FORT LUPTON PRESS S E RV I N G T H E C O M M U N I T Y S I N C E 19 0 6
VOLUME 32
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ISSUE 33
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2021
W project , N breaks 25 , 2020 Chimney Hollow Reservoir ground
VOLUME 117
EDNESDAY
OVEMBER
THE SEASON FOR SHARING
Additional Water supply for the future BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Northern Water’s Municipal Subdistrict and the Windy Gap Firming Project celebrated its groundbreaking event a Chimney Hollow Reservoir on August 6. “This will secure our water for the future for our kids future and grandkids,” Fort Lupton Mayor Zo Stieber said. “Fort Lupton has grown and we’ve placed increased demands on our water supply. We have a lot of water but we don’t know much Fort Lupton will grow and this guarantees the supply.” It has taken about 22 years of permitting and planning so far. The project, now moving into the construction phase should cost an estimated $500 million with another $650 million in improvements to the West Slope. Chimney Hollow Reservoir will hold about 90,000 acre-feet of water – enough to cover 141 square miles in a foot of water – but still smaller than Carter Lake with its 300-foot-tall dam. It will take up to four years from construction to completion. The Windy Gap Project was completed in 1985 as a source of water storage for towns and cities on the eastern slope from the Windy Gap Reservoir. In 2000 officials decided it would be more efficient to develop a single project instead of having separate projects for all the municipalities. The Chimney Hollow Reservoir will be built alongside other major improvements in Grand County and it will become a new source of water for the eastern slope towns
Fort Lupton pot sales stay on hold
ISSUE 48
Councilors divided over how to choose vendors BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
started during his career. “It’s going to be huge for Fort Lupton because it confirms 13 units of Windy Gap the city owns. We owned three when I came on board, then we bought 10 units when I became City Administrator,” said Hanes. Dennis Yanchunas, Board President with the municipal subdistrict, said the Windy Gap project is unlike the Colorado-Big Thompson project because the water it provides is reusable. The Big Thompson project, which brings water from the Western Slope to the Front Range, provides water for irrigation which usually cannot be reused. “It really valuable water for the participates because they can reuse it so consequently, it’s not only an additional water supply, but it’s
The process of adding sections to the Fort Lupton municipal code to allow for medical and marijuana businesses is on hold again. Council unanimously tabled those additions until Aug. 17 because of an ongoing discussion about how to choose the four allowed firms. The present ordinance calls for a lottery system. Mayor Zo Stieber and Brighton resident Tucker Eldridge, a representative with Nature Herbs and Wellness, were in favor of a hybrid system that included the lottery and a merit system. “Commerce City has an exclusive lottery system, and there are lawsuits,” Eldridge said. “The lottery system prevents elected officials from making decisions. You can use your decision-making power to benefit the town.” Fort Lupton resident John Rotherham agreed with the hybrid format. “You have control over this,” he told councilors on July 20. “To say you’re going to give it all to a lottery
SEE RESERVOIR, P9
SEE MARIJUANA, P3
Fort Lupton Mayor Zo Stieber, Councilman Bruce Fritzgerald, and Chris Cross, City Administrator. Reusable water will be a valuable asset for the City of Fort Lupton. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
and cities. The reservoir participants have committed to reducing water per capita supply through water conservation according to officials. Its regional water supply participants are Broomfield, Platte River Power Authority, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont, Erie, Little Thompson Water District, Superior, Louisville, Fort Lupton, Lafayette, and Central Weld County Water District. “It’s going to shore up our water resources for the decades to come. It will help to ensure that we have clean supplied water for the citizens as we continue to grow,” said Chris Cross, Fort Lupton City Administrator. Claude Hanes former Fort Lupton City Administrator has been participating in all of the meetings for over 15 years with Northern Colorado Conservancy District when the Chimney Hollow project
New location
AMAZON IS NOW HIRING IN COMMERCE CITY
Scan to apply or visit amazon.com/startnow
Every year before Thanksgiving, First United Methodist Church in Fort Lupton and the Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank provide community members with food boxes. This will be the program’s 10th consecutive year. Above, Joe Hubert, left China Garcia and Sue Hubert with Change 4 Change, another organization that helps with the food drive. See more on Page 2. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer.
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