July 2024

Hey Superior — I hope everyone is having a great summer.  I wanted to give an update on all the things going on in Superior.  I’m really happy to report that we’ve accomplished A LOT this year and have many exciting things in the pipeline… so this is going to be a long(er) read. 

Read on for updates on Rock Creek Parkway construction, Superior’s lawsuit regarding Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, the upcoming November election, Superior Community Center, Downtown Superior developments, Marshall Fire recovery … and much much more…

Rock Creek Parkway

Rock Creek Parkway is our major capital improvement project for 2024.  For background on the project, I wrote a comprehensive overview on RCP and its need for reconstruction back in November 2023. Ultimately, the Town Board decided to keep RCP as a 4-lane road (2 lanes in each direction), with some safety improvements.  Here’s an image of how Rock Creek will be reconfigured.

 

 

The reconstruction project includes treating the subgrade to resist expansive soils and installing a completely new road.  The work we’re performing this year consists of reconstructing and resurfacing Rock Creek Parkway from McCaslin Blvd to Indiana St.  In addition, we’ll perform concrete work, median xeriscaping, removal of the right-turn lanes at South Pitkin, removal of the third lane from South Pitkin to McCaslin, addition of a crosswalk on the west side of the South Pitkin intersection, restriping of Rock Creek Parkway from McCaslin to Coalton to reflect two reduced-width lanes in each direction and a larger buffered bike lane to improve multi-mobility and pedestrian crossing enhancements.  

This work is to be completed in three phases.  Phase 1 involved closure of RCP eastbound lanes from McCaslin to Indiana, which is now complete.  Phase 2 involves closure of RCP westbound lanes from Indiana to East Wiggins.  Asphalt removal, concrete work, and fly-ash treatment of westbound RCP from South Indiana to East Wiggins are now complete.  This week, the contractor will be leveling the sub-grade in preparation for paving which will occur late next week. 

Phase 3 work, which includes reconstruction of westbound lanes from Wiggins Street to the pedestrian bridge as well as a mill and overlay to McCaslin Boulevard, will start in early August. Due to the amount of work expected in the East Wiggins and RCP intersection during Phase 3, East Wiggins Street will be reduced to a single-lane road at the entrance to the Waterford neighborhood.  This means the inbound and outbound traffic at Wiggins will share a single-lane and must yield to on-coming traffic. 

The project is on schedule for the asphalt work to be complete before school starts.  Major props to Brannon Richards, our Public Works Director, for his amazing leadership on this project.

Over the coming year(s), we will continue with Rock Creek Parkway reconstruction by focusing on the McCaslin/RCP intersection and continuing with reconstruction of RCP from Indiana Street all the way down to the 88th Street roundabout.  

This project will be a big part of our discussions this fall in the 2025 Budget as well as the proposed ballot measure that will go to voters in November.  Stay tuned for more details.

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport

Lawsuit

On March 12, 2024, the Town of Superior and Boulder County filed a lawsuit in Boulder County District Court against Jefferson County and the Airport Director of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (“RMMA”).  In the Complaint, we request injunctive relief requiring the Defendants to abate the nuisance caused by piston-engine aircraft performing “touch and go” operations at RMMA.  The alleged nuisance stems from excessive noise and lead pollution from those piston-engine aircraft that perform “touch and go” operations over Superior. 

A copy of the Complaint is available here: Dkt. 001 – 2024.03.12 Complaint for Injunctive Relief (1).   

On March 14, 2024, Jefferson County filed a Notice of Removal and removed the case to Federal Court.  On March 29, 2024, Jefferson County filed a Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit.  On April 11, 2024, Superior and Boulder County filed a Motion to Remand the case back to State Court.  These motions are now fully briefed and we are waiting on decision(s) from the Court. 

Community Noise Roundtable Disbands & New Airport Director

On May 3, 2024, the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport Community Noise Roundtable (“CNR”) voted to dissolve the CNR by a 5-3 vote (with Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Boulder County, and Broomfield voting to disband — Westminster, Arvada, and Jefferson County voted against).  More information on this vote is available here.

On May 24, 2024, Jefferson County announced that it had hired Erick Alan Dahl to be the new Airport Director of RMMA.  For more information on this decision, please see here. 

