November 2019

Hi everyone – and welcome to my new website.  I’ll be posting my mid-month updates here (and linking to them on Facebook).  If you’re interested in being notified when I publish new posts, please sign up for updates and you’ll get an email when a new post goes live.  

Here’s my mid-month update for things going on in Superior for November 2019.

Oerman-Roche Trailhead

At its October 28, 2019 meeting, the Town Board named the new trailhead located at the former Shan Shan Chu property (off of McCaslin Blvd. and overlooking Original Town and BoCo Open Space): the Oerman-Roche Trailhead.  Edith Oerman was a longtime teacher who taught in the Superior School which was located in what is now Asti Park. She taught 7th and 8th graders in the 1930s and 40s and was beloved by her students — most of whom were children of miners who worked at the old Industrial Mine.  Josephine Roche was the first woman police officer in Denver, the first woman to own a coal mine company, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration and at one point, was the CEO of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company, which owned the Industrial Mine in Superior.  I’m proud of the Town for honoring these two important women who played pivotal roles in Superior’s history.

CenturyLink Open Space

Recently I was asked a question about the Superior Open Space fund.  Superior voters passed an Open Space Sales Tax back in 2001. That tax of .3% raises approximately $500,000 each year into a dedicated fund that the Town is to use to purchase open space.  In addition, in 2006, Superior voters authorized up to $5 million worth of bonds to be used for open space acquisitions. So the question was…. what are the Town’s plans to use this money to acquire open space?

The Superior Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) has consistently ranked the CenturyLink property as its top open space acquisition target.  This 185-acre property is located at the southernmost edge of Superior, north of Hwy. 128, between McCaslin Boulevard on the west and Eldorado Boulevard on the east.  Many residents are surprised when they learn this land is not owned by the town and has the potential to be developed. Residents appreciate the ridgeline aesthetics this property provides as well as the existing social trails on the property. 

After an application to locate an oil and gas well pad on the CenturyLink property was proposed in the Fall of 2018, OSAC made a recommendation to the Town Board to “utilize all means possible, such as the open space fund, associated bonding capacity, and collaborating partners, to aggressively pursue the purchase of the Century Link property.”  I support OSAC’s recommendation and think the Town should do everything it can to acquire this property, remove it from potential development, and protect it against use as a potential oil and gas site. The Town is actively working to make this happen.

Voting Machines

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 was Election Day.  Turnout in Colorado was low — only 41% of registered voters actually voted.  In Superior, turnout was higher, but still relatively low. I received questions as to why there was no voting machine placed in Town Hall.  Boulder County runs the coordinated election, and places voting machines only in those locations where a municipality is electing officials. Personally, I think this is a mistake and I’m going to push to make sure Superior voters always have the opportunity to vote in person at Town Hall in all elections going forward.  

Downtown Superior Commercial Core Development

The #1 question I get asked is: “When are we getting a downtown in Downtown Superior?”  On November 18, 2019, the Town Board is scheduled to hear a proposal for a Final Development Plan from Morgan Ranch, which if approved, would allow the development of commercial uses in the core of the Downtown Superior.  The plans also call for a central, common area green, which will serve as a focal point for community gatherings as well as dedicated community space for the Town. If you are interested in weighing in on this application, please attend our Town Board meeting on November 18th or email the Board at townboard@superiorcolorado.gov.  If you’re interested in seeing the plans, here’s a link to the Board Packet for the meeting.

Tesla

Construction continues on the interior finish work in the new Tesla Sales & Service center located at the corner of McCaslin & Marshall.  Plumbing and rough framing inspections were completed last week and a drywall inspection will be performed soon.  Tesla recently joined the Superior Chamber of Commerce as well and BizWest magazine published an article on the Superior Tesla location, which is available here.

Treats for Troops – SYLC & Dixon Orthodontics 

This year the Superior Youth Leadership Council (SYLC) partnered with Dixon Orthodontics on “Treats for Troops.”  Dixon Orthodontics sponsored a candy buy-back program as a fundraiser for Eldorado PK-8, Monarch PK-8, and Superior Elementary.  SYLC was in charge of collecting candy each day from the schools, packing, and shipping the candy. In total, 108 boxes were shipped to troops around the world through Operation Gratitude.  Thank you to Dixon Orthodontics and SYLC for their generosity and commitment to our community and our troops.

Land Rover

On June 14, 2018, the Board of Trustees authorized the purchase of the former Land Rover dealership building located at 1500 Coalton Road.  On October 28, 2019, the Town Board selected OZ Architecture to perform architectural planning and design services for the redevelopment of the building.  OZ has really done some incredible work in the past and I’m excited that they will be working with Superior to redevelop this building into a valuable community amenity.  Here’s a link to some of their past work. 

The next step in the process will be a work session with the Town Board in December to talk through preliminary ideas on uses and designs and to gather community feedback.  Personally, I’d like to see this space redeveloped into a flexible space that has: (1) community meeting space; (2) co-working space; (3) teen space with a game room; (4) library/quiet study space; (5) performance space; (6) art, music, and AV studios; (7) makers spaces; (8) teaching kitchens; and (9) flexible outdoor space.  This building could become a thriving, central gathering space for our community and I’m looking forward to seeing what it can become. I hope you’ll participate when the meeting is scheduled.

The LowDown

This past summer I started a new program called: “The Lowdown with Trustee Lacis.”  The Lowdown is an opportunity for residents to meet with me one-on-one to talk about anything related to the Town of Superior.  It’s been well-received and I always enjoy the discussions. The last date available for November is Nov. 21 @ 6pm. Send me an email at markl@superiorcolorado.gov to sign up.