January 2021

Hi everyone — Happy New Year!  Here’s my update for January 2021.  Read on for Superior-specific COVID numbers, 2020 town accomplishments and goals for the new year, small business grants, new businesses coming to town, air quality monitoring, new ownership of the Main Street development, and more…  

COVID-19 in Superior

Through December 30, we have had 235 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Superior.  Across Boulder County, our positivity rate is at 3.9% and trending downwards, which is great news.  In addition, Governor Polis directed CDPHE to move all counties in the Red level on the COVID Dial to the Orange level, effective on Monday, January 4, 2021.  Please continue to wear your masks, wash your hands, and keep your distance.  We’re rounding the corner as the vaccine rolls out to the general population in 2021, but we still need to remain vigilant.  If you want to be notified when the vaccine will be available to your “group”, Boulder County Public Health has released this sign up: www.boco.org/covidvaccinenotifysignup

Top Ten Town Accomplishments for 2020 Goals for 2021

While 2020 seemed like the year the world stood still, the Town of Superior accomplished many great things.  Here are some highlights:

• COVID Response – we were fast to adopt a mask ordinance, figured out how to safely open our parks and pools, and kept our COVID numbers relatively low, especially compared to other jurisdictions in the greater Denver-Boulder metro area.  We made multiple rounds of grants to local businesses totaling $565,000.  For an updated list of local businesses who received grants, please see the image below.  Most recently, we implemented Superior Ca$h which has been very well received and has really helped out our local small businesses during the holidays.

• Coyote Ridge Open Space acquisition – largest open space acquisition (182 acres) in town history!

• Oil & Gas Regulations – adopted strict oil & gas regulations which protect public health and the environment.

• 88th Street Reconstruction – widened/improved a main roadway and access point to town.

• Improved Town Amenities – we safely opened our pools with a new reservation system, constructed Pickleball Courts in Autrey Park, opened the Oerman-Roche trailhead off McCaslin, and hosted an outdoor concert on the Town 15 Property.

• Public Art – installed twelve pop-up Prairie Dogs throughout town, art in our bus shelters, “Peacock” and “The Eyes Have It” in Community Park, and “Let Your Heart Soar” on Main Street.  (That’s my cover photo for this month’s blog.  Did you know these 9-feet-tall angel wings are made of 200 rusted metal shovels?  A nice nod to Superior’s rich mining history.)

• Affordable Housing – we passed an ordinance requiring 15% of all new residential construction to be permanent, deed-restricted affordable housing.  

• Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements – although not exciting to talk about, we’ve made significant investments in our wastewater treatment facilities this past year which will serve Superior for decades to come.  

• Vinnie & the Goats – need I say more!?

• The list goes on… – we had a huge election turnout, helped change the fence color in Rock Creek, installed monument signs at the major gateway entrances to town, increased the numbers of trees we plant each year, and more.  A special shout out to all the town volunteers on our committees who all continue to make significant contributions to Superior!

For 2021, here are a number of my goals that I’d love to see the Town accomplish.  The Town Board will be meeting in early 2021 to discuss our collective goals as a Board.  Please let me know if there is anything you’d like to see on the list.

• Main Street in Downtown Superior – The great news is that Carmel Partners will soon be taking over the Downtown Superior Main Street development from the Morgan Ranch group. (More about this transition below under the Downtown Superior heading.) I am pushing for the start of vertical construction on the commercial core of Downtown Superior in 2021.

• Renewable Energy – I’d like to see all of our town facilities powered by renewable energy no later than 2022.  To get there, we need to take serious steps towards this goal this year.  We are hiring an Environmental Sustainability Analyst and I’m looking forward to seeing progress in this area.

• Economic Development – I want to see more focus on economic development, including filling our vacant storefronts.  We’re hiring a dedicated full-time Economic Development Manager for Superior (previously the Town has relied on outside consultants).  Also, my goal is to get a commitment from the owner of the Superior Marketplace (Brixmor) to revitalize and redevelop the Marketplace.

• Superior Community Center – We will finish construction at 1500 Coalton Road and open our first-ever Community Center.  As we emerge from the pandemic, it will be great to create a central gathering place for our community.

• RMMA Noise Roundtable – The Roundtable is finally here.  It was created through an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and surrounding jurisdictions.  As Superior’s representative on the Roundtable, I look forward to working with the members to prioritizing solutions to the problems of increasing airplane noise.