November Election – Call for Candidates, Home Rule, & Ballot Measure

This November, Superior voters will be electing three Trustees for 4-year terms.  Trustees Sandie Hammerly, Bob McCool, and Jason Serbu will each be up for re-election (although I’ll leave it to them to share whether or not they’ll be running for re-election).  For all of you who think you can lead this town better (you know who I’m talking about, you “keyboard warriors”) now is your time to step up and do it.  

If you’re interested in serving, you must be a citizen of the United States of America, be eighteen (18) years of age or older on the date of the election, be registered to vote, and have resided in Superior for at least the twelve months immediately prior to the date of the election.  To obtain candidate affidavits and petitions, call the Town Clerk at 303-499-3675 extension 112 or email lydiay@superiorcolorado.gov. The deadline to make the ballot is August 26.  For more information, please check out the Town’s Election Website.

In addition to electing three Trustees, Superior voters will also be voting on our Home Rule Charter and a sales tax ballot question.  

Home Rule

In Colorado, municipal “home rule” is a form of government under the control of local citizens rather than state government — with powers and authority derived from the municipality’s locally enacted charter and ordinances, rather than state statutes. It affords citizens of cities and towns who adopt a local charter freedom from the need for state enabling legislation and protection from state interference in “local and municipal matters.”  In essence, we’d derive our power from the State Constitution, rather than from the State Legislature. 

Our Home Rule Charter Commission has been hard at work drafting a charter for Superior.  I’m really happy with the proposed Charter that they drafted and I think it will serve Superior well into the future.  Many thanks to all the Charter Commission members for serving.

For more information on Superior’s Home Rule Charter process, and to read the proposed Home Rule Charter, please click the Town’s Home Rule webpage. 

Capital Improvement Projects Ballot Measure – Pools, Parks, & Roads

Also on the November ballot, Superior voters will be asked to authorize the Town to borrow up to $20 million to fund capital improvements projects, including but not limited to, our pools, parks/playgrounds, and roads.  

The debt would be repaid with a .315% sales tax increase (which equates to 31 cents on a $100 purchase), and the sales tax would sunset no later than 2050.  

Here’s a snapshot of Superior’s current sales tax rate, compared to its neighbors — as you’ll see, the proposed increase would bring us to Louisville’s current sales tax level, which is still below both Lafayette and Boulder.

 

 

Approval of this ballot measure will allow the Town to fund some long-overdue and necessary capital improvement projects, before they become ever more expensive to complete due to inflation.  I hope voters will support our Home Rule Charter and the sales tax ballot measure.

Superior Community Center – Micro Market, Teen Nights, Senior Programming

There has been a lot going on at our wonderful Superior Community Center.  In addition to our regular services like the library annex, co-working and meeting spaces, and hosting of larger events… the SCC continues to offer regular events like JAMMIN’ Feud, Open Mic Nights, JAMMIN’ Trivia, and JAMMIN’ Music Bingo.  The SCC also offers a ton of interesting classes and other programs like CBArt classes, Superior Improv Co., Learn Spanish, Family Storytime, Ukulele Jam…  

Recently, we’ve introduced some additional events that you should really check out.

Teen Nights

Teen Nights have been a huge hit.   Teen Nights are a free, safe space for teens to connect and make friends.  One of the first Teen Nights held on June 21 (Galaxy Nights theme) offered a safe, fun, and parent-free Friday night for teens (ages 12 to 15) at the Superior Community Center, and included galaxy slime, video games, space painting, a galactic dance battle and more!  

We also held a teen movie night at the North Pool in July, but are coming back to the SCC on August 2 for “S’more Than You Can Handle.”  Get ready for ping pong tournaments, a silent disco, video games, pizza, and lots of fun.  Registration is required and limited to 30 participants.  Signup here and click on “Teen Activities.” 

Senior Programming

On the other end of the age-spectrum, our Senior Programming has also been extremely popular.  We’re hosting Senior Welcome Breakfasts, Gardeners Unite, Open Card/Board Games, Crafters, Knitting, & Crocheting, Euchre, Book Clubs, and more… 

One really popular event and resource for our seniors has been Tech Pals, which allows you to bring your device for tech help from a training TechPals, Inc. trained volunteer.  For more information on our Senior Programming, please visit here. 

