HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2025-07-08Informal discussion among Trustees and staff concerning agenda items or other Town
matters may occur before this meeting at approximately 4:15 p.m.
Town Board of Trustees Study Session
July 8, 2025 from 4:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Town Hall Board Room, 170 MacGregor Ave, Estes Park
Accessibility Statement
The Town of Estes Park is committed to providing equitable access to our services.
Contact us if you need any assistance accessing material at 970-577-4777 or
townclerk@estes.org.
Meeting Participation
This meeting will be streamed live & available on the Town YouTube page. Click on the
following links for more information on Digital Accessibility, Meeting Translations.
Public comment
Public comments are not typically heard at Study Sessions, but may be allowed by the
Mayor with agreement of a majority of the Board.
Agenda
4:30 p.m. Cleave Street Redevelopment Update.
5:00 p.m. Big Horn Parking Structure Design Update.
5:30 p.m. Water Master Plan – Collaborative Development of
Treatment Alternatives.
6:30 p.m. Trustee & Administrator Comments & Questions.
6:40 p.m. Future Study Session Agenda Items.
6:45 p.m. Adjourn for Town Board Meeting.
The Town of Estes Park is committed to providing equitable access to our services. Contact us
if you need any assistance accessing material at 970-577-4777 or townclerk@estes.org.
Report
To: Honorable Mayor Hall & Board of Trustees
From: Town Administrator Machalek
Department: Town Administrator’s Office
Date: July 8, 2025
Subject: Cleave Street Redevelopment Update
Attachments:
1. Presentation.
Whimsadoodle
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Helping Create Wonderful Things!
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Whimsadoodle Inc. is more than an arts
organization—it’s the living legacy of Barb
Marshall, a tireless soldier for the creatives in
Estes Park. Barb believed that the soul of a town
is reflected in its art and that the surest way to
elevate a town was to enrich its artistic heart.
She dedicated her life to nurturing that soul
through the support of local artists, makers, and
big dreamers.
Following her sudden passing in 2024, Barb's
passion lives on through Whimsadoodle, the
foundation she entrusted to continue her life’s
work: enriching the cultural landscape of Estes
Park and empowering artists to thrive.
About
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2 Our Vision
Whimsadoodle is dedicated to strengthening the fabric of the Estes Park
community by supporting its arts and artists.
Our Mission
Whimsadoodle will work in collaboration with the community to invest in
programs and activities that enable artists to thrive. Our priorities include
increasing access to housing, studios, collaborative work spaces and venues for
exhibition and performance as well as retail spaces for artists, broadly defined
as those working in all fields of the arts and creative endeavors, including those
as diverse as culinary arts and craft beverages.
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Our Board of Directors
Walter R. Dietrich
President
Heather Kline
VP and Treasurer
Nick Smith
VP and Secretary
Scott Martinsen
Vice President
Dwight Arn
Vice President
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Walter Dietrich Sophie Frankel
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Our Team
Nick Smith
Bruce Darby
Victoria Endsley
I N T E R N A T I O N A L A R C H I T E C T S A T E L I E R
CLEAVE ST PARKING DEVELOPMENT
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 1 -SCHEMATIC PERSPECTIVE VIEW AT CLEAVE STREET AND BIG HORN DRIVE
May 30, 2025
A12
// 2
FLOOR PL AN
LEVEL 1
CLEAVE ST.
BIG HORN DR.
EN
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RETAIL
900 SF
RETAIL
1,100 SF
RETAIL
1,100 SF
RETAIL
1,100 SF
RETAIL
1,100 SF
RETAIL
1,100 SF
RETAIL
900 SF
RETAIL
(F&B)
1,550 SF
CLEAVE
PLAZA
DELIVERYDELIVERY
TRASH
SPILL OUT F&B SEATING
POP-UP ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL STAIRS
PROPERTY LINE
SETBACK LINE
EX
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T
// 3
FLOOR PL AN
LEVEL 2
CLEAVE ST.
