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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Town Board Study Session 2026-04-14RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town ofEstes Park, Larimer County, Colorado April 14, 2026 Minutes of a Study Session meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held at Town Hall in the Board Room in said Town of Estes Park on the 14th day of April, 2026. Board: Mayor Hall, Mayor Pro Tem Cenac, Trustees Brown, Hazelton, Igel, and Lancaster Attending: Mayor Hall, Mayor Pro Tem Cenac, Trustees Brown, Hazelton, Igel, and Lancaster Also Attending: Town Administrator Machalek, Deputy Town Administrator Damweber, Attorney Kramer, and Recording Secretary Stoddard Cameron Absent: One Vacancy Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 5:16 p.m. Murals and Sign Code. Director Careccia provided an overview of the characteristics and regulations guiding in- Town murals and requested direction on whether commercial messaging should be permitted. Pursuant to Estes Park Municipal Code (EPMC) §17.66, murals and signs are subject to distinct regulatory requirements. It was noted that murals, which are purely decorative by definition, do not require administrative approval. However, any commercial content or imagery reclassifies them as signage which is subject to application and approval from the Community Development Department. Businesses are allocated signage based on the width of the property frontage, which murals often exceed. This has resulted in the removal of one mural, and alteration to remove a logo from another. He identified advantages of allowing commercial messaging including the beautification of otherwise unused space, attraction of visitors to artwork, and publicity gained through image or video sharing on social media. Director Carrecia then commented on the disadvantages of the potential for inconsistent application of code by staff due to the subjective nature of artwork interpretation. Board discussion ensued and has been summarized: Questioned how commercial messaging could be defined; acknowledged that imagery associated with activities or items could be characterized as commercial messaging; discussed current examples of commercial messaging on murals around Town including off-premise marketing; questioned the possibility of limiting the prohibition to words, or the business name; expressed gratitude for the businesses investing in outdoor artwork; acknowledged the difficulty in differentiating art from commercial messaging; highlighted that an upcoming 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling might affect the Board's decision; and requested the discussion be tabled until after the 10th Circuit ruling. Estes Park Development Code Amendment to Allow Small Visitor-Serving Autocycle Operations with Special Review. Director Careccia explained that a request had been made by a local business to amend the Estes Park Development Code to allow limited small autocycle rentals in the (CD) Commercial Downtown zoning district in which vehicle sales and rentals are currently prohibited. It was noted that sightseeing tour operations are permitted in the (CD) Commercial Downtown zoning district but require special review. Two tour companies were said to be approved to operate in the CD zoning district. It was explained that special review evaluates the adverse impacts of operations on traffic congestion, parking, ingress/egress, amongst other criteria. Three (3) alternatives were presented to the Board for discussion: Allow autocycle operations, and potentially other vehicle operations, by right as a permitted use; limit autocycle operations to approval by special review and establish conditions for approval; or, make no changes to the Development Code and continue prohibiting autocycle operations from occurring in the downtown corridor. Board discussion and questions were heard and summarized: Clarified the request was made by a single RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town Board Study Session Minutes dated April 14, 2026 - Page 2 business; noted autocycles are operated by the client while a tour buses are driven by professional drivers; questioned the effect on safety and traffic congestion of allowing drivers untrained on autocycles to drive downtown; expressed reservations about amending the Development Code for a single requester; acknowledged the opportunity for the business to be conducted elsewhere; noted the advantage of drawing tourists to areas of Town outside of the downtown corridor; and requested staff pursue alternative 3 and make no changes to the Development Code at this time. Future Study Session Agenda Items. It was requested and determined that a Housing Definitions Check-ln with Manager Bangs would be scheduled as a study session item for July 14, 2026. Trustee Igel then requested a Study Session with Estes Park Housing Authority (EPHA) Director Moulton and EPHA Board Chair Blackhurst to discuss the SkyView Building at Fall River Village and an offer made to the EPHA for the upper Fall River Village parcel. Board discussion ensued and has been summarized: Questioned the discussion's relevance; debated potential dates for the discussion; acknowledged the Town Board's responsibility in appointing the EPHA Board; and it was determined that a Joint Study Session would be held at the Town Board Study Session on June 9, 2026. Comments & Questions. None. There being no further business, Mayor Hall adjourned the meeting at 6:27 p.m. < .:€.- Sarah Stoddar^l Cc^neron, Recording Secretary ./ //' '^ .^ :"