Food & Beverage Services

As many of you know, we previously had a vendor (Serendipity) at the Superior Community Center, which staffed the cafe and stocked it with sandwiches, wraps, coffee, and wine/beer. Unfortunately, they were not doing enough business to make it worth their while to continue and they ended their contract with Superior.  The Town tried for six months to get another vendor to staff a cafe, but no vendor submitted a bid. We also looked at the possibility of the Town running a cafe itself, but that too was cost-prohibitive. So, as a compromise, and in order to continue offering some snacks/beverages at the Community Center, we’re trying out the new Avenue “C” Micro Market vending concept.  I anticipate that they will experiment with their offerings to see what best matches our community’s wants and needs.  Please give us your feedback on what you like or what items you would prefer by sending us an email at tospros@superiorcolorado.gov.

Separately, we were able to get Serendipity to come back to the Community Center for events like Open Mic Nights, Trivia Night, and live music events, where they will serve wine & beer… so that’s a win. The Town will also continue to organize food trucks for events.

Sagamore/Original Town – Parks & Playgrounds

We are really excited to rebuild Big Sagamore, Little Sagamore, and Children’s Parks this year — all of which were lost in the Marshall Fire.  These parks, when rebuilt, will not just be welcomed amenities to our rebuilt neighborhoods (Sagamore and Original Town), but they will play an important role in our Town’s overall recovery from the Marshall Fire.  

Construction is underway on all 3 parks.  At Big and Little Sagamore Park, concrete work is complete and irrigation work continues.  At Children’s Park, survey work is complete, with grading and concrete work underway, and preparations being made for the playground pit.  

Installation of all three playgrounds is scheduled for the end of July/early August and will take 4-5 days.  The pour-in-place surfacing material will be installed after the curing time for the playground footers. Landscaping and furniture installation will take place throughout August.  

Here are some renderings of what the playgrounds will look like when they are installed later this summer.

4th of July Recap

Our 4th of July Parade and Pancake Festival was a huge hit!  We had nearly 6,000 attendees, more than 20 different vendors, 41 parade entries, and over 7,000 pancakes were served.  At the Community Center (where the fun continued after the Pancake Festival let out), we had another 700 attendees for a BBQ with live music.  This also was our most sustainable 4th of July ever, where our staff brought in reusable cups and increased our zero-waste efforts.  

Historical Museum

During the Marshall Fire, we lost the Town’s more than a hundred-year old mining cottage that served as the Town’s Historical Museum.  Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Historical Commission, Town Staff, and the Greater Denver Lions Clubs, on June 29, 2024, we cut the ribbon on our replica Historical Museum.  You can also check out an amazing time-lapse video that shows the construction of the replica museum. 

 

Check out some of the press we got for this event:

CBS News

KDVR Fox 31

9News

Marshall Fire Recovery

Of the 396 properties in Superior that were destroyed in the Marshall Fire, 79% of them have received or have applied for a permit to rebuild.  Moreover, Superior has now issued 243 certificates of occupancy for Marshall Fire rebuilds which means we are now 62% rebuilt and many families have moved back home!  We’ve also rebated over $3.1 million in use taxes and building permit fees, which has helped fire survivors close their underinsurance gaps.  

Every family that moves back home is a huge accomplishment for our community and should be celebrated.  The resilience and strength of our neighbors is really inspiring and makes me proud to live here in Superior.  To follow along and track our progress, please visit the Superior Recovers Website and the Recovery Dashboard map, which tracks all of the parcels that were impacted by the fire, with their status in real-time.  

Here’s a look by neighborhood at the recovery:

76th Street Dirt Pile & One Ways Removed in Sagamore

As the Sagamore neighborhood rebuilt, they needed a staging area for all the dirt that was excavated for the foundations of the new homes.  For the past year and change, that dirt lived on 76th Street and was affectionately known as “Mt. Sagamore.”  All dirt from Mt. Sagamore has now been removed and 76th Street is open once again.  The street and storm sewers were cleaned following dirt removal and the street was swept.  This road is scheduled to be milled and overlaid in 2025, pending budget approval.  Following this work, striping will be renewed. 

