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July 30, 2014 VOLU M E 49 | I S S UE 28 | 7 5 ¢
Tri-LakesTribune.net T R I - L A K E S R E G I O N , M O N U M E N T, G L E N E A G L E , B L A C K F O R E S T A N D N O R T H E R N E L P A S O C O U N T Y
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Last beam goes up on Health Pavilion
Pat Phillips with Veltri Steel receives last steel beam to be laid for the Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion set to open in December. Courtesy photo
Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion Partners from left Jameson Smith, Chief Administrative Officer Penrose-St. Francis Health Services; Jake Garro, Vice President Development Group, The Boldt Company; and Boyd Williams, President & CEO YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region. Courtesy photo
Structure expected to be completed in November By Rob Carrigan
rcarrigan@coloradocommunitymedia. com
POSTAL ADDRESS
Construction on the new Health Pavilion in Monument reached an important milestone Friday. Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region and The Boldt Co. “topped off” the Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion by signing the last steel beam to be placed on the 52,000 square foot outpatient and wellness facility Friday morning, July 25. Mary Beth Burichin, Marketing and Community Relations Director for YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, says it is really exciting to see the continuing progress on the landmark structure and the community has been very interested and supportive. “The topping ceremony, where we placed the last beam is an important
construction benchmark,” she said. “And many in the community have expressed excitement and anticipation for the full circle of care model.” The pavilion is directly attached to the Tri-Lakes YMCA, which is the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region’s most northern location. The organization partners continue to prepare for a December grand opening at 17250 Jackson Creek Parkway, Monument. “The Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion will deliver a new model of health care that focuses on wellness and prevention, and a goal of helping people reach and maintain optimal health. The model includes utilization of evidence-based medicine and best practices, increasing access to multiple services at one location, child care while receiving services and a healthy café in an atrium that will unite the Y with the new health pavilion,” Burichin says. Already contracted to be 95 percent occupied, membership and programs currently offered at the existing Tri-Lakes
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Pavilion continues on Page 2
Now under construction, the Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion will encompass, a 52,000-square-foot outpatient and wellness facility and the Tri-Lakes YMCA. Partnering on the project are Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region and The Boldt Company. The addition is 95% leased. Photo by Rob Carrigan
Partners of the Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion sign the last steel beam to be placed on the 52,000 square foot health and wellness facility. Courtesy photo
McDonald ready for Round 2 of recreational marijuana sales debate Palmer Lake mayor only wants what’s best for the town By Danny Summers
dsummers@coloradocommunitymedia.com Quite frankly, Palmer Lake mayor Nikki McDonald would like to have the next three months pass without her town’s name being mentioned in the same breath as marijuana. But she’s also aware that the odds of that happening are about as good as the town’s dry lake suddenly being filled to the brim with water. Earlier in July, a group of Palmer Lake citizens gained the necessary number of 99 votes to get recreational on the Nov. 4 ballot. That means that not only will pro and con signs start popping up along Highway 105, McDonald will likely be spending much of her time answering questions on what her position is on the issue and — of the measure is passed — just what sort of an impact (economic and otherwise) it will have on her town and the Tri-Lakes area in general. “ I honestly have no idea if it will pass this time or not,” the likable mayor said. “I don’t really talk to people about it that much.
“Any money the town gets in is a good thing, but no one knows exactly how much that will be, so it is hard to say at this point. I am very neutral on this issue.” McDonald is all too aware of the battle that raged last spring when the measure was on the April ballot. The recreational marijuana measure was part of a special election in April (McDonald also has her seat contested and won), but marijuana ballot lost 538 to 481. “Basically, if the number of voters were the same, we would only have to change the minds of about 30 people,” said Dino Salvatori, who owns Palmer Lake Wellness Center, the town’s medical marijuana dispensary. Salvatori, a resident of Golden, was at the center of many of the marijuana discussions last winter and spring. But he said he is taking a back seat to this election. In January, he stated that the town of Palmer Lake would receive about “$6,000 a day from the state in sales tax” from the sales of recreational marijuana. In addition, he said he projected giving the town an additional “$30,000 to $40,000 monthly” because of increased sales at his business. “Those figures have changed,” Salvatori recently said. “When I made those statements (in
early January) there were only 37 licensed recreational dispensaries in the state. Today there are over 300 licensed recreational dispensaries in the Denver metro area alone. Statewide I am not sure how many there are.” The only Palmer Lake town councilmember (of the six) who has expressed his opposition to the legalized sales of recreational marijuana in the town is Roads Trustee John Russell. At one point during the June 12 meeting, McDonald apologized to Salvatori for comments made by Russell at the town council workshop session June 5. At that meeting, Russell pointed out during a discussion of Salvatori’s plan for his business that if a business had complaints made against it, its license would not automatically be renewed, but renewal would require a vote of the council. The Palmer Lake Town Council held a workshop session on June 5 to work on issues tabled during its monthly meetings. The pot policy took center stage. Tribune attempted to reach Russell for this article, but attempts were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, McDonald is trying to go about her job as if the marijuana issue is not a distraction. “It seems even things I don’t think will be heated are heated, so your guess is as good as mine (as to what will happen),” she said.