DEVELOPMENT

e property would be divided into seven lots, and Northstar plans a 100-room hotel on lot 1, a 35,000-square-foot three-story building with multiple uses including some retail on lot 2, national retailers including a fast-food restaurant on lots 6 and 7, with lots 3, 4 and 5 up in the air.

“We are trying to say that this is the best thing we can dream up,” Phillips said. “We are listening, and what can we do to make it better?”

“ e point is,” Buchanan said, “we know people don’t agree with the master plan or the zoning. But we are basically focused on the best project we can create with this site. … We are never going to make everyone happy.”

Artz said the developers have had serious interest from local businesses wanting to be involved.

“We are driven by the outdoor spirit of Colorado,” Artz said, adding that the developers want to be good neighbors.

“We are listening to nd out what can we do to make it better,” Phillips said.

Water, sewer, fire flow, evacuations

Buchanan said the West Je erson County Metro District and the Evergreen Metro District have indicated there’s enough water and sewer available for the entire development, plus the developers intend to use recycled gray water for as much of the project as possible.

As Phillips put it, “We’re planning to recycle a whole lot of water.”

According to Dave Lighthart, general manager of the West Jefferson County and Evergreen metro districts, an engineering analysis shows the district has the capacity to provide water and sewer to the development, though the collection system will need upgrades. e developers would pay for additional infrastructure needed to provide service.

Neighbors are concerned about re ow, which is the amount of water pressure available in re hydrants to ght res. Currently, there is insu cient delivery capacity to support re ow in the El Rancho area, and increasing demand in the area would not improve that situation, they say.

Lighthart agreed that re ow could be improved with or without the Observatory development, which is why the water district was negotiating a plan with the Lookout Mountain Water District that would bene t businesses and residents in the area.

Mauz noted that adding more high-impact uses to the El Rancho area would bene t non-residents using the hotel or restaurants when they exit Interstate 70, and that could potentially impact all water users when restrictions become necessary in low-water years.

Opponents to the proposal add that putting a hotel and commercial development on the site will add to the number of people that would need to evacuate in case of a disaster or wild re emergency, though Buchanan counters that with the development so close to Interstate 70, the additional tra c would be able to quickly move onto the highway.

Foothills Fire pros and cons ose in favor of the land swap say the re department would get a new re station without asking property taxpayers for additional money. e department has not asked voters for a property tax increase since it was formed 25 years ago.

Northstar Ventures’ original proposal to swap the Foothills Fire property and build a new station for the department free of charge further down Highway 40 has been met with controversy. Neighbors and some associated with the re department have been adamantly against the land swap and new re station, while others have embraced the idea.

Foothills Fire board members have been reluctant to move forward with Northstar Ventures’ proposal, saying the proposal was not concrete. e board has heard from neighbors and has discussed the proposal at its meetings for several months.

Opponents’ concerns Mauz and others are concerned that the density and scale of the proposed development are inconsistent with the county’s planning guidelines for the Evergreen area generally and the El Rancho Activity Center speci cally that Je erson County uses in conjunction with the Comprehensive Master Plan.

“ e Evergreen Area Plan emphasizes integrating development with the landscape,” Mauz said in a written statement to the Canyon Courier, “minimizing disturbance and maintaining natural screening (i.e., forest trees), as well as preserving mountain vistas and the viewshed of the Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway.

“ e scale and density of what the original proposal illustrated and what is alluded to under the current proposal are contradictory to these priorities,” Mauz wrote. “It would be unprecedented even for the I-70 foothills corridor between the Hogback and Idaho Springs.”

She noted that the businesses proposed for the development are redundant for Evergreen and would not serve Evergreen residents or bene t Evergreen’s business community, which are supposed to be the focus of the Evergreen Area Plan.

Mauz is also concerned that more o ces and retail space would add to the amount of vacant commercial space in Evergreen, and tra c at I-70 and Evergreen Parkway already is congested and the development just adds to the problem.

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e residents of Lakewood and surrounding communities await “ e Great Wait in Line Event,” also known as the grand reopening of Casa Bonita restaurant. For those impatient for the May 23 opening, there are events like the recent Casa Bonita Sip & Paint, hosted by Westfax Brewery and Arts in the Open.

e idea for the Sip & Paint arose from the brewery’s successful previous events, according to manager Carrie Aslinger.

WestFax Brewing Co. owners Jackie and Anthony Martuscello host various events each week.

e “Great Wait in Line Event” was just an opportunity to do something fun at the brewery and include Casa Bonita.

Aslinger said the WestFax team “thought people would be really interested because they are really enamored by Casa Bonita’s reopening. So, they thought it would be a good idea.” e event sold out fast and a second night was added to accept the over ow. e WestFax team also was ready for inclement weather.

“Plan B was to set up in the brewery, which is also cool, but doing it outside with Casa Bonita right