RESIDENT / OCCUPANT PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LYONS, CO PERMIT No 2053
Redstone stands with President Zelensky and the people in Ukraine VOLUME 25, NUMBER 6
LYONS, COLOR ADO
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JULY 17 / AUG. 13, 2024
B •R •I •E •F •S Brief title is coming soon Rockygrass
LYONS –– text Rockygrass makes its 52nd annual arrival in Lyons on Brief title July 26, filling Lyons with music LYONS – text 5,000 Festivarand an estimated ians through July 28. This year’s lineup includes Dan Tyminski, Sam Bush Bluegrass Band, Sarah Jarosz, Del McCoury Band, Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, and many more. Renowned as a picker’s festival, the week leading up to the event, the RockyGrass Academy, starting July 22, offers 300 musicians of all ages an opportunity to learn bluegrass from many of the festival performers, including instrument building and a kids’ camp. Rockygrass has consistently sold out in advance for the past decade. But if you couldn’t get tickets, you can listen live on KGNU starting July 26 at 10:30 a.m. Redstone Review is a CPA contest winner LYONS – The Colorado Press Association recently announced that the Redstone Review placed in the 2023 Better News Media Contest. The Lyons monthly newspaper won 18 awards in a variety of divisions. The contestants, placement, and divisions will be announced during the CPA Luncheon on August 24 as part of the CPA Annual Convention. The event will be held at the Delta Hotel in Northglenn. Although we don’t know the divisions or categories, the winners are: Sara Wegert, Deborah Huth Price, Peter Butler, John Gierach, Jessie Berta-Thompson, Susan de Castro, Greg Lowell and Tamara Haddad. Some of the contestants won more than one award. Information and clarification regarding park access
LYONS – The parks in Lyons welcomed many guests over the busy four-day Independence Day Holiday and extended weekend. Our goal is to have our parks be safe and fun for everyone. Most days of the year, our parks are accessible to all. We want to update residents and clarify any miscommunicaContinue Briefs on Page 4
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I •N •D •E •X LYONS MAYOR’S CORNER OPTIONS CONTRAST OPPORTUNITY INSIGHT CONSENSUS A&E LOOKING UP NATURE CHOICES WHAT’S COOKIN’
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Summer fun at Lavern Johnson Park in Lyons! Community members are beating the heat by tubing in the St. Vrain River and enjoying the beauty of nature. PHOTO BY CATHY RIVERS to the town code on Planned Unit Developments (PUD). This ordinance Lyons Town Board discusses 5-Acre Rule, information would provide a process for amending PUD and it will codify a review process updates on the big hole on 5th and Main agreements for amending PUD agreements. Currently the By Susan de Castro Redstone Review Editor LYONS – The Lyons Town Board meeting held in mid-July had one of the biggest audiences in attendance this year to date. The topic that drew everyone’s attention was Ordinance 1166, which was passed by all the board members that were present on first reading. Ordinance 1166 is an amendment to the Town of Lyons 5-Acre Rule which states that all annexations to the Town of Lyons that are 5 acres or more, and not owned by the town, must go to a vote of the people. The 5-Acre Rule is not new, it was first voted on and approved in 2000. It became a part of the Lyons Comprehensive Plan at that time and it has been in comprehensive plans ever since. It was created at that time because two Denver developers were planning to put in a large subdivision in the area around what is now Stone Canyon. That development was stopped by petitions submitted by voters, and this led to the creation of the 5-Acre Rule. Since that time, and over the following years, numerous attempts have been made by various developers, some town boards, various mayors, some businesses and others of different stripes to overturn the 5-Acre Rule. In fact it happens rather frequently, for as developers begin eyeing county land that could be annexed to Lyons, they begin to discuss ways that they can circumvent the 5-Acre Rule by slicing up land into smaller parcels and other various ways around the rule. The 5-Acre Rule has proven to be a real thorn in the side of those who want to see more development in Lyons. However, the residents in Lyons, old, young and middle aged, have for the past 24 years (as long as the Redstone Review has been in existence) stood fast and demanded that the town government follow the 5-Acre Rule. A petition was circulated recently and 126 people from all areas of town signed the petition to ask the Lyons Town Board to follow the 5-Acre Rule.
The Board of Trustees made note of this. Numerous people spoke at the meeting, all of them spoke in favor of passing the amendment to the 5-Acre rule. Most of the people spoke with eloquence and passion about their feelings for Lyons and living in a small town and that the town boards past and present were not listening to them. Although the speakers did not favor growth in Lyons, Mayor Hollie Rogin pointed out that several people approached her that were in favor of having more growth in Lyons but were afraid of coming forward with that view due to the repercussions they might face. The town board did listen and did respond and although the amendment was passed unanimously, the board also decided to place the amendment on the November ballot for the public (Lyons residents) to vote on it. The amendment will now go to a second reading which will include a public hearing. Next up Paul Tamburello, the owner of the property at 402 Main St. that burned down last year, gave an update on the status of the property. Last December a fire started in the basement of the former soda fountain building on Main Street. The entire building was destroyed when the main floor fell into the basement. Demolition began in January, 2023 and was completed in February of 2024. “We have put drawings out to various contractors,” (to get bids on rebuilding the structure), Tamburello said. He added that the property is for sale. He said he bought the building in December, 2023 and the fire started six days after he bought the building. He added that they knew from inspections that there was some asbestos in some places in the building. There were nine tenants in the building when he bought it and he had plans to do some remodeling, not major but he wanted to do some painting and some repairs. He said the fire was investigated by several agencies and declared accidental. Moving on, the town board discussed Ordinance 1161, which would add some new
Town does not have a PUD amendment process so any amendment must be processed as a new PUD. The Ordinance 1161 passed unanimously on second reading and public hearing. Next the board discussed Ordinance 1164 on second reading, to allow subdivision of lots recorded on March 20, 1929. These lots are smaller, non-conforming lots and none of them can be subdivided without this ordinance. There are 12 of these lots located in Old Town, as Town Planner Andrew Bowen described them. (Victoria Simonsen described Old Town as everything inside the town limits of Lyons but not including Eagle Canyon, Stone Canyon or anything outside the town limits.) Several people spoke out against the ordinance saying that it would encourage growth. They were worried that it would change the character of their neighborhoods. Mayor Rogin said this would not change the neighborhood or encourage development but only allow people to subdivide lots. She said the zoning is not changing. Trustee Mark Browning said he is voting no. He thinks the ordinance is contrary to the Comprehensive Plan. He said that due to the high cost of building it would encourage high end homes to be built on those small lots. Trustee Greg Lowell said he would also vote no. “I have seen too many times where houses were scraped and sometimes two homes go up,” he said. Trustee Dave Hamrick said he was conflicted and didn’t know how he would vote. He said that the character of the area is to have small lots. The Trustees voted and Ordinance 1164 died because it was a tie vote, so it could not pass. Trustee Tanya Daty was absent leaving only six Trustees to vote and the vote was split three to three. The board moved on to vote on Resolution 2024-61, a resolution pledging to practice and promote civility in the Town of Lyons. It Continue Town Board on Page 10