In addition, the temporary one-way signage was removed from the Sagamore neighborhood… another step towards a return to normal as Sagamore recovers from the Marshall Fire. 

Downtown Superior

2024 has been a huge and productive year for Downtown Superior.  We started out on January 8 with the approval of the last major development in Downtown Superior — the Coal Creek Innovation Park on Blocks 2, 5, 8.  The Coal Creek Innovation Park development includes Two Lab/Office buildings on Blocks 2 and 5 (as well as a parking garage on Block 5) and a Mixed-Use building (with 251 residential units) and parking garage on Block 8.  When complete, this project will bring a much-needed office component to the project which will support local businesses along Main Street.  

On April 22, 2024, the Town Board approved a Final Development Plan (FDP) for Bigsby’s Folly — a 6,200 square foot winery, restaurant, and event venue, with outdoor patio seating and a rooftop deck.  We are extremely excited for Chad & Marla Yetka (the owners Bigby’s Folly) to bring their second location to Superior and this venue will truly be a destination, not just for dinner and drinks, but for those hosting wedding receptions, parties, and corporate events.  With amazing views of the Flatirons, Bigsby’s Folly in Superior will be a remarkable addition to our already amazing town.  Opening Mid-to-Late 2025! 

  

Also on April 22, 2024, the Town Board approved a rezoning to the Discovery Office Park PD for Pennrose, LLC to build senior affordable housing in the Southwestern portion of the Downtown Superior development.  This use, if built, could deliver 48 deed-restricted for-rent units for persons 55 years of age and older.  They are currently working their way through State funding requests and we hope to see an FDP for their building in 2025.

On July 8, the Town Board approved an FDP for an Everhome Suites Hotel in Downtown Superior —  a four-story, 57,972 square foot extended stay hotel with 114 guest rooms (next to where the previous Element Hotel was prior to the Marshall Fire).  Having a hotel in Superior will be a huge draw for many in Downtown Superior — especially the Blue Sport Stable.  Construction should be starting soon!

We also saw the brand new dog park open (next to the Central Park site), which provides both an off-leash area for small and large dogs.  Central Park itself should be bid out for construction this summer and completed by the end of the year.  Construction continues on the Origin development in Planning Area 2, as well as on the Remington, Thrive, and Toll Brothers housing developments in Planning Area 3.  We’re still waiting on the Downtown Metro Districts to complete work on the water feature in the plaza along Main Street, who’ve told us they are currently waiting on parts before turning it on.

Later this year, the Town will start construction on its Civic Space, located adjacent to the plaza on Main Street.  To celebrate and activate Main Street, the Town is hosting a number of Plaza Palooza events, to feature Downtown businesses… and allow residents to enjoy music, food trucks, games, and more!  The next Plaza Palooza events are on Aug. 8 and Sept. 21. 

New Businesses!

There are a bunch of new businesses that opened their doors in Superior in 2024… and even more coming soon.  Here’s a snapshot of a few, all located in Downtown Superior:

• Kwosson (authentic French bakery) 2250 Main St Unit 4, Superior, CO 80027
• Colorado Carbon Bike Shop, 2250 Main St, #9, Superior, CO 80027  
• Halcyon Mind+Body (wellness spa) 2345 Main St, Superior, CO 80027

Here are some other businesses that will be opening their doors soon:

Downtown:

• Boulder Baked (Cookies/Bakery) 2345 Main Street, “Sweet 2”, Superior, CO  
• Krak Boba (Boba Tea) 2245 Main Street, Suite 1003, Superior, CO   
• Menchies (Frozen Yogurt) 2345 Main Street, Suite 1105, Superior, CO 

Rock Creek Village:

• Lewis Sweet Shop, 1621 Coalton Rd, Superior, CO   

Superior Marketplace:

• Barnes & Noble, 550 Marshall Rd, Superior, CO
• Image Studios Salon Suites, 300 Center Drive Unit A, Superior, CO 
• Superior Baby Care, 502 Center Dr, Ste G, Superior, CO 

Housing Plan — Comprehensive Plan Update

I’ve seen some discussion online with concerns about adopting the draft Affordable Housing Strategic Plan that will be considered again by the Town Board in August.  In order to alleviate concerns and explain how we got here, I wanted to provide some background and context.