BIG HORN DR.
APPROACHABLE +
UNIQUE CIRCULATION
PROPERTY LINE
SETBACK LINE
MECH
ENT
R
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EX
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EXI
T
// 4
FLOOR PL AN
LEVEL 3
1-BDRM
650 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
2-BDRM
1,000 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
1-BDRM
650 SF
2-BDRM
1,000 SF
ARTIST
1,000 SF
ARTIST
1,000 SF
GALLERY
1,000 SF
CLEAVE ST.
BIG HORN DR.
OBSERVATION DECK
CORNER ICON
COMMUNITY SPACE
PRIVATE TERRACES
PROPERTY LINE
SETBACK LINE
OPTION FOR
STAIRS TO LEVEL 4
EN
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EX
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// 5
FLOOR PL AN
APARTMENT UNITS
1-BEDROOM
650 SF
2-BEDROOM
1,000 SF
ARTIST
1,000 SF
TERRACE
TERRACE TERRACE
STUDIO
SPACE
W/D
W/D
W/D
// 6
PROGRAM SUMMARY
RETAIL:
(2) SMALL UNITS @ 900 SF = 1,800 SF
(5) MEDIUM UNITS @ 1,100 SF = 5,500 SF
(1) LARGE UNIT @ 1,550 SF = 1,550 SF
8 TOTAL RETAIL UNITS 8,850 SF
LEVEL 1
PARKING:
ADA PARKING SPOTS = 2
NON-ADA PARKING SPOTS = 31
TOTAL PARKING SPOTS 33
LEVEL 2
PARKING:
ADA PARKING SPOTS = 2
NON-ADA PARKING SPOTS = 52
TOTAL PARKING SPOTS 54
TOTAL PARKING ALL LEVELS 117
APARTMENTS:
(8) 1-BEDROOM UNITS @ 650 SF = 5,200 SF
(2) 2-BEDROOM UNITS @ 1,000 SF = 2,000 SF
(2) ARTIST UNITS @ 1,000 SF = 2,000 SF
12 TOTAL APARTMENTS 9,200 SF
LEVEL 3
PARKING:
ADA PARKING SPOTS = 2
NON-ADA PARKING SPOTS = 28
TOTAL PARKING SPOTS 30
// 7
CONCEPT RENDER
CLEAVE ST COMMUNIT Y
// 8
CONCEPT RENDER
CLEAVE ST BEACON
// 9
PROJECT NARRATIVE
• A new, mixed-use development in Downtown Estes Park that will provide eight new retail units, twelve new apartments, and over a hundred
parking spots that are concealed from the main downtown streets.
• Create a vibrant social and commercial development along Cleave St.
• Create an icon at the corner of Cleave St. and Big Horn Dr. to extend the activity on Elkorn up to Cleave St.
• Provide accessible and welcoming public spaces for the Estes Park community.
• Create an approachable and seamless circulation route that allows the experience of the development to start at both the Level 1 Plaza as well as
the Levels 2 and 3 parking areas.
OVERALL
• Create an open plaza on the corner of Cleave St. and Big Horn Dr.
• Provide outdoor seating space for the adjacent potential F&B Retail Unit.
• Provide an open space for pop-up activities, such as performances or makers fairs.
• Provide eight prominent retail storefronts with necessary trash and delivery infrastructure within the parking structure.
• Create approachable circulation
LEVEL 1
• Provide a concealed, but efficient parking level to allow for maximum, easily accessible parking to support the commercial activity in Downtown
Estes Park.
LEVEL 2
• Provide an Observation Deck at the corner of Cleave St. and Big Horn Dr. to provide a unique vantage point overlooking Downtown Estes Park,
the Park Theatre Tower and the scenery beyond to the south.
• Create a community, gallery space to showcase local artists, especially those living and working at the new development.
• Provide twelve new apartment units with two dedicated to artist live/work units with accompanying private terraces.
