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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2011-01-11* Revised STUDY SESSION TOWN BOARD Tuesday, January 11, 2011 5:00 p.m. Rooms 202/203 170 MacGregor Ave. AGENDA 5:00 p.m. Tree Board Update. 5:30 p.m. Regional Tourism Project Proposal. Future Agenda Items. 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting. NOTE: The Town Board reserves the right to consider other appropriate items not available at the time the agenda was prepared. To: Honorable Mayor Pinkham Board of Trustees Town Administrator Halburnt From: Scott Roederer, Tree Board Date: January 11,2011 RE: Bird Sanctuary TOWN OF ESTES PARK Background: Overgrazing by elk has severely degraded the riparian habitat within the Matthews -Reeser Bird Sanctuary along the Lake Estes Trail, and much of the landscape has been denuded. This has left the area unsightly and has resulted in the loss of a variety of trees. That, in turn, has reduced essential cover for birds and other wildlife. The source of the damage was corroborated by foresters from the Colorado State Forest Service and recognized by the Bureau of Reclamation in its Resource Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for Lake Estes. (See Attachment A.) At its November meeting, the Tree Board voted to recommend $6,000 for fencing to protect the riparian area within the Matthews -Reeser Bird Sanctuary along the Lake Estes Trail. The Tree Board's interest is two fold: • First, one of the Board's mandates is to protect trees within the Estes Valley. The Estes Park Tree Symposium, a public education program about mountain pine beetles, is just one example of its efforts in this regard. The sanctuary area was identified as an area in greatest need of protection and one with a high public profile. (See Attachment B.) • Second, the Board is working to establish the already planned arboretum and has envisioned expanding it to include an interpretive trail from the Visitor Center to the eastern boundary of the bird sanctuary, using land adjacent to the trail. For now, this project is known as The Estes Park Wildlife Walk. Its purpose is to educate the public, particularly young people, on the value of trees, wildlife, and the environment. With the backing of the Trustees, the Board intends to seek funding from Go Colorado for planning and construction. It will cooperate with the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District and the Bureau of Reclamation in its planning. Fencing the areas involved in the interpretive trail is essential, first to restore the river birch, mountain alders, narrowleaf cottonwoods, willows, and other trees and shrubs and, second, to protect the plantings associated with the arboreturm and interpretive stations. The project cannot proceed without fencing. The Bird Sanctuary: The EVRPD board created the Matthews -Reeser Bird Sanctuary on March 11, 1997, at the request of the Estes Park Bird Club. In doing so, it recognized the value of the habitat between the golf course and Lake Estes from the power plant to where the trail is bounded by the lake on one side and the river on the other. The Board allowed signage requesting no loud activities, bicycles, or dogs off the trail in the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary and Lake Estes are recognized statewide as important areas for birds. Over the years, 287 species of birds have been reported, an exceptionally high number for such a small area. Many are spring and fall migrants, resting and feeding here. Some are rare and attract birders from towns along the Front Range. For those who have walked along this portion of the trail over the past 20 years, the changes in habitat are dramatic. They now see bare ground where willows and alders once thrived, as well as many dead and dying trees and shrubs. It's obvious that the habitat is degraded to the point that it will soon no longer be attractive to the birds that the sanctuary should protect. The Fence: At the request of the Estes Park Bird Club and with the Bureau's report in mind, EVRPD Director Stan Gengler researched fencing options. He consulted with Colorado Division of Wildlife Officer Rick Spowart. Officer Spowart recommended a modified buck -and -rail fence that has been effective in excluding elk in other areas. It is inexpensive, easy to install, and requires no digging. It is more attractive and "natural" in appearance than the exclosure fencing in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is also safer for birds. A gate system similar to those in RMNP will need to be used to allow public access to interpretive areas and to allow an elk to exit a fenced area should one get in. (See map in Attachment C.) The EVRPD and the DOW enthusiastically support the fencing. The EVRPD is seeking to match the Tree Board funds, possibly through a grant from the Bureau. Cost estimates were based on use of milled logs. The Tree Board believes that using beetle -kill or thinned lodgepole would be a more natural and cost-effective alternative. No cost estimates are available at this time. The fencing can be done in segments, using the necked -down areas seen on the map to create temporary enclosures of smaller areas. Other Considerations: Fencing will reduce elk calving in the area, although it will not eliminate it. The fence will be on the north side of the trail. Although calving takes place in that area, the prime area is probably the lands adjacent to the pond on the south side of the trail. Elk can still access that area. Page 2 A relatively small number of cows use this area for calving each