As we all know, housing in our area is extremely expensive and there is more demand for housing than there is supply.   For more than 10 years, the Town’s Comprehensive Plan (last updated in 2012) has called for a mix of housing types at varied prices. 

In 2018, the Town signed onto the Boulder County Regional Housing Partnership goal of 12% of the County’s housing stock to be affordable by 2035.  In furtherance of this goal, in 2020 the Town adopted an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requiring affordable housing with certain developments (15% of all developments involving more than 10 units). 

In 2021, the Town of Superior applied for and received an Innovative Housing Planning (IHOP) Grant from Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to create an Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (which involved a 25% cost contribution from the Town, in the amount of $25,750).  The IHOP Grant allowed the Town to solicit proposals and hire a consultant to help create an Affordable Housing Strategic Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to analyze current data and community concerns and identify strategies that the Town can implement to preserve existing, and create new affordable, rental and home ownership units in the Town.  The Plan would identify housing needs, actionable strategies to address those needs, and multiple implementation options.  By accepting the grant funding, the Town committed to adopting qualifying policy and regulatory strategies for affordable housing. 

Due to the Marshall Fire on December 30, 2021, the project was delayed, but in early 2023, the Town Board recommitted to pursuing this effort.  Also in 2023, the Town opted into State Proposition 123.  Passed by voters in November 2022, Proposition 123 established the State Affordable Housing Fund to advance the development and preservation of affordable housing in the state, and which includes a Land Banking Program — providing grants to local governments and forgivable loans to nonprofits with a demonstrated history to acquire and preserve land for affordable housing.  In order to remain in the running for the State grants, the Town must approve building permits for 22 units of affordable housing by the end of 2026.  

To date, the Town does not yet have any deed restricted housing.  However, as discussed above, the Town Board approved a rezoning for Pennrose, LLC to the Discovery Office Park PD to establish a use for senior affordable housing in the Southeastern portion of the Downtown Superior development.  This use, if built, could deliver 48 deed-restricted for-rent units for persons 55 years of age and older.  

Please understand that by adopting the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, the Town Board is not committing to approval of any particular development in any particular location.  However, if we don’t adopt the Plan, we likely will need to repay the grant money received from the state to produce this plan.  

Furthermore, the Town (with the help of thePlanning Commission) is currently in the midst of drafting an update to our Town’s Comprehensive Plan (which was last updated in 2012).  This Affordable Housing Strategic Plan could serve as an important component of our Comprehensive Plan update.

In order for Superior to adequately prepare for the next 10-20 years, we need to understand what our options are when it comes to housing.  We know that people continue to move to Colorado, and the greater Denver/Boulder metro area is a highly sought after place in which to live — and Superior is top on the list.  And it’s easy to see why, with our great schools, beautiful parks and open spaces, and amazing quality of life, it’s a great place to live… and more people will want to live here.  But because it’s so expensive, fewer young families are able to afford to live in Superior — as a result, the Boulder Valley School District is looking at declining enrollment in several schools, including some in Superior.  If we want Superior to remain a top place to live and raise a family, we need strong schools, and to have strong schools, we need families with kids who will enroll in those schools.  And to have those families enrolled in the schools, they need homes to live in.  

So, I will encourage my fellow Board members to adopt the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, which will serve as a component of our overall Comprehensive Plan update, which is expected in 2025, and which is an important planning tool for Superior’s future.

State of Superior – Save the Date

I’ll be presenting the annual State of Superior presentation at the Superior Community Center on October 17.  As I did in 2023, I plan to focus on what our goals were this year and report on how we did in accomplishing them in 2023.  I will also solicit questions before the presentation and hold an open Q&A afterwards.  Gift cards will be given to the first attendees… so get there early!  

If you’re interested in watching last year’s State of Superior, check it out here.  You can also review the slide deck from 2023.