• Maximizing the southern views overlooking Cleave St. and Downtown Estes Park, as well as the western views overlooking a planned open
courtyard to the west of the development for the apartment units.
LEVEL 3
// 11
FLOOR PL AN
LEVEL 4 (OPTIONAL)
CLEAVE ST.
BIG HORN DR.
PROPERTY LINE
SETBACK LINE
EN
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EX
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ADA PARKING SPOTS = 2
NON-ADA PARKING SPOTS = 43
TOTAL PARKING SPOTS 45
Option to provide an open roof parking deck to provide
an additional forty-five parking spaces to support the
Cleave St Development as well as Downtown Estes Park.
// 8
CONCEPT RENDER
CLEAVE ST BEACON
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 1 -SCHEMATIC PERSPECTIVE VIEW AT CLEAVE STREET AND BIG HORN DRIVE
May 30, 2025
A12
// 8
CONCEPT RENDER
CLEAVE ST BEACON
// 10
THANK YOU!
The Town of Estes Park is committed to providing equitable access to our services. Contact us
if you need any assistance accessing material at 970-577-4777 or townclerk@estes.org.
Report
To: Honorable Mayor Hall & Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Machalek
From: Derek Pastor, PMP, Project Manager
Dana Klein, CPP, Parking & Transit Manager
Department: Public Works
Date: July 8, 2025
Subject: Big Horn Parking Structure Design Update
Objective:
Present an update to the Town Board regarding the current progress, challenges and
request feedback from the Town Board regarding the Big Horn Parking Structure.
Present Situation:
The genesis of this project is based on various conversations during past Town Board
Study Sessions and Town Board meetings. Most recently, during the April 22, 2025
Town Board meeting, staff were directed to engage with the design/architectural firm
DESMAN to begin the design process of a multi-level parking structure. There was also
a request to design components to this structure that will accommodate an upper level
of workforce housing for future consideration.
During a Pre-Application Community Development Review meeting on May 15, 2025,
and a subsequent follow-up meeting on June 4, 2025, several issues and concerns
were raised, causing the project to be paused until further information could be
gathered, along with needed input from the Town Board.
Proposal:
The following topics have been brought up as potential concerns:
1. Property line setbacks requirements for adjacent structures and right-of-way access
2. Driveway access and spatial distancing
3. Pedestrian activation along Cleave St
Also, staff will discuss the current parking inventory projections based on known
information as compared to the original Town-prepared conceptual design.
Lastly, staff will present a brief overview of current and projected expenses related to
this project.
1. Property line setbacks requirements for adjacent structures and right-of-way
access. The unique topography of the Big Horn Parking Lot (Big Horn Dr and Cleave St
intersection) caused some initial confusion in the interpretation of the setback
requirements. Although the setback requirements on Cleave St and adjacent to the
building to the west are clear, the north and east boundaries of Big Horn Dr were in
question. The design team had been operating under the interpretation that the
setbacks for this area were 0ft. After discussions with Community Development, it was
confirmed the setback requirement will be 8ft. This will lead to 12-15 less parking
spaces than originally thought. Community Development did recommend a path to
maximize the setback on this property by vacating a section of right-of-way along Big
Horn Drive. Staff is currently working on those requirements with Community
Development.
2. Driveway access and spatial distancing. Appendix D of the Development Code
identifies the following requirements:
a. Collector Streets. To the maximum extent feasible, all driveways shall be
spaced at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from the pavement edge of any other
driveway.
b. Corner Lots. A driveway or curb cut on a corner lot shall be set back a
minimum of fifteen (15) feet from the property line at the corner or shall be a
minimum of thirty (30) feet from the cross-street curb line, whichever is greater.
The Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS) Table 7.3 and 7.4 has
different requirements for the same conditions:
a. Collector Streets can have 30 minimum feet distance between driveway
edges.
b. Corner lots can have 100 feet minimum distance between driveways and
intersections (measured center to center)
Following the Development code requirement for Collector Street driveway spacing
would effectively eliminate an entire level of parking from Big Horn Dr as there would be
insufficient distance and grade changes to allow for the concept of two unique
entrances along Big Horn Dr. Also, Staff and the design team are currently evaluating
the placement of the driveway access on Cleave St. to determine the pros and cons of
having the driveway closer to Cleave St. or closer to the building on the west related to
pedestrian and vehicle safety.
Staff are actively working on the requirements to request a variance with the Board of
Adjustments to follow the LCUASS guidelines for the collector streets.
3. Pedestrian Activation. The Downtown Master Plan (DMP) encourages/suggests
pedestrian activation in any new buildings/designs. Cleave Street is identified as a
“priority edge” (p 41) and indicates that it is important to activate the public realm along
priority edges and that the ground floor of a building is critical to the downtown
pedestrian experience. The DMP promotes placemaking with a mix of uses that
activates pedestrian-oriented streets. The plan also encourages creating “eyes on the
street” to enhance the feeling of safety. This is achieved with active ground floor uses.
The DMP suggests designs should create diverse visual interest along routes and
walkways, such as windowed storefronts, landscaping, art and natural features; routes
along blank building walls or in areas with little visual interest will not be inviting to
pedestrians” (p A.19). All of these statements are recommended suggestions, not
requirements.
In designing this structure for current, and eventually future uses, they conflict and
contradict each other. The current design would not have any pedestrian activation,
aside from potential visual interests and landscaping on the structure. In designing for
future uses, according to the current development code, the bottom level needs to have
12ft clearance from the floor to ceiling. The current design is planning for the standard
parking garage floor to ceiling clearance of 8ft 6in. To meet the 12ft clearance
requirement, the design would need to add three (3) additional feet of height to the
bottom level, which would increase the height of the 2nd and 3rd levels, and the
locations and/or slopes of the corresponding driveway entrances. It is possible these
additional three feet of height would prevent a driveway on the upper level of Big Horn
Dr. Additionally, if there is the ability of the 3rd level of parking, this additional three feet
of height would ultimately affect the overall height of the 4th level of housing, making
that optional future design questionable due to the overall structure maximum height
requirements.
When looking at the existing buildings and business in the downtown corridor, very few
have floor to ceiling heights greater than 9 feet. The Downtown Master Plan makes
suggestions for this, but not a requirement for future uses. After discussions with the
design team, they have routinely created parking garage spaces with 8ft 6 in – 9ft floor
to ceiling with future re-use in mind. In their experience, they have utilized spacing
within the support structures for utilities or raceways that would normally be found
above a ceiling structure.
4. Parking Space Inventory. The conceptual idea originally presented to the Town
Board was created by town staff and had estimated the overall parking inventory to
approximately be a net gain of 81 parking spaces; 41 spaces from the current Big Horn
Parking Lot and 14 parallel parking spaces along Big Horn Dr would be removed to add
3 levels of parking of approximately 136 spaces. As the design team, who are subject
matter experts in this field, continue to develop a design with a goal of maximizing
parking, those total parking space approximations have changed. The design team has
considered various factors including an elevator, stairwell, turning radii, clearance
requirements for the existing electrical transformer, clearances from driveway
entrances, structural support column placements, among other criteria. Current
projections are now estimated to have a net gain of 55 (110 total spaces) parking
spaces with an 8ft setback. If the setback is 0ft, the estimated parking inventory would
be a net gain if 67 (122 total spaces)
conceptual idea -14 parallel spaces
assuming 0ft set back -14 parallel spaces
assuming 8ft set back -14 parallel spaces
6. Budget review. At the April 22nd Town Board meeting, the project budget was
approved for $600,000. The design services contract with DESMAN is $458,882, with
approval to spend up to $500,000 on design efforts. The remaining $100,000 was
intended for future CMGC services when the design progressed to the appropriate
phase. Since the time the design began, there have been additional services necessary
that are outside those of DESMAN’s scope.