spring. The number of elk in the Estes Valley numbers in the thousands. Some of these cows will be displaced by the fencing, but they will still find calving areas nearby and will likely be less concentrated and less dangerous. In terms of human interface, the situation along the Lake Estes Trail in this area during spring calving is precarious. Sooner or later, someone will be severely injured by a protective cow elk. The threat to people is addressed in the Bureau of Reclamation's report. One cannot consider the elk alone. Trees are also living things of great value, to the environment and to man. If the trees are allowed to disappear from the area, it will have an even more negative visual impact. The lives and well-being of literally thousands of migratory birds will also be affected, and hundreds of nesting birds will simply be eliminated. Finally, the Town made a commitment to add landscaping to surrounding areas when the Lake Estes Trail was being planned, as mitigation for the loss of habitat. To date, it has not fulfilled that pledge. The Tree Board believes that the fencing project would provide protection of existing tree and vegetation cover and would preserve the visual and aesthetic qualities of the Estes Valley. Budget: The $6,000 from the Tree Board's budget was intended to begin the fencing process. It was also intended to be seed money. It has already worked in that way. The EVRPD enthusiastically embraced the project and intends to seek funds from the Bureau of Reclamation to advance the project. The Tree Board also hopes that the funds will be viewed by Go Colorado as an indication of Town's sincerity and willingness to contribute as we ask for funding for The Estes Park Wildlife Walk. Page 3 Attachment A: Corroboration of cause of habitat degradation Exhibit 1, copy of email, 6/9/10 Greg and I looked at the bird sanctuary area this afternoon. It does look like the dieback is due to repeated elk browsing and damage. The only effective prevention would be to exclude the elk from the trees... in other words, some kind of fencing or enclosure. Diana Selby Assistant District Forester Colorado State Forest Service Fort Collins District 5060 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523-5060 (970) 491-8839 FAX: (970) 491-8645 Exhibit 2, Excerpts from Bureau of Reclamation report 3.4.3.b "The installation of fencing at the Matthews -Reeser Bird Sanctuary would prevent elk grazing of shoreline vegetation at this site, and would allow the plant communities in this area to recover from overgrazing." "The preclusion of elk out of the Matthews -Reeser Bird Sanctuary would be expected to result in up to a moderate long-term beneficial impact ... to vegetation." 3.4.4.b "The installation of fencing at the Matthews -Reeser Bird Sanctuary would prevent overgrazing and trampling of vegetation, particularly willow impacts by elk. The fencing would result in beneficial, long-term effects to bird and small mammal habitat at the sanctuary." 12-22-2010 0i:12PM FROM-NAT ONAL ARE0P DAY F UNDAON +4024739556 T 859 P 001/001 F 380 Attachment B: Appropriate Use o Tree City Funds Arbor Day Foundation'., 2,1 N 121r S. • Lincoln, NE 68508 • 888-448-7337 • arbarday.otg 11 i' inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. MEMO: TO: Dave Mahany FROM: Jennifer Boettcher RE: Tree City USA Estes Park, Colorado may include costs in their budges that deal with protecting trees from wildlife to ensure that trees become well established. This may include fencing and other protection devices. Dave mAtittaehment B: Appropriate Use of Tree City Funds From: Selby,Diana [Diana.Selby@ColoState.EDU] Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 3:32 PM To: Dave Mahany Cc: Russ Franklin Subject: Fencing to protect trees Hi Dave and Russ, I just spoke with our community forestry contact, Keith Wood. He has already spoken with Jennifer at the Arbor Day Foundation and it sounds like everyone is in agreement that fencing materials to protect trees from browsing will qualify as a legitimate expense. I don't know that the Arbor Day Foundation has anything that states that specifically on their website; however, we feel that practices that help in tree establishment/protection are fine. Jennifer may be working on something to send you that is a little more "official." Diana Selby Assistant District Forester Colorado State Forest Service Fort Collins District 5060 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 8052 3-5060 (970) 491-8839 FAX: (970) 491-H(45 1/5/2011 Attachment C: Map of Proposed Fencing W1771"-aVAMT.274E: EvRin5 Ord Soriptuaty-Fthcing' , . optic) ron6 3160 foot perimeter' 3:14' acres l'arOs 01125 0 05 SKI ELKHORN A Regional Tourism Project A Proposal by CMS Planning & Development, Inc. Prepared for the Estes Park Board of Trustees Work Session on 1/11/2011 A REGIONAL TOURISM PROJECT The Regional Tourism Act (RTA) was passed in 2009 to provide financial support to large, regional, tourist - oriented projects in Colorado. This program is overseen by the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC). The main criteria for an RTA project approval are a "project of an extraordinary and unique nature that is anticipated to result in a substantial increase in out-of-state tourism", and "generates a significant portion of the sales tax revenue by transactions with non-residents". Projects will be partially funded by State sales tax funds allocated over the life of a project through tax -increment -financing. The EDC released the program's Guidelines and Application Checklist in November, 2010. Up to two projects may be approved