• Verizon Tower – Verizon will be constructing a macro cell tower/array in Community Park, which will involve replacing one of the existing light poles near the baseball fields.  We’ve all been waiting for this for a long time and I hope this installation goes a long way towards improving cell phone reception in Superior.

• I have a number of other small goals for the town, but I’m most interested in what YOU think is important. Please comment on social media or email me at markl@superiorcolorado.gov to give me your feedback

Downtown Superior – Main Street Update

COVID-19 stopped the progress of development of the commercial area of the Downtown Superior project. 2021 will hopefully be very different. Carmel Partners is acquiring Morgan Ranch’s interest in the project to develop the commercial core. While the Town Board approved plans for this portion of the Downtown Superior project in late 2019, Morgan Ranch struggled to finance the project and asked us to reduce the footprint of Main Street and change it to allow for more housing instead of commercial units (I was very much AGAINST this request). Carmel Partners has since taken over the project and we’ve been told they have the capital to build the project without any changes to the approved plans and without outside financing. I’m looking forward to seeing significant progress on Main Street in 2021!

Small Business Grants

Boulder County will be offering a small business grant program in January. The program is funded by the State of Colorado, which has specified that eligibility for the funding is limited to restaurants, bars, caterers, movie theaters, gyms, and recreation centers with annual receipts of $2.5 million or less.  To qualify, businesses must have experienced at least a 20% reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 26, 2020.  More information on how to apply will be available the week of January 4, 2021 at www.boco.org/COVID-19Resources

Mayor Pro-Tem & Committee Assignments

At our December 14, 2020 board meeting, the Superior Board of Trustees selected me to continue to serve as the Town’s Mayor Pro-Tem.  The Mayor Pro-Tem essentially acts as a “Vice-Mayor” in the event that the Mayor is unavailable to perform his duties.  I am humbled and honored to receive the Board’s support.  We also made our annual committee assignments.  (Board members not only attend Board meetings, but also participate in every Town committee meeting and other government committees.)  I will serve as the Town’s representative on the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, the Colorado Municipal League Policy Committee, and the newly-created RMMA Airport Noise Roundtable. 

New Businesses: Crumbl Cookies, Boss Lady Pizza, TBD in former Delvickios space

We have several new businesses coming to town which is very exciting to see.  Crumbl Cookies will open in early January in the Superior Marketplace next to Panera.  In the Rock Creek Village marketplace (Safeway), Boss Lady Pizza will be filling the former Pizza Hut space and the word on the street is that a Mexican restaurant will be opening in the former Delvickios space (next to Asian Cuisine).  I look forward to eating more cookies, pizza, and burritos in 2021.

Airport Noise Roundtable

The first meeting of the newly created Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport Community Noise Roundtable will be held on January 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. at RMMA.  According to the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) which established the Roundtable, its purpose is to:

1. Identify the dimension of noise issues, discover possible mitigation actions, find opportunities for implementation of mitigation measures, and evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation measures;

2. Share up-to-date data in order to identify potential voluntary noise reduction opportunities;

3. Identify potential operational changes to the Airport that would require federal approval;

4. Build consensus around recommendations for noise reduction measures, whether voluntary or mandatory (understanding that mandatory measures require FAA approval);

5. Review available data regarding noise reduction measures; and 
   
6. Review Airport development plans, operational changes and surrounding community development plans for associated noise impacts.

Superior residents — particularly those who live south of Coalton Road — have definitely noticed an increase in airplane noise from flight school operations running touch-and-go loops around our area.  It is my hope that the Roundtable will be able to work collaboratively to address the impacts from these increased flight operations and propose viable solutions.   

Air Quality Monitors

At the suggestion of a resident, the Town has installed air monitoring sensors in three different locations in town (Town Hall, North Pool, and South Pool).  These monitors will measure the air quality in Superior.  Information from the air sensors can be viewed through the PurpleAir website

Low Down with Trustee Lacis

Let’s start off 2021 with some good conversations!  Would you like to meet with me one-on-one to discuss anything related to the Town of Superior?  If so, consider signing up for a “Virtual” Lowdown with Trustee Lacis. We’ll set up a Zoom Meeting.  Please shoot me an email at markl@superiorcolorado.gov and we’ll find time to meet.