Description Budget Committed Proposed
Project Budget (Related to design
services)
to date)
Advantages:
• A new parking structure with multiple levels of increased parking supply mitigates
the loss of on-street parking caused by the Cleave Street Improvement Project.
• This project may initiate Phase III of the Downtown Parking Management Plan
(expanded paid parking downtown) to provide additional parking revenue to service
the future project construction debt.
• This project may initiate Phase IV of the Downtown Parking Management Plan
(expanded parking supply in downtown Estes Park) if the designed project is built.
• Forward- thinking design will better prepare the Town for future growth around
parking and housing accommodations.
Disadvantages:
• Additional construction along Cleave Street will bring more construction disturbance
for Cleave Street business owners which have already endured the daily disruption
of a major construction project, as well as ongoing private business construction.
• Parking spaces will be temporarily unavailable in the current Big Horn parking lot
during the construction of a new parking structure; however, expanded parking
supply will mitigate this temporary loss by delivering more parking spaces for
decades into the future.
• Construction costs are preliminarily estimated to be $6M, or $39,000 per stall. This
money could be used for other transit or parking priorities in town.
Action Recommended:
1.Is the Town Board comfortable with staff moving forward with the concept of
vacating a portion of the right-of-way to maximize the project area?
2.Is the Town Board comfortable with staff moving forward with a variance request
from the Board of Adjustments for the driveway access and spatial distancing?
3.Does the Town Board have an opinion on pedestrian activation regarding the ceiling
clearance height of the first level?
4.Does the decreased parking inventory projections change the opinion of the Town
Board on this project?
Finance/Resource Impact:
The design phase of this project is funded through the Parking Operating account (256-
590-569-32-21). The Project Code is – BHPKGS. At this time, there is no additional
funding being requested. A future construction contract will be brought to the Town
Board for consideration after the design is completed and an accurate Opinion of
Probable Construction Cost is in hand.
Level of Public Interest:
The level of public interest is expected to be high because of the scope and ultimate
impact/ benefit to the surrounding businesses, residents, and visitors, and the broader
community interest in the future discussion related to expanded paid parking that may
be triggered by this project.
Attachments:
1. Big Horn Parking Structure Conceptual Design
2. Presentation
1
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CLEAVE STREET
APARTMENTS
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Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 1 -FLOOR PLANS
May 30, 2025
A11
0 32'16'8'
1/16" = 1'-0"SCALE:
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A11
1 OPTION 1 -LEVEL 1 FLOOR PLAN
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A11
3 OPTION 1 -LEVEL 3 FLOOR PLAN
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A11
2 OPTION 1 -LEVEL 2 FLOOR PLAN
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A11
4 OPTION 1 -FRAMING PLAN
PARKING SCHEDULE - OPTION 1
LEVEL STALL COUNT
LEVEL 1 9 FT 38
LEVEL 2 9 FT 36
LEVEL 3 9 FT 36
Grand total: 110
ATTACHMENT 1
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 1 -SCHEMATIC PERSPECTIVE VIEW AT CLEAVE STREET AND BIG HORN DRIVE
May 30, 2025
A12
LEVEL 1
0' -0"
LEVEL 2
14' -0"
LEVEL 3
25' -4"
3
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1 5234 6 7
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ABDCE
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 1 -BUILDING SECTIONS AND 3D VIEW
May 30, 2025
A13
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A13
1 OPTION 1 - LONGITUDINAL BUILDING SECTION
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A13
2 OPTION 1 - TRANSVERSE BUILDING SECTION
0 32'16'8'
1/16" = 1'-0"SCALE:
LEVEL 1
0' -0"
LEVEL 2
14' -0"
LEVEL 3
25' -4"
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A B DC E
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 1 -BUILDING SECTIONS AND 3D VIEW
May 30, 2025
A14
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A14
1 OPTION 1 - LONDITUDINAL BUILDING SECTION
0 32'16'8'
1/16" = 1'-0"SCALE:
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A14
3 OPTION 1 - TRANSVERSE BUILDING SECTION
CLEAVE STREET
APARTMENTS
CLEAVE STREET 1
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60' - 2 3/4"R 29' - 0"
R 89' - 0"
NEW RETAINING WALL
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 2 -FLOOR PLANS
May 30, 2025
A21
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A21
1 OPTION 2 -LEVEL 1 FLOOR PLAN
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A21
2 OPTION 2 -LEVEL 2 FLOOR PLAN
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A21
3 OPTION 2 -LEVEL 3 FLOOR PLAN
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A21
4 OPTION 2 -FRAMING PLAN 0 32'16'8'
1/16" = 1'-0"SCALE:
PARKING SCHEDULE - OPTION 2
LEVEL STALL COUNT
LEVEL 1 9 FT 42
LEVEL 2 9 FT 40
LEVEL 3 9 FT 40
Grand total: 122
Sheet No.