Mark Your Calendars

Our town has a ton of activities every week, here are some of the big ones you don’t want to miss…

• July 27 – Summer Concert Series: Message in a Bottle, Superior Commons, 6:30 – 8:15 pm
• Aug. 8 – Plaza Palooza: Plaza Grand Opening, 4:00 –7:00 pm, live music, yard games, food truck
• Aug. 10 – Summer Concert Series: High Lonesome, Superior Commons, 6:30 – 8:15 pm
• Aug. 24 – Summer Concert Series: Jeff & Paige and Hazel Miller, Superior Commons, 5:00 – 8:15 pm
• Sept. 7 – Chili & Beer Fest – Community Park, 2:00 – 6:00 pm
• Sept. 21 – Plaza Palooza: Farmers Market/Fall Festival, 4:00 – 7:00 pm, live music, farmer booths, food trucks 
• Oct. 17 – State of Superior – Superior Community Center 
• Oct. 26 – Monster Mash Party (Hosted by SYLC), Superior Community Center, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
• Dec. 14 – Winter Festival, 1:00 – 6:00 pm, skate with Santa, carriage rides, crafters, pictures, reindeer, arts & crafts, music, performances, tree lighting

2025 Budget 

Every fall, the Town Board — and its Finance Committee — hold numerous meetings to go through the Town’s proposed budget.  These are great opportunities for members of the public to get a close look at the Board’s priorities and how we spend our tax dollars.  The first Finance Committee meeting on the proposed 2025 Budget is scheduled for August 14 at 1pm.  

If you’re interested in reviewing the Town’s 2024 budget, please visit this link. 

Sustainability Action Plan Dashboard

In 2022, thanks to the hard work of our Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability (ACES), the Town Board adopted Superior’s Sustainability Action Plan.  The plan includes over 100 proposed actions to curb the impacts of climate change and other negative impacts to our health and environment.  The focus areas are far-reaching with bold actions aimed at reducing Superior’s impact on climate change, increasing community resilience, investing in a greener economy, and ensuring an equitable opportunity to thrive for all residents.

This year, we launched the Sustainability Action Plan Dashboard, which helps us track our progress in achieving the broad and aggressive policy goals set forth in the Sustainability Action Plan.  Please check it out and let us know how we are doing.  Are there areas where we are exceeding expectations?  Are there areas where we could do better?  Let us know.  Climate change is a real threat to our region and it is important for Superior to strategically plan for a future with a changing climate, and one where we can be more sustainable and resilient.  

Short Term Rentals Ordinance

On August 12, the Town Board will consider a second reading for adoption of an Ordinance regulating Short Term Rentals in Superior.  A draft of the Short Term Rentals Ordinance is available here. 

The primary components of the ordinance involve the following: a license requirement, payment of a fee set by Town Board, a affidavit of compliance with health & safety standards, HOA approval (if necessary), maximum guests permitted (2 persons per bedroom, plus 2 persons), simultaneous STRs prohibited at same location (which prevents renting out multiple rooms to different guests), annual registration requirements, Town may revoke a license if any regulations are violated, insurance requirements, inspections, signage & advertising requirements, complaint resolution process (initial complaints will be directed to the owner — owner shall address the complaint within 60 minutes, or within 30 minutes if the complaint occurs between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am), and violations/penalty provisions.  

I think this STR ordinance is a step in the right direction.  It allows STRs, but puts in place a set of regulations to deal with problems as they arise.  That said, if you have any suggestions on how we can improve upon this draft, we’d certainly like to hear from you at our Board meeting on August 12 or in advance via email to townboard@superiorcolorado.gov.

Misc.

Book Locker Expansion – An additional section will be added to the existing book lockers at the Community Center next week. This will improve the number of holds that can be accommodated at this location.

Overdose Training – Narcan has been added to the Community Center and other Town facilities.  Town staff has been working on certifications for overdose training. Most guest services staff have taken the training virtually to receive certificates and the medication is available in AED cabinets in Town facilities. 

Let’s Connect

First Fridays is a great opportunity to meet informally with Town Board members.  The next one is scheduled for August 2 at the Superior Community Center from 7:45 am to 9:30 am.  If that doesn’t work, you can always send me an email to markl@superiorcolorado.gov or the full board at townboard@superiorcolorado.gov.