in Colorado. The applicant must be the local government. Applications are due at the EDC on March 21, 2011. SKI ELKHORN is an RTA project proposed for Estes Park. The project area includes over 65 acres, primarily the Elkhorn Lodge property, on the west end of downtown Estes Park. The project focuses on increasing winter visitation, preservation of the historic Elkhorn Lodge, and creation of a cultural arts district. The project has four main components: 1) HISTORIC LODGE RESTORATION - The Elkhorn Lodge is the oldest continually operating lodging facility in Colorado. In 2010, Colorado Preservation, Inc. named the Elkhorn as one of the six most endangered historic properties in Colorado. The historic Elkhorn Lodge buildings will be completely renovated and restored. The main lodge will re -open with a restaurant/bar, banquet hall, gift shop, and 26 guest rooms. The plan includes a new wing of the hotel, which will add 55 new hotel rooms and a large spa with indoor/outdoor pool and hot springs. 2) WINTER RECREATTONAREA. - Ski Elkhorn is 50-acre European -style, winter recreation area with a focus on affordability and education. One chairlift and a several surface lifts serve over 12,000 feet of groomed trails with a 400-foot vertical drop and a terrain park. A ski school will accommodate all ages and types of skiers. A small cafe will be located at the top of the ski hill. It will also operate during the summer as an outdoor adventure park with a zip -line, alpine slides, an alpine roller coaster, and continued service at the hilltop cafe. The ski facility works in this location because it is a sheltered, north -facing slope, and the Town of Estes Park has water rights to take water from Fall River to make snow 3) CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT —A Cultural Arts District, located along Fall River and connected by an enhanced Riverwalk from Elkhorn Lodge to Downtown Estes Park, will be home to Estes Park's arts community. The District will be anchored by a 6-acre area on the Elkhorn property, which has room to accommodate 2-3 arts and museum facilities in a park -like setting along Fall River. The District will be located adjacent to the restored Elkhorn Lodge and new hotel wing, so it will have over 80 hotel rooms, a large restaurant/bar, banquet hall, and meeting rooms on -site. There are over 100 additional hotel rooms within walking distance of this location. 4) DOWIVTOWNIMPROVEMEIV7S- The biggest impact on Downtown Estes Park will be the increased number of visitors in the winter and spring that will be purchasing merchandise and eating at restaurants. Improvements to the riverwalk and streetscape connections to the Elkhorn Lodge will stimulate redevelopment of commercial and lodging facilities. The project includes improvements to the traffic flow from Moraine to Fall River, instead of the construction of the "western by-pass". It also includes the creation of a transportation hub on the west end of downtown with over 350 parking spaces, possibly a parking structure, and shuttle stops. ECONOMIC IMPACTS The initial target for increased sales tax revenue over the 20-year project life is $40,000,000 of state sales tax, and over $60,000,000 of local sales tax. There will be over 250 new jobs directly created by this project. Over $30,000,000 of construction will create the equivalent of 300 full-time jobs for 2-3 years. The local sales of goods and services related to this project will be dramatic, creating an exponentially greater positive economic impact over the next twenty years. Perhaps more important than the direct financial impacts on the local economy, three indirect impacts will be good for the economy and local community: 1) By establishing a more balanced, year-round economy and increasing visitation in the winter and spring, many more young, working families will be able to live in Estes Park. Thus reversing a trend of shrinking enrollment in our school system, and providing a larger pool of younger adults to fill positions in public services (nurses, police, utility workers, volunteer firefighters, etc.). 2) Another important indirect impact will be an overall positive impact on quality of life. There will be more restaurants open year-round, more and varied shops open year-round, better availability of goods and services in the winter and spring, and an increase of recreational activities available to residents. 3) Also, an increase in the sales tax base will reduce any pressure to increase property taxes, which will benefit all residents of the Estes Valley. A REGIONAL TOURISM AUTHORITY The proposed project includes creation of a Regional Tourism Authority. This Authority is the entity which collects the state sales tax increment, and distributes funds to the approved recipients. The Authority is capable of bond financing. Although similar to an Urban Renewal Authority, there are two important differences. A Regional Tourism Authority can not condemn property. Also, the Regional Tourism Authority will does not have a negative impact on funding for other local taxing districts. All funds received are state sales taxes. To: Honorable Mayor Pinkham Board of Trustees Town Administrator Halburnt TOWN OF ESTES PART From: Jackie Williamson, Town Clerk Date: January 11, 2011 RE: Future Town Board Study Session Items January 25th, 2011 - Proposed Town Board Meeting Procedures Finance Committee Creation Other Items Not Scheduled Raw Water rights discussion SOPA introduction of Executive Director & business plan, etc. (Bob Gunn to schedule) Town owned properties Estes Park Economic Council Mayor's right to vote