28th public hearing. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. at the Board's March 28th meeting.

Spring Cleanup Trash Vouchers

Fremont County is again cooperating with the cities of Cañon City and Florence in a spring cleanup campaign. Distribution of free trash vouchers is again at the heart of the campaign. Beginning Monday, March 13th, a limited number of the free vouchers will be available at the Fremont County Commissioners office in Room 105 of the County Administration Building at 615 Macon in Cañon City. Cañon City residents should apply for their vouchers at City Hall at 128 Main Street. Residents in the unincorporated areas of Fremont County should apply for their vouchers at the Commissioners’ office. Proof of residency will be required to receive a voucher.

Each voucher permits the holder to haul a standard pickup load of trash to the Phantom Landfill along County Road 67 north of Florence. Each household address is limited to one voucher and vouchers expire on April 15th. You can haul household trash, yard waste, and debris but no appliances with the vouchers. The vouchers are distributed on a first come, first serve basis, and due to budget constraints the county will be unable to print additional trash vouchers this year as was done in 2005.

Florence will soon announce their own week-long cleanup campaign during which 100 of the free trash vouchers will be made available.

On April 15th only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., RD Recycling at 1501 High Street north of Cañon City will accept refrigerators and other appliances. RD Recycling and Skyline Steel at 301 South 1st Street in Cañon City will accept old car batteries free of charge. Again this year Skyline Steel will pay a bonus of five cents per pound for recycled aluminum cans only on Saturday mornings during March.

Pikes Peak Region Veterans Cemetery

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- Colorado Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, 5th District Congressman Joel Hefley, and 3rd District U.S. Representative John Salazar are co-sponsoring legislation to create a Pikes Peak Region national cemetery near Colorado Springs.

The legislation would lead to the development of a national veterans’ cemetery for El Paso, Fremont, Teller and Pueblo counties to better serve veterans in Southern Colorado.

“We believe this legislation addresses a significant need in the area that has been brought to my attention repeatedly by community leaders and local veterans service organizations,” Senator Allard said. “The growing military-retiree and veteran population in the area is driving this bill. The 2000 Census indicated that as many as 103,000 veterans and 110,000 spouses who may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery reside in the area we have identified to be served by this new facility.”

“So many veterans have chosen to retire in the Pikes Peak region, and clearly it would be desirable if their final resting place could also be there,” Congressman Hefley said. “We have worked hard for several years to get a veterans’ cemetery in the area, and I believe this legislation will put us a step closer to getting the job done.”

The Fremont County Commissioners have also approved a resolution endorsing creation of a Pikes Peak Region Veterans Cemetery. The Commissioners most recently were approached about the possibility that a site near Penrose may be considered for such a cemetery. A final site has not been chosen for the cemetery.

Applications Invited for Two County Boards

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is accepting letters from citizens who are interested in serving on two important boards in county government.

The Commissioners will appoint a person to fill a vacancy on the Fremont County Weed Advisory Board. The board is responsible for developing the county's noxious weed control plan and supervising the annual coordinated effort to spray for noxious weeds. The Weed Advisory Board meets four times annually, on the third Wednesday in the months of January, March, May, and November. The appointment is for a three year term.

The Commissioners are also seeking letters of interest to fill a vacancy of an alternate member on the county's Building Code Board of Appeals. The alternate will serve if a regular member cannot attend. The board hears appeals dealing with building code regulations and meets three times a year or as needed.

If you are interested in an appointment to either board, you should submit your letter of interest to the Board of County Commissioners, 615 Macon Ave., Room 105, Canon City, CO 81212. The deadline for letters of interest for both boards is March 21st.

Commissioners to Host Public Forum in Howard

The Fremont County Commissioners will host their third public forum of 2006, this time traveling to western Fremont County. The Commissioners and other county officials are hosting the forum Wednesday evening, March 8th, at 6:30, at the Howard Fire Department. After Howard and Coaldale residents packed Howard Hall for the first forum one year ago the Commissioners decided to make sure plenty of space was available for citizens who want to attend and discuss issues.

The Commissioners want to update western Fremont County residents about the county’s financial situation. With the county having already made cuts in some parts of the 2006 budget and revenues not keeping pace with expenses, the Commissioners have begun asking for input at their public forums on whether citizens might support some type of tax increase to address some of the county’s critical needs. Among them is the need to open the county’s new 96 bed jail which sits empty because there is no money to hire jailers. Finding money to address county road maintenance is another critical need.

Besides finance issues the Commissioners will also answer questions about the application and review process they anticipate will take place for the proposed Over the River project. The Commissioners will be joined by Sheriff Jim Beicker and other county officials to answer questions about law enforcement, code enforcement, and building inspections.

Tourism Appointee named at Special Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners filled a vacancy on the Fremont County Tourism Council at a brief special meeting Thursday morning, March 2nd. The Board appointed Lisa Farris, Sales Manager at the Royal Gorge Best Western Motel in Cañon City, to fill a vacancy created in mid-January when Sandra Roberts resigned her post. Farris will fill out the remaining year of Robert’s three year term when the seat comes up for reappointment in February 2007.

The Commissioners interviewed three persons Wednesday who submitted letters of interest for the appointment. The Commissioners were seeking to find an applicant who could represent the motel and hotel segment of the local lodging industry on the seven member tourism council. The council’s other six members represent local attractions, rafting, restaurants, retail, and campgrounds.

Farris has been in the hotel-motel business for 3 ½ years and previously worked in local retail trade. Farris said she believes more emphasis needs to be placed on internet marketing of tourism in Colorado and Fremont County. She said she wants to spend the taxpayers’ money wisely and do what’s good for everyone in the tourism industry and community.

Fremont County’s two percent lodging tax sunsets in 2006 and a question will be back on the ballot next November asking voters to renew the tax for overnight stays at motels, hotels, and campgrounds.

February 28th Commissioners’ Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners voted Tuesday to give its unanimous support to a plan by the Cotopaxi Re-3 School District to pursue a Great Outdoors Colorado mini-grant to further improve the baseball field in Cotopaxi. Principal Peggy Gerk , baseball coach Ryan Christensen, and students Megan McNew and Sam Gerk, detailed their plans for improving the field if they receive a $45,000 ‘GOCO’ grant. Christensen said the money will be used to drill a well and install an irrigation system, lay new sod, and build a fence to keep cattle off the field. The District 3 Road Department would provide some in-kind services to prepare the field. Fremont County will be the official applicant for the Cotopaxi baseball grant.

In other business on a relatively brief agenda the Commissioners:

• Approved transfer of a special review use permit for Ronnie and Sheila Kimmell to reopen the former AKC and ZAC convenience store at Oak Creek Grade Road and Forge Road. They will operate it under the new name of Forge Food Mart & Liquor.
• Approved a temporary use permit for the Penrose Chamber of Commerce to operate a flea market in the Gooseberry Patch parking lot on the second Saturday of each month for six months starting April 8th.
• Approved a lease agreement for the Fremont County G.I.S. authority to move their offices from the Fremont Sanitation District to Room 206 in the Fremont County Administration Building.