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Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 2 -SCHEMATIC PERSPECTIVE VIEW AT CLEAVE STREET AND BIG HORN DRIVE
May 30, 2025
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Sheet No.
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Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 2 -BUILDING SECTIONS AND 3D VIEW
May 30, 2025
A23
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A23
2 OPTION 2 - LONGITUDINAL BUILDING SECTION
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A23
3 OPTION 2 - TRANSVERSE BUILDING SECTION
LEVEL 1
0' -0"
LEVEL 2
14' -0"
LEVEL 3
25' -4"
D EBAH
1
A24
2
A23
LEVEL 1
0' -0"
LEVEL 2
14' -0"
LEVEL 3
25' -4"
1 5234 6 7
2
A24
3
A23
Sheet No.
www.desman.com
Estes Park Big Horn Garage
Estes Park, Colorado
OPTION 2 -BUILDING SECTIONS AND 3D VIEW
May 30, 2025
A24
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A24
2 OPTION 2 - TRANSVERSE BUILDING SECTION
SCALE:1/16" = 1'-0"A24
1 OPTION 2 - LONDITUDINAL BUILDING SECTION
7/7/2025
1
Big Horn Parking Structure
Design Update
Town Board Study Session
July 8, 2025
Derek Pastor, Project Manager
How we got here
•Downtown Master Plan and Downtown Parking Management Plan
both identified the need for additional parking inventory, and
specifically mentioned Cleave Street as a possible location
•February 2023, Town Board approved the Parking Revenue Task
Force recommendation to set aside funds for design of a parking
structure
•May 2024, staff were directed by the Town Board to expand the
scope of the design to a multi-level structure with design to
accommodate a fourth-level for future workforce housing
•April 2025, after Town Board approved a budget amendment to
provide funding, staff engaged with DESMAN to begin the design
process
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2
ATTACHMENT 2
7/7/2025
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Where we are now
After multiple meetings with Community Development as part of the Pre-Application Design Review process, multiple issues were identified that could affect the design and layout of the structure:
•Property line setbacks requirements for adjacent structures and right-of-way access
•Driveway access and spatial distancing
•Pedestrian activation along Cleave St
Staff will also present an update on the following:
•Projected/updated parking inventory
•Up-to-date accounting of committed and proposed expenses
Property Line Setbacks
Current Property Line and Setback Area Proposed New Property Line and Setback Area
Property Line
Setback Line
Proposed Vacated Area of Right of Way
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4
7/7/2025
3
Driveway Access and
Spatial Distancing
The current Development Code and the Larimer County Urban Area
Street Standards (LCUASS) offer differing requirements for the
distances between two driveways and distances between a driveway
and road intersections:
Driveway - IntersectionDriveway – Driveway
30ft150 ftDevelopment Code
100ft30 ftLCUASS
Driveway Access and
Spatial Distancing (con’t)
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6
7/7/2025
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Cleave St Pedestrian Activation
•The Downtown Master Plan encourages/suggests pedestrian
activation in any new buildings/designs. Cleave Street is
identified as a “priority edge” and indicates the importance to
activate the public realm along priority edges and that the ground
floor of a building is critical to the downtown pedestrian
experience. The plan promotes placemaking with a mix of uses
that activates pedestrian-oriented streets.
