Evergreen’s iconic Yellow House may get restaurant, community space

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e owners of the Yellow House in Evergreen want to breathe new life into the building.

Locals Mark Footer and Jerry Anderson bought the 6,500-square-foot building on Highway 73 in November and want to expand the zoning on the 1.33-acre property. ey envision putting in a co ee shop or restaurant, having meeting and community-use space, an education center, special community functions, retails sales and a gazebo.

ey hosted a community meeting on March 7, the rst step before ling a formal application with Jefferson County Planning & Zoning to expand the zoning for the property. Rezoning applications eventually go before the Je co Planning Commission for a recommendation and then to the county commissioners for a decision.

Neighbors who attended the meeting were concerned about whether there was enough parking at the location, especially if a restaurant was located there, increased tra c on Highway 73 and Camel Heights Road, and the deer herd that regularly migrates through the area.

“We acquired (the Yellow House) in large part to keep it as an asset for the community,” Footer said. “Our aim is to keep it as is and do minor changes to the planned development (zoning). … We want to keep the beautiful building as it is.” e iconic building was the Seniors’ Resource Center from 1986 until 2020. Mountain Community Pathways, which provided care for those with developmental disabilities, bought the property in July 2021 and sold it in 2022. e building has eight o ces, a large day room, commercial kitchen, meeting rooms, oversized garages and more. Footer said at the meeting that Mountain Learning Center, which provides academic support to homeschooled children and tutoring services, is using part of the building.

He said their plan for the building will enhance its ability to serve the community and provide a growth opportunity for businesses in the area.

Wildlife, parking and tra c

Neighbors brought up the deer migrating through the area, the impact of a restaurant in the area and increased tra c on Highway 73.

A neighbor living on Camel Heights Road said she sees a herd of deer walking along Cub Creek and into the Yellow House parking lot.

“I’m wondering how they are going to be impacted and interrupted and what your parking lot and the cars are going to do to the deer,” she said.

Footer noted that the Denver Mountain Parks greenbelt that goes behind the Yellow House will not change, so the deer will have a place to go.

Footer said he and Anderson like the idea of a restaurant or co ee shop in the building because they want to keep the tutoring center, and the restaurant would give parents a place to go while their children are getting help. He added that four restaurant operators have said the Yellow House would be a good breakfast/lunch spot, though he was open to a restaurant o ering dinner, too.

Nearby residents were concerned that tra c on Highway 73 would increase with a restaurant, and Je erson County is not planning to make improvements to Highway 73 south of Bu alo Park Road. e county will start construction on improvements to Highway 73 from Bu alo Park Road north to Plettner Lane later this year.

In response to concerns, Footer said they planned to keep Highway 73 as the access point to the property, not Camel Heights Road.

Good For You

Congratulations to the 37 Conifer High School DECA students who competed in state Feb. 25-28. e following 10 students quali ed in the top 5% of Colorado DECA students and have earned a competitive spot in the International Competition in April in Orlando, Florida: State Champion: Principles of Finance, Rylie Sanvido, the rst ninth grader from Conifer to win this title.

State Champion: Chapter of Excellence, Alyssa Bollwark, Kellyn Dougherty and Sierra Nordwald ird: Sports & Entertainment, Alex Miller.

Fourth: Future Marketing Educator Event, Autumn Jones

Fifth: Future Marketing Educator Event, Janae Wachendorf

Sixth: Sports & Entertainment Team, Stella Barnes.

Sixth: Sports & Entertainment Team, McKenzie Dolph.

Seventh, Restaurant and Food Service Management, Sydney Ransel Conifer DECA quali ed six students for written event nals and nine students in role-play nals at the state conference this year. Making it into the nals puts these students in the top 7% of DECA competitors in Colorado. All of the Conifer DECA students were in the running for nals, many just missing the nals round by one or two points.

Role Play & Written Event Finalists: Integrated Marketing Campaign Event, Kayla Fuller; Sports & Entertainment, Kayla Fuller; Human

Resources, Brooke Roller; Travel & Tourism Team, Kellyn Dougherty; Travel & Tourism Team, JT Dalton

Congratulations to these top performers: Top Test Score: Sports & Entertainment, Alex Miller; Restaurant and Food Service Management, Sydney Ransel; Marketing Communications, Jackson Davidson; Top Role Play/ Performance

Score: Chapter of Excellence: Alyssa Bollwark, Kellyn Dougherty, Sierra Nordwald; Sports & Entertainment Team, Stella Barnes and McKenzie Dolph; Principles of Finance, Rylie Sanvido twice; Sports & Entertain-