1-Color
June 18, 2014
75 cents
Teller County, Colorado Volume 53, Issue 24
pikespeakcourier.net
Page 8
A publication of
Page waits for DDA decision By Pat Hill
phill@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Property was destroyed during the tornado that tore through the edge of town. Photos by N.W. Oliver
Community pulls together after tornado rips through town By N. W. Oliver
Contributing writer On Sunday, June 8, around 12:30 pm, a tornado touched down about three miles southeast of Lake George. It then proceeded through the northern edge of town, destroying three outbuildings and overturning six trailers at the Lake George Cabins and RV Park before receding one to two miles northwest of town. The tornado also severely damaged two homes along County Road 92, about two miles west of Lake George, downed acres of trees and scattered debris for miles along its path. Heidi Gleghorn, who owns the trailer park with her husband, Rob, was on the property when the tornado ripped through and described her experience. “My mother and I were in the bathroom at the lodge preparing for a run around the lake.(Lake George), when one of our employees came in and told us there was a funnel cloud outside,” said Gleghorn. She said she had no idea what a funnel cloud was. Soon, however, other employees began coming into the lodge for shelter as the cloud grew closer. “We had just decided to go down to the shelter when we heard the loudest explosive noises I had ever heard,” recounted Gleghorn. When she came outside, she saw that the tornado had turned or flipped over six out of the seven mobile homes on the lot, “blew apart” the water pump station, and felled nearly every blue spruce at the park. Three of the large trees fell just outside the front door of the lodge. “We have postcards in the lodge from sixty years ago when these trees
Large trees were also knocked down during the fierce storm. were first planted… it breaks my heart that they are gone,” she said, “I asked the Forest Service if we could stand them back up, but they told me that spruces are very sensitive and that there was no hope of that.” Gleghorn plans to rebuild and restore the park using the wood from the fallen trees so that parts of them will always remain on the property. Gleghorn’s heart was also broken for the owners of the trailers that were destroyed. Five out of six were primary homes for the owners and most, if not all, were uninsured. After the tornado had passed, Lake George pulled together to support those affected. The Lake George Bible
Church and the Lake George Fire Protection District offered to host the displaced residents until other arrangements could be made. The Lake George Café baked several pizzas in their powerless, dark kitchen for victims and rescue workers. Starky’s General Store donated water to tornado victims and the Subway in Florissant also donated cookies. Six days later, on Saturday, June 14, a “clean-up” day was organized by Lake George Fire Protection District’s Chief, Dutch Kleinhesselink and Christie Good, a Lake George resident who
Faced with two large vacancies in Gold Hill Square South, Bill Page awaits a decision by the Downtown Development Authority on his request for a change in the tax-increment financing policy. At issue is Page’s concern that tenants will abandon Gold Hill and move over to Woodland Station and thus, be eligible for infrastructure improvements funded by the DDA’s financing tool. “I’ve got these huge vacancies and I need time to get it corrected,” Page said. “And for the city to be funding a project, without a level field, for the cost of parking, paving, for instance, I don’t think it’s fair.” Page has requested a three-year hiatus on the TIF policy but only for businesses that might move from his shopping center to the new development. Tax-increment financing is based on the rise in property taxes due to improvements, with the increase amount going directly to the DDA to fund the cost of infrastructure, for instance. Page says his request springs from two sources, a banker in Colorado Springs and the decision by the town council in Castle Rock regarding a new shopping center, the Promenade. The banker turned him down for carrying the loan on the center until Woodland Station is complete, Page said. In the Castle Rock development the council approved a four-point agreement that included restrictions on the re-location of existing businesses to the new development. Page has a basis for his concern, as Woodland Park Hardware did move from Gold Hill Square to Woodland Station and did receive TIF funding for infrastructure. “I don’t have any ill feelings about Woodland Hardware; Gene and Kelly (Rodarmel) rented from me for 27 years and were excellent tenants,” he said. The Rodarmels grew the business from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet and could not expand any more, Page said. “They got a swell deal from the city and I congratulate them.” But what gets Page is the next phase of the development, Woodland Village, property owned by Arden Weatherford, Steve Randolph and Kip Unruh and marketed by Mark Weaver and Michael Harper. “If the city is going to provide 47 percent of the parking down there, that’s not a level playing field,” Page said. “In Gold Hill South, we built all the city streets, water, sewer, drainage, all that in 1979,” he said. As well, 47 percent of required parking for Woodland Hardware is on city streets, he added. “So as an example of what it costs to build a parking lot is about a $700,000 savings for Woodland Hardware,” Page said. Jon DeVaux, who was on the DDA
Tornado continues on Page 9 Page continues on Page 9
POSTAL ADDRESS
PIKES PEAK COURIER (USPS 654-460) OFFICE: 1200 E. Highway 24, Woodland Park, CO 80863 | PHONE: 719-687-3006 MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 340, Woodland Park, CO 80866 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Teller County, Colorado, the Pikes Peak Courier is published weekly on Wednesday by Colorado Community Media, 1200 E. Highway 24, Woodland Park, CO 80863. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WOODLAND PARK, COLORADO. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs.11 a.m. | Legal: Thurs. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 12 p.m.
GET SOCIAL WITH US The Pikes Peak Courier wants to share the news. Check out and like our page on Facebook. Search for Pikes Peak Courier.
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.