•In designing for future uses, the current development code
requires the bottom level needs to have 12ft clearance from the
floor to ceiling. The current design is planning for the standard
parking garage floor to ceiling clearance of 8ft 6in.
Cleave St Pedestrian Activation
•By raising the structure an additional 3.5 ft, would create access
issues with the slope of the upper-level entrance on Big Horn
making the 3rd level obsolete.
•Additionally, if the 3rd level can remain, the future upper-level
housing becomes questionable due to required ceiling heights of
the housing and maximum overall structural height requirements.
Predictions are this would reduce the upper-level housing height
from 18ft down to 15 ft.
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8
7/7/2025
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Cleave St Pedestrian Activation
Driveway slope would be altered (steeper) by
adding an additional 3+ feet to structure
height
Parking Inventory Counts
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10
7/7/2025
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Parking Inventory Counts (con’t)
The parking garage design team identified the following aspects of the
structure that the Town staff were not aware of or considered:
•An elevator
•A stairwell
•Necessary vehicle turning radii
•Clearance requirements for the existing electrical transformer
•Clearances from driveway entrances
•Structural support column placements
Parking Inventory Counts (con’t)
NOW
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12
7/7/2025
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Parking Inventory Counts (con’t)
Updated Parking Inventory Projections
41 spacesCurrent Capacity
Net GainNew SpacesSpaces Lost
81136- 41 spaces
- 14 parallel spaces
Town-designed
conceptual idea
67122- 41 spaces
- 14 parallel spaces
Designer projections
assuming 0 ft setback
55110- 41 spaces
- 14 parallel spaces
Designer projections
assuming 8 ft setback
Current Budget Position
ProposedCommittedBudgetDescription
$600,000Project Budget (Related to design services)
$55,635 (invoiced
to date)
DESMAN (contract amount $458,882)
$550Title Commitment Development
$11,000Traffic Impact Study
$18,150Geotechnical Studies
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7/7/2025
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Where are we going?
The below items are for the Board to discuss and provide direction to the staff:
1. Is the Town Board comfortable with staff moving forward with the concept of vacating a portion of the right-of-way along Big Horn Drive to maximize setbacks of the project area?
2. Is the Town Board comfortable with staff moving forward with a
variance request from the Board of Adjustments for the driveway
access and spatial distancing to be aligned with LCUASS guidelines?
3. Does the Town Board have an opinion on pedestrian activation regarding the ceiling clearance height of the first level?
4. Does the decreased parking inventory projections change the opinion of the Town Board on this project?
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7/7/2025
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Communication Strategy
The following are the various ways Town staff plan to engage the community throughout the project:
•(2) open house-style meetings at the conceptual design and 30% design phases
•Webpage/link on Town website
•Online engagement/surveys
•Presentations to the Town Board and Transportation Advisory Board (if applicable)
•Video recordings of events for future viewing
•Utilization of the Chamber of Commerce
•Farmer’s Market
•Door-to-Door flyer deliveries to business owners and residents in the area
•Weekly e-mail communications via distribution list
•Formal and Informal neighborhood meetings
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Water Master Plan –
Collaborative Development of
System Treatment
Town Board Study Session
July 8, 2025
Agenda
▪Purpose and Approach
▪Collaborative Development
▪One Year-round Treatment Plant
▪Two Treatment Plants
▪Synthesis of Teams’ Positions
▪Next Steps
Purpose and Approach
Prepare
position
Present
and
advocate
Evaluate
and
refute
Reverse
positions
Discuss
and form
consensus
“Constructive Controversy” Approach
David W Johnson and Roger T Johnson
Collaborative Development
Which is best for Estes Park –
one plant or two plants?
Split into 2 teams and represent your
team’s position
Build on previous discussions and
data
Investments in the system are
required (condition assessment
scores are low)
No specific location or treatment
process
Peak day demand is 6 MGD
Adequate water rights exist
Role One Plant Two Plants
Team Lead Travis Machalek Jacqui Wesley
Management Jason Fredricks Reuben Bergsten
Treatment James Rossi Mike Northcutt
Distribution Dan Marotti Jason Lang
Water Quality Deb Callahan Maddy Koth
Construction Mike Dantimo Mike Dantimo
Treatment
Distribution
Management
Water
Quality
One Year-Round
Treatment Plant
Efficiency Cost savings
Redundancy
Safety and
Security
Compliance
Water
Management
Meets Town’s
Mission and Goals
One Plant Team Findings
Budgeting and facilities/building costs
Planning for regulatory compliance
Subject matter expertise, focused O&M, and single SOPs
Efficient inventory management and ordering
Single site for disaster-hardening, risk management planning,
security, and safety
Less compliance reporting and single location for planning
compliance upgrades
Two Treatment
Plants
Diversity of
location
Reduces single
point of failure risk
Supports our
existing system
Emphasizes our
existing
investments
Staff Familiarity Water Rights are in
place
Meets Town’s
mission and goals
Two Plant Team Findings
Estes Park is the ONLY larger public water system in the
area –there are not potential emergency connections
Geographic diversity adds natural disaster protection and
use of multiple raw water sources
Historical reliability –multiple plants have served us well
Our distribution system is set up for the current plant
locations –allows for gravity flow in many parts of the system
Synthesis of the Teams Positions
Consensus of both teams:
–Redundancy in supply and treatment is critical for reliable service
–Process redundancy can be achieved at a single site with proper
design
–Switching back and forth with different processes and locations is
challenging to our operators and water quality
Existing plants’ configurations are not ideal –processes,
expandability, and no redundancy (supply and treatment)
Cost to achieve high-quality and reliable service with our
existing plants is very high
One Plant Two Plants
Consensus of Findings
Multiple independent raw water sources at plant(s)Provides reliable raw water even if a supply is compromised
Redundancy in treatment trains and equipment Allows units to be out of service and meet peak day demand
Hardening of treatment plant(s) & site Reduces risk/impacts from natural or man-made disasters
Expandability of treatment plant(s)Allows capacity or treatment additions to meet future needs
We can meet these needs by:
Bringing all our water rights independently to a single
plant location
Constructing a new expandable plant with multiple
redundant treatment trains for year-round operations
Completing required improvements and maintenance
at MLWTP to allow for seasonal operation
Decommissioning GCWTP due to poor condition and
declining functionality
Next Steps
Activity Status
Update population and demand projections (study session 7/22)July 2025
Complete Water master plan Q3 2025
Develop cost for required improvement at MLWTP and
proposed new plant Q4 2025
Preliminary study for MLWTP raw water pipeline Completed
Initiate planning and identification of funding for MLWTP
improvements and new plant Spring 2026
Rate Study Initiation Q4 2025
Questions and
Discussion
The Town of Estes Park is committed to providing equitable access to our services. Contact us
if you need any assistance accessing material at 970-577-4777 or townclerk@estes.org.
Future Study Session Items
July 22, 2025
•The Future of Estes Park’s Water System Service Area Population and
Demands
•Curb and Gutter Philosophy
August 12, 2025
•Development Code Update
•Vehicle/Motorcycle Parking Limitations Code Amendment
Items Approved - Unscheduled
•Joint Study Session with the Estes Valley Fire Protection District on Sales Tax
•Visit Estes Park Intergovernmental Agreement with Larimer County
•Police Department Facility Financing
•Overnight Parking
•Liquor License Process
Items for Town Board Consideration
•None